Musical AND DRAMATIC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8580, 30 May 1891, Page 4 (Supplement)

Musical AND DRAMATIC.

-" '.Madame Patey 'has . scored a brilliant success in Auckland. The City Hall has i? been thronged each night, and the audiences : : have been delighted with the singing of the great English—or rather Scotch, for : ■ . Madame Patey is a. native of Scotlandcontralto. ■''■•"''•'•. i ".•••"'•'-' '■■■■■ '. Miss Jennie Lee, who is a remarkably clever and versatile actress, is sustaining, her reputation at the Opera House in the pieces which have been produced during the week. I may state as a pleasing incident that one of the handsomest bouquets which she has received as a mark of appreciation of her wonderful talents came from Madame Pateyy who is a great admirer of Miss Jennie Lee's abilities. -. Mr. George ' Rignold is said to have secured the Princess Theatre, Dunedin, for a season commencing shortly before Christmas. _ ~" It is reported that La Belle Bernhardt gets £20,000 or; her ; Australian trip of sixteen weeks. ~ Mr. Frank Skeats, who is a native of Auckland, has sailed for Singapore with Pemberton Willard's Company. j The Phonograph is still, in New Zealand doing, says a Westporb correspondent, immense business. The University students 'in Dunedin have a dramatic club. They are at present, rehearsing "She Stoops to Conquer," which they intend producing shortly. The Dobson-Kenriedy Company are playing in Wanganui, after which they go to Wellington, thence to Napier and Auck- . land. Whilst Madame Patey was in Shanghai cable messages passed between her and Patti, ■'■ the result y being \ that ; the " famous; contralto is under engagement to star with the diva next October. ~'. ■ ■ . The London Daily Telegraph states:— <f There is talk among musioal people in Australia about a ; visib from Madame Albani, but 'it seems there -. is an invincible ; Objection in that region to pay-more] than 6s for the' best seats.K. That would hardly be a remunerative figure for a costly prima donna." Bub why should a prima donna be so costly ' The Faust Family and the London Bellringers, who have been most successfully piloted through New Zealand for the last ..six months by Messrs. Joe St. Clair and Morgan, have arrrived in * Sydney. Mr. St. Clair reports wonderful business during the trip,, arid describes his tour as one long .picnic amongst the finest, scenery that he has ever seen., George Barrott, the English comedian, is to make a tour of the : United ; States, opening at the Globe Theatre, Boston, . early' in October, in a comedy called • "Another Man's Shoes," by John Harrison. Wilson Barrett makes another tour of the United States, appearing in a new, play, "Bonaparte," written' by himself, and in a now play, nob yet named, by Barrett and Keane. His season is to commence in January next. . A curious revival of an old but very bad custom is about to be tried in Paris. A new ■: version of " Faust,"-the 1 libretto .by Mr. Silvestre, will be set» to music by no - : rfewer than five prix de Some. The first ;-: act will. be entrusted to Samuel Rosseau, the second to Mr. Pierne, the third to Mr. Marty, the fourth to Mr. Hue, and the fifth -to Paul Vidal. • This promises to be a potpourri of styles—a genuine composite in grand opera. ■ , An old play bill, dated May 21, 1855, has been brought to light. It announces; a play called "The Falls of Clyde," which is almosb identical* in plot with ."Hazel Kirke." " The Falls of Clyde" is a Scotch drama, but the story is the same as Mackaye's English one. It was done at Purdy's National Theatre,' Chatham-street, in New York. There has been,an unusual run of English theatrical works on the ' different i stages of Berlin. These pieces, which include Shakespere's "Richard ',; II.," Jones'- "The Middleman,"Lytton's "Richelieu,"\Pinero's " The Profligate," and Byron's " Our Boys," have been successfully delighting the Berliners. In addition, the management of the . Royal Opera House has promised shortly to produce London's latest operatic success, " Ivan hoe." Boston is promised five new theatres for next season. It has two more than it really needs at the present ! time. The public can stand the increase if the managers can. The paying public will always go to the theatre which offers the "best-attractions and where it is best treated. Success or failure is purely a matter of management., It is- stated that Patti is preparing her autobiography, "Which will! be published simultaneously in London and Paris. Miss Marie Tempest, the , English prima donna of Duffs Opera Company, now touring in, the United States, is said to' be a ilirecb : lineal : descendant of Sir Francis Drake. ". Pauline L'Aliemandas to appear at the Casino, New, Yoru, next season. A New York paper remarks that the reappearance of Mr. Booth on i the . stage as Hamlet, 'after the death of his colleague, Lawrence Barrett, may be described as "a memorial • service" rather than -a dramatic representation, the text containing so many phrases which seemed to allude to the sad loss that dramatic art has suffered; • . In connection with the recent agitation in London theatrical circles respecting the assumption by the London County Council of jurisdiction over the theatres, Wilson Barrett suggests that a petition be placed tit the door, of every theatre, to be signed by playgoers, thus arriving at a consensus of public opinion. , Charles Santley, the English baritone, is : st present fulfilling an engagemenb. in Canada, at the conclusion of which he is to make a tour of the United States. Paravey has resigned the directorship of • the Paris Opera Comique, and he has been succeeded by Carvalho. Miss Emma Juch has been 1 engaged as the prima donna for Indianapolis Festival to-take place this month. , The fortnight ending oh Sunday, March ; 29th, was a singularly sad one for the theatrical profession. The list of deaths comprised Lawrence Barrett, Frank 1.. Prayne, John A. Mackay, Henry Aveling, , Edna > Searing, William G. Hunter, Frank Lawler, John A. Hivling, Alma j Dean Russell, Edward Murtha, andln)3z Perele. y V:: A curious instance of devotion ;to art comes to notice from Vienna. A young singer of that-city has completely ruined her features by applications of vitriol. V She ■explained her action by saying that • she desired to show that ;ib was by her talent and not by her beauty that she wished to succeed. Mrs. James Brown-Potter was visiting Cannes when the mail left London, bub was to return to the United States 'shortly. v:j' Among the notabilities of the profession '■.■- Reaper Death has. lately harvested .is the : French novelist and playwright, Theodore de Banville, author of the delightful monoact comedy called "Gringoire," played by Coquolin in the original French, and which ■ the late Lawrence Barrett adapted for the American stage under the name of "The King's Pleasure." After a twelve years' tour around tho world the violinist Remenyi is in England. The greatest of violinists is giving concerts in England. He lately played at the Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford, a new violin sonata by Dr. Harford Lloyd. Ibsen's "Ghosts" has been produced in London, only to meet with general execration, It is deemed both J dull and scandalous—two qualities which usually do not exist together. • Massenet's opera, "Le Mage," ha 3 been heard at rehearsal by President and Mine. Garnet and the Ministers of the French Cabinet. The music is described- as indicating a return to the Oriental style, which .-.■■ Massenet employed in writing his earlier opera, " Le Ro; de Lahore," bub shows more matured skill in the treatment of vocal and orchestral parts than the latter work. The ' opera is to be produced at Brussels, with Miss Sanderson in the cast. . The Queen of Italy assisted at the last orchestral concert given in Rome under the direction of Signor Pinelli. The death scene of Isolde, from Wagner's opera, was encored. _ Gounod is composing a new mass for the Catholic feast to be held at the: Cathedral in Rheims, in honour of the 1400 th anniversary of the baptism of Gloria, the earliest ... .bang of the Franks. Josephine de Reszke, the prima donna, • ttster of the well-known Do Reszke Brothers, recently died ab Warsaw. '':•,::'';. . Musico-Djiamatic.js. - ' *** $p- communication!! intended for this column ' "'' ' «<« d -i? addressed "Musico-Pramaticus," Hkk a Office, Auckland, and should be i or warded as early a* possible. :'"'/-,'•.,,- ''::'■-■:'■ '- -