The STAGE

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 450, 9 March 1899, Page 9

The STAGE

[_By

Orpheus.]

“ Orpheus ” will be glad to hear from those managers of theatrical companies touring New Zealand who desire .■ that the public shall know the: movements of the companies. Any information as to date®, etc., will be acknowledged in these columns, as well as any other items of interest to the theatrical world. All letters should be addressed —•* Orpheus,”. Sporting and Dramatic Review, Vulcan .Lane, Auckland. A New Musical Star.—The youthful oomposer, Don Lorenzo Perosi, whose latest oratorio, “ The Resurrection of Christ,” was given for the first time in the Church of Santi Apostoli, in Rome, on December 13th, was born twenty-six ■years ago at Tortona, in the Cathedral, of which his father is choir-master, and has lived in an atmosphere of music, seeing that his.two brothers and three sisters are all accomplished musicians. He studied at the excellent Roman school of Santa Cecilia, at the Benedictine College of Monte Cassino, and at the Conservatorio of Milan, wbdre he took the degree of Maestro. After further study at Ratisbon' he became conductor of the choir at St. Mark’s, Venice, where he writes off with amazing rapidity a constant succession of hyms, masses, and sonatas, of which he scarcely alters a note on revision. The present oratorio, which reveals the true artist in every sense of the word, is. one of a series, descriptive of the life of the Redeemer. It is divided into two parts, beginning with •“ The AgOny and Entombment” and ending with “ The Resurrection.” The words are- from the gospels of St. Matthew and St. John. The characters are: The Narrator (tenor),TheChrist (baritone), Magdalen (soprano), The Virgin Mary (contralto), Pilate (baritone), and a choir of two hundred voices. A dense audience of four thousand —from cardinals, princesses, and social celebrities down to the humbler musical dilletanti of the people enthusiastically applauded the talent of the rising musical star. .Years .ago Signor Verdi prophesied a brilliant triumph for the young Perosi, expressing a fear that he would not live to see it. Happily the great Maestro still works, flourishes, and has lived to rejoice at the fulfilment of his prediction. A handsome ebony baton, inlaid with gold and initials in brilliants, was presented to the composer by members of the Circolo di San Pietro, for which charitable institution the proceeds of the performance were destined. The unanimous verdict of critics is that “the young Italian has written a great oratorio.” A brilliant success is the recent production of a one-act Coster “ drawma” at the Hammersmith Varieties, London, by Mr Edgar J. Phelps and Miss Eda Neil. The idea in a nutshell is that “ Liza Green has two lovers —Bill Rawlins (who is poor) and Joe Coppie (well-to-do). Joe has sent a bat, with a letter offering marriage ; Bill arrives with his present, a haddock. Liza, who prefers Bill, has hidden the hat under the table; Bill discovers it and rages. Liza cannut find the letter to explain matters. Bill is about to destroy the offending hat when he finds the letter pinned to it. Billi« repentant and tells Liza that Joe has dismissed him from his billet, Liza offers to-marry and help him at once. Bill, pride, declines. . Finally Bill asks, “ Now, Liza, which is it to be : the ’at or the ’addick ?” “Why the good old ’addick and you, Bill, ’cos I loves ye,” says Liza, and all ends happily.