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    ^r ogrwa fli t |ki })Ie.

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    bound to develope . You have given us a Charade , not a Comedy : an epigram in one scene . For these characters do nothing ; they do not assist the story , which begins in the second act ; they do not illustrate any war of wholesale and retail ; they do not illuminate the subject , " Retired from Business . " Some languor was felt even in the first act—a languor which made the farcical conclusion to it quite

    a boon . But when the second act opened with Captain Gunn giving long explanations , and preparing the way for the " serious interest" of the piece , charmed though I was with the natural lifelike painting of Lieutenant Tackle and Captain Gunn—real glimpses of provincial life!—I saw at once that all hope was over , and that no comic picture of " Retired from Business" was to be given there and then . The second and third acts have

    but the slenderest possible connection with the first ; indeed the first might be omitted , and a new piece would subsist which might be called " The Captain ' s Daughter "—a piece not without interest , but assuredly without any reference to " Retired from Business . " A work so ill-constructed needs something very attractive in the details ; as a work of art one must give it up altogether—the

    denouement which is brought about in so sudden and inartistic a manner by the conversion of Creepmouse to disinterestedness , may be taken as a specimen brick : laughter topples judgment over as Buckstone explains his conversion , "You found me—iron , you have left me—butter "; but the moment laughter subsides judgment resumes its seat , and pronounces a stern verdict . The flashes of wit may dazzle the audience for a moment—but only for a moment .

    There , Douglas , I have said my say . " Call you that backing of your friends ? " I do . Your worst enemy couldn't , with truth , say anything worse of it—but amicus Jerroldus , magis amicus Veritas ! You can take your revenge any day ; indeed if Gossip Report may be trusted , you have taken it in that comedy now in the hands of the Keans . No one will rejoice in its success more than I shall ; and—if you let me—no one will write a more enthusiastic notice of it .

    Buckstone was droll as he always must be , and made the most of his jokes ; Wallack was delightfully natural in that delightful old sailor ; Webster grave , gentlemanly , and touching as the old soldier ; but Mrs . Fitzwilliam , as the youth of genius , was absolutely distressing—in look and manner . It is seldom an agreeable sight that of a woman dressed up as a man , but when a woman does an ungraceful thing we insist upon her doing it gracefully ; the only excuse for donning our attire is that she become more piquante in it . ( I make an exception in favour of Mrs . Keeley ' s Bob Nettles—that triumph of personation !)

    I he comedy went off with much laughter and enthusiastic applause—proving that the audience did not share my opinion . But does that prove my opinion to be wrong ?

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    LA TIGLIA . Saturday having been taken up with Jerrold's comedy , 1 could only see La Fiylia at her Majesty ' s on Tuesday , and a very pleasant performance it was . Sontag is no great favourite of mine , but her Figlia is charming , the part requires no more acting than she can give it , and she is as saucy and piquante as one could desire . Her singing too—though Btill partaking too much of the human flageolette - —is gay , sparkling , and adroit , with more force and leas trick than last year . Practice certainly HeeniH to have done her good ; though I cannot detect that rejuvenescence of which the critics speak . Sontag is not a young woman ; her voice in not young ; and disguise the ravages of edacious Time as dexterously as wo may , we only disgui . se , we do not obliterate them . Apropos of ( Jrisi and Sontag , it seems the fashion to discover every year that they grow younger . The Fountain of Jouvenee , it appears , is in the columns of Musical Criticism : a thing worth knowing I Imagine old Lady Crowsfoot—that rouged and wicked Woman—suddenly betaking herself to Mr . Lumley , or to Mr . (* ye , and ollerin ^ herself—coronet and wrinkles—as u Primu Donna assoluta ! IE TltM NOZZK On Thursday Alary'u new opera buffa , he 'ire Nozze , after Hevenil postponements , was produced with great care . The denouement ; of every comedy , farce , and opera comique , m marriage : this time the denouement is three marwages . Tho Marchioness do Forli has betrothed her < laughter Luisu— -a sprightly iriiuH in hur teeiiH , "very like Sontag iu appearance—to the Barou

    d'Acetosa , a gentleman with all the corpulence of Lablache , but whose brains are as fat and unwieldy as his person . It requires no great familiarity with the beau monde in operas and farces to perceive at once that this marriage will not be one of the three ; especially when the uniform of that young naval officer , Villafranca , appears , and sets off the handsome face of Gardoni , whom , of course , Sontag loves . These lovers are aided by Vespina ( Mdlle . Giuliani ) , and her lover , Cricca , a Figaro in the shape of Ferranti , the new baritone . The

    story you foresee . After an amount ( rather excessive by the way ) of obstacles and stratagems to fill three acts , Lablache marries the marchioness instead of her daughter , who marries Villafranca , and Cricca is rewarded by the hand of Vespina . As you perceive , the libretto is not brilliant ; and when I add that the great " effect" of the piece is Sontag making Lablache dance the polka ( with a magnificent audacity in anachronism worthy of a passing tribute !) you will see that the music must be of first-rate quality to make up for such a libretto .

    Of the music it is not fair to decide on a first performance ; very frequently one needs several performances , before passing , as it were , the mere vestibule of an artist ' s style . With full liberty of retractation , therefore , it may be said that Ala-y ' s music shows considerable orchestral skill , with an over-prodigality of ophicleide and trombone—and some grace and . facility of expression , but is deficient in melodic invention , and has the immense fault in a comic opera of not being gay . Noise is not mirth . Crescendo is not gaiety . A fracas in the orchestra has very little that is comic . Unfortunately M . Alary has different opinions respecting comedy , and this perhaps has led him to write an opera buffa , when , unless we mistake his talent , an opera seria would better suit him . In no case , however , does Le Tre Nozze seem to promise a brilliant composer . It is a cento of modern writing : a motive from Bellini is followed by a phrase from Verdi , to be succeeded by a passage from Donizetti , and a crescendo from Rossini or Auber . The shifting familiarity of the music is quite tantalizing . It-is like coming into a new town , where almost every one you meet has a face known to you , but you cannot precisely tell his name . I am on bowing acquaintance with every turn in this opera ! But the just severity of criticism must not carry me too far : the opera is pleasant and amusing , if not original , and as a variety it will be welcomed , if not as a work . Sontag has half a dozen arias and half a dozen costumes , on | he whole I prefer the costumes : Lablache is corpulent , and humorous as the amatory baron , and sings with amazing brio . Gardoni was equal to the part of the tender lover , and sang the cantabile of his scena in the third act with sweet expression . Mdlle . Ida Bertrand was a most effective marchioness ; and Ferranti . the new barytone , was lively and respectable—no more . On the whole , I consider the opera to have been successful ; and those who are not critical will disregard the want of originality , to be content with the animation and grace of the music , and the charm of its execution .

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    OMNIANA . In a paragraph 1 must dispose of the other performances . The Royal Italian Opera has been improving in its audiences ( it ( scarcely admits of other improvement ) , though relying on the old pieces—Roberto , Musaniello , and the llnyuenuts . The very attractive cast of La Donna del Luyo with Grisi , Angri , Mario , and Tamberlik , made me wish hugely to he there on Thursday ; but Le 'I ' ve Nozze had the precedence of novelty . 1 shall make an early visit to the Donna , and report thereon next week . At Drury Lane we have had Mr . Hanger as Sir I ' eter Teazle , Miss 1 * . Morton in the part of Azacl ( a most judicious change ) , and a revival of hist year ' s pantomime . Of all managers Mr . Anderson strikes me as the most incomprehensible , and nio . Ht hopeless ! At the Olympic there has been a literal version of La liataille des Dames- ¦—absurdly literal , translating " huit jours " by " eight days , " instead of a " week , " and full of such expressions a . s ' * paint to yourself . '' Nor is this haute in translation compennate < l by any care in the getting up . The costumes are of no period . The acting is huliHerent . Mrs . Sterling is certainly better than Mademoiselle Judith , and Louisa llowunl a million times more charming than Mademoiselle St . Mure . Hut William Farren , Jun ., in sadly out of place in tho young nobleman disguised as a footman ; Henry Farren cannot touch tho part of Montricbard , which his father only could play ( in Puris it jk played by

    Provost ) , and Leigh Murray , has made a mistake in attempting Grignon : he is an excellent actor , whom I have often had occasion to praise , but he has no ois comica , and Grignon requires a very finished comedian . While speaking of Leigh Murray I may mention his benefit which took place on Monday—it was a real benefit , and ,, showed him how great a favourite he is . Vivian .

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    PROFESSOR ANDERSON . You may account for it if you can see through a millstone , but what then ? Even if you can account for it , that scarcely diminishes the wonder , and , after all , your explanation may be as great a delusion as any of it . The main facts are plain enough : here is a gentleman before you with his little son and a servant . The ordinary delusions of the theatre are scarcely retained , for the performance is all in front of the stage , or actually in the very midst of the audience . The audience is made to feel that it sees the greater part of any apparatus used—that the boxes are natural boxes , and empty ; that the cauldron is avoid space , tinned inside ; that the bottle is an innocent champagne bottle ; that the parasol is nothing but a parasol ; and , although the pistol is not handled , you are sure that it is nothing less deadLy than that weapon . The hats , the handkerchiefs , the bonnet , the watches , are borrowed from the audience ; the doves speak for themselves . Yet with these plain and human tools , the wizard boils away a cauldron of water , and then discharges from it a flight of pigeons ; borrows a lady's bonnet , cuts it , crumples it , and then firing his pistol , shoots it down like an eagle soaring in its pride of place , from the sky over the head of the audience . He borrows some two dozen handkerchiefs from all parts of the audience , cuts some , burns others , misunites the pieces , and at last makes the whole square again ; washes them before the audience , places them in a box , and then , in an instant , produces the whole number , washed , ironed , and perfumed . Out of the same bottle filled with water , tasted and tested by one of the audience , he pours port , sherry , curacoa , gin , brandy , rum , whisky , soda water , milk , and salts ; all but the two last at the dictation of the audience , of which numbers drink the more favoured drinks with an avidity impelled both by liking and curiosity ; the bitter medicament being a trap for two of the eager epicureans , and a moral lesson highly relished by the rest of the audience . Indeed the tricks , which consist in destruction of property , or the discomfiture of individuals , such as the cutting of the bonnet , the smashing of hats , the use of bank notes as wadding , are especially enjoyed , and most of all , perhaps , by the owners themselves . The gentleman , from whose hat has been mercilessly torn an endless succession of bonbons , bouquets , and enough feathers for a bed , receives his uninjured covering as though it bad been made infinitely more valuable . The confidence with which all sorts of property are handed in to the Wizard is not the least interesting trait of the exhibition . The best trick , probably , is that imported from India ; in which a child is placed under a basket , —the basket is raised , the child ia gone , —and , in an instant , he is seen among the audience , at ; the opposite side of the theatre . The altercation and the killing of the child , under the basket , are omitted ; but the final effect is scarcely less surprising . nf

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    May 10 , 1851 . ] Mt ) t 3 Lt& * tt . 447

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    P LAN O V OKGANIZATI 0 N . Tlie following are the iiulon and Objects of tho National Charter Association : — KxiU'UTiVK Committkk . —John Arnott , James ( xrassb y , Ci . Julian llarney , George Jacob Jlolyoukr , Thornton Hunt , JKrn « . \ st Jones , John Milne , i'Y'ur ^ u . s O'Connor , and ( J . W . M . Ki : ynold . s . Oflice-. s , 1-1 , Southampton-street , Strand , London .

    Objhoth . — Tho object of those jhthoiis who signify their adhesion to the principles aiwl plans m ; t forth in this document is to institute u eonntitittioinil lim itation for the enactment of tho People ' s Charter . The persons thus uniting their opinions and eiui ^ icH denominate tlieirmelveH collectively " Tin ; National Charter Annotation . " PitiNcin . KH . —Tho principles to be promulgated by the Association arc tho . se contained in the document known as the People ' s * Charter , and which may be than Hummed up : -1 . l / niv «; rsml ( Suffrage ; ' 2 . Vote by Ballot ; ¦ " { . Annual Parliaments ; 4 , Kquul Mlcctoial DiwtrictH ; /> . No Property Qualification ; (> . Payment of Members . MisMiiiiuHim' . —Xhia aHUOtiation , coiuuutu ol' all in-

    ^R Ogrwa Fli T |Ki })Ie.

    ^ r ogrwa fli t | ki }) Ie .

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), May 10, 1851, page 447, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1882/page/19/