DE MURSKA AND OTHER FAVOURITES.

South Canterbury Times, Volume XV, Issue 2072, 12 November 1879, Page 2

DE MURSKA AND OTHER FAVOURITES.

A London correspondent of the “ Sydney Evening News” contributes the following:—“ lima de Murska, the prima donna with husbands, arrived in London the other day, and, according to ‘Truth” has been received with open arms in the impresario of Her Majesty’s Opera House. ‘ Mdlle de Murska,’ remarks that mendacious personage ‘ Truthful Tommy,’ is Mr Maplcson’s favorite prima donna , for the simple reason that she has been found to draw larger audiences than any other prima donna. She comes too late for the London season, but she will probably be heard at a series of orchestral and vocal concerts which it is proposed to give at Her Majesty’s Theatre towards the end of this month, from the 26th of August to the 22nd of September, with all of Mr Mapleson’s principal artists as solo singers, and with Sigor Ardxti as conductor. I regret to say I cannot quite believe Mr Labouchere’s statement re Mdlle De Murska’s popularity. Her voice is but the wreck cf its former self, and if society were in town she never would bo put forward even momentarily as a prima donna, I

dropped in at the Alhambra the othe night to see Miss Alice May as heroine of “ The Princess of Trebizonde.” The opera bouffe is superbly mounted,! and, being quite one of the most tuneful of Offenbach’s works, draws crowded houses, Miss May looked very well, and was loudly encored in the famous rondo “ The lawful wife of Eustifum,” but for all that she is not to be compared, cither as an actress or singer with Mdme Dolano or Florence St. John. The Soldene troupe is in the country playing the same old pieces. The buxom Emily has entirely lost her popularity, and often refers plaintively to the good times they had at Auckland, and elsewhere, When she played in London not long ago empty houses were the result. Another colonist lately returned is Mr Bracy, the husband of Miss Clara Thompson. He has procured an engagement at the Strand Theatre, where the new comic opera, ‘ Mdme Favart’ is running so successfully.”