MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8156, 18 January 1890, Page 4 (Supplement)

MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC.

fits. Chables Warner and his dramatic company continue to do good business at (be Opera House. Mr. Maccabe has been playing ab Ashburton, Timaru, Oamaru, and other coast towns on his way to Dunedin, where lie opened at the Concert Hall in the Exhibition Buildings on the 13th. Wirth's circus is still doing a good deal towards raking in any surplus cash that is Boating about Dunedin, and the show appears to be worth all the money it gets. DarreH's company concluded a successful season on Monday night at Wellington, when "East Lynne" was produced to a crowded house. They sailed on Tuesday for Christchurch, where they opened on Wednesday in the New Zealand drama «*-Tho Pakeha," which was received with enthusiasm. In regard to the musical performances at the Dunedin Exhibition, the Tablet has the following -.—Miss Knight seems still to grow in popular favour. A Aither amusing incident occurred the other evening in what may be described as an ovation given her under the form of an encore. In vain she bowed her acknowledgments, and equally in vain Mr. Towsey gave the signal for the chorus to begin. The audience continued to ropeat their demand for more, and were only silenced by the firm, though civil, refusal of the young lady to gratify them— probably backed up at length by the recollection that they were not very fairly insistin? on the prolongation of a concert already sufficiently long. Under such circumstances, a conductor who, after all, is but a man, and a musician to boot, bocomes excusably impatient. Miss Knight, however, is necessarily a favourite on the concert stage. Besides the very rare quality of her roice— true contralto, rather light perhaps, but tine, and wonderfully even, toned, she is gifted with exceptional musical feeling, and evidently enters thoroughly into the spirit of her art. Williamson, Garner, and Musgrove have made arrangements for sending their excellent Royal Comic Opora Company to New Zealand. The company will open at Dunedin on March 5, where thty will play four weeks. They will make their appearance in Auckland on June 9. Their repertoire will include " The Yeomen of the Guard," •* Princess Ida," " Dorothy,"and othernovelties. . Mr. James Allison, wlmso death in America is announced, was a well-known Australian manager. For a long time he ■was lessee and manager of the Theatre Royal, Adelaide, and more ret ently was in partnership with George Rig lold, which, however, was dissolved some ago. He was an enterprising and speculative man, and it was due to him that the people of Sydney were permitted the opportunity of listening to the Melbourne Exhibition orchestra, the whole of whom be brought over to the metropolitan city of New South Wales at his own expense. The undertaking proved a great success, and ho netted a substantial sum by it. Several months ago he proceeded to America for the purpose of engaging a wild beast show on the lines of Buffalo Bill's spectacular exhibition. Circumstances, however, did not favour him. Misfortune dogged his heels, bis wife died in Australia during his absence, financial troubles overwhelmed him, and broken in spirit and in fortune, he sank and died. George Paradies, theatrical director in Moscow, has closed a contract with Coqnelin for a tour in Russia between now and the middle of March next, to include St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kiew, Odessa, and Charkow.

Charles Arnold, in " Hans the Boatman," has been appearing at the Californian Theatre, San Francisco. " Hands Across the Sea" has been doing a wonderful business at the Grand Opera House, San Francisco. So large have been tie audiences that for several nights the orchestra was put behind the scenes, and its place filled with spectators. So says the San Francisco News Letter. A new theatre, called the "Theatre Libre," is to be inaugurated in Paris this month. Strauss is giving concerts in Berlin with his famous orchestra. Ravolli and Pattini are the two singing soloists. A new opera dv Reger, " Salambo," is to be the piece with which Monnaie Theatre, Brussels, is to open this season. "Queen and Peasant" is the title of a new operetta by E. Sarria, which was recently given with success in Florence. Mrs. James Brown-Potter is stated to have signed a contract for a tour in Australia, and is to leave for Melbourne in April. The New York World says that Signor De Vivo, the well-known theatrical manager, has just completed arrangements for the appearance in the States shortly of Giovanni Emanuel, oneof the most prominent of the Italian tragedians. Herr Bandmann and his company are pJa3nng in the north-western States, en route to San Francisco. "The Little Haydn" is the name of a new opera by Soffredini, which is to be given shortly at Faenga. An opera, " The Filibusters," by Cni, a Prussian, is to be the attraction at the Opera Comique, Paris, very soon. At the Carignano, Turin, a new opera, "Mariska," by Orefice, is attracting large audiences. Joachim is to make a concert tour through Italy. Wilson Barrett is playing "his original version of " The Silver King" at the Fifth Avenue Theatre, New York, to large houses. English actors and actresses continue to pour into New York in great numbers. There are at least 60 or 70 of them in the two companies now at Palmer's Theatre and the Fifth Avenue. It is stated to be definitely settled that Henry Irving will not visit the States professionally next season. He is said to be contemplating a visit to see some American friends socially. A new theatre has been erected on the site of the theatre at Exeter, England, which was burned down some two years ago, when some 200 persons perished in the flames. The new theatre is said to be really fireproof, and has just been opened. The Beethoven Museum in Vienna has acquired a valuable manuscript score of fche cantata " Der Gloreiche Anglublick," which Beethoven composed in honour of the Vienna Congress of 1814. * Verdi's " Otello" is to be translated into fwedish, and represented at the Court heatre, Stockholm. "Carmen," with Madame Ferni in the tttle role, made a great hit in Parma and iPlorence. " La Gioconda," by Ponchielli, was given jib the opera in St. Petersburg by request if the Court. The season of Italian opera has been -jncceasfully opened in Vienna. Gounod proposes to visit the United States in the spring. Janauschek is meeting with great success Ihis season in America. She has been appearine at the Grand House, Wilmington, Del., recently to crowded houses. " Samson and Delilah," by Saint-Saena, is to be produced in Paris this month. Roger Miclos, the French pianist, is creating quite a furore at the Crystal Palace concerts in London. " The Will of the Madmen," an operetta by L. Ungar, was recently given for the first time at the palace of Count Esterhagy, in Vienna The promenade concerts have been inaugurated in Berlin. "The Charity Ball," a comedy by Belasco and De Mille, has been recently produced in New York, and is said to be an interesting piece, with a fair chance of success. Mrs. Langtry's profits the season before last were £19,200. Even last season, with the heavy losses in the - production of "Macbeth," which amounted to fully £5200, her profits were £7000. "The Bondman," is to be the play Wilson Barrett will open his new theatre in. London with this year. Mr. and Mrs. Kendall's Philadelphia engagement was quite as much of a success as their New York season. They are billed to.«ppear in San Francisco shortly. MusicO'Deamaticus. \* All communications intended for this column 'should be addressed " Muaico-Dramaticus," Herald Office, Auckland, and should be forwarded as early ja&possiblfi.