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Leader (1850-1860), 26th August 1854, Edition Town of 2, Page 813, Untitled Article

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      Untitled Article

      GOSSIP . Jotjbnalists must write evea in the dog-days , when the theatres are shut and there is nothing new even from the ' theatre of war . ' Dramatic critics are more fortunate in their vocation . They have an easy time enough of it just now . We hope Vivian may hear this growl in his far solitude of the Hartz mountains . As for our confreres in Paris , they seem to pass their holidays delightfully . Theophile Gautier , it is true , and Paul Meurice have been conscientiously assisting at the classical G-erman drama at Munich ; and their reports are so lively , so brilliant , so refined , we : almost forget how they must have been bored . They appear , however , to have enjoyed some compensation in the exquisite performances of Madlle . Seebach as 'Mardaret in Faust and as Clara in Egmont . '

      Speaking of this young lady ' s acting in the latter tragedy , Theophile 43-autier writes : tl If the character of Claire was moulded b y Goethe -with all the suppleness of life , it must be confessed that Mademoiselle Seebach plays it in so natural a manner that the word acting is improper to express such a perfect identification . Mademoiselle Seebach is Claire herself , and makes us forget that yesterday she was Marguerite . She literally lives the part , if we may be pardonecl a Latinism which alone expresses our sensations at a performance so true , so frank , so unembarrassed by the slightest consciousness -of the audience . You may fancy yourself present at a scene of real life . " Paul Meurice writes : " Mademoiselle Seebach was the

      iWarguerite i the € la \ re , the iowase ( in the p ^ What greater praise : can we bestow ? With what agonised terror she-writbes at the foot of the altar of the Virgin , poor idoye upon whom all the : tenipests and lightnings ofheaven have fallen ! With what ;< mri 6 sity \ and childish coaxing tenderness she claps her hands as she skips round EgMdnt , dressed hi his spleddid ducal mantle , poor little bird ^ scared and dazzled by all these jewels and precious gewgaws I . How she : suffers and bleeds at heart -under thei grip of that pitiless Wurm-, when the -wretch forces her to write the letter which dishonours her in her lover ' s eyes . How ; she draws herself up , calm , dignified , and prpiid , ' in the ' scene where the great . lady tries to intimidate and to insult the tumblechild of the . people I " - ' , ' Wo actress , not one , could be found . at Paras to rival Mademoiselle Seebach in these sihiple and touebiiig characters / ' Again he writess : " Mademoiselle Helen Faueit , who appeared at Paris with Macready some years since , is the only actress who can furnish a point of comparison virith M adempiselle Seebach . Only , Madenloiselie Seebach is as German as Mademoiselle Faucit is English : but in both there is the same grace and the same charni . "

      By the way , Paul Meurice speaks very disparagingly of the Crystal Palace at Munich , and of the German Exposition . "In the first p lace the palace itself is far from beautiful ; yet it is an imitation of that fairy architecture in glass , at once light , and majestic , of which England furnislied the prototype for all future exhibitions . But this dirty yellow baroque at Munich has contrived to be equally heavy and mean . " ¦' ' Talking of pur Parisian brethren , M . de Fienries , . of . the Siecle , who has been passinghis critic ' s holiday in the Pyrenees , sets an . example to all critics on their travels , which we trust Vivian" will follow if he have the opportunity , The scene is a picnic in the mountains . ' "We had scarcely begun to eat when a cavalcade composed of fifteen persons appeared on the crest of the mountain . The men raised an exclamation of distress when they found a party in possession of the ' best box . ' They had nothing better -to do than to pitch their camp at

      about a couple of gunshots from our position . And then a scene of the most perfect courtesy was performed , of which I must give you afew details . A guide came to tell us that our neighbours , who were English , had no salt , and hegged us to give them , what we could spare . * They want salt , ' we cried , ' and English too ! ' Ah ! we will realise the Anglo-French alliance ; here is ours . Pray tell them that we are dreadfully hungry , and short of bread . ' Back came the guide with a loaf from the English . We sent a ham : the English replied with a notable portion of terrine de N £ rac , truffled to the crust . We rejoined by the despatch of a basket of beautiful Toulouse peaches : the English again "by a bottle of Malvoisie . We gave up , perhaps with a little regret , a half bottle of liqueur de chartreuse ; they returned a magnificent nougat . At last we decided upon despatching the best dressed and most elegant of our party to exchange compliments with our neighbours . Monsieur le Baron M D , a man of charming manners and tact was appointed our envoy . He advanced : but at the same moment an

      Englishman came forward half-way . The two ambassadors saluted one another , shook hands cordially , and exchanged mutual compliments , in either language . "At length wo got on our horses and prepared to say adieu ; they had already readied the top of the mountain and were waving hats and handkerchiefs and crying hurrah ! I need scarcely say how wavrmly wo returned the cheers . Who were they , these hearty neighbours of ours ? I don't know to tliis moment ; they were descending to Vonasque , wo were ascending to laPicade ; we have never met since , but I am desired to assuro them in this place , and it is a duty I discharge with pleasure , that they are de la vieilleitra compagnie possible . Is not this a noblo employment for tourists , to cement the alliance of the two nations by mutual offices of kindness and civility ? for it must not bo forgotten that the present alliance ( esto pavpetua /) is essentially an allianco of the nations .

      Untitled Article

      Will Madlle . Rachel return to the Tlu ' utre Frnncais ? that is a question tho lady herself seems unnblo or unwilling in the fulncsfl of her sovereign caprice to dcoide . Three weeks ago it watt understood in Paris that she had resolved to return ' for good and all' to tho national stngo . Now we hoax oi inbulous offers from America , of an inclination to puss tho winter nt IJrussols , and to appear at tho Graiul Theatre in that miniature Paris , all \ yho 80 notalMlmos are imploring tho tragedienne to make it tho city of hoi predilection ; there 1 S ovon si whisper of taking a London tlioatro for tho porformewco ot French tragody ?

      For the sake of Art we should regret to find Madlle . Rachel deserting the Theatre Francais—her proper realm ; while it is difficult to be so unselfish as to dissuade her from the thought of London . But , in justice to Madlle . Rachel herself , we may respectfully submit two conditions indispensable to success in London , commercially . 1 . French classical tragedy will not do alone ; we are not Racinian enough to be able to subsist even on Pliedre We are a public of realists , and we want life , and therefore the modern drama . 2 . M . Raphael Felix will not do for leading tragedian . With these reserves the great artist may depend on all the old enthusiasm whenever she descends upon her English worshippers .

      Untitled Article

      . Madame Plessy returns to the Theatbe Fbancais , and Mademoiselle Luther is engaged by the new management of the Vaudeville . Boufie , the admirable comedian , has , we are glad to hear , completely recovered his health and strength , and is quite ready for an engagement .

      Untitled Article

      ; :: : ¦ musical PUBiiiCATipifS , * Mtjsic , which in its original sense embraced the whole circle of the civilising arts , and was in its more restricted sense a principal element m the education of the Gymnasia of Athens , seems to be regaining its authority as a teacher and a humariiser of the multitude , and not merely as a refined recreation of select society . Among those who have laboured most devotedly and successfully to democratise the study of -the best music the first names that naturally occur-to us are those of Novello and John Hullah . For ten years past , before the era of cheap publications , "Mr . Novello had begun to publish the masterpieces of the great composers at a very moderate price , edited and produced with perfect care , and with typographical excellence . Mv . John Hullah . has for the last fourteen years laboured to place the cultivation of part-singing within the reach of the humblest classes , and

      with what success let St . Martin ' s Haxl testify . It must have been a noble recompense to Mr , Hullah to find himself solicited to deliver a lecture at the recent Educational Exhibition in favour of " Music as an Element of Education , " And veiy good use did Mr , Hullah make of this opportunity ; in a ^ few "words he temperately and fairly demonstrated how pure a discipline , and how salutary , was a study discountenanced by some fpr its purely ornamental character , and by others for its excessive demands on the time and attention of the student . He was not wanting in illustrious examples of men '' who have laved or cultivated music , and these , too , persons of the most opposite and various fortune , temper , or manner of life , " and 4 x 11 characterised by the energy of their niiuds . Let us not be ungrateful to M . Jullien , who has never failed to introduce into his programmes selections from the highest masters , and every year has found the audiences more disposed and

      more jibleto enjoy and appreciate the severer delicacies of a banquet garnished , it is true , with sparkling reminiscences of the ballroom , and often with the most fantastic extravaganzas . In no country—not even in Germany—is the highest class of music more systematically cultivated than in England : Handel , Haydn , Weber , Mendelsohn composed for English orchestras and English audiences . We have not , it is true , the advantages of a Conservatoire , and our Royal Academy is an obscure affair ; but nowhere will you meet with a more critical and discmninating musical public than in London , though the artiatio feeling ia often wanting , and perhaps the musical ear less tender and less sensitive than that of the Continental nations . We have here on our table half-a-dozen musical works , indicating at once tho activity and the high direction of the art in this country .

      We have an elaborate treatise on inusicnl composition by the learned German theorist liohncr , " in association with an English gentleman . " This is , a complete exposition of tho theory of music as a science . All the learning in the world cannot make a composer ; but all the genius in the world , without learning , ia equally fruitless . This "work of Rohner's is a key to all the mysteries of those harmonic combinations which to the uninitintu < l sound like the negligence of inspiration , while to tho student tliey reveal tho most perfect symmetry of form and structure . Ma . ISTovmllo's ' * Library for tho diffusion of Musical Knowledge" has recently becnonriched by Chorubini ' s admirable " Treatise on Counterpoint and Fugue , " translated by Mrs . Cowdon Clarko expressly for this edition . 14 The young composer , " writes Chorubini in his Introduction , " who ahull carefully follow the instructions ' coutmnod in this treatise , onco having

      * Muaioaaan Element of Education , lty John Uulluli . London , J- W . I ' arkor nnd Son .- — -4 Practical Treatise on Musical Composition , in T / nvo Parts . l ) j Georgo Wilholm Rtfhnor . London ; Longmans CfivrubinPs ( . \ ivntvrpoint nnd Fuguo . London ; J . A . Kovollo—A Treatiao on Choir and Chorus Shujiixj . l \ y V . J . VM * . 'Inuwlntod ( witli tho pennisaion ol' tho author ) by tlio Hov . Thoinua JU'linore , -MA . London : J . A , Novollo , — JVovolh ' a Analysis t > f Vocal Iivdinwuts In / Uncut ion ami Aiisvwr — UandcVs Joptlici — I / aiulel ' s Deborah— ' Mozart * Ih'tjuicm . liililod » y Ylueout Novdlo . London ; J . A . Novcllo

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      Untitled Article

      St . James's Theatre is announced to be opened about the end of Septeinber for dramatic performances , under the management of 'Mrs . Seymour . The enterprise' is reported to be well sustained ; and the announcement of a lie w drama by Messrs . Tom Taylor and Charles Heade looks like an earnest of success . We hear that Miss Qlyri is among the leading engage ments ,. sind- that thG ^ performances are to be lhnited to dranie : with [ no afterpiece . The common mistake of all managers is to give too much tb begin too early and end too late . The consequence of this surfeiting system is j that a late-dining and the theatre sulkily resolving not to go again . BTr . Wigan : very wisely infringed : upon this system , and the result has been equally satisfactory , we believe , to management and public . E . P .

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      Au <^ st 26 , 1854 . ] Tfit LEApEK . 813

      Untitled Article

      ^ Seventeen thousand pounds is the sum . to be paid to "Madame Grisi and Signor Mario for a six months' engagement in the United States . For this very trifling consideration , which is exclusive of the payment of all expences of every description , they will sing three nights a week , in whatever operas they choose . Mr . Hackett , the American actor , represents the speculation , and half the sum has "been paid in advance .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 26, 1854, page 813, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2053/page/21/