CONTINENTAL LIFE

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 563, 19 July 1909, Page 8

CONTINENTAL LIFE

' "OUR 'RESTRICTIVE LEGISLATION,";; Writing from* Milan to a friend in Wellington, the Hon.: T. Kennedy Macdonald, M.L.C., says;- 1 : A ' //>/. '•"■'■■ )!/ '.'/./;'' / •'■ "I send you herewith a programme of a concert given in open-air associated with a high-class Restaurant in Milan, which struck me as the best thing'; of. tho kind I have seen in' : ltaly. -There were/oyer/§OO. men.jand/wo-. men 1 of 'the 'best: type -pf eseht , ' not' inly' en 1 -; joying the music, but taking their coffee, wines, and syrups at'little tables. Mrsi'.Macdonald' and I, both enjoyed it so much, that yesterday evening, after returning from Lake Como'.at 9.30, instead of going to the/hotel to a belated,dinner, we'went /there for' sup-j per. The comfort and freedom'of life on the Continent of Europe is a great contrast to our restrictive legislation and our prohibition legislative friends, I; have, not yet" seen a .single mail on- the Continent affected with liquor m any way. I;.am/sure that for' husbands and wives and *young men and their sweethearts to go about together and' enjoy their coffee, etc., ,aDd listen to the music (which makes-one think, one is at the opera) is a great thing''for them, i Milan, is 3 great'musical centre. Yesterday we heard that the -Misses ; 'Van • Staveren had .left for, .Berlin.- .There .are a large number of Amori-i can women studying Italian'here with, a view to /perfecting ''. themselves' in the, language as.singers. One told us that, she had been'a twelve month in Milan; and/would in three months be able to go back to America and/take: up operatic/work. Two or three days ago-we .were taken over La Scala, the greatest opera house in Italyy- and the scene of many' a triumph of our greatest artists.; It.is. a noble theatre, and is decorated, with beautiful statues of the world-famous ■• com- : posers.:. .■-. I am just about feeling myself again after r a nasty- attack of influenza contracted -in- Rome.'.We are.-off .today (May 29) for LonSon, where we hope' to be .in the first week of June." ' \

The programme played: by the orchestra at Milan referred to by Mr: Macdonald consisted of the following numbers: —Russian ■ polka—, "Luba" (Gauwm); Haydn's Symphony, No. 1, an entr'acte by Annat-Alvez;- fantasia, "Adriana Lecbuweur" ; "Valse Lumin'euse" (Gaiine); "Lorelei"; (Cantalini); "Mazurka". (Godard);' galop " Automobile"' (Burgmein).'; ."