36 
theatres of a fecondary rank, fome of 
which advance to a high degree of perfec- 
tion, and by a juft blending of their 
powers, perhaps, attain that united whole, 
fo much miffed on moft ftages, better than 
feveral highly renowned National Theatres. 
In this clafs, Altona, Breflau, Drefden, 
Deffau, Manheim, Munich, and Weimar, 
contend with various fuccefs, each fre- 
quently producing very complete reprefen- 
tations. It is only a few. years fince 
Altona has poffefled its own regular 
houfe ; but the tafte of the audience is not 
finer than at Hamburg; and in order 
to have a full houfe, the managers are 
very often obliged to enhance the value ' 
of their reprefentations by mafquerades, 
tvanfparencies,. and iliuminations. A 
Theatrical and Literary Paper is publifhed 
there ; ,the frequent changes.in the name 
of which do not augur very favourably 
for a long duration. The fecond wite of 
the celebrated poet, the late M. Burgher, 
the ballad-writer, performs here as an 
actre{s.—Since the death of Mrs. Waeler 
has liberated Silefia from a very burden- 
fome theatrical monopoly; Breflau has 
undertaken to eftablifh a\ftage for herfelf 
by means of fhares, and has for thefe 
two years, employed uncommon fums on 
the completion of the decorations and 
company, ‘This expence lately. exceeded 
the reckoning of the ftockholders fo much, 
that they dreaded difagreeable -confe- 
quences, and now begin to think on ex- 
traordinary means of affiftance.—Drefden 
fhares with Leipzig freely and without 
envy the pleafures of its theatre, how- 
ever well entitled this latter town is, fince 
tne purchafe of a play-honfe by their 
magiftracy, to wifh for a fixed company 
itfelf. Some of the moft famous names 
are mentioned among that company 
commonly called Secouda’s firft Company, 
but it 1s much ftraightened in its choice of 
pieces by political views ; and in Drefden 
muft often yield to the more favorite 
Italian Court Opera, ‘The aéting of a 
Eably, who has filled up the place of Al- 
legranii who was fent for to London,’ is 
dignified with more admiration, than the | 
moft feeling expreffion of a Hartwig; and 
the Buitoon Boyaveri feems to create much 
more delight, than the theatrical franknefs 
of the excellent Chri?, and the highly comic 
acting of the veteran Thoring. Deffau has 
for fometime promifed us a perfectly new 
‘theatrical arrangement, under the pro- 
tection and benevolence of a Prince fo 
much the patron of the polite arts; it has 
ootained, by means of Mr. a Erdmannf- 
orf, a play-houfe, in which are many 
View of the German Theatres. 
Feb. 1, 
things worthy of example; in the interior 
of which the conftruétor has known how 
to unite fome of the advantages of the 
Grecian Theatre with the. modern de- 
mands of the art; and for this reafon, 
deferves to be made known to firangers 
by a particular defcription, It was opened 
by an Opera Battumenai, which the new 
director, a nobleman pofieffed of a deep 
knowledge in mufic and the skill of an 
actor, M. de Lichtenfeein, has himfelf 
written and compofed. To complete the 
wonder, he and his wife appeared as per- 
formers in that piece, and in another like- 
wife of his own compofition.—Maubeim, 
which in that happy period which I[jfand 
has jo enchantingly painted to us in 
his theatrical life, prefixed to the new 
edition of his plays printed for Mr. 
Gofchen at Leipfic, in 14 volumes, united 
under a Dalberg the moft extraordinary 
talents, and poffefled a ftage which other 
German Theatres adopted as a model, 
has, by undeferved misfortunes and the 
calamities of a ruinous war, been deprived 
of this beautiful garland, and is now in 
dread for the very exiftence of its Theatre. 
Beck, the firft performer, the once. infe- 
parable friend of Iffland, and the author 
of that favorite piece the Cheft, has-been 
tranf{planted to Munich, where, fince the 
late change in its mafter, a more kindly 
ftar beams on the polite arts; and accord- 
ingly from an inconfiderable and trifling 
theatre, Thalia’s refidence has been placed 
already in a more fitting temple. The 
company at Weimar, under the bene- 
ficent and enlivening dire€tion of a Gothe, 
without making great profeflions, has long 
performed far more than could be ex- 
pected in a little town, m which many 
abound with talents, few with money ; 
and, by a prudent reparation of its infide, 
has obtained lately an ornamental theatre for 
its pleafures. In Weimar has Iffand twice 
reprefented his choiceft characters to-a 
fele&t audience. In Weimar was the 
new production of Schiller, the defervedly 
celebrated drama of Wallenftein, firft re- 
prefented, and under the eye of the author, 
performed to the entire content of an im- 
partial public. In the Drama and in the 
Opera, are here united induftry and ta- 
lents; which, though in a confined {pace, 
produce an excellent and agreeable well. 
rouaded whole, the lofs of which is often 
there felt where oze eminent talent darkens | 
the furrounding merit. Befides thefe, are 
both within and without the boun- 
daries of Germany, many a regular and 
wandering company; from which, if fe. 
lected with judgment, one excellent Thea 
t trg 
