DRAMA AND MUSIC.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14658, 27 January 1912, Page 1 (Supplement)

DRAMA AND MUSIC.

«. -' A NEW TFIRAZZINI." Musical London is diking of Miis i'eiicia- l.yne, the new pr.ma donna. ™ made in- dc-bat iu "xtigok-rto'' at illy acv. opera house recently. In an interview with Alt- "-lautiGersteni. winch iu "The JUaiijj\cu> ca July L'cli lass year, ilie builtier 01 new opera l.nvse i si-cke 01 M.ss t.yuc< as a new T.umz 1 Eini, wuom bo ln.i dis.overeJ. She ' ;s an American, only SJ voais ot yc.e. I l-Sorn in (.mc.igo slic :s, however, ol I r-!igi:ch descent, her ancestors na.'hug , trom Cormvad. She has studied with ! -*'«««■"« Marches! and also with M. I U Aubigne, of Pans. Last vear fie j appeaw-d at Mr Ji.ir.imersteiii's Ojcrr. ; i!0u.,0 in New York, and she Also smg | at lire o.uteris in Paris and Ma'Jj'd. She enjoys, by the way, tho distinction <ii being the smallest prima lonna- <n the stage; she is only oft Ilia. 1:1 hj: ight, and weighs but seven sLoae. Quite an unaffected girl, she chatted gaily with a -'Daily News" rep:-?s<?jt-atice. after her ro.ent- success." "I like London imnit-nselv."' siic oxc:-.iim«d. ''l liked it before (":: st ci- ht —but. after last night I am simply enchanter] with it. The people were gcod. i <litlu'i cxpr-ct it.'' Miss l.yne playfully referred o Mr KamiiK-i-torn as "Grnndua,'' and her.aing forward she whispered. "He .s t.i:- <-ii:y man that- has not prir.fo! to me.*' Then. hecaining serious. altlnjgh l:i'- i (yis (outinued to twiii'do. slie s.rid, -'Do you know that last n glit was my ft-si appearance in g'and opera. And this is fl:e second cpira iu which 1 have p'.ay-ed." ,?' t: ~ J-yiw? with her remarkably shin, petite figure, looks even vr-mige-then -he is. but :-iie l;?.s been' ii. the 'ie-t of hands "or four vc-nrs -ince .': r v. i,e~w-s discovered. When the lui'o ! V' !:i! '. 11! a Jt"'p:>' , 'l on the s'is.': to s:ng "Cam Nome." she looked quite t'ny in the vast house, on til?* blg fti.L". and with a full-sized oreh?sn- t to do homage to her be.'.utiful 'fiufeiik- v-.»o. Rut rho held the house ? nd of her sore th--- s-1.-nr-o of fh.e audience trai chatterer' by a tremendous outburst of applause. RECENT LONDON CONCERTS. Two distinguished music.il ecrsoti- ?.; •*■ Ahulaine Carreno and il.s-.-La man, ajjpeared Ui a joint rccsud it Uie Queen London, tiie tu.y. v.lien tliev ni:.d.;- a u.-\ at i:nCtvar I'mn-is .S,ii.un. t. a" major._ The performance, ihe '■■•stanilard" critic stil.<. s . .v.;s ■:••; to-:-vincin- iu its «.moticna"l »:.wor as H v.-as sU.uul in iti tc-.-hnicai .ciii.Te-i.i-.nt.-' There was some line s-1:-alio on the part of li'ui artists, whe.-e concert t.'ill doubtlvsv.'or.py c.i the season iMi;s Oto.-Nun, aucthr-r i-t.iV pianist, c:i ihe eve •>; hor :ourth cotr.n.'C. : ;.-<- sive t.ur in Aiiv-ri-a. a recital at ..he IJe •!: te:n-hal; h-s_: Amomrst uer im:se was_Mo.-srt's Sonata in A. V-. h:•.:•.:■,-. n's ."■inr.et in A ii.it. rnd .;:r ro ep:io!i was enth."...iastie. 31- ' s '' r .-V f '■"•'■'.'': J/or ] " s n ' Si ' hif;:!> ''.'.' ii'.c crit: s ior h"s performance -f (j-.-oiu's l'i.-u.--\ rie Concerto m A '--•nor. with the Queen"s-liail Orche-.tra under Sir Henry J. Wood's hntcn. '.'"■■' '■( the fe:iiure; cf -the i.ist- "" r :™"! cm e-t was th? Of two new works b- the Firiii;?h •.!>::::.. .St. .-bei.u;.. The first-, a esr.?.en tt; tor strinj.= , des:;ribe:i, ."s quit' a rein:.r!t:'bh> little niece, and in its w.ir as full of naviencJ atmosoi-.-rre .-s ihe c-rr-at- tcne pe.:,i -'FiuUndia.by th- ;-r.::-.e e 0 :u.:.:»-er 'J ii•:\"alse ]iomant:oue." the ;.r;-o:id if ■ the new works, is. the --?t.v.idnrj'' I critic thinks, not so iiidividu.d in if. ihan"ihe l'-tVer <T the' 'Tliere i- little ei c e than rhythm, and tl-r themes ;;ro of little interest, biit ihe s-oi-in- here and there is typl.-.l cf KKRNARD SHAW AT -THE HALLS." i'r Bernard Shaw has followed the leatl of other dramatists, and "ataie to the haiis"'— in ether word--;, the visitor to the Loridon Paiace may in w have an opportunity of hsto.-i.-iti: to the w-i, of -■(.'. U.S." in the -niddle of a variety entertainment. It nay le. as s.:--.!o peo/de .io;xMr inclined to think.' that that i.>" its invner place: but anyway, the lacl- ti.r.i bis tniia •'How he Lied to Kor Hitiban.l" was pitt on at- a music hall last month, seems to have excited ::s much discussion as if Jlr Shaw himself had be. n appointed the theatrical censor. ''Why en earth," he demanded quite reasonably, "should I not allow my p!:,y« to be performed c.t a varietv theairj?'' Why "not. indeed r Much" worse has been seen there. The London "Daily Telegraph" interviewer, who founded him on the subject, - mildly mentioned performing de-js as possibly appearing in the seme pivirramme. "ily good sir." broke in Mr Shaw rcthe-r hotly, "no sensible '.Yest End variety theatre OTer let? a uorfurraing dos come within a mile of its stage door. It acts as a good wafc:h <'oj; should— keeps the public, out. Lut when dogs are-not made to do .nelancholy and unnatural things, which, to liapny dog would attempt. I like their company, and, if necessary, their <ooperation. Sir Herbert- Trco played with a dog in 'Richard IT.*- and a very nice dog it was too. Yet I «iid tot object to write a play for Sir Herbert, although the censor" would not- a,lc-w him to produce i.: because it had rciigious tendencies." He thus expressed his views about "the halls" :—-The real difficulty about variety theatres is that their standard oi training, accomplishment, and professional skill is so high, 2nd the standard of stage effect so swift, intense and miraculous, that it ; s Tciy ' much harder to come up to concert pitch there than in tho ordinary theatre. Dancers, acrobats, jugglers, and strong men aro terrible psojjio to compete with. They are trained to the last inch, skilled to the point of doing with easo and certainty things that are impossible to their audiences, things that seem superhuman. All this gives these performers r.maziuji distinction. It may not occur to you to call them distinguished; but if.you are rash enough, immediately after one cf their perforances, to i-end an i uudistinguisked actor or a:tr?ss on j the stage —somebody who would pass ! muster quite well in an ordimty i theatre —the audience misses that tlis- : tinction at once, and the actor looks i hop-elessk- unskilled a"td Tinattraxr.ive." . Mr Shaw says lie intend* to go on ■ j writing for the halls. Re has proved ' that hj? can tvrite longer plays, tiian' I anyone else; now. he is going io picve j that he can yrite shorter ones.