Page:Poet Lore, volume 27, 1916.djvu/93

 artist life in Prague “The Will o’ the Wisp” (Bludička). The influence of Maeterlinck is clearly shown in his next work, a lyrical trilogy “Memento” finished towards the close of 1896.

Most happily did he combine the fascinating humor of fanciful lore with lyric melancholy and delicacy in his fairy drama “Princess Dandelion” (Princezna Pampeliška), published in 1897. Seven years elapse before another play is produced, the beautiful drama Clouds (“Oblaka”) being completed in 1904. The last named is the first of Kvapil’s plays to appear in English dress, having been translated by Charles Recht and printed in Poet Lore, December, 1910. In 1906 Kvapil wrote his national fairy tale “The Orphan” (Sirotek) in which he unites not so successfully as in Princess Dandelion allegorical types with genre sketches from life.

In addition to this original work, Kvapil within very recent years has become strongly interested in Henrik Ibsen whose satirical social plays had been given presentation on the Bohemian stage since 1883. Practically all of Ibsen’s dramas had been translated into the Bohemian at this time but within the last ten years Kvapil has prepared new translations of these works of the great Scandinavian which especially appealed to him.

In 1906 Kvapil translated “The Lady from the Sea” following it up soon after (1908) with a translation of “Ghosts” whose title, however, he gives as “Spectres.” Although G. Eim had translated “Pillars of Society” as early as 1879,—this version being in common use in the Bohemian theaters,—Kvapil in 1910 prepared an exceptionally faithful translation of the same satire. “Hedda Gabler” had twice been translated into the Čech, but Kvapil’s version made in 1911 is looked upon as the best. His most recent translation is “The Master Builder” done in 1912.

Mr. Kvapil is publishing those translations in the “World Library” (Svetova Knihovna), a very superior series of world-classics which he has been editing since 1897 for the J. Otto Publishing Company of Prague, Bohemia.

Kvapil has also written a number of successful librettos, among them “The Peasants’ Rebellion” for Lošťák, “Perdita,” “Debora” and “The Water-Sprite” ( ( [sic]Rusalka).

He has been assistant to Gustav Schmoranz, director of the Bohemian National Opera, for a number of years, being drawn to this work through the great artistic successes of his wife Hana Kvapilová who for many years (1860–1907) played the leading roles in the chief playhouse of the Čech nation. Kvapilová played