MUSIC AND DRAMA.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXV, Issue 1, 8 July 1905, Page 21

MUSIC AND DRAMA.

“Tess of the DT’rhervilies” ha«i been grand-opera ised. anti is to !»<• produced by the Henry Savage <’<». one of the most notable American combinations. Mme. Calve, the great operatic art;ste, has written the libretto of an opera in which she will star. The title is “Nile/’ and the heroine is the “Goddess of ihe River Nile.’’ Paul Cinqueva.'U was absent 4 rom ihe Reigate Police Court on Saturday, when he was fined forty shillings and costs for excessive speed on his motor-car. The policeman said the juggler was very polite when stopped, and seemed quite interested when told that his car was going at 27 miles an hour. Alice Hollander, the Australian singer, has declined an offer to appear in comic opera in the English provinces. She played Madge Leesing’s part bathe last. 100 performances of -Sergeant Brune” at the London Strand Theatre; and Liza Lehmann composed a song specially for the Sydney contralto to interpolate in the piece. Miss Hollander has now resumed regular concert work. Miss Hilda Spong was appearing in New York in April in a new play by Mr Willis Steel, entitled “The Firm of Cunningham,” described by one critic as one of those plays which the utmost a theatrical reporter can hope to do is to deal with it in meticulous fairness, and, as is usual in such cases, fairness is the hardest of all achievements.” Miss Spong is said to have “worn handsome gowns effectively, and passed through the diverse phases of her part with easy sincerity and charm.” Reprinted from an English interview with Melba: “It was only at the personal request of the Prince of Wales that I consented to sing at the great concert at the Albert Hall on May 12, in aid of the Union Jack Club, as I always like to reserve my forces, and keep very quiet until I make my first appearance at Covent Garden. But. His Royal Highness has been perfectly charming, and even sent me a telegram so that I felt I could not refuse to sing, and in answer to my wire in the affirmative the Prince sent me a most gracious letter of thanks, informing me of his plans in connection with the concert, adding that the King would be present and. he hoped, the Queen.” And this was once a simple little Australian, bv name Nellie Mitchell!

Mr Alfred Sutro was entertained at the house dinner of the Authors' Club, when the chairman, in introducing the guest of the evening, remarked that they were glad to welcome the author of that popular play, “The Walls of Jericho” (which is coining here with Brough shortly). Mr Sutro had some little difficulty in getting bis play performed, and the members of the Authors' Club could sympathise with, as well as congratulate him, and they hoped for even a still greater masterpiece from his brain. Mr Sutro. in responding, said that “The Walls of Jericho” was his eleventh play, and he would state that the other ten more or less deserved the seclusion that they enjoyed in the cupboard. He thought that- the dramatist, novelist, or writer of imaginative work was not strictly a thinker; he was the medium through which the thoughts of the thinker were passed to the populace and transmitted to the masses. In all the great literature of the world there was, perhaps, a man in the Imckground whose name was not known. He it was who formulated the ideas and passed them on to the writer of fiction, to the dramatist, perhaps even to the poet. “We Take Off Our Hats to the King.” the song which the late Charles Arnold was singing at the time of his death, was written by Mr Gerald Fitzgibbon,

press manager for the •Home of Mystery.” at St. George's Hall, who got the idea from Mr Arnold. When the song was completed it was at once accepted by Mr George Edwardes, who introduced it into ’’The Circus Girl,*’ at the Gaiety ■Theatre, where it proved an enormous success. It was then, however, called “We 'fake Off Our Hats to the Queen,” her late Majesty being at the time on the throne. The song is of a polyglot nature, and Mr Arnold had on Saturday night sung a German, a Scotch, and a French verse. He then started the following American verse:

Wai, now. I guess we Yankees air the smartest men .vet known. In all the great inventions 1 just rerkoit we're aioneBut then, wr never care to hoasi or make tarnation fuss. We merely say -We’re out o’ sight,” none can comiMrc with us. We have the biggest railways, and our buildings roach the skies. There! everything we’ve got is l»ig. including sonic l»1g lies; Rut search througlumt our country now, in almost any pari. We II own we’ve nothing quite as great as kind King Kdwant’s heart. Wo take off our hats to the King. We take off our hats to the King. FiVied we stau<\ And clasp England’s hand. And wc take off our hats to (he King.

It was. strange to say. when Mr Arnold got to tile words “We’re out of sight.” that he fell to the floor ami died.

At the annual meeting of the Shakespeare Memorial Library Committee, held in England under the presidency of Mr <>. J. Johnson, the lion, secretary. Mr E. Matthews, reported that 284 additions hail been made to the library during the year. He particularly called attention to the acquisition by the committee of nearly 5000 old Shakespearian play bills at a cost of £3B and of a superb quarto of the t«37 “Romeo and Juliet” for £ SO, which had been presented to ihe library. The total number of works at present in the library was 12,114. of the value of £2503. The accounts showed that an appeal had been issued to ask for further support, and added that if the library was to be second to none in the world, as it ought to be, they should have a subscription list of at least £l5O a year. He personally bad tried to get hold of some good Shakespeare books at London sales for the library, but he had found that whenever a book of any value was put up for sale there was such a run on it by Americans, that it was almost impossible to obtain it. They did not want to obtain ordinary Shakespeare hooks in different languages, but when they came a cross a book worth £l5O or £2OO they ought to use every exertion to secure it. It was quite for the Free Library Committee to say that it could not purchase such expensive works out of the rates, but if the subscribers had £2OO or £3OO in hand they would be able to acquire some books which it would be a credit to the library to possess. The report was adopted, and Professor Churton Collins was elected joint lion, secretary with Mr Mathews.'

The success of the Hill-Hircli opera in Auckland exceeded all expectation. The collaborators have done well, and have a magnificent asset in hand in the shape of the scenery, dresses, etc. If taken on tour (us seems certain), an effort should, however, be made to improve the hockey girls, who were, without doubt, the weak spot in the performance. Miss Sandford (Mrs Phillips) was. of eour-e, an exception, and was emphatically the chief success of the cast. Nothing could have been better than her dancing and acting, while she sang prettily, though with a slight tendency to get out of breath, due no doubt to being out of (stage) harness for a considerable time. Her performance was, however, really notable, ami calls* for more than passing praise. More, also, one might suggest, might tic made of the magnificent march finale to the first act. With increased stage-man-agement. it could provide a superb finish. The swing of the music is irre-

sistible. and sets liie (cel going auto* inalically. One wants to are more made of it. Bui, after all. it is the liucfepy chorus that requires most attention, mid not so nuicii in the singing as in dancing and business. Mr. A. 'layer is. one conic to the euiivtusion, somewhat

handicapped by his dress, which is handsome enough, and perhaps correct, but correctness counts for nothing in comic opera, and this very clever comedian would, one fancies, have better scope out of skirts. To both Messrs Hill and Birch hearty congratulations and good wishes are tendered by this paper. Their success is a signal one, and one hopes it may be repeated in Australia and London. There would seem very little doubt that Miss littel Brune is by far the most effective emotional actress who has ever visited New Zealand. She seems to possess a magnetism and power quite irresistible, which enables her to triumph in seems where the sublime might, in hands ever so little less capable, cross the narrow border to the ridiculous. A very seasoned and decidedly cynical Wellington theatregoer, whom much playgoing has inclined to censoriousness, writes to the writer that not since he first saw Genevieve Ward in “Forget-Me-Not” has any actress priMlucol half the effect in a colonial theatre as did Miss Tittef Brune in •’L’Aiglon,” in the tremendous battlefield eceiie. where excited imagination calls up the whole fray, ending in a fearful collapse of mental agony and prostrating fear. “Actors” and critics are often fond of saying the house “rose at” such and such an effect, writes this gentleman, but only once or twice in my life have 1 seen it done. But done it was in Wellington on the fall of the curtain after this, one of the most amazing bits of acting I can ever and shall ever hope to see. The Brune was literally superb. She positively electrified the house. Paula suits her less, but is an interesting study, though one cannot believe she is what Pinero intended. With Mrs Brough in the part, one felt sorry for Paula, ami also for Tanqiieray. The •‘bad lot” in the character comes out more in Miss Brune’s interpretation, and it i* hard to forgive a man of the world for not seeing what an ass he was to undertake the contract. Go, however, to pee Eanqueray. for it is a literary and artistic masterpiece from a playwright jioint of view, ami even if the Brune conception is uncongenial in some phases, it is. as all this astonishing young woman <ioes. most interesting ami worthy ot attention. Concerning “Camille."’ L will write you next week, but is’s a des* puable play, anyway.” Should any further notes by this writer come to hand they will be published with thanks, and “Graphic” readers may rely on his judgment.