Music and Drama

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLII, Issue 12, 24 March 1909, Page 14

Music and Drama

Organists Reminiscences. Sir Frederick Bridge, the organist of /Westminster Abbey, lias ‘been guilty of a nuinner of anecdotes and stories lately in addressing a conference of musicians of I he Mansion House, London. He narrated some experiences of his own early career, when he had to play, teach, and walk four and a half miles “in weather like this” be tween Rochester and Gravesend to fill the position of organist for .£2l i year. “It was not much of a titart.” ho commented, “for the organist of Westminster Abbey. But 1 am organist of the Abbey, despite this poor beginning, and I put my progress down to the fact, that 1 took a broad view of things I had no narrow mind, and 1 made the acquaintance* of every one worth knowing. I never left a stone unturned to get acquainted with such people. “In my young days, when the local reporter —a friend of mine—always spoke of me as ‘our talented young townsman,’ we had no chances. But with the network of institutions and scholarships that is now established you have every chance. Any girl or boy with a gift has a chance now. and I think we are going to go on. Reminiscences of Sir Edward Elgar “It i> too much the fashion in London to fancy that we are the hub of the universe. People in the country say, ‘How' I wish I belonged to the Royal Academy, or the Royal something or other.’ You can get on without that. You look at one man whose name has risen more rapidly than perhaps anybody’s, and whose recent Symphony was received with more interest than any Symphony ever written. That man—l refer, of course, to Sir Edward Elgar—was brought up as an ordinary teacher of music in the Midlands, and I know* he played second violin in an orchestra I once conducted. I am sorry for him, 'but I know he did it. His example is a very good lesson, and a very good fact &€3sical history of which we ought to be proud.” Don't Grumble. Finally. Sir Frederick told the following story by way of illustrating the lesson, “Don’t grumble.” “( will tell you a story about ‘Don’t grumble.’ I had a pupil once, a very clever fellow. Hr had one affliction: he grumbbsl—not at me, he thought I was all right, that was the only mistake he made he grumbled at his prospects in life. ‘‘He obtained a very nice appointment in the country. I went down to see him, and asked him how he was getting on. ‘Oh, pretty well,’ he replied, ‘but the place is so inartistic.’ I said, ‘What the deuce does that matter? You have to teach them music ami get their money.’ •*llr had a nice lot of illuminated texts on tlu- walls of his room, which he said had been drawn by a young lady. ‘So you arc going to be married?’ I suggested. •Dolefully, he replied that he hoped so. ‘Look here,’ I said, ‘if I give you a text, will you get the young lady to work it ; it will do you mon* good than all these Scriptural subjects.’ He said he ■would. The text 1 gave him wgs ‘l>on’t grumble.’ “I went, down to see him some months afterwards, and he told me the text had done him a lot of good. 'He has now’ a wiio and five or six children; he* has nothing to grumble about. ‘ Let us, therefore,” Sir Frederick concluded “be cheerful, and let us think English music has a tremendous future l»cforo it.” Some Advice for Singers. “ I he students of to-day too often begin their voice training by singing songs, and expect the constructive work to take care of itself, thus starting at the end instead of at the beginning.” This was the dictum of Dr. Hulbert, lecturer on “Voice and Health” to the University of London, who endeavoured tn prove recently tn the conference of the Society of Musicians that there is a flcientilio basis for vocal culture, and that the basis consists of the physiology of the perfect poise of the muscles of the vocal apparatus. “'the true artist, when facing his Budieuce,’* Dr. Hulbert observed, “has

perfect control over himself in every way; he is careful to assume the right attitude, he is neither too prodigal nor too lavish with his gestures; he expresses with his face, and especially with his eyes, the feelings or sentiments which are uppermost in his mind. These sentiments can only be conveyed from the mind of the performer to the minds of the audience by the vehicle of the voice, as speech or song. This speech or song is. the result of the poise of the vocal apparatus, that is of the co-ordinated movement of the muscles of the respiratory* the vocal and the speech organs.” Deep Breathing. Dr. Hulbert went on to advise how inspirating exercises should bp practised to make the chest inqye elastic, and incidentally condemned as a harmful procedure “deep breathing.” The methods of teaching respiration were, he remarked extensive and peculiar. One, which he described, was that in which the teacher puts his pupils upon the floor, sits upon their chests, and tells them to breathe. “Even this,” he added, “can be beaten in America. There is a man there who breathes so deeply that he stands in a basin of water, and bubbles come out between his toes.” An American Violinist. A clever young American violinist, Miss Margel Gluck, whose work in England had hitherto been confined to the concert tours of Madame Tetrazzini and of Mr Watkin Mills, successfully made her London debut at the Aeolian Hall a short time ago, under the wing of the Duchess of Somerset. Miss Gluck, who gave a specially admirable account of herself in Wieniawski’s Concerto in D minor, is a pupil of Sevcik and of Aner, the masters respectively of Kubelik and Elman. Her first public appearance was made at Bucharest, where she received much kindly encouragement at the hands of the Crown Princess Marie, a niece of our King. Miss Gluck made what is practically her start as a violinist under unusually happy conditions, for, besides being an unquestionably promising player, she is very pretty and has many good friends. Musical Examinations. “'Musical examinations,” says Professor Smith Woods, “are a curse to the musical profession, as every certificate issued produces another so-called teacher of music to swell the already over-crowded profession.” Proceeding, the Professor says that “Sir Frederick Bridge once pointed out as a ‘black spot* ‘the deplorable and general inability to read music at first sight.’ When he said that, no discussion was allowed on the systems. Yet the average musical professor had no system to propound, except driving the music into the pupils by ear, an d treating them like a number of parrots. Some gifted instrumentalists, when they had the opportunity of conducting a choral, musical or philharmonic society, simply wrecked the organisation in a single season. One conductor who wrecked three out of his four societies in one year used to say, ‘Listen to me. It goes like this. Can’t you hear it is wrong?’ etc. Another, w •> was a most able theorist, a Mus. Doe., Oxon., used to call out such sentences as ‘Basses, you are singing a pc*, feet fifth, and it is a diminished fifth, in the third bar at the top of the page.’ Very few members of an ordinary choral society knew the name, much less the quality of the intervals they happened to be singing. The conductor might just as well have called out. ‘Basses, can’t you see you are singing a wheelbarrow, and it’s a motor-car.’ ” A Story. Mr. Albert Chevalier used to tell the following story against himself. It happened when he was tourrng in the provinces. The stage-door keeper of one of the theatres in the town went to Mr. Chevalier’s brother, Mr. Ingle, with a request for a couple of seats for that evening’s performance. “ With pleasure,” was the reply. “But I don’t want ’em for myself,” the man explained, “ I’ve seed ’im. It’s the mussus that wants ’em. Like all the women, she just wants to say she’s seed ’im.” “That will be all right,” replied Mr. Ingle. “ You send her along, and I’ll see that she has good seats." “ Thank you, sir,” replied the man. He

drew a step nearer, put his hand up to his mouth, and whispered confidentially, “ Don’t worry about the place. Put ’er anywhere, but put ’er near the door, so that she can get out easy in case she don’t like ’im.” Getting on the Stage. Miss Marie Isihr, the well-known Australian actress, now in a prominent position in London, has given the "Daily Express” her views concerning the stage as a career:—"l cannot honestly say that I have found the stage a snare or a delusion, for I am sure that one does get on in the long run if one only works hard enough, and has perseverance and pluck. 1 began my stage career as a very tiny tot—in fact I was only eight years old —and I have been working hard ever since. Although my mother is the well-known actress, Miss Kate Bishop, I determined to work my way up the ladder under my own name, and 1 have had no influence of any kind behind me. I think I can honestly say that I have got on entirely by hard work and love of my profession; so how can I say that 1 have found the stage a snare in any way? After all, talent is something that will endure, and the owner of a pretty face with no intellect to ‘back it up’ can only expect to find her stage illusions shattered, and shattered very badly. There may be one or two Ellen Terrys in embryo, and yet they have never been heard of, for the simple reason that they have never had their chance. That is due to the struggle and competition of the stage.” Miss Lohr’s advice to aspirants is:—“Do not go on the stage unless you have talent and a grim determination to succeed. Nothing but sheer hard work can make an actress.” Dazed Critics. All the music critics of the great London dailies have returned from Dresden, where they waited to hear the succeeding renditions of Dr. Richard Strauss's opera, “Electra,” which was given its first performance on January 25, and it is no exaggeration to say that they seem in a condition of daze. One remarkable effect all the critics seem to experience in common—they are obsessed of the Strauss orchestration and have little or nothing to say of the Strauss vocal score. And the condition seems natural, for in “Electra” Strauss employs eight French horns, seven trumpets, and eight clarionets, of which two alternate with basset-horns. The shrill little E flat clarionet, which is usually only to be met with in wind bands, is not lacking, and out of the sea of instruments towers the enormous heckelphone, a sort of bass oboe. Many peculiar duties fall to the percussion instruments, of which liberal use is made. Thus, for example, the big drum is at times struck with a birchrod. and shortly before the close of the opera a gong is violently assailed with the triangle rod, in order to produce what is described in the score os “a terrible buzzing sound.” Strauss' Daring. Moreover Strauss has not divided the violins, as is customary, into firsts and seconds, but throughout into firsts, seconds and thirds. The violas are treated in the same way. and these manifold voices combine in an amazing polyphony —a polyphony, which, on account of ite recklessness, many will refuse to recognise as legitimate. In what may be called musical illustration, Strauss has secured in “Electra” even more astounding results than he tried for in Salome. An example of this is afforded at the opening of the opera. The curtain goes up without any further prelude than a shrill D minor chord, a few hasty words are exchanged by the waiting maids, and we see Electra, just on the point of stepping out of the entrance hall, shrink back into hiding like a frightened animal at the sight of human beings. Here, muted trumpets, wood-wind in the lowest register, and strings leaping in intervals of ninths and sevenths, mingle in a medley of sounds, which involuntarily gives the idea of a snarling, half-frightened, half irritated animal. Amazing Effect*. Tones' of terror, wild shrieks, fantastic wails and terrific crashes of sound, in which every instrument takes violent part, are only a few of the amaz-. ing instrumental effects in this most amazing of all operas. One of the many strange things about “Electra,” where all is strange, and which seems to 'have escaped general notice, is that, although the opera lasts only one hour and .forty

minutes, fifty minutes of that time elapse before a male voice is heard on the stage. The text of “Electra" follows closely Hofmannsthal’s ferocious version of the old Greek tragedy. The queen, Cly tementra (Madame Schumanndleink), has murdered her husband, King Agamemmon, and Electra, her daughter (Frau Krull), mad With horror, after' a distressing scene with her sister, Chrysothemis (Fraulein Siems), prevails upon her brother, Orestes (Herr Perron), to slay the murderous queen and her paramour, Aegisthes (Herr Sembach). It is an orgy of blood and terrors. Critic Discharged. There is a pretty theatrical row m , Dresden over “Electra.” Frederick Brandes, the musical critic of the “Dresden Anzeiger,” a newspaper which is under municipal control, has been discharged, and the entree to the royal theatres forbidden him, because he attacked “Electra" in his criticism of the first performance of the opera. Professor Brandes scoffs at the action of the authorities, and says he prefers to reside in Leipsic, where he lectures at the university. The provincial authorities rarely proceed against journalists, so that Professor Brande's punishment is remarkable. Musical Crazes. Distributing the diplomas gained by the new fellows and associates of the Royal College of Organists. Sir Walter Parratt, Master of the King’s Music and president of the college, advised the students, above all things, to fight present-day musical crazes. When he had time, said Sir Walter, he looked down the lists of anthems and services performed in various churches, and was saddened to find how little of that, heritage of magnificent Church music which was ours we enjoyed. The fact was that the oiganist in these days was too often a bit of a composer .himself. (Laughter.) He could write dramatic music not the least offensive, but music Ithati sometimes did not mean a great deal. George Eliot once said. “Blessed is he who, haying nothing to. say, avoids to give us wordv evidence of the fact.’* “Blessed is the. musical person, who, having nothing to say, avoids to say it in many crotchets and quavers,” added the president. Sir Walter wished that the students would learn to write their music better. Some, papers were sent up in which the crotchetstems looked like a field of corn in a high wind. (Laughter.) In some cases it was difficult for the examiners to locate the notes at all, because the students, with their bad writing, or, perhaps, with guile, had written their notes sitting on the fence, as if they knew that those charitable examiners would put them down softly on the right side. “You had better be careful,” he remarked, “for next, time those charitable examiners will hoist you on the wrong side.” (Laughter.) The Cradle of the Theatre. • Greece, says a contributor who recently travelled in that country, was the birthplace of the theatre, and its capital can boast of the first theatre ever erected, namely, that of Bacchus, built, it is said, by Philos considerably more than two thousand years ago. According to our best authorities, England did not possess a proper theatre until the year 1574, when Janies Burbage obtained the first Royal license to act plays in London at the Globe, Bankside, but long before that miracles were represented in the open fields, where the devil appeared in person on the stage, shearing the bristles of the hogs; hence the old proverb, “Great cry and little wool.” Geoffrey, prior of St. Swithin’s, Winchester, is usually credited with the introduction of theatrical exhibitions, the first being performed eight years before the building of the Globe. One of the Greek poets—Thespis by name—was the inventor of tragedy. Some 2400 years ago he went from town to town on a cart, upon which was erected a temporary stage, where two actors, whose faces were daubed with the lees of wine, entertained the audience with choral sohgs, etc. His representations, as may be supposed. were very rustic and imperfect. Even in those very early days there were people who' objected very strongly to the theatre, such as it was, and it is recorded that Solon, one of the wisest mon of the day; was the chief objector. the theatre went on, and today there can Ibe found in every hole and corner of Greece remains of what must have been magnificent structures.

4 New Tenor. Another great tenor, meteor-like, has burst upon the musical horizon of vocal Europe with dazzling splendour, outshining, they say, that famous star of the first magnitude, Caruso. The gentleman was originally a banker, who quite suddenly found he was possessed of a magnificent yoiee. His name is Signor Tainini, and. hie hails from Mannheim. Tie made his debut in Bizet's "Carmen,” in Vienna, and at onee sent the good people of that musical city crazy. It is said that not alone bouquets, but even jewels, were showered upon him at his first appearance. He has a magnificent, robust tenor of great range and command. He is a mixture of German and Italian, thirty years old, and almost six feet high. One of the Moderns. -Mr. Frederick Delius is coming to the front as one of the most promising English composers. His latest work, an .orchestral poem, entitled "In a Summer Garden,” though too obviously influenced by. Debussy was well received at its first production, a few weeks ago at the Queen’s Hall, London. Noisy Orchestras. Mr. Rutland Banington, in a lecture delivered in London, made the following remarks:—"While on the subject ot musical directors, may I be allowed to ventilate a grievance which I believe is shared to a great extent by audience and artist alike? 1 allude to the strenuousness of the orchestra accompaniments, which not infrequently amount to a battle in which the overwhelming odds must end in the defeat' of the singer. The orchestra has its opportunity in the overture and entr’actes, and in my humble opinion should, at all other times, be the lifebuoy of support for the singer, and not the foaming wave of melody beneath whose resistless force he or she will inevitably drown.” An Unhappy Affair. Not since the Caruso family discord has musical Italy been so deeply stirred as by a disagreement in the family of Giacomo Puccini, the composer of "La Boheme” afid "Madame Butterfly,” which have been sb popular at Covent Garden and on the' Continent in recent years. The disagreement has resulted in the temporary separation of the composer and his wife. Behind' this separation is the tragedy of a beautiful peasant girl, who poisoned herself rather than be suspected of ingratitude to her patron. The Puccinis occupy a villa near Via Reggio, and seven years ago a peasant on the estate died, leaving his family destitute. In order to assist the widow, the sympathetic' composer engaged the youngest, daughter, Doria Moufredi, as kitchen maid. Doria developed into a radiant beauty, and Signora Puccini became jealous of pretty Doria, faneying that her husband treated the girl too sympathetically. Puccini’s denials were not believed, the domestic discord grew, and Puccini reproached his wife for her jealousy, assuring her that, her suspicions were baseless. Three months , ago Puccini returned to Via Reggio from a long concert tour. On inquiring for Doria he learned that she was seriously ill. Doria asserted that her illness was due to Signora Puccini’s nagging. At any. rate, Doria left the Puccini villa ami the composer and his wife quarrelled over the girl’s departure. Soon the peasants began to discuss a flairs. Doria became ill again and despairingly poisoned herself. Before her death she asserted her innocence, declaring that the composer’s relations with her had always been like those of a father. Then Puccini and his wife quarrelled anew' over the girl’s death, and the composer is now living in Rome, while his wife is in Milan. Doria’s mother threatens to bring suit for slander against Signora Puccini, but friends of the distinguished couple will try to arrest this, and hope to reconcile husband and wife. The Good Old Melodrama. . “A Miner’s Trust” is a title. full of melodramatic possibilities, and one got it full-chested at His Majesty’s last week, When the Meynell ami Gunn Dramatic Company appeared to large and sympathetic audiences. Humanity dearly loves sensation, particularly of the class which has been grouped under the classical head , of •’Bellow-drama.” Many people who belong to the higher civilisation and get worried over problem plays, look askance at .the good old melodrama with-out-any conception as to its importance in the evolution of dramatic art. It may be

grossly sensational and illumined with vigorous humour, but it has a moral. It usually conveys to Tom and Mary Ann that it pays to go straight. It does not conceal any of the glittering filth that sometimes is suggested in inttsical comedy. Everybody is vigorous and hearty. The hero is a hero, and no mistaking it. (Sometimes we may fancy him a prig, but that is our mistake.) The heroine is at least virtuous, if she is not beautiful, and the villain is frequently horrible to the point of being delicious. it is this fearsome slashing melodrama, built on a medley of shrieks and hurrahs, that gets right down to the bottom of true “British bind.” No crowd would be a crowd if they couldn’t rise to the occasion by hooting the villain into next week and deafening the happy couple with the thunders of their cheers. The majority of audiences in the Australasian colonies justify the claims of heredity. They like melodrama just as their fathers did in England 20 and 30 years ago. Except for the sensa-tion-seeking members of the working classes of the manufacturing towns and certain grades of London life, melodrama has gone by in England. It no longer exists and sways the varied classes it did 20 years ago. Its extreme sensationalism has in the end been its own undoing. The Australasian colonies have apparently got to go through something of the same sort of experience. Until the people indicate they want higher art. they will get melodrama and musical comedy. <V the two the former is infinitely preferable and certainly more human, though extreme. It braces up the mass with moral inspiration, and so long as our gracious Parliament does not make it compulsory that every person in the State shall attend at least three melodramas in the year (not excluding a William Anderson Shriek) let the higher civilisation bp content to marvel at the hearty and vigorous joy of the people who swear by sensation. Thte Story. Briefly, the story, which opens in the Australian goldfields, concerns the fortunes of Allen Trengrove and Jack Howard, who, after many years, have struck it rich and made their pile. Howard is returning to England to wed his blind sweetheart, Alice Medway, when he is mortally wounded by Gaspard le Rouge, an escapee from New’ Caledonia, who attempts to rob him. The dying man. realising what the effect of the tragedy will b? to his betrothed, agrees to Trengrove’s suggestion that he shall take his place, marry 'the blind girl, and thus save her the shock. ' The scene then changes to England, and Howard, alias Trengrove. finds his affections turn elsewhere. His identity is suspected by a claimant to the Trengrove estate, and the truth is finally brought to light, and a satisfactory solution arrived at. with the rescue of le Rouge from the wreck of a Home-bound steamer. The Acting. In some respects the acting was good, but in others it fell short of the requirements of the piece. Mr Herbert J. Bentley was a manly Allen Trengrove, and acted with quiet force and naturalness. Mr J. B. Atholwood played Gaspard le Rouge with good judgment, and Mr Harry Halley, who carried the brunt of the comedy work, fully deserved the excellent reputation he received. Miss Beatrice Holloway was a pathetic little figure as a blind girl, and acted conscientiously and well. Miss Lillian Meyers and Miss Mabel RusselT were also seen to advantage in their respective parts. “Two Little Sailor Boys’’ was produced by the same company just as the paper went to press, and will be continued during the week. Coming Events—Mr. M. Hamilton Hodges. It has been already announced that Mr. M. Hamilton Hodges will very soon take his departure from Auckland for about twelve months in order to fulfil professional engagements in London. (Vcasions of this kind are. as it were, milestones in the progress of artists like •Mr. Hodges, who have already had wide and varied opportunities for exhibiting their musical talents. Mr. Hodges commenced his career in America, and then visited England. Africa, Australia, amh lastly, New Zealand. In those countries this receptions have always been uniformly cordial and enthusiastic. His repertoire ie as extensive as it is varied, calling for the exercise of highly artistic and histrionic attainments. It is no easy matter to determine the particular sphere in which the forte of Mr. Hodges

really lies. His range from oratorio to opera, and from the classics to the simplest ballad, is always undertaken with such ease and fitnesrs that one is fain to marvel at the like, and left to ponder which is the -more delightful—his dramatic power or that peculiar delicacy of refinement of his when whispering cadences in a way that is almost unique amongst l>aritone Algers. Mr. Hodges' grand rendering of “Why 'Do the Nations?” “It is Enough,” and “Beloved, it Is Morn,” have been often most favourably commented upon all over the Dominion. Hies performance in Wellington Town Hall was referred to as the finest effort since Sir Charles Sa nt ley's visit to the Dominion. The foregoing is a brief but pleasurable recapitulation of a musical career, that is now to receive handsome recognition by the several musical societies and artists in Auckland. They have determined to give -Mr. Hodges a titling sendoff, and to that eml a grand concert iu to he tendered to him in the Choral Hall on Friday, the 2nd April. The following artists have kindly given their assistance; there will, therefore, he one of the most attractive programmes ever presented to an Auckland audience: Madame Wielart (soprano), Miss Elsie Hamilton (pianist). Miss Blanche Garland (contralto). Mr. Colin Muston, L.R.A.M. (violinist). Mr. G. Edward Poore (flautist). Mr. G. A. Paque, L.A.M. (’cellist). Mr. T. E. Midgeley (organist), and the Lyric Vocal Quartet. Amongst other items, Mr. Hodges will give, by special request, “It is Enough’’ and * Beloved, it is Morn.’’ The Mallinsons. Albert Mallinson and his charming wife were not. fortunate in weather for the return visit to Auckland. It is regarded something of a feat, even in the more exclusive musical ci teles abroad, that a composer of songs can, with a programme reaching over a score in number, charm an audience with his own coinposition. The' achievement, of course,'belongs as much to the ability of the vocalist as the composer. But in A!allinson’s songs there is something very near genius, something that reveals in the song the highest artistic expression of his subject. The performances of t hese two celebrated artists will long remain in the minds of all who were fortunate enough to be -at tire recital. The singing of Madame'Mallinson of her husband's songs fulfils every desire of the musician. There is an earnestness and thoroughness about - her work that carries conviction to every, heart ; sheputs her whole soul into all she has to sing, perforins s<f simply, so natural, and without artificial effect. Mrs. Mallinson phrases her solos in a delightful way, and no matter what, the character of the an. the famous cantartrice (‘liters into the mood of it. ami lives the part she is interpreting. She is a tine artist, and if there is a fault it comes from the difficulty of <a foreign tongue to clearly enunciate our incorrigible language. Of rare excellence is the way Mr.-Mallinson accompanies; his arpeggios are of delightful evenness, and his scale passages arc executed with pearly speed and uniformity. The” way he makes the piano hold the tone and sing its theme is indescribably beautiful, and by the judicium use of the pedals some charming effects are obtained. A declamatory performance was given by Mrs. Mallinson of the solo “Courage,” am’ a light and graceful delivery was obtained of “The Ro*ebud,” while sonny line contrasts of tone shading were secured‘in the delivery of “Slow, Horses, Slow.’’ The programmes of the two evenings covered a wide range, indicating the versatility of the composer. His songs have no direct parallel in modern composition. One may get fugitive impressions of Greig or De Bussy, but they are wholly Mallinson. They remind one of exquisite pastels revealing some dreamy fairy-like prospect, of “dim vales ami shadowy floods" conceived with a delicacy and tenderness that can only be understood more than expressed. Two Local Works. A large proportion of imported musical and operatic works, nowadays, are some what mediocre, it will be admitted There is, therefore, all the more reasot to encourage local authors and ’composers who ran show that they arc in any degree entitled to such encouragement. In this connection Auckland playgoers doubtless look forward with interest to the two productions announced to take place at His Majesty’s Theatre during the ten nights, commencing March 29 next. The first of these is the musical comedy “Sixes and Sevens,”

and th second an entirely new opera tie extravaganza railed “Manuella." The music of both i* by Mr Thu*. Humphrey*, of the “I adv Typist” arid “Tib' T. a Girl” fame. “Sixr- and SevefU.*’ so fu as the “Iniok’ i concerned, ’. by Mis* Maid Pcacocke. a clever young writer, who-e cont riba t ion* to local literature entitle her to rank highly. “Manuella" owes its libretto and lyric-* to Mr. J. Youlin Birch, an Auckland journalist, best known as the author of “A Moorish Maid,” the first N.Z. opera to be staged in London. Mr. Birch ha* also written several other opera “books.” Success for Hie coming season means a good deal to the conipooer and two librettists named, as well as for Auckland and the Do minion generally.,be< a use such an eventuality will inevitably give a filip to others, and may. not unlikely, lead to the setting up of a N.Z. school of opera. Th * box-plans are now open al Wildman's. The Plot of ’ Manuella.’’ The locale of “Mannella” Is Cubi. the action taking place on the tobacco plan tution of Senor Antonio Murias (Mr. IL U. Boi l odaile ). The employees, factory hands, etc., on the* plantation strike* o i account of Murias' determination that hi* daughter. Manuella (Miss Afire \ aughan) -hall marry a foreigner. There are throe suitors for Manuella’s hand, Aguila D'Oro. a boaster posing as a toreador (Mr. Arthur East), Manu.d G’arci.i Alonso, foreman of the plantation (Mr. Ned Fort), and Partigas, a cigar roller (Mr. Geo. Bagnall). These three plot to seize and imprison Muria* ip order that Manuella may he free to exeicise her choice as regards one of them. This causes dismay to overtake (. oquetas (Miss Victoria Von Meyern) and Floralina (Mi** Emily Holmes), a cigar and cigarette-stall girl respectively, who are in love with Aguila and Manuel Garcia. The girls console themselves, and make their faithless lovers jealous, by flirting with Lord Henry Flay (Mr. Lawrence Abi a hams), who arrived on a vi-it. ('lay’s whole-souled appreciation of the attentions of the two girls is turned to abject terror by the unex]>ectcd arrival of his wife (Miss Eileen Knowles), who is furnished with a wire less telephone, by means of which . she overhears his pretty speeches to. the two girls. Murias insist* upon (.'lay marry ing Manuella. and he liimself proposes

to Lady Clay, believing her to be Clay’s Bister. Murias, however, is locked in a dungeon by his rebellious employees, and in his absence, Partigas, Aguila, and Manuel Garcia have a singing competition to decide which of them shall secure Manuella as his bride, Lord Henry Clay acting as judge. The denouement, like the whole of the rest of the plot, is ■worked out on comical lines. It will be noticed that every character in the extravaganza is named after some particular brand of cigar. More Comedy.

A letter received from Mr. J. C Williamson's head office advises that "the firm” will only send three attractions to the Dominion during the present year.

The repertoire will consist of “The Merry Widow,” “The Girls of Gott-eu-burg,” and “The Dairymaids,” three of the biggeet successes bandied by the Royal Comics within the last ten years. The following are the dates so far as the four centres are concerned:—

Opera Company.—Wellington. April 10 to May 10; Auckland, May 17 to June 5; Christchurch, June 12 to 20; Dunedin, June 30 to July 14.

Pantomime, “Jack and Jill.” —Christchurch, July 10 to 31; Dunedin, August 5 to 19; Wellington, August 30 to September 13; Auckland, September 29 to October 16.

Julius Knight.—Auckland, September 10 to 28; Dunedin, October 14 to 26; Christchurch, November 1 to 13; Wellington, November 15 to December 9.