DRAMATIC AND MUSICAL GOSSIP.

Evening Star, Issue 4251, 11 October 1876, Page 4

DRAMATIC AND MUSICAL GOSSIP.

Dr. Von Bulow has returned from America. The eminent pianist has not; been successful there, and this is evidently the cause of his ill-health. The New York ‘Music Trade Review ’ says Dr. Bulow was engaged to play 172 concepts, and he played 139 concerts—consequently about a fifth short. He is quite candid about the reasons which made him give up : partly from overwork, which his frail frame could resist even until now only through the support of his undr unted energy, and from the wounded feeling of the great artist, who does not see success financially or artist cally compensate his endeavors, he thought it best to stop there and then. His failure, if failure it can be called, comes first because he insisted upon playing so much that it tired him and his audience, and then because he made more enemies than friends with his inconsiderate abuse of any community be had just left. The Home papers state that Mr Chatterton was to commence his dramatic season, at Drury Lane, on Saturday, 23rd September, with “Richard III.,” in which Mr Barry Sullivan will make his first appearance since his return from America. Shakspeare’s play is to be mounted in an unprecedented style of splendour and completeness of pageantry and spectacle. M. Poussard continues to fiddle away. We now hear of him at Boulogne-sur-mere, assisted by an excellent company, and doing well.

A musical genius in embryo, in the person of Master George Allpress, is (says the ‘ Daily Telegraph ’) at present on a visit in Melbourne. Master George is little more than ten years, old, and is a violinist and pianist of extraordinary capacity. Bis father, Mr Charles Allpress, of Kangaroo Flat, noticing his very early lias for music, has had him for the last two or three years taught the violin, and he plays (on a tiny one made for him) with wonderful skill for so small a child ; his bowing and lingering are specially noticeable for their ease and finish, and as he is a fluent reader, his appearance, as ho stood in Messrs Allan and Co.’s rooms, before a select number of musical people, playing a brilliant fantasia on airs from “Lucrezia Borgia,” was that of a little maestro. Abo % twelve months since he commenced to display a predilection for the piano, and his father at once placed him under the tuition of B err’Edward Calon, a Sandhurst teacher of note, who has advanced him in his studies so rapidly that, although he did not know a note of bass when he commenced, he is now able to execute Beyer, Lange, Farmer, Oesten, and other authors’ compositions. His execution of Beyer’s “La Fille du Regiment,” and West’s fantasia on airs from “Guillaume Tell,” was astonishing, the great feature being the extraordinary amount of expression introduced by him, and the judgment he evinces in his use of the pedals. Berr Galon is very proud of his child-pupil, and he may well be so. There is a great future in store for the little fellow if he is treated wisely.

Under the heading of “An Australian prima donna ” the ‘S. M. Herald’ thus chronicles the success of Miss Emma Howson, which must be gratifying to mauy of our readers who have beard her in Australia. In February last, Miss Boweon met Signor Camphello, in Milan, and after hearing her sing, the signor at once engaged the young Australian for a tour through the English provinces and Ireland, and she became a member of the operatic company under Campbeilo’s management, one of the best operatic troupes outs de London, and the critiques we have perused, and which appeared in the leading journals of the towns waerein the company performed, testify to a genuine success on the part of Miss Howson. On the 18th of last J ulyjshe was in London, negotiating for a short season of Italian

opera in • ctober next; and also an engagement for the Covent Garden promenade concerts ; Mr Chailes Halle has also retained Miss Howson for his classical concerts. In a letter written to a gentleman here, it is stated that Miss Howson will probably visit Sydney, or, as she says, “her native city,” for a short period, on the termination of her present engagements. Miss Howson appeared as Che übino, in “La Nozze de Figaro,” as Lady Henrietta in “Martha,” and as Amina in “ Sonnambula,” during one week, and of the latter performance the ‘ Manchester Guardian ’ says :—“The great features in Mdlle. Howsou’s pourtrayal of tbe part of Amina were the highly artistic modulation of her voice, her animated declamation and tasteful expression, her perfectly natural acting of the somnambulist, and her charming air of innocence; but a still greater feature was the really wonderful elasticity of Mdlle. Howson’s voice, and the remarkable felicity with which she not only executed the difficult music of such airs as ‘Sovra il sen’ and ‘Ah non giunt e’ as it is written, but also s ared into the realms of farcy music, and interpolated charming little airy passages of embellishme st which, though they might to some minds, be open to the charge of superfluity, were ceit duly marvellous specimens of the creations of a fresh and vivid imagination skilfully brought out by a voice upon which, at all events, an immense amount of artistic training has evidently been bestowed. Into the numerous recitatives Mdlle, Howson put an unusual amount of melody by the excellent management of her voice, while in the duets and the concerted music generally her singing was « great ornament. We are bound to say that Mdlle. Howson’s representation of the character ot Amina was of a highly accomplished nature.” The names of the Opera ('ompany coming out to Sydney to Mr Lazar are : -Signora - Guadagnmi, prima donna drammatica; Signora Cavatti, prima donna leggera; Siguera V enmta, prima donna contralto; Signora de Bautly, altra prma donna ; i'ignor Paladina, prims tenore serio; Signor Camero, primo tenore leggero ; Signor Orlandini, primo baritono serio ; Signor Gambetti, primo baritone brillarte; Signor Tresani, primo basso ; Signor Tessada, buffo ; Signor Pasta, altro prima basso ; Signora Borzoni, second donna ; Signor Feaves, second tenore; Signor Lambiaggio, second baritone. The thought strikes us that Orlandini is the same who visited the Colonies a couple of years ago. No finer baritone than the late Agatha States* husband has been in Australia.

At Sydney a remarkable success has been achieved by the production with splendid scenic effects of the historical drama of “Henry V.,” with George Bginold in the | Bartlett, Mies ibtfii'g, and others,