THE OPERA.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9013, 28 January 1895, Page 5

THE OPERA.

"The Mouxtebasks." On Saturday evening Messrs Williamson and Muagrove introduced us to the opera "The Mountebanks," by Gilbert and Cellier. Naturally we had considerable curiosity to hear how far Mr Cellier— whose untimely decease all music lovers must deplore—had succeeded in assuming the mantle of Sir Arthur Sullivan. Whilst it cannot be denied that in some of the numbers — notably that beautiful song "Whispering breeze"—the composer comes close in point of ability and musical genius to Sir A. Sullivan, there is a feeling of disappointment, inasmuch as whilst the music reaches a certain standard, and is evidently formed on the model of Sir A. Sullivan, it fails to give us the rich combination of harmony or the variety of treatment of different styles of composition so noticeable in those operas in . which the original collaboration has taken place. This is the more marked became Mr Cellier' has, adopted a style which may be called Sullivanesque, and therefore not having struck out an original path for himself, comparisons naturally arise. One only need point to the choruses for the monks and to tne exceedingly funny duet " Put a penny in the slot" as examples* of the imitation of the style of Sir Arthur Sullivan. The latter has a very strong resemblance in point of melody to the Madrigal in " The Mikado," whilst Sir Arthur Sullivan's penchant for the introduction of church music into his operas, which is well known, is also followed to some extent. Mr Gilbert's dialogue, as usual, is delightfully witty, brilliant, and full of trenchant sarcasm. The idea of the plot of the opera is well conceived and most admirably cairied out, and though "The Mountebanks "is not at all likely to stand the test of time or be popular so long as the older operas under the Gilbert and Sullivan regime, it is one which, to use a phrase from "Patience/ while noneense is "still precious nonsense."

To adequately bring out all the subtlety of the satire of the author of the libretto requires no small amount of ability histrionically as well aa musically, and both these requirements are amply fulfilled by the principals of Messrs Williamson and Musgrove's Company. Miss .Nellie Stewart as Teresa gave us a most admirable pourtrayal of the part of the coquette, who is caught in her own net so effectually. She sang the pretty ballads, "It's my opinion," and "When man in lovesick passion," excellently, and the dramatic recitative "Despised, rejected,' , was given with a great deal of power and effect. The charming ballad, " Whispering breeze," one of the gems of the opera, was eplendidly given by Miss Stewart, who sang it with a full appreciation of the pathos and beauty of the composition. In the concerted music, too, Miss Stewart was heard to great advantage, more especially in the quintette, *« Fair maid," the duets " Oh, whither," and "In days gone by." Miss Florence Young is entitled to very great credit for her wonderfully clever impersonation, of Mineatra. It requires some amount of selfabnegation and a devotion to art for a handsome young lady to make up old, and in many cases it is only done in what may be called a perfnnctory manner. But Mies Young made up . with great fidelity for old lady of eighty into which she is transformed by the magic potion, and acted the character admirably throughout. Her solo in the first act "Come and listen," and the duet "I'd be a young girl" in the second act were both capitally Aung. Miss May Pollard filled the part of Ultrice well, and sang the muaic carefully. The part of Nita, the dancing girl, afforded Mies Nash an opportunity of which she took full advantage to diapUyjier Client as an actress as well as a musician. She sang in the concerted music excellently, more particularly the d&nciug trio "Allow that the plan," which was re•demanded. Her solo "Those days of old" I was also capitally givea. But it was in the I duet " Put a penny in the slot" with Bartolo after the change of, the trio into clockwork figures that Miss Naah achieved her greatest success. The helpless' vague sort of look which is characteristic of wax figures was moat admirably reproduced both by Miss Nash and Mr Lauri, and they had to respond to several encores. . Mr Brownlow was very good as Arrostino. The music suits his voice, and he sang with a good deal of success throughout the opera. Uβ sang the opening solo "l?he Duke and the Duchess," very well indeed, and was heard to great advantage in the concerted music, especially in the chants of the monks. Mr Brownlow was also very good in the music lesson scene- Mr Tapley as Alfredo sang and acted well. He was heard to much advantage in the ballad "Be decked in fashion trim." The music of the part is more in the way of concerted numbers than solos, and Mr Tapley sang in these excellently. Mr Vernon as Pietro had one of' those parts in which he revels. He was very good in the dancing trio and also in that with Nita and Bartolo, " Ophelia was a dainty little maid." Mr Lauri kept the audience in roars of laughter as Bartolo, entering as he did most thoroughly into the spirit of. the charaoter. His song, "Though Fm a buffoon" was exceedingly fnnny, and Mr Lauri in the scenes with Nita, more particularly that in which B>ie finds a halfpenny in the works, evoked great laughter by his clever acting. His singing iv the duet" Put a penny in the slot "must be heard to be appeciated, and throughout the character he was perhaps more successful than in any iv which he has appeared during the season. Messrs Rosevear and Lisaant as_Risaotto and Elvino were both good. The choruses were given with great spirit and success, and the orchestra deserve special mention for their artistic interpretation, of the overtures to the first and second acts. The latter was excellently played. . The scenery of the opera, especially the set of the monastery in the second act, is exceedingly pretty. "The Mountebanks" can only be given this evening, as to-morrow it will be succeeded by "L» Cigale," an opera of which report speaks highly.