ART, LITERATURE, AND DRAMATIC.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2396, 7 December 1881, Page 4

ART, LITERATURE, AND DRAMATIC.

[From English and other files.J

Messrs Chapman and Hall have, the “Athemeum” says, purchased of Mr Fronde and Sir Fitzjames Stephen, the executors, the copyrights of Thomas Carlyle. A gentleman, who was once a Colonel in a regiment in India, returned to his home in Yorkshire “as rich as a Nabob.” A few days ago he heard hia friends talking about “ Collette” and “ The Colonel,” and it struck him that there was once a Cornet Collette in his regiment. The Cornet was a lively young fellow who got up all manner of entertainments, and won for himself the soubriquet of “ Cheerful Charley." Hearing his name mentioned in connection with the Theatre at Bradford, the Yorkshire veteran determined to visit his cheerful friend, in order that he might congratulate him upon hia promotion to a colonelcy. He arrived at the Theatre, and, having seated himself in the circle, he burst into a hearty laugh when he saw ” Cheerful Charley” emerge from one of the wings in all his glory. He afterwards sought him on the stage, and was rather puzzled to find that he was not a Colonel in the British army, but was enacting the part of the American Colonel in Burnand’s new, brilliant, and popular comedy bearing that title. “Well, damme, Charley, if you are not a real Colonel you ought to be ! ” The meeting waa a happy one ; the champagne dinner next day was a jovial affair. Did “ Cheerful Charley” turn up to play again the same night ? “ Why, cert’nlj,” and to a crowded house too, and, what is better, the “Nabob” was there to see him a second time.

Rather a good story, which, although dating from the end of the season, is worth repeating, is now going the rounds in London. Sir Hardinge Giffard, the Solicitor-General of the Conservative Administration, waa at the end of the session, it will be remembered, more constant in his attention to his Parliamentary duties than most of the other members of the front Opposition bench. In spite of all his gravity and learning the hon. member for Launceston resembles no one more in appearance than Mr J. L. Toole, the popular comedian. At least such was the opinion of a gentleman who discovered him in the Lobby, and with a hearty slap on the shoulder, addressed him with an “ Ah, Toole, my boy I what are you doing here. I thought you were away in the country. Now,_ if you’ve got a spare stall at the Folly, I’d like to go.”

Prima Donnas appear to be plentiful, for Signor Marches!, the famous singing master, is about to introduce nearly a dozen young ladies to the operatic stage—that is, if Managers will engage them. It ia singular to note the nationalities of these. Out of the number are three American singers. One is from Vienna, with a contralto of very deep range; her name is Giaella Koppmayer, Miss Matilda Beat, Miss Jeanne Meta, and Mies Ida Myers are American belles. Then there is Mdlle. Irene Halewy, of Pesth j Mdlle. Fellner, of Vienna; Mdlle. Betty Franck, of Breslau ; Mdlle. Paulina Novak, of Prague ; and a Russian, Mdlle. Josephine, of Bt. Petersburg. Miss Ada Ward has accepted a new oneact drama for her colonial tour. It is entitled “ Auld Bobin Gray,” and is by Mr George Dnncan.

Mr Al. Haymau, the well-known Australian Manager, arrived in London recently from Melbourne. His visit is to arrange an opening in London for Miss Louise Pomeroy, a Shakspearian actress of repute, who has achieved a great success in Australia in Shakespearian juvenile roles. Mr Haymau sails for New York, per s.s. Baltic, on the 14th instant.

Mrs Scott- Siddons commences her management of the Hayraarket for a season, necessarily brief, on the 26th October, when a new poetical play by Mr W. 8. Raleigh will be produced, entitled " Queen and Cardinal,” in which Mrs Siddons will play Anna Boleyn, and Mr Swinburne, Woisey. The cast will farther include Miss Rose Leclerq and Miss B. Henri, with Messrs F. H. Macklin, H. Kemble, L. Lablache, and Percy Compton. The enthusiasm for London scorns to have spread to the Continent. While we have, or are soon to have, “ London,” “ London Life,’ and “ The Lights o’ London," I see that at the Centralhallen Theatre in Hamburg “ a great sensation piece of English popular life” ia being played, under the title of “ Die Kindesrauberin von London (The Childrobberess of London), It is in five sections and a prologue, and includes ” songs and dances.” The following is the list of characters :—Betty, Wickfield, “ The Unknown,” Wythers, Ist and 2nd Policeman,’ Bobbins, Tom, Dick, James, Bob, Jim, Olyve, Harriet, Arden, Carlyle (perhaps the late Thomas of that ilk ?), Jack, Blackburne Ketty, Minnie, Emily, Anni, and Maggy ” Tom, Dick, James, Bob, Jim, &c..” are presumably the children stolen by the Child robberess.

Ada Ward is now in Melbourne playing Eunice and Bel in the revival of “ New Babylon” at the Theatre Royal. “Youth,” at Drury-lane, is averaging ,£4OO a night. The time was, and not so many years ago, when a piece, however well received, waa considered singularly lucky if it reached a fiftieth performance. Now, under the heading of " Spectacles,” in the Parisian papers, may be found those that have reached their one, two, and three hundredth representation. “La Mascotte” reaches its two hundredth night in Paris on the evening on which it is announced for production at the Boyalty Theatre in London ; “ Michael Strogoff ” has passed its 330th representation, “Niniche” its 300th, “ Divorgons” its 230th j whilst “La Biche au Bois” (the original of the Alhambra “ Black Crook”), “ L’Assommoir” (from which came Mr Charles Read’s drama of “ Drink”), “ L’CEil Oreve,” of Herve ; "Le Pre aux Olercs,” of Harold j “ La Fille do Madame Angot,” of Lecocq; and the “Guillaume Tell,” of Anber (all of which are aa well known in London as Paris), hare been repeated more times than we [can remember.

Tho receipts during the Irving-Terry eojonrn at Leeds exceeded £I6OO a week. Madlle. Sarah Bernhardt is about to start and edit a Theatrical newspaper.

Mr Darwin's new work will be published by Mr Murray. It'is entitled “The Formation of Vegetable Mould through the Action of Worms, with Observations on their Habits.” It will appear in one volume, witb woodcuts.

Donizetti wrote more operas than were produced during his lifetime, and Signor Felippi, of the Italian journal the 11 Perseverenza,” writes respecting the work which ia entitled “II Duca d’ Alba” “ The score of the 1 Dues d’ Alba’ exists ; we have seen it with our own eyes, shut up in a tin box, and every act has still its seal intact. The score has remained for thirty years closed in a tin box, with seals, which have been broken and opened in the presence of a notary and of the contracting parties. There have been found all the acts completely instiumentiaed, and all by the hand of Donizetti, whose character ia easy to recognise. The paper is yellowish and bears all the traces of thirty years’ imprisonment. We believe that only in the fourth act the music and instrumentation of some recitatives arc wanting; but the essential part is there complete, ns it was in Meyerbeer’s 1 Africana,’ where also some trifling details were missing. The fact is that, from the short examination we made yesterday, the 1 Duca d’ Alba’ appears to us entirely composed by Donizetti, instrumentised by him, and, what ia moat important, fit to be represented,”