MUSICAL AND THEATRICAL GOSSIP.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4244, 27 October 1874, Page 2

MUSICAL AND THEATRICAL GOSSIP.

(PROM a MELBOURNE CORRESPONDENT.) Melbourne, although its pride of place may - be disputed on various grounds, is beyond question the artistic metropolis of Australia, just as indisputably as Wellington is the political capital of New Zealand. By the waters of the Yarra all those who live to please hang up their harps ; there all sorts of artistes most do congregate. Melbourne, consequently, is always tolerably full of musical and theatrical gossip, but the last month has been unusually prolific in professional scandal and chitchat. The Giorza romance is the most recent sensation. The hero is a clever pianist, who can scarcely be styled eminent, as probably very few of your readers ever heard of him ; but he is not unknown in the musical world of America, and the name of Paolo Giorza figures on the title-pages of musical compositions published at Milan and other Italian cities. He arrived in Melbourne about three years ago as conductor of the Agatha States Opera Troupe ; and when this talented but unfortunate company was disbanded, Signor Giorza settled down in Melbourne as a professor of music. A short, ugly, grey-haired, stooping, shrieking, gesticulating Italian, one would hardly think would rise very rapidly; but the man had talent, aad he soon' became the most fashionable pianoforte-teacher in Melbourne, and a great favorite with his young lady pupils. With one of these, a pretty, accomplished girl, of nineteen, a daughter of a leading hotelproprietor, the Signor desired to knit himself in closer companionship ; and much against the wish of mine host, who entertains a holy horror of foreigners in general, and of musical foreigners in particular, the wedding-day was fixed upon. A house in St. Hilda was taken, and handsomely furnished, the invitations for a grand ball to be given the night before the wedding were all out, when, sad to relate, disagreeable rumors waxed louder and louder, and at last it was ascertained, on unimpeachable evidence furnished at the Italian Consul’s office, that the popular maestro was already a married man. After the discovery. Signor Giorza never more did the block, his Erard grand and elegant furniture were sold off at short notice. On Saturday next the ignobleSignor will leave for Europe by the good steamship Durham, and the contemplated Latin-Celtic alliance will of course never come off.

The Arabella Goddard imbroglio is over.. Having refused to appear on the same platform with a music-hall singer, the world-renowned artiste was threatened by a Sydnej theatrical manager with an action for breach of contract, when, to avoid vexatious litigation, the lady left Sydney for Melbourne. On the occasion of her re-appearance, the Opera House was crowded to suffocation ; and when she came on the stage the great pianiste was received with enthusiastic applause, and showers of bouquets. Her other concerts also attracted crowded audiences ; and of the farewell concert given in theTown Hall in aid of the Melbourne Hospital, a very good illustration appears in the Illustrated Australian News for October. Owing to the unsettled state of the Californian mail arrangements, you were nearly losing the opportunity of hearing the queen of pianistes ; but passages have been taken for the lady and her assistants by the Adhambra, and as Madame Goddard has recovered possession of her Vienna Exhibition pianoforte, which was illegally detained in Sydney, you will hear her to the best advantage. A sensational scene occurred at the Opera House the other night during the performance of the opera bouffe, intituled “ The Daughter of Madame Angot.” We have no operatic prima donna at present in Melbourne, and the two leading female parts were accordingly allotted to Miss Jeannie Winston (who has not long risen “from the ranks of the'chorus, and whose name will be familiar to Dunedin residents) and Miss Clara Thompson, a good burlesque actress, and the wife of the stagemanager, Mr. Bracy. The most effective scene in the whole opera is the quarrel scene between the two heroines in the fourth act. From the first night it was evident that a strong feeling of rivalry existed between the two actresses; each night the vocal wordy-war became more realistic, until the other night Miss Winston “wooled" and shook Miss Thompson to such an extent, that the lady (who is in an interesting condition), had-, to leave the stage, and was unable to appear for two or three nights. It was the most disgraceful scene I ever witnessed in a colonial or any other theatre, and I hope you order these things better in Wellington. And while on the subject of opera and of Wellington, I may as well mention that the people of Melbourne are delighted to hear of the success of the Allen Opera troupe, and especially of its prima donna. I was present on the occasion of Mrs. Allen’s first appearance in Melbourne, at Mr. Robert Heller’s pianoforte-recital, and the advance which she has since made in her profession speaks volumes both for the skill of the teacher, and the talent and aptitude of the pupil. Miss Alice May may expect a warm welcome when she returns t» Melbourne.

Mdlle. Jenny Claus is at present in Melbourne, probably quite desdUe, her former compignon de voyage —Mdlle. Bekel —having got nurried in New Caledonia. The lady violinist was engaged to assist at three of the Goddard concerts ; but the injudicious advertising, in which almost equal prominence was given to the rising violinist as to the world-celebrated pianiste, led the public to suspect a managerial dodge, and they did not go in for the somewhit incongruous combination. Poor Mdlle. Cleus seems destined to be the victim of bad management. Writing of violinists reminds me that Herr Wilhelm Doehler, a German violinist, of the. Ciystal Palace concerts, and who brings firstcbss credentials with him from Europe and America, has recently arrived. Herr Doehler las not yet appeared in Melbourne, but he has jeen heard by our cognoscenti, who speak in;he highest terms of his tone and executive talent. -:

At the beginning of next year you may expect a visit from the most charming vocalist in Australia—Miss Christian, of the Royal Academy of Music. It is surprising that this lady has not visited New Zealand before this,, offers having been made to her by no less than Ihree different companies, to all of which she vould have been a most valuable acquisition. Her withdrawal from the Claus-Rekel Company, shortly before its departure for New Zealand, was doubtless the principal cause of the bad business done by that company. Since then Miss Christian has received an offer from the manager of . the Allen Opera Company; and quite recently she has declined a very lucrative offer from another quarter. The popular vocalist, however, will soon visit New Zealand on her own account. Your new Governor and the Marchioness of Normanby were amongst her warmest admirers in Queensland, where the Christian Concert Company not long since completed a brilliant tour of five months’duration, and where, —“to her eternal honor, ” —as the critic of the Australasian remarks, “ the lady gave a charitable concert in every town save one that she visited.”

Though not strictly a matter connected with, public amusements, most of your readers will be glad to learn that the Rev. Charles Clark, the most popular preacher in Melbourne, and a wonderfully effective lecturer and reader, intends to visit New Zealand after Christmas for the benefit of his health. The reverend and accomplished gentleman, should his health permit, ought not to be allowed to leave New Zealand without leaving remisoencea of pleasant evenings behind him. Amongst miscellaneous news, I may mention that Blondin, having been unable as yet to get a piece of land on which to erect his monster roofless tent, has threatened to give Melbourne the go-bye, and to go to Auckland from Sydney; that the Williamsons are still drawing crowded audiences to the Theatre Royal; that Mrs. Smythe, a fresh and powerful soprano, who travelled with Madame Goddard in India and China, has also been engaged for New Zealand ; that Mr. C. E. Horsley, the eminent musician, who left Australia about three years ago, is well and doing

well in New York ; that Mr. B. C. Aspinall, the witty barrister, a great friend of artists, has recovered his reason ; that Mr. Cotterill has married Miss Isabella Carandini; that Mr. T. P. Hill, professor of elocution and brain-printing, talks of going to New Zealand ; and that there is not the slightest possibility at present that Sothem null ever visit Australia.