MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10319, 19 December 1896, Page 4 (Supplement)

MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC.

Despite his inveterate disdain (says a writer in the Englishwoman) for the small details of punctilious etiquette, Signor Tosti is quick to resent an impudent attitude on the part of others. A lady once called at his studio. She intended, she told him, to sing two of his song* that ovening; and she would like to run thorn over with him at once. Signor Tosti replied with acerbity and slow emphasis that lie much regretted he had no time for an immediate lesson, At this tho lady incontinently leapod out at him, and with affronted dignity informed him that in thab caso she would not sing his songs. And Signor Tostt at once shook hands enthusiastically with the accommodating singer, saying, "Thank you so much tor that favour,"

"Tho Sigh of tho Cross," "For the Crown," '"One of the Best," "Trilby," " Tho Shop Girl," "The Prisoner of Zsnda," "Charley's Aunt," "The Grand Duke," and "Jedbury Junior" nppoar (says our London correspondent) to retain undiminished their hold on the public favour. Mr, Tree has decided to call his now theatre, in course of erection on the longvacant site whore once Her Majesty's stood, by the famous name of that old and worldrenowned opera house in which so many great singers have charmed London even in days gone by. Another "serious" or quasi-religious play is on. It is written in blank verse by Mr. Stuart Og*ilvie, and its title is "Tho Sin of St. Hulda," Hulda being a Protestant preach eres.", who has sinned in former days, and who denies her guilt in order to retain hor influence for good over people. In the end she confesses in a scene of 901110 power, and a striking effect is produced. But on the whole the play is rather dull, and I do not think it has "coma to stay" or that you will have it in tho colony. You need not weep 1 Of a totally different order is novelty No. 2, " A Mother ot Three." This is the work of a clever but my daring young lady, Miss Clo Graves, who has treated the subject of triplets in a way which narrowly escapes coming under the same category as the divine commandments, which, as the Psalmist tells us, are " exceedingly broad." More than once or twice absoluto coarseness is avoided only by a hairbreadth; somo may question the presence of the hair, and as one critic says, "a man, may perhaps take his wife to it, but not his sweetheart." I thought this rather neat. But perhaps the greatest) of all recent hits has been another musical comedy or farce of tho "Shop Girl" and "Artist's Model" order, Mr. Dance being the author and Mr. Caryll the composer of the attractive music. It is called the "Gay l'aririenne." This littlo piece seems quite to have revived the fortunes of tho Duke of York's Theatre, and appears likely to havo a long run. In tho title part Miss Ada Reeve is a host in herself, and she is very well supported. To bo "in the run" socially this season, one must havo been to see " Tho Gay Parisienne." Mr. S. N. Cummings, replying to a correspondent in a Cornwall paper, states that Mr. Best has aptly referred to the danger of those musical alumni with coveted and mySterious letters following their names, and has quoted for the benefit of tho general public, who are frequently "gulled" by those who have " too much alphabet." Mr. Cummings concludes"On the Continent neither musical degrees or diplomas are of any avail; the fact being thab rich and poor aro to a great extent expert critics in the divine art, and keenly discern musicians who are born from those who aro made. In England, fortunately, the general public are now awakening to the fact that no amount oi letters— as Mr. Beat) terms it' too much alphabet'—can make a musician."

According to Mr. Wilhelm Kuho'a recently published "My Musical Recollections," it appears that all great artists have their idiosyucracies, and that of the late Sir M. Costa was his loro of punctuality, which he carried almost to the extent of a mania. Mr. Kuhe gays:—'"He was staying at my house in Brighton, and one evening my wife, to meet his wishes, arranged dinner for seven o'clock. Knowing full well his punctuality, sho had given special instruction to have the meal served at the appointed time. Sir Michael appeared five minutes before the dinner At two minutes past the hour the dinner was served, and the reputation of the house was saved. The composer thought otherwise, for the remark, 'Mrs, Kuho, your cook, I am sorry to see, is two minutes behind her time."' A writer in La Figaro tails an interesting story of the late M. Ambroise Thomas and his great opera " Hamlet." The composer was one day walking down the Rue Vivienne when we was hailed by a music publisher, M. Hengel, as he was passing his shop door. "Anything new?" cried M. Hengel. "I have just finished a big work," said M. Thomas. " Let mo see it." Ambroise Thom.is, who had a prodigious memory, entered the shop, and sitting down at the piano played for two' hours, without interruption, what be called his "Grande Machine." Id was the score of "Hamlet," at which he had been labouring for eight years. Hengel could not conceal his enthusiasm. "Is it for the opora, and immediately?" he asked. "No, no," replied Thom*s, " let me hava an Ophelia first and then wo shall see about it." He had scarcely spoken when a lair-haired girl pushed her head in at the half-open door, and cried " Bonjoir 1" "Nillson!" cried Heneel; "here she is your Ophelia." " Madame Nillson, then in all (he glory of her young fame, was at that time singing at the Theatre Lyrique. Perrin, who was the directer of the opera, engaged her. j?auro w<i3 selected to play Hamlet. The opera was put in rehearsal, and was produced with extraordinary success. A special performance of "Dor Freischiitis'' was given at the Royal Opera, Bor-' lin, recently, to signalise the seventy-fifth anniversary of the original performance there of the evergreen and, to use a Teutonic expression, "epoch-making" work. There can be no question as to the peronnial vitality of this truly romantic opera, while its dirscb influence upon the development of the modem music drama of Richard Wagner is equally undoubted. An instance of the former quality possessed by it was furnished 011 this occasion in the warm reception accorded by the audience to the very fine performance under the direction of Dr. Muck. The Minister of Fine Arts in Berlin has granted to a number of pupils at tho Hochscliule the means to witness tho Bayreuth performances, and a similar grant has been made to five native musicians by the Governor of Alsace-Lorraine. Undor Signor Ibrer's management Signor Leoncavallo wii! give a series cf concerts in America next winter, introducing several of his own compositions, and himself conducting the orchestra. A new music-drama entitled " Dichter und Welt" ("Poet and the World") by Herr W. von Baussnern, libretto by Herr Julius Petri, will be the first novelty next season ut the Court Theatre, Weimar. The concert Reason in America, some havo heard it seriously stated on expert authority, suffered materially from the prevailing cult of the cycle, and the same comprint has been lately heard in London. tenths of our metropolitan concertgoers are ladies, and tho enormous increase in the ranks of feminine votaries of the wheel has certainly been tho great feature of cycledom within the last year. The new hobby, .however, operates disadvantage,ously to music in more ways thaji one. It not only lures ladies from the concert room, and induces them to (pond their leisure and pocket money on pastime instead of art, but ib is already alleged to be impairing bho dexterity and suppleness of bhoir digits. An expert in palmistry has. discovered that "tho bicycle hand it a thing of ugliness and a horror for ever." Wo have nob yob seen in any of tho medical papers whether the practise of bicycling exerts any influence, .deleterious or otherwise, on the human yoicejbub of its popularity amongst operatic vocalists there can 'be no longer any doubt.. v , ; ... , . Mosico-Dramaticos. ...