On this page

• Departments (1)
  • 
• Text (5)

  Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

  • 

    164 T H E LEADER. [No. 412, February 13,...

  • 

    /ftfUil erf vf & Vb'ljv ,-HrJJy * ^

  • 

    THE MUSICAL UNION SOIREES. Mb. Ella has ...

  • 

    THE THEATRES OF LONDON. We take advantag...

  • 

    THE BOHEMIAN GIltL A L'lTALIENNE. Tub ap...

• Transcript

  • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

    Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

    Oehuensciilager's Aladdin. Aladdin; Or, ...

    Bathed in the magic moon ' s transparent beams . I never shall forget how far he flew O ' er Caucasus , and , rested en its peak , Then swept sheer down upon the plain , as though He meant to plunge me in Euphrates deep . A tall three-decker flew before the gale Upon the chafing sea ;—thither he sped , And , resting with his toe upon the mast , He , like a pillar , poised himself in air , And there , secure as though he trod the ground , He held me in one hand aloft to heaven . Then when the moon , as pale as any ghost , Vanished before the earliest flush of dawn , Straightway he changed into a purple cloud , And dropped down with me , softly as the dew , 'Mongst the small flowers , close by the city gate . This done , transformed again , he soared , a lark , And vanish'd twittering in the azure air . Before parting company with Mr . Martin ' s volume , we cannot forbear from protesting against the translator ' s fondness for slang phrases , such as—* All right ! ' ' Rather , sir ! ' * wide-awake , ' ' spick-and-span , « precious little , ' look alive , ' ' pluck / & c . Persia very likely has its slang ; but these phrases are irreconcilable with our notions of Ispahan , and drag us back into the London mud .

    164 T H E Leader. [No. 412, February 13,...

    164 T H E LEADER . [ No . 412 , February 13 , 1858 .

    /Ftfuil Erf Vf & Vb'ljv ,-Hrjjy * ^

    € l ) t Slrfe-

    The Musical Union Soirees. Mb. Ella Has ...

    THE MUSICAL UNION SOIREES . Mb . Ella has commenced a sixth series of evening concerts , conducted on the principle of the famous Matinees of the Musical Union , with the occasional introduction of chamber-music , choral and solo . The present winter series is given at the Hanover-square Rooms , to the equal comfort and advantage ot audience and executants . On Tuesday evening there was a brilliant gathering , not only of the e'lite of the resident aristocracy of the Musical Union , but of many more of that Athenian public which has a discreet horror of monster and miscellaneous concerts , and a fine ear for the best music of the best masters , played con amore by the best executants , under happy auspices , in all the comfort and serenity of a private drawing-room . On Tuesday evening the Programme was as follows : — Quintet . G minor . Mozart . Quintet . E flat . Op . 44 . Pianoforte , & c Schumann . Quartet brilliant , in G . Op ... ,... Mayseder . Glee ' SummerEve' J- L . Hatton . Part Song ; -. ' Banish , O maiden' Lorenz .

    Executants . — Violins MM . Sainton and Goffrie . Violas . HtENR . r and Richard Blagkove . Violoncello M . Paque . Pianist . Herr Pader . * Vocalists . ! . Messrs . Lester , Taylor , Harrington , and Henry . The Quartet Glee Union . Mozart ' s exquisitely pathetic Quintet gave great delight , but the most interesting selection in this Programme was undoubtedly the Quintet by Schumann . This composition was played in 1853 , and we well remember with what a tender grace the piano was touched by MLdlle . Clauss ; but Mr . Ella tells us he was not satisfied with the ' imperfect performance' on that occasion , and certainly the Quintet was not then so effective as it proved on Tuesday , with lete of who

    the aid of the brilliant energy and comp mastery Herr Pacer , played with such an entire devotion and abandonment , you might almost have supposed he was the executor of poor Robert Schumann , and was carrying out the Music of the Future like a last will and testament ! Schumann , we believe , is reckoned by orthodox critics as a heretic in musical art , though not so bad as Richard Wagner , who ia gaining ground in Europe dailyT AH we can say is , that if his Quintet in E flat j ^ . the Music of the Future , we are very glad to have a taste of it in the Present . Every movement is rich , flowing , clear , and full of genius and beauty , and if it is harmonious madness , ' it is a madness infinitely preferable to much dull sanity It was admirably played , with a truly contagious enthusiam , by Messrs . Sainton , Blaorovb , Goffiue , and Paquh , as well as by Herr J ' auer , of whom we havfi Rlrfladv sooken . to an audience listening In rapturous silence . Ihe

    Glee and Part Song were charmingly given by the gentlemen ot Mr . Uenkv Leslie ' s Choir , and narrowly escaped an encore . „ , „ ,., TT . We are glad to learn that the Summer Matinees of the Musical Union are to be given in the new St . James ' s Musical Hajcl , a noble edifice , which has been rising like enchantment under the magic wand of that Moorish Prospero , Mr . Owen Jones . Rubinstein , who has been ) dividing the laurels of Vienna with Piatti , will once more be tho lLon of Mr . Ella ' s summer season .

    The Theatres Of London. We Take Advantag...

    THE THEATRES OF LONDON . We take advantage of the occurrence of a week in which no particular theatrical novelty has been produced , to offer some remarks upon the general condition of the theatres of London , of tho stylo of entertainment which they « ffer and of the causes of tho success or failure popularly attributed to them . In the ' decline of tho drama , ' that wail bo popular with old gentlemen who no longer go to the play , and third-rate actors—the Macbetlu of the provincial , the ? bloody officers' of the London boards—wo have an utter disbelief . Some comedies have been produced within the last few years which , in their truth to nature , and the scope afforded by thorn for tho delineation of real every-day oharncter , are immeasurably superior to the standard dramas which have lived for

    iTceTi'fiWWcrar ^^ is heresy , but it ie simple truth , to aver that such characters as Bob Acres and Mrs . Malaprop , were they now produced for the first time , would be hooted from the stage . But , at the same time , wo are perfectly conscious of tho shortcomings of tho various managers , and the different stylo of entertainment produced , and wo will endeavour tp comment upon them with Impartiality and 3 U Talce , for instance , Dhury Lane , tho largest theatre in London , and ono capable , from Us more size , of affording greater opportunities for a certain dioploy than any other . The management of Pnauv Lane is at present , and h » a

    been for some years , in the hands of a gentleman who possesses the greatest of all faculties—that of making money . His season , commencing on Boxing -ni ^ ht is inaugurated with a lever du rideau and a grand pantomime . Thy lever du rideau may be anything , and is generally nothing . The people must be played in , ' and whether the performance consist of tragedy , comedy , farce , or . vaudeville , is but little matter . For the last few years he has retained the services of Mr . Charles Mathews , unquestionably the greatest living light comedian . But upon what have Mr . Mathews ' s talents been expended ? The impersonation of rechauffe farce characters , worn threadbare in former seasons , and the whole point and idea of which have long since been used up . Since Mr . Mathews has served under the banner of Mr . E . T . Smith , what single piece can be pointed out in which lie has created a sensation ? He hammers a hoarse laugh from a coarse throng , truly , but of what avail is his finesse , his delicate appreciation of the light and shade of character ? The audience are all agog for the pantomime , and when it comes , what do they get ? Fun ? Heaven miserabl

    forfend that that glorious word should be so y misapplied ! The opening is generally a bad burlesque ' with a purpose . ' Gone are the bi > j heads , the hollow unintelligible voices , the thwacks ami kicks ! Gone is the riot and the row , and in their stead we have halting rhyme hitting vaguely at what are called the * topics of the day , ' but in reality tamely joking upon the events of the previous September ! The nonsense climaxes in a scene upon which the entire fortune of the pantomime depends , the transformation scene , and to the glorification of this is brought the rarest talent that has ever illumined the scenic artist ' s pencil within the memory of modern playgoers . As the little Cheapside gent vainly endeavours to rival the Pall-mall ' swell '—for by the time that he has acquired a bad imitation of the cravat and the gait a new phase of folly has commenced with his prototype—so jo other theatrical painters . always fail in their attempts at emulating William Beverlky . They can imitate his bending palm-leaves , his pendant femalefigures , his successive gradations of effect , ' each following the other in rapid

    succession until tho mind fancies no further elaborations are possible , but they can never accomplish that wonderful mingling of colour , that exact blending of light and shade , that harmonized arrangement of drapery , which more strongly than anything indicate artistic conception . ' Shout , applaud , roar , people in boxes , pit , and gallery—come forth and bow , stout man in the red velvet waistcoat ! We who know what is what believe not in you ! As well might we honour the esteemed publishers for the satisfaction we derived from the perusal of Picktoici , or the man who takes the shilling at the Academy door for the gratification we have experienced from the sight of Millais ' s picture ! The comic business is simply nonsense . There are two of all the comic characters , each striving to outvie the other in agility , bad joke and . attempt at political allusion , but as to general fun , there is none . The pantomime , however , as a whole , is sufficient attraction to draw crowded houses until Easter . The lessee has paid his rent , cleared his expenses , and pocketed a neat little sum to boot ; d the remainder of the

    and then the * temple of the drama' is let , at intervals , uring year , to any miserable people who may be misguided enough to risk the hardearned provincial gains for the sake of acquiring what they vainly hope may be the prestige of a London reputation . The Princess ' s , under the management of Mr . Keaij , can easily be reckoned up . Finding that the production of modern comedies drew no money , the lessee conceived the notion of the Shakspearean revivals , which he has since carried out with an accuracy , liberality , and taste which have made them world-famous . An occasional romantic drame finds its way into Mr . Kuan ' s repertoire , but he generally confines himself to the Shakespearean revivals , two or three very slight farces , and the Christmas Pantomime . The pieces are invariably placed upon the stage with the greatest care , and the company , though by no means powerful , is above mediocrity . Mr . Kean sadly wants a new jeune premier , a young man of good appearance and address , and no knowledge of the ' traditions of the stage . " . _ ... ... ... the which

    Perhaps no theatre is more legitimately ruled than Haymarket , is essentially devoted to comedy and farce . Go in when you will you are tolerably certain of a laugh , for though the matter provided may not be always first-rate , the manner in which it is set before you is invariably excellent . With the exception of Mr . Buckstonb , there is no artist of note in the entire company , and yet it would be difficult to find a better jeune premier than Mr , Farrem , a more thoroughly ^ Srtistic comedian than Mr . Compton , a more useful assistant than Mr . Clark . Mr . Buckstone himself is a perfect master of his craft , is an unexampled favourite with the public , and knows so well the weak portions of a drama , and works so hard when he sees the audience are beginning to discover them , that the success of a piece has often been entirely owing to his exertions . It is in what iinendmpers call the ' female department ' that tho Haymarkbt company is weakest , and thd casto of tho Rivals , so far as the ladies is concerned , is lamentable indeed . And when we recollect Mrs . Glover , Mrs . Nisbett , Madame Vestius , and others who once adorned the Haymarket stage , we more deeply regret that taste in dress has superseded artistic talent , and that a lady is more valued for the breadth of her crinoline and tho brilliancy of liier toilette than the depth of her understanding and tho brilliancy of her appreciation . We purpose extending our comments to the smaller theatres next week .

    The Bohemian Giltl A L'Ltalienne. Tub Ap...

    THE BOHEMIAN GIltL A L'lTALIENNE . Tub appearance of Tho Bohemian Girl in an Italian dross , as L % Zlnrjara , has created a perfect furore among the middle classes , to whom a truly British ballad , delivered with a fine nasal expression ( and tho mouth half shut ) , is tho richest of all tuneful treats . JClie admirers of British Tenors and Bearytones have rushed in mobs to the Old . Oi'isra House in the Hayniarkct to s . ilute tho shades of Harrison a Boruani , who were ( invisibly ) present- beside their Italian successors , Giuolini and Beixktti . Without undue cavilling , however , let us confess that Mr . Balfe ' s facile and fluent airs were welcome ! witu tno enthusiasm of old days , and that Mr . Bonn's « pottery' was found to bo tar more intelligible in a foreign language than in tho vernacular of I ) jiuhy l-ANfc . Madllo . Piccolobuni looked deliciouoly , and warbled bewjtchingly iw tlio > TiW /««/» . !» . fiinoLiNi .. BELLEiTi . _ ftnd _ the _ rc ' . 8 t , in ^ spitoot ItiV > aii vojeud , itaimn

    words , and an Italian method of singing , forcibly , too forcibly 7 reoftllcK RTmon orytheir British pr edecessors , and this waa felt by the audience to bo tholr hi « i « osc praise . There ia something glutinous in the cloying sweetnoaa ot tho jmw * " this opera that cannot bo diaaolvod oven in Italian throats . Novorthuloss , t is only juat to add that T he Bohemian Girl , since its first production In London , more than fourteen years ago , has boon applauded in Germany nnd Italy , «¦ « barrol-organed over Europe . If we seem to bo grudging in our recognition 01 its merits and beauties , tho Bkilful and auccoasful composer may proudly say , " When Baker-street la satisfied , Europe is content . "

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 13, 1858, page 20, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_13021858/page/20/