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The German Classics of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, Volume 04
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Where can the musician be!
KING
To be or not to be—
[The peacemaker enters with a set of musical bells and begins to play them at once.]
KING
What is the matter with me? (Weeping.) Alas! I have already had my attack again. Have the rabbit taken out of my sight. (He lays his head on the table, full of grief, and sobs.)
COURTIER
His majesty suffers much.
[Violent stamping and whistling in the pit; they cough, they hiss; those in the gallery laugh; the king gets up, arranges his cloak and sits down majestically with his sceptre. It is all in vain; the noise continues to increase, all the actors forget their parts, a terrible pause on the stage. HINZE has climbed up a pillar. The author appears on the stage, overcome.]
AUTHOR
Gentlemen—most honorable public—just a few words!
IN THE PIT
Quiet! Quiet! The fool wishes to speak!
AUTHOR
For the sake of heaven, do not disgrace me thus; why, the act will be over directly. Just look, the king, too, is again calmed; take an example from this great soul which certainly has more reason to be vexed than you.
FISCHER
More than we?
WIESENER (to his neighbor).
But I wonder why you are stamping? We two like the play, do we not?
NEIGHBOR
That's true too—absent-mindedly, because they're all doing it. (Claps with might and main.)
AUTHOR
A few voices are still favorable to me, however. For pity, do put up with my poor play; a rogue gives more than he has, and it will be over soon, too. I am so confused and frightened that I can think of nothing else to say to you.
ALL
We want to hear nothing, know nothing.
AUTHOR (raging, drags the peacemaker forward).
The king is calmed, now calm this raging flood too, if you can. (Beside himself, rushes off.)
[The peacemaker plays on his bells, the stamping keeps time with the melody; he motions; monkeys and bears appear and dance fondly around him. Eagles and other birds. An eagle sits on the head of HINZE who is very much afraid; two elephants, two lions. Ballet and singing.]
THE FOUR-FOOTED ANIMALS
That sounds so beautiful!
THE BIRDS
That sounds so lovely!
CHORUS TOGETHER
Never have I seen or heard the like!
[Hereupon an artistic quadrille is danced by all present, the king and his court retinue are taken into the centre, HINZE and JACKPUDDING not excluded; general applause. Laughter; people standing up in pit to see better; several hats fall down from the gallery.]
THE PEACEMAKER (sings during the ballet and the audience's general expression of pleasure).
Could only all good men
Soft bells like these discover
Each enemy would then
With ease be turned to lover.
And life without bad friends would be
All sweet and lovely harmony.
[The curtain falls, all shout and applaud, the ballet is heard awhile.]
INTERLUDE
WIESENER
Splendid! Splendid!
NEIGHBOR
Well, I'd certainly call that a heroic ballet.
WIESENER
And so beautifully woven into the main plot!
LEUTNER
Beautiful music!
FISCHER
KING
To be or not to be—
[The peacemaker enters with a set of musical bells and begins to play them at once.]
KING
What is the matter with me? (Weeping.) Alas! I have already had my attack again. Have the rabbit taken out of my sight. (He lays his head on the table, full of grief, and sobs.)
COURTIER
His majesty suffers much.
[Violent stamping and whistling in the pit; they cough, they hiss; those in the gallery laugh; the king gets up, arranges his cloak and sits down majestically with his sceptre. It is all in vain; the noise continues to increase, all the actors forget their parts, a terrible pause on the stage. HINZE has climbed up a pillar. The author appears on the stage, overcome.]
AUTHOR
Gentlemen—most honorable public—just a few words!
IN THE PIT
Quiet! Quiet! The fool wishes to speak!
AUTHOR
For the sake of heaven, do not disgrace me thus; why, the act will be over directly. Just look, the king, too, is again calmed; take an example from this great soul which certainly has more reason to be vexed than you.
FISCHER
More than we?
WIESENER (to his neighbor).
But I wonder why you are stamping? We two like the play, do we not?
NEIGHBOR
That's true too—absent-mindedly, because they're all doing it. (Claps with might and main.)
AUTHOR
A few voices are still favorable to me, however. For pity, do put up with my poor play; a rogue gives more than he has, and it will be over soon, too. I am so confused and frightened that I can think of nothing else to say to you.
ALL
We want to hear nothing, know nothing.
AUTHOR (raging, drags the peacemaker forward).
The king is calmed, now calm this raging flood too, if you can. (Beside himself, rushes off.)
[The peacemaker plays on his bells, the stamping keeps time with the melody; he motions; monkeys and bears appear and dance fondly around him. Eagles and other birds. An eagle sits on the head of HINZE who is very much afraid; two elephants, two lions. Ballet and singing.]
THE FOUR-FOOTED ANIMALS
That sounds so beautiful!
THE BIRDS
That sounds so lovely!
CHORUS TOGETHER
Never have I seen or heard the like!
[Hereupon an artistic quadrille is danced by all present, the king and his court retinue are taken into the centre, HINZE and JACKPUDDING not excluded; general applause. Laughter; people standing up in pit to see better; several hats fall down from the gallery.]
THE PEACEMAKER (sings during the ballet and the audience's general expression of pleasure).
Could only all good men
Soft bells like these discover
Each enemy would then
With ease be turned to lover.
And life without bad friends would be
All sweet and lovely harmony.
[The curtain falls, all shout and applaud, the ballet is heard awhile.]
INTERLUDE
WIESENER
Splendid! Splendid!
NEIGHBOR
Well, I'd certainly call that a heroic ballet.
WIESENER
And so beautifully woven into the main plot!
LEUTNER
Beautiful music!
FISCHER
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Последний отзыв
Классная книга. Очень многое объясняет, что скрытое реально происходит в человеке