THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2295, 24 February 1898, Page 39

THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

By Pasqtjin.

Tuesday, February 22. • • The greatest musical event of the year in Australia will be tae appearance of Madame Albani, who is one of the mosb popular singers of the day. She v?aa born in Chaaibly, near Montreal, Canada, and from her eaciiesfe years her voice gave promise of great brilliancy, and a distinguished amateur, foreseeing the girl's future, started a subscription in Montreal for the purpose of providing her with a thorough musical education, and oub of her firsb earnings Madame Albani repaid the money. She msda her first appearance at Messina in 1870, where she was warmly received ; but a much more enthusiastic recepiioa was given her at Malta, and her snecees at that place openad the doors of tbe world to her. She was be&iegsd with offers of engagements. Mr Gye, whom she afterwards married, securtd tier services for the Covent Garden Theatre, of which he was manager, and in 1872 she made her first appearance in London. Eaily in her career she was commanded to sing betors the Queen, and has been frequently called upon since. Her Majesty has specially honoured her by presenting hf>r ■with the Jubilee order, also with many valuable souvenirs. Id society Madame Albani has always been popular, and has a quiet charm that seems peculiarly her own. • . • The concluding concerts of the Amy Sherwin Company werefairly well attendedlast week. Tbe company have s : nce been appearing in the southern towns, where they had good business. On Friday and Saturday, 25fch and 26',h, the company will give two farewell concerts in the Garrison Hall, after which they will go north. • . •MrL. J. Lohr arrived at the Bluff on the 16th by the,Monowai to arrange for the New Zealand tour of Mr Frank Thornton. •. ■ The amusement-loving public of Dutiedin ■will be interested to learn that the Greenwood '■ Company are about to pay ua a v^sit. This ! company has been lately playiDg with gratifying success round the West Coast. It h „ now many years since thebe clever young ladies appeared here. They were at that time only, children, and since then they have appeared as aefcresges and songstresses in all the leading cities of Australia, winning everywhere great plaudits anci admiration from the audiences. Their repertoire, on this tour, includes "My Sweetheart," "The Two Orphans," "A Cup of Cold Poison," " Barbara," " Canaille," " Colleen Bawn," and several other pieces. ' . " The Hellers have been playiug to good houses in the southern districts during the past three weeks. • . * Madame Amy Sher??in gave a students' hour at the Garrison Hall during her stay in Dunedin. She dwelt firsb sipon vcieo production, and in this connection stated that breathing was the groundwork of posing the voice. Defective breathing, she said, produced only an uncertain quality or tone, very frequently a tremolo and broken-up, insignificant phrasing. As a test for breathing, she said, let the students take the pa*3age3 of vocalisation in " Rejoice greatly," from, the " Messiah," in one breath and with a crescendo, as the phrase demanded, and see what could be made of it with- ) out bringing the full power of the lungs to bear ; ! and not only the luogs, but the muscles of the j body to control the breath. It would be found I a capital exercise, and she would congratulate i anyone who could accomplish it. She spoke of ' Merchesi's rules for the different registers of the ' voice ; of the enunciation, of Professor Stoclchaut.en's methods, and related Madame Blanch - Marchesi's success as a striking example of what perfect diction, tone-colouring, and phrasing can do. ! Shealsogayesome highlyinterealingteminisceiices ■ of Jenny Lind, and gave detailed illustrations of how a singer can learn phrasing from a violinist, • pianist, or instrumentalist of any description. ; She had learnt great lessons from Joachim, Saiasate, and Paderewski. Of the latter Signor ' Tosti once remarked to her, " Paderewski's playing is the perfection of singing." The discourse was of a most interesting as well as instructive character, while Madame Sherwin has a grace of style and a fluency of speech that quite captivated her auditors. * . • The sympathy of all play-going Australia will be extended towards Mr Henry Bracy and hie popular wife (Miss Clara Thompson) in the bitter bereavement they sustained last week by the death of their eldest son, Lytton. Poor Lytton, who was only 24- — the age when a young man's life is opening before him brighb and promising, — had already shown big promise of a bright and successful career, and will be regretted and mourned by all who knew him as r clover and thoroughly kind-hearted and good fellow. • . • A scene occurred at the Ti''oii Theatre, Sydney, recently which ended in Philip New- j hutj leaving the stage, m& staling that* be

I would not sing on that stage any more. The " gods "—the unruly and unfair gods !—! — howled for Miss Agnes Hazel, who had made her first appearance in Sydney, to come back ; this, as she was tired with travelling, she refused to do, and Mr Newbury walked on and was vigorously hooted. He got home on the ucmannered cads by telling them that their • hisses were as good as their applause, and left [ the s^ago. r «he police should have been in tvi1 flencts over th'.s/racas, bnt of course weren't. • . • A Melbourne young lady, Miss Grace Dudley, has achieved a brilliant; succees in London, playing the name part in the pantomime of " Cinderella " at the Garrick Theatre. Mjsb Dudley is spoken of by the press 'as " one of the Bweetesb Cinderellas ever seen upon the j stage." j • . •Mr Wilson Barrett and his cirupany hava | been scoring heavily in their latest production, j "Beu-aiy-Chree," the striking and powetful dramatisation of Hall Cains' s novel " The Deemster," in the Princess Theatre, Melbourne, Mr Barrett's impersonption of Dan Mylrea is a carefully-thought-out performance, and adds greatly to his reputation as a clever, conecieni tious, and finished actor. j * . • Arthur Sullivan's new opera, for which | the Hbreti o was supplied by Coinyns Carr and i Artbur W. Pinero, is to be produced very shortly at London Savoy Theatre. • . •' Good reports come to h*nd (says the Sun) of the early successes of a new actress, Miss Queenie Baird, who is now on tour with j Misa Forkesoue. Her father, Mr Baird, was I formerly partner in a great mercantile house in Sfc. Petersburg, but; mot with reverses of fortune. The y*ur.g kdy is a protegee of Madame Patti, who doubtless will do much to advance her future career. Her parents are owners of the Vilia Baird, at Baaulieu. ' . * The revolver has a great future before ife. Th<3 discovery has beon made by a lnueical con- I duetoc — no other thau the celebrated Souza, — that It can be introduced with siiiring effect j in at> orcber.tra. This conductor rvill be iv England with his band saorfcly, anci will show j how it is done. Time was when malicious Parisian wits attributed the increase of deafness in France to tbe potency of the brasses in Wagner's operas. What the effeeb of a revolver obbli- j gato will be on Bri'ish ears remaias to be seen. Strange as it sounds, however, Sauza's celebrated band — perhaps the best kuown in ! America — has at Manhattan Beach rendered a "Chassu dv Lion" with revolver obbligato, i which was a revelation of musical possibilities, i The sußbaiued roars of the noblfe beasfc (on the i bassoon) formed an effective contrast to the staccato notes of the revolver, played with great feeling by a gentleman situated near the bats drum. "The Washington Post" march was composed by Souz%. I ' . " For st-ma year* past London society has 1 been puzzled by the disappearance of a joung millionaire, who vanishes every Christmas for aboub six weeks. It is supposed that he goes yachting, and as a matter of fact his yacht does take him to the north of Bogland, but there he lands, and proceeds to a small town. At this place he has built a theatre, and at each annual > pantomime he takes the part of the principal comedian. He ia a tremendous favourite in the district, where hi 3 identity is not even suspected. '.' The revival of "The Grand Duchess of Gcrolstein" at the Savoy, London, recalls an amusing incident which happened in Paris when the opera was eujoying its heyday of pcipulari4y there. In consequence of a State function of importance, the Boulevards wore closed to all bub titled personages, and a cordon of soldiers prevented the order being disobeyed. Presently a showy four-in-hand carriage drives up with poitiliocs and other appanages of State. Au officer bars the way, however, and explains that the Boulevards are open to titled personages only, and he fails to recognise inadaroe. "Madame" was no other than Schneider, the actress, but her cool reply was, | "I am the Grand Duchess of Geroiftein," and i it's effect was magical. The officer bowed low ' and the lady's carriage passed on in triumph. Bub that officer could not have been a playgoer !