ART, LITERARY, AND DRAMATIC GOSSIP.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1721, 26 August 1879, Page 2 (Supplement)

ART, LITERARY, AND DRAMATIC GOSSIP.

(From English files.)

Jenny Lind sang in the chorus at the first concert given during the past season by the Bach Society, London, Mr Wallack is said to have bought a play that has had a great success in Copenhagen. It represents in the most satirical manner a party of adventurers who have a plan for a railway to St. Paul’s from the moon. Mr Charles Reade has given Mr Harry Jackson an interest in the provincial right of the successful Princess’ drama “ Drink,” and has, we understand, intrusted him with the arrangements. Sims Reeves has been very ill, but is recovering.

Di Murska, the singer, was made an honorary member of the Grand Army of the Republic at Ithaca, N.Y., the other day. Mrs Frost, the harpist, gave, previously to her departure for New Zealand, a farewell concert at St. George’s Hall. Among the artists who were announced to assist were Madame Mary Cummings, Misses Mary Davies and Ada Lincoln, Messrs Cummings, Elmore, March, and Pope. During the evening, that accomplished elocutionist, Miss Cowen, gave a recitation; and a band of harps, under the direction of Mr John Thomas, also assisted. The absence of Mrs Frost will not pass unnoticed, for she was for several years harpist to the Philharmonic Society, and at her Majesty’s Theatre ; she played the harp at the Wagner and the Richter Festival concerts, and was also harpist at the Glasgow orchestral concerts, under Mr Arthur Sullivan and Doctor von Bulow.

Some short time ago Wombell’s menagerie visited Tenbury. Amongst the animals is a very tine female elephant, “Lizzie.” This animal was attacked with a violent fit of colic. The poor beast sutl'ercd intensely. A local chemist, whose success as an animal doctor is well-known, was called into the menagerie when the life of the animal was all but despaired of. By his vigorous efforts and skilful treatment the life of the valuable beast was saved. The elephant, Lizzie, did not forget her doctor, for on the procession coming down Seme street on Friday she immediately recognised the chemist at the door of his shop, and, going to him, gracefully placed her trunk in his hand. The chemist visited the exhibition at night, and met with an unexpected reception from his former patient. Gently seizing the “doctor’’with her trunk, the elephant encircled him with it, to the terror of the audience, who exexpected to see him crushed to death. It was some time before the animal could be induced to leave the doctor.

According to the “ Annales du Theatre et de la Musique,” an exceedingly useful and well-edited publication, by Messieurs Noel and Stoullig, we find that during his last season of Italian opera, M. Kscudier paid 230, OOOf. to his four principal singers. Mdllo. Albani, who was paid 3,500 f. a performance, received 110,000 f. ; Mdlle. Sanz, at the rate of SOOOf. a month, received 40 OOOf. ; Mme. Durand, at IO.OOOf. a month, received 30,000 f. ; and M. Pandolfini, at the rate of SOOOf. a month, 50, OOOf.—total, 230. OOOf.

The sum paid to Moore for the “Irish Melodies” by the Powers, publishers in London, was £13,000, being at the rate of twenty-five shillings a line a price without parallel in tho history of literature.

Miss Soldene and company recently entered upon a six nights” stay at Theatre Royal, Hull, before a most appreciative, though only moderately largo, audience. The opening opera was Offenbach's “ Genevieve de Brabant,” which was mounted with great care and dressed in a truly elaborate fashion. Miss Soldene, as a matter of course, undertook the rnlc of Drogon, in the personation of which character she greatly distinguished herself, and was accorded the honor of a recall at the end of each act. Miss Stella as Genevieve was simply faultless. Oswald was admirably impersonated by Miss Clara Vesey, and as Brigitte and Martel Misses Rose Lee and L. Graham respectively were elhoient. Cocorico, Golo, and the Burgomaster were intrusted to Messrs Farley, Mather, and F. B. Rae, each of whom acquitted himself in a very creditable manner. Messrs E. Marshall and J, Wallace as the Gendarmes were truly excellent, and in their duet, which had quite a local bearing, scored a great success. The remaining characters, the chorus, and the orchestra can only be spoken of in terms of praise. This opera was repeated with even greater success, and before a much larger audience. Lecocq’s “La Fille de Madame Angot ” was the next attraction, and during the week Bizet’s “ Carmen ” was produced, for the first time here in English. Mrs Scott Siddons, after an absence of four years from England, during which time she had travelled through America, Australia, &0., appeared recently in the Victoria Hall before a large audience. Mrs Siddons gave a series of readings with great success, and, acknowledging enthusiastic plaudits, she expressed her pleasure at being able to please a Sunderland audience as well now as ten years ago. An actor writing to the editor of the “Era” from Pietermaritzburg, Natal, April 2Sth, 1879, says many ardent votaries at the throne of Melpomene fell beneath the assegais of the savage Zulus at Isandnla. Lieutenant Scott, of the Carabineers, was a famous amateur, and many officers of the Ist 24th had many times distinguished themselves on the mimic stage. It was a curious sight to see for sale on the Market square here the other day square-cut wigs, shoes, and bundles of Lacy’s plays, many containing the autographs of the dead heroes of the 22nd of January. The bandsmen, too, who were killed to a man, were identified with the drama in South Africa. Most actors and actresses who visited Cape Town in in 1874 5 and G will remember the everobliging Sergeant Gamble and the clever orchestra he presided over. At present they lie unburied where they fell. The “ Whitehall Review” says :—Mademoiselle Clara Louise Kellogg has come specially from America to appear at Her Majesty’s in “ Aida.” It is seven years since her last professional visit to London, where she made her dehut in 1867. So far as the freshness of her voice goes, it might have been only yesterday, and she has all the chic that made her attractive in former years. The opera in which she has scored such a distinet success will bo magnificently mounted. Panini will be the tenor.

A dramatic poem in MS. has been found, it is said, in a bundle of old newspapers of the date 18G5-70, which were revealed by the demolition of houses in Brook street, Holborn. The poem is believed to be by Chatterton, who committed suicide in a house in Brook street, 1770.

A piece has been produced at the Carl Theatre, Vienna, called “The Debutante’s Husband,” It is intended as a hit at Patti, and the characters are made up like that popular prima donna, Nioolini, and the Marquis de Caux. It is very successful, but had to be a good deal cut about by the censor before it could be played.

M. Emile Zola is not destined, it would seem to escape from'the charge of plagiarism. When he published “ L’Assommoir,” it was insinuated that he had borrowed his principal types and certain situations directly from a book entitled “ Le Sublime,” hy M. Denis Poulot. On the appearance in a journal called “ L’Eeho Universe! ” of the novel “ Thurese,” and afterwards of “ La Faute de I’Abbe Mouret,” as published by Charpentier, it was quickly discovered that he had utilised situations invented by Casanova, and with which readers of the celebrated “ Mdmoires ” were familiar. His latest novel, “ La Mort d’Olivier Bdcaille,” published in “Le Voltaire,” offers some very striking analogies with a certain “ Histoire de ma Mort,”,by M. Antonin Mulet, published in 1862 by the late Ponlet Malassis, then the “Providence of young poets” who have since become famous. In comparing these works we find that in both the hero is a cataleptic buried alive, who analyses minutely his sensations, observes philosophically the corpses about him, eventually managing to escape from the tomb, &o. Of course, M. Zola has composed his story with his accustomed talent, recasting the work of M. Mulet, and adding a few situations inspired by bis naturalistic theories.

The “San Francisco News Letter,” commenting on Dion Boucicanlt’s appearance in that city in the “ Shaughraun," says : “Sixty-seven, and as spry as a kitten, a curious mixture of talent, wit, intelligence, arrogance, and insufferable conceit is he—a man of hobbies and crochets, an actor of wonderful talent; applauded and approved on the stage, disliked and abased on terra firma. He is the life and soul of the whole performance. His influence is felt (as * Figaro’ says) ‘here, there,and everywhere.’ There is an irresistible amount of unctuous humor about his ‘Con.’ In make-up, tone, and gesture ho is to the life the lazy, goodfornothing, but whole-souled and big-hearted Irish vagabond. The finish and minuteness of detail perceptible in his acting are but the usual evidences of the French school. Few of our actors care to descend to such (to them) trifles. But they are wrong; and in this indifference to detail lies the inferiority of our stage.” In the Kari-za Theater of Tsunokamiyama Yotsuya, Japan, the performers are all women. The dramas in which they appear are the “ Sendai Hagi ” (Sendai intrigue), and a new play, a tragedy founded on recent facts, and illustrating a series of crimes committed by a woman named O-den, in Tokio, Yokohama, and other places.

Olive Logan: —“I heard of a rather amusing reply given the other evening at a ball by an American girl in London society, who had strayed away from the ball-room. Her mother subsequently discovered her in a remote nook • with a gentleman, who had his arm around her waist, while she rested the tips of her pretty little fingers on his manly shoulder. ‘ Daughter, what’s all this ? ’ exclaimed the irate mamma. The daughter looked up calmly, and replied ; * Mamma, allow me to introduce Captain X. to you. I’d promised him a dance, but I was so tired I couldn’t keep my word, and I’m giving him a sitting waltz instead.’ ” “Is there any one distinctive trait or function possessed by man exclusively ? ” asked Professor X., Lafayette College, Easton, U.S., of the members of the sophomore class. “Yes, sir, ho talks,” “So does the parrot.” “Ho walks erect,” quickly responded another. “So do_ the chimpanzee and kangaroo.” “He thinks, reasons. ” “Soit is believed do horses and other animals.” “ He loves, hates.” “Faculties given to God’s lowest as well as highest creatures.” “He weeps,” said a big-headed youth who had not spoken heretofore. “Ah,” exclaimed the professor, rubbing his hands, “ I think you have it! He weeps.” “So does a mule, sir,” said a slow boy at the foot of the class, “A mule?” “Yes, sir,” answered the boy; “I was reading only to-day about the weather being so cold that the muleteers were nearly frozen on the towpath of the canak”

About the most prosperous entertainment in town is “Tha Bro-k‘” at the Hall of tho San Francisco Minstrels, where Salsbury’a Troubadours are giving an entertainment that is full of capital hits and funny doings. Miss M‘Henry has fairly captured the public by her mirth, and is the pot of the theatregoing population.

Wanted New Testament Treatment.— A tramp applied for food at the house of a suburban agriculturist recently, and while he was eating the rations that had been furnished at his solicitation, he was asked, “ Why do you not go to work ? ” “ I have looked long for a place that would suit me,” he replied, “but have never found it ! ” “ Is there not plenty of work at farming ?” asked the interrogator. “Oh, yea,” said the tramp, “ plenty of it; but you see, sir, I want to find a vineyard where a man who goes in at the eleventh hour is the first to come out and draw a full day’s wages. In the olden time they dealt fairly by a man. That is the New Testament treatment, and that is what I am looking for.” At tho close of his meal he started again in pursuit of that coveted agricultural opportunity.— “Norwich Bulletin.”