THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3148, 15 July 1914, Page 60

THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL NOTES.

By Fasquin.

Tuesday, July 14. The production of “ Paul Jones ” by amateurs in Wellington recalls reminiscences {says “ Orphconist,’" in the New Zealand Times).® Amateurs first started exploring the operatic field in Dunedin about 30 years ago, when the late Signor Carmini Morley, to the wonderment of the local musicians, demonstrated that they were quite equal to stage performances of “ IJ Trovatore,” “ Maritana,” and “ Lucrezia Borgia.” Morley had been a leading tenor with Martin Simonsen, and had settled in Dunednn as a teacher of voice-

production. The leading parts in Verdi’s favourite opera were taken by the Misses Hume and Mr Arthur Burrows (a baritone, who afterwards became a professional tenor under another name. In ‘ Alaiitana,” the title role was assumed by Miss Hcsford (afterwards Airs W. Angus), Mrs Clutsam was Lazarillo, Air Fred Lewis Don Jose, and Air A. J. C. Baber the King. Shortly afterwards the first production of comic opera in Australasia took place, when

Pinamore ” was run for a week, under the baton of Air A. H. Norman, who is now the conductor of the Alosman Alusieal Society and the Petersham Choral Society in Sydney. The Gilbert and Sullivan cast included Airs W. Aiurphy (Josephine), Airs Angus (Buttercup), Air Henry Stockwe-11 (Ralph), the late Mr Harry Smith, of Alessrs Smith and Sm-th (Captain), and Mr James Jago (Dick Doadcyc). This representation of “Pinafore” was a remarkable success, and led to the production in rapid succession of other Gilbert and Sullivan operas, and “ Les Cloches de Corncville ” (Planquette). The southern movement spread to the north, and led to the establishment of our permanent operatic societly here. In the days that 1 go back to, , Dunedin was probably, a more active musical centre than it is now. It was at that time that the Liodertafel and Orchestral Society were started, and Herr Bonne Scherek, who had been accompanist to Camillo Urso, the talented lady violinist, entered upon his sojourn in the south. Air Cyril i'owsi.-y, son of Mr Arthur J. Towsey (organist of St. Paul’s) was then a child, and Air Philip Newbury was preparing to startle the Old World with the fine timbre of his sweet tenor voice. Airs Aiurphy, the original amateur Josephine, it may be mentioned, was the daughter of the late Herr Schott, the finest oboe soloist who has ever visited Australasia, and the mother of Aliss Amy Murphy, the well-known Now Zealand Soprano.

Bobby Zeno and little Eva Mandell are a pair who the audience always want to see more of. They have the latest range of songs, and their patter is clever and topical. They are a happy couple, and from the outset get the audience in a merry mood. They Went big with the Sydney public. The skits little Eva got off on the worries of being fat—for she is a woman who has run to considerable flesh —caught the popular fancy, while the songs were hummed long after by all who heard them. The two artists appear in Dunedin under tho Fuller-Brennan firm. Dale Winter and her partner, May Field, are attractive young women possessed of sweet A r oices, and in their sketch “ Scattered Dreams ” there is a wide scope for their talent The humour of their piece, which mainly turns on the things dear to a young' woman’s heart, is clean and healthy, while they dress on the most elaborate lines. They are due at the Princess in a fortnight. Arthur Van Buren and Hazel iSpinitti have appeared under special engagement at the Winter Garden, New York. They sing catchy little songs in the intervals between dances. The latter is their strong suit. They are an attractive partnership, light on their feet, supple and graceful. Their expositions of fancy and craze ballroom dances are denaonstrations to all who witness them of how the tango and kindred dances should be done. They, too, will make an appearance at the Princess in due course.

Questioned as to the best school for acquiring unusual proficiency, Harold Bauer replied, “The school of necessity.” In his own case, necessity was the spur that drove him to achieve distinction. As he rather grimly put it, “I had to play well or starve.” At the commencement of his career in Paris fortune and the we'ather were both unkind to him, and he had to endure in considerable poverty one of the worst winters that city had ever experienced. Hunger, however, intensified his ambition, and it was not long before he was enjoying the comparatively comfortable position of pianist and accompanist with a small concert company in Russia. The conditions of the life were rather hard, and the travelling was long and the hotels awful; but Bauer enjoyed the experience immensely. What he particularly appreciated was the pleasure of having a few soveeigns to jingle in bis pockets once more . Harry Lauder’s belief m his own ability to achieve a success on the stage is shown by a curious little incident which has just come to light. A little over 20 years ago Lauder was a hard-working miner in a Scotch coal mine, and one day, while strolling down the street of the little town where he was residing, he spotted a pair of Chinese boots in a shop. Always attracted by curiosities, Lauder exchanged 5s of his hard-earned) money for the footwear, and proudly bore the trophies home. Mrs Lauder was not impressed by the objects, and calmly inquired what her husband was going to do wi the things. Put em by,” answered Lauder. “ Put ’em by for what?” she persisted. “ Ye canna wear ’em except on the stage.” * Maybe 111 wear ’em on tbe stage, declared her lord, sagely nodding his head. His prophecy came quite true. Fifteen years afterwards Lauder donned the boots as a Chinese emperor or something similar in the grand annual pantomime at a Glasgow theatre. Edward Bertram Coyle, a vaudeville artist, asked Mr Justice Pring and a jury in Sydney last week to say that he was entitled to £IOO damages from Brennan s Amphitheatres (Ltd.) for alleged breach of contract. It was said that Coylo had been engaged for 16 weeks to perform under the style of “ Matthews and Mack, _ at a salary of £25 per week, with the option of renewing the contract for another 16 weeks Before the expiration of the second period defendants dismissed him. On a second count defendant sued for the passage money from Sydney to America for himself and another. The defence was a denial of the alleged agreement and repudiation of the alleged breaches. They further pleaded that they did not exercise their option of the re-engafement of plamtitt for an additional 16 weeks. It was contended that a week’s notice on either side could determine the engagement Defentlants declared that plaintiff had forfeited his right to the return fares Ihe jury returned a verdict for plaintiff foi Mr Jerome K. Jerome’s new play -the Groat Gamble,” at the Hay market Theatre Mav 21) boars titles instead of _ names to the "characters (as in “The Passing of the Third Floor Back ”), and includes the Business Man, the Minor Poet, the Triple Alliance (a much-divorced woman), the Colonel and Someone that Nobody Saw. _ It all happens on the top of a mountain in Germany, with a statue of Venus in a grove, German students singing in the woods, and Oupirl playing odd musical phrases on a reed. Judging by the half-hearted, kindly

notices, the now piece is likely to prove a failure. It forms a disquisition on romantic love that rarely wears well, with several pairs in illustration, and a farcical duel between the Colonel and the Business Man, brought on. by an elopement. The same night Mozart’s “Magic Flute'” was revived by Sir Joseph Beecham at Drury Lane Theatre, with a fine cast of German singers. The opera had not been heard for many years, and the music was vastly admired, and, equally, the tedious nature of the fairy tale reprobated. The season had been successfully opened the previous night with the delightful “ Rosongavalier ” of Richard Strauss. On that evening M. Gilly, the great baritone, appeared as Rigolctto at Covcnt Garden to the Gilda of Madame Melba and the Duke of John M'Cormack. “La Tosca ” brought on the youthful Claudine Muzio, Scotti (Scarpia), and Caruso. The great tenor’s voice is described as richer and more mellow, and is used “ with a more artistic restraint where formerly an amazing volume of tone was his trump card.” At this rate, in about five years, Caruso will be ready for a tour of Australia.

The engagement has been made by Mr Ben Fuller of Miss Daisy Jerome, the great American comedienne. This artist was engaged by the J. 0. Will.amson Company (Ltd.) to play the principal role in the successful comedy revue “Come Oyer Hero,” at Sydney, Miss Jerome being mainly responsible for the success attained. Many New Zealand people were disappointed when this great show cancelled its New Zealand tour, but will now be delighted to know that Miss Daisy Jerome will appear in due course under the I ullcrBrennan management.

There has been so much controversy in Melbourne as to who took part in the first production in Australia ot The Gondoliers ” at the Princess’s, Melbourne, on October 25, 1890, that the publication of the cast on that occasion may settle many arguments: Duke of Plaza-Toro, William Elton;, Luiz, Knight Ashton; Don Alhambra, Howard Vernon; Marco, Clarence Leumane ; Giuseppe, Charles Ryloy; Antonio, William. Rosevear; Giorgio, Stannis Leslie; Annibale, Thomas Grundy; Duchess of Plaza-Toro, Maggie Moore; Casilda, Florence Young (her first appearance at this theatre); Gianetta, Flora Graupner; Tessa, Id'a Osborne; Giulia, A. Kinnand; Fiametta, M. G. Lewis; Yittoria, Kate Potter. The musical director was Leon Caron, and the opera was produced by Henry Bracy. It ran for eight weeks. Ellen Terry made her first appearance on the stage at' the Princess Theatre, London, then the home of Shakespearean drama. Charles Kean, son of the groat actor, Edmund Kean, was the manager, and the first night (April 28, 1856) of his production of “The Winter’s Tale” -was honoured by the presence of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, and the Princess Royal,, so that the eight-year-old impersonator of the boy Mamilhus entered upon her public career under happy auspices. Since that time Miss Terry has appeared in all the most important feminine parts in plays of Shakespeare, and in most of the roles recognised as the finest exponent of these characters that has ever lived. Her last Shakespearean part was that of Hermione in Sir Herbert Bcerbohm Tree’s recent production of “The Winter s Tale.” Miss Terry’s first and last Shakespearean parts were Mamillius and Hermione.

Mile. Eva Gauthier, the brilliant FrenchOanadian soprano of the Mischa Elman Company, speaking to an interviewer on the fact that she wore purple-coloured 'hair while appearing on the stage in Sydney, said: “You know the wearing of hair to match a costume has been quite a ‘rage’ in Paris, and in a ‘ daring ’ moment I thought I would introduce it on a Sydney platform. Personally it seems to me that some very striking aesthetic effects may be achieved that way. Lately ‘colour music’ has been much in the air all over the world, so I had the ‘ courage of colour ’ and introduced it into my hair/ It is just surprising what a lot of comment—mostly favourable—it has evoked. I chose purple, and am hoping that those who are said to bo able to discern physical colour in the voice found that mine produced that regal shade. But, seriously, you must not think I dyed my own hair, for the effect was nroduccd by simply placing a thin layer of purple hair over my natural head supply. It was just, so to speak, a ‘ ieu d’esprit,’ and really of no artistic importance. The colour that really should count is that which is imparted to the voice by the attempt of an artist to express feeling through the medium of his or her art. That is the thing that matters all the time.”

The Gorman press shows generally an attitude of disgust at the recent court proceedings instituted by Isolde Beidler against her mother, Oosima Wagner, to have herself recognised as the daughter of Richard Wagner. Isolde was born on April 10, 1865. Cosima was then ostensibly the wife of Hans von Bulow (who divorced Oosima in 1870). Isolde, however, claims that Richard Wagner was her father, not von Bulow, and in proof of this she instances in court that Wagner dedicated a Eoem to “my little daughter Isolde” on or fifteenth birthday. He also told her, “You know you are my daughter.” Herr Beidler, the husband of Isolde, stated-that ho was assured by his mother-in-law (Cosima) that he was marrying Wagner’s daughter. Further evidence was given to the effect that the official notice of Wagner’s death described Isolde, Eva, and Siegfried Wagner as his children. The defence of Cosima was mostly a denial, and sho asserted that Isolde was trying to extort money from her on account of the terms of Wagner’s will, which gave to each of his children an annuity of £ISOO. After taking evidence from the woman who was housekeeper to von Bulow, the court decided against Isolde. The case appears to be viewed in Germany as a most sordid and repugnant one, and one which shows the great composer in the worst possible light. One thing that has been forced upon the attention of theatro-gors of late is that it is high time America and Canada were imitated in regard to the artificial heating of halls of entertainment during the winter months. The freezing atmosphere that prevails in some of our theatres and notably the last one that has been built, to say nothing of the draughts which are allowed to freely play upon the long-suffering audiences, would never bo tolerated in other parts. In this regard wo are reckoned by Americans to bo quite uncivilised. The following dramatic company left London on May 17 to tour South Africa. Australia, and New Zealand under the direction of J. C. Williamson (Ltd.): —Messrs Stephen E. Ewart, A. S. Homewood, Hobart Cavanagh, Albert Raynor, H. B. Waring, David Hawthorn. Gordon M‘Leod, F. Williamson Russell, B. Golday, and James Jolley,

Misses Helen Russell, Joan Blair, Doris Oakes, and Mabel Heath, and Mrs J. W. Braithwaite. A Government officer, whose duty is to find out whether any children under the age of 10 are employed in the theatres, visited the Sydney National not long ago and inquired concerning the ago of one Little Eva, mentioned on the bill. The management assured the gentleman that Miss Mandell was well over 10. “That’s what they all say,” remarked the inspector, “but I prefer to sec the young lady and form my own opinion.” This wish was acceded to, and the inquirer was duly convinced that the “little” lady was quite grown up, though she only weighs some 18st, more or less.