ART, LITERARY, AND DRAMATIC GOSSIP.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2250, 18 June 1881, Page 3

ART, LITERARY, AND DRAMATIC GOSSIP.

[From English and other files.] The Kennedys.—This talented company of Scotch vocalists, it will be remembered, visited Tasmania some few years ago, and established themselves as firm favourites with the music loving portion of the community. It is with regret that we learn from an exchange that three younger members of the family. Misses Catherine and Eliza Kennedy and Mr James Kennedy, were burned to death in the conflagration at the Opera House at Nice, Italy, in the month of March last. The bodies were identified by their brother Bobert (then at Milan) as those of bis relations, who were at the time of the catastrophe studying singing under an Italian master, Signor, Lamperti. The following are a few briet notes from Paris about M. Gounod’s new opera:—M. Gounod’s “Lo Tribut de Zamora” was produced at the Paris Grand Opera on April Ist. The “ tribute” annually paid to the Arabs is twenty young girls, and in the first act the Arab Ambassador, Ben Said, demands as one of the twenty the beautiful Xaima, the fiancee of the young soldier Manoel. In the next act in the Arab camp we find that Manoel, disguised, has followed Xaima. and is recognised by the chieftain’s brother Hadjar, whose life he has saved in the last war. Despite their efforts, however, the young girl is sold to Ben Said. In the third act, in the palace of Bon Said, the girl has resisted the advances of the chieftain, and Hadjar, entering with Manoel, avows the truth, and entreats Ben Said to restore the two lovers. The chieftain refuses, but offers honors, which are rejected. The soldier thereupon provokes the would-be ravisher, but is speedily disarmed. The chieftain promises Manoel’s life at the price of Xaima’s favours, but the girl refuses, and the soldier is subsequently banished. In the last scene of this act Hermosa, a Spanish captive and the mistress of Ben Said, discovers in Xaima her child. In the fou'l act Manoel climbs the wall of the palace but is seized. Ben Said now becomes more pressing with his captive, but Hermosa intervenes and declares the girl is her child. Ben Said laughs her to scorn, and is about to offer violence to his youthful captive, when the mother stabs the villain to the heart, and the opera is over. The last two acts are the most dramatic from the point of view alike of music and libretto. The music is in M. Gounod’s later style. Madame Krauss was s splendid Hermosa and M. Lassalle a fine Ber Said. M. Sellier was the Manoel, Mdlle Daram the Xaima, and Melohissedeo the Hadjar. The costumes and mise en scent were splendid. The composer conducted. It is said there is an opera-house in ai interior city that is always kept so cold tfaal people about town hire orchestra chairs ir which to keep vegetables and meats cold, anc when a show is given and people go in to taki [ their seats they have to set the articles on thi floor. As a refrigerator the house pays. Om man went to the theatre with a bottle of liquo: in his pocket, and the liquor froze. Theatrica people play with buckskin mittens on, and_ thi only thing cheerful is the painted fire_ in i painted grate on the scenery. Borne think i the Jeanette, the Arctic explorer, is eve 1 found, it will bo in the parquette of tha opera-house.