ART, LITERARY, AND DRAMATIC GOSSIP.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1787, 12 November 1879, Page 2

ART, LITERARY, AND DRAMATIC GOSSIP.

[From English Files.] Carlyle’s books bring him £IOOO a year. The Earl of Desart’s new novel is ca’ied “The Honorable Ella.” Miss Haidee Heller, it is said, will Boon resume her second-sight performances with the aid of Mr Warren Wright, who she has instructed in the secrets of that mysterious achievement. The MS. of Keats’ magnificent poem of’ “ The Eve of St Agnes ” is the treasured’ property of Dr. Valeriana, of Rome, A translation of M. Zola’s “ L’Assommoir ” is appearing in a newspaper at Athens, Greece, The critics of the day dc not count the author among “ the Greeks ; ” ' but peradventure Macaulay’s New Zealander will. The “ London Court Journal ” remarks that the late Mr Fechter was “ the first, if not the only actor to give ■ Hamlet ’ flaxen hair.” This is an error. The late E. L. Davenport, acting “ Hamlet,” wore a light wig many years before Mr Fechter adopted that fantastic and ineffective device ; but Mr Davenport found it a fruitless expedient and discarded it. The brother of Alfred Tennyson, the English Laureate, accepted a fortune on condition that he change his name to that of Turner. Dying childless and heirleas, the fortune by will would have descended to the Laureate, upon condition of his taking the name Turner. Alfred, however, believes in Tennyson, and declines, an Ancient Autograph Book,— The register of the ancient hostelry called the Hen and Chickens, at Birmingham, England, is an autograph book of hundreds of illustrious names. Daring a century, scholars, politicians, artists, and litterateurs put up by preference at the comfortable little inn. Macready, the actor, the Kembles and Mrs Siddons, Daniel O'Connell, the elder and the younger Mathews, Madame Vestris, Southey, Wordsworth, and Tom Moore ; Labi ache, Albani, Braham, Grisi and Mario ; the Emperor Louis Napoleon, English statesmen by the ton, the Comte de Paris—all the autographs of these and hundreds more, adore the book. Paginini’s scrawling signature is there. It is in the tradition that he practised his weird music in hia bedroom at all hours of the night, and prevented the house from Bleeping by the unearthly strains. Daniel Lambert’s fat fist was laid upon the book leaf, and the stairs have creaked beneath the weight of his 750 pounds of flesh and blood, Thalberg’s autograph is accompanied by a bar or two of music ; Sims Beeves' also, the word “ Addio ” terminating on an upper B flat. Baudmann ,is delighting a few aesthetic folks and old play goers with his impersonation of “ Narcisse ” at the Standard ; but the general verdict is, “ there is no money in that sort of thing nowadays. Msjeroni goes to Canada early next month to begin hia season with “ Our Italian Cousin,” an Italian comedy adapted by Mr J. H. St. Maur, and his old repertoire of “ Jealousy,” “ Camille," “ Old Corporal," and “ Diplomacy" His manager is the capable Henri Wertheimber, and if the Signor is ever to make a mark on this side of the Atlantic now is his chance. Chizzola has arrived with Csrlotta Patti and her trunks—twenty of ’em. The great diva begins her season at Ohickerin Hall shortly. Chizzola confirms the report that he will bring Salvini and Eistori to America next season.—“ Morning Call.” Mr John Jack and Miss Annie Firmin are in Bangalore, India, playing “ Our Boys.” Twenty years ago the opera “ 11 Travatore” (says the “ Morning OaU") was produced for the first time in the United States by Signor Boanchi, of this city. This was at Maguire’s Opera House, Washington street, in presence of an unusually large and fashionable assemblage. Several prominent citizens propose to celebrate this event on the twentieth anniversary, on the 24th of October, by a complimentary benefit to the Blanchis at the Grand Opera House. Many well known artists have volunteered to give “ II Trovatore " on the occasion. In reference to hia own abilities, M, Boncicanlt, according to the “ Figaro,” is reported to have made the following remark ;—“ What a chance the English stage and the American stage now present for young men who coaid play heroes like a hero, or villains like a gentleman 1 We have, absolutely, no such actors. If I could out myself into a dozen actors, I could assure each one of me an income of £2OOO a year ! ” “ Rescued,’’ Mr Boucicault’snewplay, which is shortly to appear at the Adelphi Theatre, is said to embody the following story, which Mr Boucicault has published in an American paper:—“ A gambler dies abroad, and leaves the estate to hia daughter, Sybil, on condition that she marries Count Bnskoo, or, on her refusal to do so”—she might, possibly, object to his name —" she forfeits to him half the estate. Sybil, devotedly attached to her noble father, who desires to preserve the property entire, agrees to accept the Count as her future husband," The “ Spirit of the Times ” says ;— ’“ Why, what sort of a heroine is this, Mr Boucicault ? We have heard of heroines who forfeited all their estates rather than consent to marry foreign counts, of heroines who preferred death to the unloved arms of the villainous Rnekoo, but who ever heard of a heroine who, not satisfied with getting half the estate and rid of the villain, actually agreed to marry a Euskoo to please a noble father who ‘ desired her to preserve the property entire ? ’ How are we going to get up any sympathy for a girl like that ? How is there to be any dramatic interest in a plot that may be unravelled at any moment by the heroine saying, * By-the-byq, Bnskoo, I find that I love another. Please go away, villain; tell pa that onehalf the estate is enough for me, and I won’t have you S’" To this the lady might add another piece of information—viz;, where pa could be most readily found. The “ World ” tells us that Mr Dion Boncicault produced his new play publicly in London recently under the name of “ Mount Audley,” which was played for the first time in England at the King’s Cross Theatre on Wednesday at half-past II a.m. “Money was taken at the doors, but very little of it. At the same moment the piece was being played for the first time in New York and Philadelphia to exceedingly limited audiences, and, as in London, by very scratch companies. The secret of the simultaneous production is that Dion does not intend to be done by all or any of the laws under the snn ; and by placing his piece at one and the same moment in two hemispheres, secures the copyright for Great Britain, in spite of the last legal decision against him. “ Mount Audley," which, judging by its first representation, is one of the most wonderful of the great man’s productions, will make its bow in full dress at the Adelphi; and will be introduced by such capable histrionic sponsors as Hermann Vezin, Fernandez, and Henry Neville, By the way, until within forty-eight hours of its production at the King’s Cross Theatre the piece was without a title. The title, “ Mount Audley," was only telegraphed from New York on the night before the formal representation." At the Adelphi it has been resolved to bring out Mr Dion Boucicault’s new play shortly. Mr Boucicault will produce it himself in New York, where he has taken Booth's Theatre, on September Ist, Among the members of the London cast will be Miss Pateman, Miss Lydia Foote, Mr Neville, Mr Vezin, Mr Taylor, Mr Irish, Mr Brooke, and others. The Paris “ Figaro ” publishes thejfollowing as the ages of the leading artists known on the French dramatic and operatic stages. The list must, of course, be accepted under all reserve, although, as far as I have tested it it is correct .-—Madame Doche was born in the year 1823; Aline Duval, 1821; Soriwaneck, 1824; Adele Page, 1825; Marie Laurent, 1826; Miolan-Carvalho, 1827; Ugalde, 1829; Aphonsine, 1831; Favart, 1831; Madeleine Brohan, 1833; Periga, 1834; Gueymard, 1834 ; Schneider, 1835; Mace-Montrouge, 1836 ; Jane hssler, 1836 ; Th6rßaia, 1837 ; Agar, 1836 ; Delaporte, 1838 ; Marie Sass, 1838; Oariotta Patti, 1840 ; Bonsseil, 1841 ; Krauss, 1842 ; Pierson, 1841 ; Montaland, 1843; Adelina Patti, 1843 ; Zulma Bouffar, 1844; Peachard, 1844; Nilsson, 1847; Daram, 1818 ; Croizette, 1848 ; Grivot, 1648 ; Marie Boze, 1049; Jndic, 1850; Paola Marte, 1851; Theo, 1852; Heilbron, 1852 ; Granier, 1852. The name of Sarah Bernhardt does not appear in the list, and, indeed, the Paris papers are careful to avoid giving offence to that clever actress. By the Torres Straits mail of November there will arrive in Melbourne Signora Qabriella Boemo, prima donna theatrics, a soprano singer whose voice is said to be of a very high order. She will be accompanied by Signor Raffaello Steffant, a violinist and musical director. If arrangements can be made, the lady will be heard here in grand opetiti