FOOTLIGHT FLASHES.

Evening Star, Issue 10400, 23 August 1897, Page 3

FOOTLIGHT FLASHES.

[By Call Boy.J The Catholic Literary Society, in order to raise funds towards the building of tho projected Catholic Hall, are staging Tom Taylor’s sensational drama, ‘ Henry Dunbar,’ at the Princess’s on October 27 and 28. Mr Barrie Marschel has, I understand, been entrusted with the control of the rehearsals and production of tho piece. Mr Robert Inman’s Dramatic Company left Sydney for this colony last week, and commence a tour at Auckland cn Friday next with ‘A Yorkshire Lass.’ The company' include the Misses Maud Appleton (leading lady), Alice May, Gertrude Esdaile, and May Granville; and Messrs Overton, H( dion, Leonard, Alves, Carroll, Leighton, Belcher, and Sorrell. Mr William Bays is advance agent. Mr Jesse Titnson, the popular organist of First Church and honorary conductor of the Liedertafel, has engaged the Agricultural Hall for a concert early in September. Tho best musical talent available is to be engaged, so that from a musical point of view a treat may be looked forward to. Considering Mr Titnson’s many public services, it is safe to anticipate that his concert will bo well patronised, and that it will be a success in every way. The audience which witnessed the final performance of the Brough company in Christchurch gave three hearty cheers for Mr and Mrs Brough before separating. During tho performance of ‘ Cavelleria Rusticana’ at tho Politeama Theatre, Genoa, before a crowded house, a man named Biaggie Arrodia Noli, of Pizz;ghettone, said to bo a chemist, suddenly jumped up and rushed to tho box of the conductor of the orchestra. Having broken down the partition, Noli exclaimed in a loud voice : “This opera is mine and not Mascagni’s. I composed it and sent it to him for his opinion of it, but he kept it and made use of it on his own account. Mascagni is nothing else but a plagiarist.” A scene of indescribable confusion ensued, and, as the man persisted in his denunciations, the opera had to be suspended while the police were sent for to expel this alleged composer. A contributor to the ‘Musical Times’ publishes a “literal copy” of a card which, he says (on the authority of Elliston, the famous manager), was invariably transcribed for Madame Catalan! when she had to sins ‘ God Save the King.’

Oh Lord avar God Politekse frosstre Arais achaeter Thear uevise trix Is euimis and On George avar hopes Mece them fol We fix God save the Confound tear Kin. Maud M'Carthy, the Sydney violinist, has caught on in London. At her initial concert she had the assistance of Madame Albani and Miss Fanny Davies. The ‘ Telegraph’ wrote that she had “exceptional musical intelligence, her technical equipment proving equal to all demands, while her phrasing was sound and correct, and her intonation irreproachable; while ‘ The Times’spoke of her “ wonderful powers,” and said that she played with aplomb and certainty that would seem appropriate in an artist four times her ago. Sarasate, who heard her, went on to the stage at the conclusion of the concert and congratulated the fair Sydneyite, declaring that he had not heard the violin more beautifully played, and Madame Henry Joachim declared that, when she closed her eyes, she could imagine it was her famous brother-in-law (Joseph) who was playing. Miss M'Uarthy was at once offered a provincial engagement by Madame Albani, and it is not improbable that she may accompany the letter to Australia. A marble statue of Mrs Siddona as the Tragic Muse was lately unveiled at Paddington Green by Sir Henry Irving, The Dean of Hereford also delivered an address eulogistic of the actress, who died before the Queen came to the Throne. It was said to be the first public monument of a player ever reared in London. Mr George Darrell has been producing ‘ La Tosca’ before the Perth (Westralia) people. Mr Bland Holt commenced a season at the Brisbane Royal on Saturday, Slat ult., and after putting in a month there the company play a week in Newcastle, and then make direct for Dunedin. Sutton’s melodrama, ‘ In Sight of St. Paul’s,’ will probably be Ihe opening piece here. An Australian paper refers to New Zealand as “ the happy hunting ground of arlirts who have squeezed the lemon in Australia.” The Fitzgeralds have engaged for their .Australian circus the L?a Blondes (the famous riders from Henglcr’s circus) and also the Le Bens (the well-known acrobats). The latest novelty in the London theatres and music halls is a development of the animatograph. The news of the night is to be thrown upon a screen when the curtain falls at the end of an act or turn. Thus, during the intervals, the audience will be able to read the latest items of news, and the tedium of long waits will be removed. The ladies end gentlemen who took part in the recent amateur production* of ‘lolanthe’at Greymouth subsequently held a social at whion two presentations wore made. That to Miss Petrie consisted of a very handsome gold brooch and medal. On the former appears the word “lolanthe,” while the latter, which is attached to the brooch, is an elegant design of a heart with monogram “L.P.” mounted on a solid groundwork and surrounded with floral scroll. Oa the reverse side is engraved “ The Fairies, Peers, and Tuneful Nine to their conductor, Miss L. Petrie, A. Mua., LC.M. Genius commands success. Greymouth, July, 1897.” The present to Miss Dupre consisted of a gold brooch with the word “ lolanthe,” with very handsome gold maltese cross with monogram “ M.A D.” thereon. Oa the reverse side is engraved “ The Fairies, Peers, and Tuneful Nine to their pianist. Miss M. A. Dupre. Greymouth, July, 1897. Talent Triumphs.” Miss Rose Ettinger, an Illinois girl who has been 'studying music in Paris under Marchesi, has been turning the heads of the usually sedate, phlegmatic Germans. She recently made her debut at the Royal Operahouse at Berlin and scored an instantaneous success. As a rule foreign critics are not over eager to applaud foreign artists, and generally stint their praise of debutantes, but in this case Miss Ettinger has emerged triumphant from a severe ordeal. The Berlin ‘ Post ’ said “ The unpretentious announcement on the programme ‘ Song by Rose Ettinger,’ would hardly have led anybody in the audience to imagine what a splendid treat was in store for them, and when that unostentatious young lady of but nineteen summers appeared upon the stage there was hardly a hand lifted in token of encouragement. But no sooner were the first notes of the bell song from Delibes’ * Lakme ’ warbled out than a peculiar commotion rustled through the house. As if moved by some mysterious agency, the many hundreds present looked at each other as if to satisfy themselves whether their neighbors had experienced a like pleasant surprise at these charming sounds. And then a profound stillness crept over the house which made every oscillation of the singer’s trills and staccatos clearly audible; and only then when the aria ended with the high F sharp, executed with almost inconceivable certainty and purity, one could notice that there were other people present besides the little nightingale and her finished accompanist, Herr Brake. And indeed Miss Rose Ettinger is a phenomenal artiste whose charms are already irresistible, though her complete development is, to some extent, reserved for the future. The most captivating notes of this artiste lie at the present in the very highest pitch, which with her only begins where the voice of other sopranos ends. On the high D sharp, which is reached by but very few singers. Miss Ettinger executes the purest and most exquisite trills ; and on the high F sharp, which even in the staccato is heard in extremely rare cases, she holds the closing note with wonderful power and finish? Whether or not this youthful artiste is endowed with a genius for dramatic impersonation can, of course, not yet be determined, but we may safely expect it of a lady who executes Schubert’s ‘Haideroeslein ’ with such intense sentiment, and who despite her youth, is possessed of so much will power to perfect herself in the technical requirements of her art.” The ‘ Tagblatt ’ wrote “Her singing, considering her ago, is nothing short of phenomenal, and might, even in an older person, bo justly called extraordinary in the highest degree.” According to reliable authority, Madame , Marches! considers Miss Ettinger to be one of the best pupils she ever had, and predicts a brilliant career for her.