LITERATURE, MUSIC, AND THE DRAMA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7341, 30 May 1885, Page 4 (Supplement)

LITERATURE, MUSIC, AND THE DRAMA.

Mb. Chabi.es Mabvin has in the press a little work entitled "The Russians at the Gates of Herat." Messrs. F. Warne and Co. Uβ to be the publishers. Mr. Clement Scott has ucdertaken the difficult task of adapting M. Alezandre Uumae' new play " Denise," which Mr. Augustus Harris has purchased. The first complete translation of the Baby lonian Talmud into German (for any other language) is announced to appear shortly at Innsbruck, in about 36 parts, .quarto. Mr. Dion Boncicault hen cancelled his dates in London, sold his London house and furniture, and announced! his intention of residing for the future in the United States. The Journal of Education for March offers an extra prize of five guineas for the best epitaph on General Gordon. The epitaph may be either in prose or verse, in English or Latin. M. Dumas has put his new play " Denise" into print. An American manager, it is said, offered M. Dumas £1000 for the American stage-right on condition of not publishing in France. A fine haiMength portrait, by Gainsborough, of Mrs. Hibbert, of Ch*lfont, shown in the late exhibition of Old Masters at Burlington House, has, it is sitid, been sold for 10,000 guineas. In the Qaeen's Bench Division Mr. aims leeves was recently muloted in £50 damages 'or neglecting to fill an engagement at Stratford. The great tenor refused to sing owing to hoarseness. Already Messrs. Ward and Downey have a fifth edition of Mr. Farjeon's "Great Porter Square" in the press. The Gerraan translation of the novel will be issued by Messrs. Englethorpe, of Stuttgart • An illustrated " Egyptian Red Book," by tira compilers of the successful " Gladstone Almantc," and dealing with recent events on the Nile and at Khartoum, will be published uhortly by Messrs. Blackwood. What is called a piece de circonslance, entitled " The Mahdi," is announced to be produced at one of the Paris theatres. " The Fall of Khartoum 0 is the title of a piece to see the light shortly in England. A drama by Prince Nicholas of Montenegro, entitled "The Queen of the Balkans," was pUyed at Pcdgoritza. Although the parts were taken by amateurs, the piece is said to have bt<en very successful. The authorship, concealed under the nom de plume of "A Civil Servsnt." of the new sensational dynamite story "18-85," the plot of which centres in the British Museum, is attributed to a prominent official therein. Messrs. Sampson Low nod Co. are publishing Mr. Henry O. Forte's " Naturalist b Wanderings in the Eastern Archipelago,' with numerous illustrations, from the author's sketches and descriptions, by Mr. John B. Gibbs. Messrs. J. and K. Maxwell announce the early publication of a new novel, " Countess Daphne," by "Rita," the author of several interesting and entertaining works, whose reputation as a writer of wholeuome fiotion is now fairly established. "Love's Conquest," a cantata by Mr. Gustav Ernst, the young Prussian who won the 20 guineas for the Philharmonic overture competition, has been performed at Wentbourne Park with considerable success, deepite its severely unvocal writing. The attack on Professor Drummond s "Natural Law," in the Contemporary Review, does not appear to have diminished the demand for the work; for we understand that a single firm has since placed an order for no less than two thousand copies. A Ramsgate gentleman is anxious to exhibit a machine for ''making tunes." The inventor states that his machine "r<* sembles a common fire-guard." There ia a wire for every note, and upon these wires are to be hung metal hooks, of various colours, shapes, and sizes, representing the usual musical notes and signs. MessM, Morley and Co. boaefc that they bave secured the services of one of the moat popular composers of the day, Ciro PinsutK and that one of his last new songs " Laddie," reached the enormous sale of 40,150 copies in six months from date of issue. Tho nowest song by Ciro Pinsuti is called " Breaking of the Day." Another new song ju»t published by this firm, is called "Dolly's Revenge,"by Henry Pontet, the composer of " The Broken Pitcher." These modern songs sell at two shillings each, but this leaves a very good margin for profit.