THE OPERA SEASON.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIII, Issue 10566, 28 January 1895, Page 6

THE OPERA SEASON.

THE MOUNTEBANKS. A large aud expectant audience assembled at the Opera House, on Saturday evening, when the Eoyal Comic Opera Company appeared, for the first time here, in The Mountebanks, the libretto of which is by W. S. Gilbert, and the music by the late Alfred Collier. It may be said at once that the expectations formed were largely doomed to disappointment. The new opera is in no sense worthy of the writer of Princess Ida or of the composer of Dorothy. Not that it is lacking in smart repartee, broad fun, droll paradox and truly Gilbartian topsy-turveydom. Not. that it is not marked by many graceful melodies and some highly-effectivo choruses. All these are present, but there is something absent which makes the opera distinctly disappointing. That something seems to be a coherent andengrossing plot. In this respect The Mountebanks is distinctly weak. Its incident turns upon the drinking of enchanted wine—a plot reminiscent of the love philtres of The Sorcerer, with _ the difference that the effect of the wine io to transform those who drink it into the characters which they have temporarily desired to assume, or to fix upon thera certain moods ■ which they have feigned. Thus, a band of assasins is transformed into a company of monks, a young bride becomes an old woman of seventy-four, a coquette becomes a love-lorn maiden, and two of the characters are transformed into automatic figures. This last-named transformation is the one that yields the most interest and amusement. The antics of the “ figures,” in fact redeem the movement of the opera from utter dullness, and provide the audience with a rich fund of amusement. The opera is also disappointing in that it does not give adequate scope to the principal performers. There is partial compensation for this, however, in the very excellent way in which the minor members of the company play the roles and sing the music allotted them. Having said so much in dispraise of tbe production as an effort of operatic art, it ought to bo added in fairness that the libretto is marked by all the “snap” and drollery which the public expect from Mr Gilbert, though it is ineffective for purposes of stage representation. The staging of the piece left nothing to be desired, and so far as the Binging and acting of the company are concerned the performance was quite up to the high standard that has marked the present season. The orchestral music, too, was most artistically performed, and tbe overtures—more especially the subdued, religious strain that introduces the second act —were warmly applauded. The scenery, which is the work of the Messrs Gordon, is superbly done, and the costuming of the Sicilian peasantry, banditti, and so forth, is picturesque and pleasing., The “cast” is a strong one, and, as already indicated, affordo an opportunity of showing the all-round strength of the company. Miss Nellie Stewart baa the part of Teresa, the village coquette; Miss Marietta Nash has that of Nita, a dancing girl; while Miss May Pollard and Miss Florence Young have both rather important parts, tbe former as Uitriche and the latter as Minestra. The mala members of tbe company have also large demands made upon them. The part of Arrostino Annegato, capto.in of the Tamorra, is entrusted to Mr Wallace Browalow; that of Alfredo to Mr Joseph Tapley; that of Pietro, the proprietor of the mountebank troupe to Mr Howard Vernon; that of Bartolo, the down, to Mr George Lauri; and that of Elvino, the innkeeper, to Mr Arthur JUissanb; while the parts of Giorgio, Luigi and Risotto, members of the Tsmorra, are played by Messrs Sydney Deane, Robert Fitzgerald and William Rosovear respectively. Mr F. Young takes the part of Beppo. Every ono of those named has a considerable part;to act, and many of them h&Vo largo singing parts; but all acquit themselves admirably, and the result is a performance that is a rich artistic treat, and a varied display of histrionic and vocal talent which redeems the structural defects of the opera.

Coming to particular items, the monkish chants may bo dismissed with tho remark that the excellence of their rendering hardly covered the incongruity of tho introduction of a snored confraternity on the comic stage. The opening chorus of the Tamorra band, “We Are Members of a Secret Society,” with solo by Mr Sydney Deane, was exceedingly well done. Then cama a very entertaining duet by Misa Young and Mr Eosevear, which was honoured with the first recall of tho evening. Tho girls’ chorus, "Only Think, a Duke and Duchess,” went very well, and was followed by a very taking song by Mr Brownlow, “Tho Duke and the Duchess, as They Travel Through the Land,” with an effective chorus, “And a Hoy Jerry, Ho!” Alfredo (Mr Tapley) has a very pretty love ballad allotted to him, and he sang it with rare feeling. Ho also performed well in the quartette with Mr Lissant and Misses Stewart and Pollard. The ladies cspecially shone in this quartette. Mr Howard Vernon, in the character of the raountebank-in-ohief —“not a common mountebank,” but one with “ money in the country Bank,” makes his entry with some lively versiclen, while Mr Lsuri produces an- impression with the song " Though I’m a Buffoon,” end Miss Hash follows with an attractive dance and cong. The latter item proved so acceptable that it had to be repeated. Another performance that earned an emphatic recall was tho dancing trio by tbe three mountebanks. Miss Kush, Messrs Vernon and Lauri. Mias Stewart has to sing a very pretty ballad, “ When Man. in Love-sick Passion Lingers,” and she did it with beautiful expression and finish, bat merely bowed her acknowledgements in response to an undoubted encore. In company with Mr Tapley, she takes part ia a duet and ensemble ; the lively and amusing music and words of 'which were faithfully interpreted. In the second act there are not so many beautiful airs, but Miss Stewart’s recitative and ballad, in the character of the love-sick maiden were especially well rendered. The feature of this act . is the performance of tho two automata, Hamlet and Ophelia, most comically • rendered by Mr Lauri and Mi-s Nash. The duet, “ Put a Penny in tho Slot,” is intensely funny, and the immedir-te and emphatic recall showed the readiness of the audience to appreciate a good thing. Almost as good was the trio in which the “figures” were •joined by Mr Howard Vernon, and the dialogue in which tho showman and the automata take part, with funny “business” thrown in, kept the audience convulsed with laughter. Tho performance of the “La, La, La” chorus by the assumed monko, with solo by, Mr Tapley, disguised as the Duke, was' also highly entertaining. One of the best things in the opera is the duet in this act, “ In. Days Gone By,” which was charmingly sung by Miss Nellie Stewart and Mr Tapley. The trio, “Ophelia was a Dainty Little Maid,” sung by Miss Nssb and Mesora Vernon and Lauri, also deserves mention. The opera is, in fact, exceedingly rich in solos, duets and trios, which are always tuneful and pleasing. Nearly every character in the opera has two parts to act—the real character and tbe assumed one—so that it is rather a tax upon the histrionic powers of the artistes; but they all proved equal to the demand made upon them. The Mountebanks will be played again this evening. Despite its confused and unsatisfactory plot, the attractive music, tbe smart dialogue and the funny “ business ” make it well worth hearing and seeing.