Life, 1922-01-12 · page 13 of 34
Life — January 12, 1922 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains opera synopses by Robert C. Benchley, a humor columnist. The main cartoon illustrates *Die Meister-Genossenschaft*, a German opera about mythological creatures. The satirical joke at bottom features Adam and Eve examining a confusing menagerie of fantastical animals. Adam quips that naming "all these confounded animals" is tedious work. Eve responds that a "telephone directory" would help organize the chaos. The humor targets the absurdity of opera plots—particularly Germanic operas with their elaborate mythological casts—and pokes fun at the audience's confusion trying to follow such fantastical storylines. The anachronistic telephone reference (a modern convenience) underscores the ridiculous gap between biblical creation and contemporary complexity, satirizing both opera's pretentiousness and the period's bewilderment at technological change.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Die Meister-Genossenschaft The Forests of Germany. Antiquity. Cast SreupeL, God of Rain... Scmauz, God of Slight Dri Iu uerGLtck, Goddess of the Six Primary Colors........0.45 Soprano Lvpwic pas Erwess, the Knight f the Iron Duck. - Baritone Tiie WoopPECKER .. ...Soprano Basso Tenor Argument The basis of “Die Meister-Genossen- uit” is an old legend of Germany tells how the Whale got his Stomach. Acr I he Rhine at Low Tide Just Below I cldschnoffen—Immergliick has zrown weary of always sitting on the same rock with the same fishes swim- ming by every day, ald sends for schwiil to suggest something to do. Schwiil asks her how she would like to have pass before her all the wonders of the world fashioned by the hand of She says, rotten. He then sug- man. Eve: LIFE More Opera Synopses Robert C. Benchley gests that Ringblattz, son of Pflucht, be made to appear before her and fight a mortal combat with the Iron Duck. This pleases Immergliick and she sum- mons to her the four dwarfs: Hot Water, Cold Water, Cool and Cloudy. She bids them bring Ringblattz to her. They refuse, because Pflucht has at one time rescued them from being buried alive by acorns, and, in a rage, Immer- gliick strikes them all dead with a thunderbolt. Act 2 A Mountain Pass.—Repenting of her deed, Immergliick has sought advice of the giants, Offen and Besitz, and they tell her that she must procure the magic zither which confers upon its owner the power to go to sleep while apparently carrying on a conversation. This magic zither has been hidden for three hun- dred centuries in an old bureau drawer, guarded by the Iron Duck, and, although many have attempted to rescue it, all have died of a strange ailment just as success was within their grasp. But Immergliick calls to her side Dampfboot, the tinsmith of the gods, and bids him make for her a tarnhelm or invisible cap which will enable Her to talk to people without their under- standing a word she says. For a dol- lar and a half extra Dampfboot throws in a magic ring which renders its wearer insensible. Thus armed, Im- mergliick starts out for Walhalla, hum- ming to herself. Act 3 The Forest Before the Iron Duck’s Bureau Drawer.— Merglitz, who has up till this time held his peace, now descends from a balloon and demands the release of Betty. It has been the will of Wotan that Merglitz and Betty should meet on earth and hate each other like poison, but Zweiback, the druggist of the gods, has disobeyed and concocted a love-potion which has ren- dered the young couple very unpleasant company. Wotan, enraged, destroys them with a protracted heat spell. Encouraged by this sudden turn of affairs, Immergliick comes to earth in a boat drawn by four white Holsteins, and, seated alone on a rock, remembers aloud to herself the days when she was a girl. Pilgrims from Augenblick, on their way to worship at the shrine of (Continued on page 32) is some job. It wouldn't be so bad if we had a telephone directory or something to refer to. comicbooks.com