LITERATURE, MUSIC, AND THE DRAMA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6817, 22 September 1883, Page 3 (Supplement)

LITERATURE, MUSIC, AND THE DRAMA.

(Joarles Gounod is said to Lave followed tbe example lately set by Verdi and ceased writing f° r tue sta S e altogether. Dr. W. Spark, the Leeds borough organist, das lieen elected a Fellow o£ the Society of Scion(v. Letter?, and Art, of London, in ivcocuitiou of his valuable services rendered to :iftand literature. The Americans are shortly to be provided a novel pensatiuu, in tne person of Mis Honriette Davis, a. colour.-d tragedienne, who tril! appear as Juliet, Itosaliud, Julia, and Hes-or Grazebrook. Mdme. Fatti is to have rath-r more than £1000 a night for hf r next American engagement, the money in to be lodged in the bauk for her before sue sings a no*;e. Note for noto is t'ne maxim that governs this transaction. Ijvdy Pollock Biates in her sketch of tho i,.ro?r of Sims Keevea that the great tenor's pecuniary losses from inability to fulfil engagements have amounted to the sum of :C7O,UOJ. She alleges thai an iriit-.ble mucous me -.ibrane has been the sole cause of his I'reaucnlly oisappoii.ting the public. Alluding to the inarri ijje of Lord Cairn's eldest son to Miss Foit seue, the actress, a jontemporary says : —During her short theatrical career Miss Fortescue has won the regard and esteem of ln-r acquaintances and Lord Garmoylc is to be congratulate! on having secured the hand of a lady, who, gifted with singular grace, charm, r.nd beauty, has soutrived in the world behiud the footlights to make bersrlf not only admired and popu{ar, but respected. "Vera," the drama of Russian life and raanuers written by Mr. Oscar Wilde, and intended for production at the Adelphi Theatre sorae time since, will shortly be brought out at the Uuion-Square Theatre, New York. It will be remembered that the play, which deals with modern Nihili-t conspiracies, was withdrawn by the author in couseq'ienee of i<.& strong allusions to recent political events in Kussii which it was deemed un.idvisible to reproduce in dramatic form. The part of the hetoine, originally intended fuT iirs. Bernard Beere, will now be played by Mits ilarie Prescott A gossipy paragraph in the New York Tribune eivts some interesting particulars about the way in which the books of Mr. Paul Du Chaillu came to be written. The retcrau traveller is not v-ry proficient in the language, and is dependent on the pens of others for the recording of his adventures. After his return from Africa in 1539 he told to Charles Nordholl', then editor 01 Harper's Magazine, his adventures in gorillaIrantirg. These statements, says the Tribune, under NordhofFs hands, grew into the once popjlar volume, " Explorations and Adventures in Kqaatorial Africa." In the same way Dα Chaillu has had assistance in preparing his later bouks from Mr. H. M. Aid?n, the present editor of Harper's Monthly. Oα July 2S Mr. Irving and bis company give their farewell performance at the Lyceum previous -to tlieir American tour. Tbe occasion was signalised by a display of popular sympathy and good will towards all concerted, individually'and collectively, but no:e especially towards Mr. Irving ami Mise KlL'u Terry, s-ieh as can seldorr, if ever l>efor.\ have been seeu within the walls of a theatre. During tne evening Mr. Irving delivered an address which evoked tremendous cheering, But a still greater outburst of enthusiam occurred when, on Mr. Irviug's withdrawal, the orchestra struck up "Auld Lang Sviie," and the curtain rose disclosing the whole of the Lyceum company ranged in a semicircle with Mr. Irving and Miss Ell' ;i Terry in the centre. The effect upon the house was electrieul, to be compared only to the fervour of enthusiasm sometimes seen in the House of Commons at the close of a jrreat .sprcch on the eve of a great division. Ro:i:id3 of tumultuous cheering from all parts with the strains of "Auld Lang Syne" broke down the strongest' nerves. There was not a dry eye ia the theatre. The enthusiasm was hysterical, and players and publ:? alike ab uidoned themselves to its overYt'wlming influence.