The Press. — London, England, 1853-10-29 00:00:00

OCTOBER 20, 1653. PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED. riavm PrfoN , L»te. Item. J. R. I'laton. J. W. l'arker anti Sou. A'ational.tdiat Education. Rev. F. 0. Monti. tirtunMiud S laidge OU& rialiari Car, ,• p• Bev. . kesley. E. P. Williams. .4 Letter tu LJAI Bruwo W hliti S. . ArtritrotioN. E. J. 'tit'away. J. P. (laid/. The Beacon. 1. Alrsic. A Caret-lion , 5..11 : 14. E. T. 1 D'Almaitte. Ctuirch So . ; . C . Steplu.n.s. J. A. Notilu. usk. ExETE LI HALL. Tar. "London Wednesday Concerts" of previous seasons aro now renewed under the slightly modified title of "Wednesday Evening Converts." The first performance of the series took place this week. Au orchestra of seventy performer' has been engaged, including some of the most celebrated instrumentalists in the profession. The directors promise to produce "the best works of the most distinguished composers in a style to satisfy the critical amaieur." Judging from the specimen given on Wednesday, their system will include in every performance some work of magni tude and celebrity as a pi?cc de resisianee, helped out with ballads, national airs, and musical miscellanies of various complexion. On their opening night, Felicien David's well known mle-symphony, "The Desert," was given entire. John Cooper, the actor, declaimed the spoken verses of the poem. The con cert, on the whole, was good ; the lighter and more varied ingredients of the second "part" proving more attractive than the elassicalities of M. David. Mr. Benedict conducted. Abe pram. HAYMARKET THEATRE. Dram the recess this house has been improved in many respects. It has been entirely redecorated, and, without the use of a gaudy style of ornament, a general brilliancy of effect has been attained. The benches of the pit have been covered with American leather; the stalls have been railed off, and the floor of the orchestra depressed. More space has been given to the stage, and a new drop-scene has been provided. Amongst the ornamental embellish ments we must not omit to notice the medallion portraits of British dramatists inserted in the panel ling of the boxes. The names of the authors chosen for these pictorial tributes are Shakapeare, Ben Jonson, Beaumont, Fletcher, Messinger, Dryden, Otway, Congreve, Wycherley, Colley Cibber, Bowe, Vanbrugh, Gay, Goldsmith, Foote, C. Dibdin, Sheri dan, Coleman the younger, O'Keefe, Bulwer Lytton, and Sheridan Knowles. This selection is too arbi trary; and some of these names, though eminent in their day, belong now so entirely to " the unacted drama" that we could have wished Koine of them to have been omitted. To exclude Farquhar, and to retain Vanbrugh, is almost as wrong as to preserve Foote (who never wrote a lasting piece), and to pass over Arthur Murphy, whose Widow Belrour, in The Way to Keep Him, is one of the standard parts in English comedy. Cumberland's name is very pro perly omitted from the list ; but it amuses us to think how angry the original of Sir Fretful Plagiary would have been if he could have foreseen that the author of The West Indian would be left out of a theatrical gallery in which O'Keefe was admitted ! Mr. Buckstone's reception by the audience on Monday night was highly flattering. The house was full, without being inconveniently crowded ; and we observed several well known actors amongst the spectators. The first piece was .4 Cure for Lore (revived), a two act farce, containing a good part for the exhibition of the manager's peculiar comic talent. We confess, however, that, at such a house, we should have wished the season to open with a drama of a higher class. But it is a habitual custom at the Haymarket to confluence with rather a weak bill of theatrical fare. The Beggar's Opera was the next piece. Miss Featherstone played Macheath, and her performance of the part was a great improvement on her Tom Tug, in The Waterman, at Drury Lane. (in her en trance she was very warmly greeted by the audience, and she appears to be making way in popular favour. She was encored in " My heart is so free " and " happy could I be with either." With tilleh a voice she ought t. , ) have done more in " If the heart of a man," but she sang it without expression. Iler singing confirmed our previous remarks as to the necessity of this lady's voice requiring careful tuition before she can do justice to her powers. We dislike seeing young ladies act the part of Marheath; but we take for granted that Miss Featherstone has come out at the Haymarket in that character for the pur pose of better exhibiting her contralto voice. The Polly of Miss ()monde was an uninteresting per formance, but, by good management of her limited organ, she succeeded in gaining considerable ap plause. But, with so shrill a voice, she is not likely to become a favourite singer. in an English opera THE PRESS. company she might b found very useful in the secondary parts. Mr. Compton, on his appearance in the afterpiece of Founded on Facts, met with one of the h ear t ies t, receptions accorded by the audience. Everyleoely has heard of that memorable perform ance of the play of Hamlet in which the part of Hamlet was left out. As given now at the , Haymarket, the blunder is reversed—the drama contains nothing else?. Exeept the Hamlet, and Mr. 1.. Nandenhoff as the representative of the Danish prince—there is nothing—no scenery, no accessories, no actors or dialogue—worth looking at or listening to. This, as critics, we cannot approve; nor, as Anaheim, do we think that the English public will show any satisfac tion with the arrangement. However, the manage ment of the theatre seem to leave believed—aid truly —that Mr. Vatedenhott possesses dramatic talent. They believe ale-►—and again truly—that itamiet would afford him a fair opportunity of s howing that talent to the public. Therefore has the play been •• mounted " for him in ►► style of which we can say nedy that (with a slight m►tigating elattse iu favour of Miss L. lloward's Ophelial there is not one scene or performer which the resources of the commonest provincial theatre would not have rivalled. Under such ciremnst tutees it is not easy—nor would it be fair—for us to pronounce what Mr. Vatedenhoff can do. What he did was this. Without attempting aught that was strikingly ls►ld or new.--without ex hibiting any of the eccentricities, the flashes, the sue cesses—►r the failures—of yetehes,—he gave a platen, at once vivid, refined, and intelligent of the very puzzling and anomalous character which he hail un dertaken to personate. His reading of the part was not new ; nor has he sought to embody any one, of the manifold theories which have been devised with the vain hope of interpreting into &consistency either or sanity or madness the petwonage which Shak speare has MS& the centrepiece of his tragedy. lint he played the part in a manner that testified at °MY to the mind of a scholar, the manners of a gentle man, and the patient study of an enthusiastic and painstaking artist. Mr. Vandettheal has improved— we may almost say totally changed—his style since his early appearances at Covent Garden some ten years ago. He has evidently studied the best models, and yet has avoided all mannerism; and has practised his art incessantly in America without be coming into eted with the exaggerations and coarse ness too prevalent upon the transatlantic s t a ge. His personal qualifications are far above the average : his countenance is expressive, his voice pleasant and flexible in mexhilation, though somewhat deficient in power. With these gifts of nature, and the talent and industry which he can evidently bring into pl a y, it will not be difficult for him to become a good actor. To be great is another question ; though even greatness may not prove beyond the range of his attaintnents. A three-act comedy by Mr. Sterling Coyne, and a farce by Mr. T. Morton (the latter on next Tuesday ), are amongst the novelties announced. Miss Cush man is also underlined in the bill. MAItYLEB)N E. Is consequence of the reports that reached us upon the remarkable qualities of Mrs. J. W. Wallack's Ludy Macbeth, we visited this theatre on Wednesday night. We expected much from Mrs. Wallack's per formance of this arduous character, but her imper sonation even exceeded our anticipations. TO play. Lady Macbeth with adequate a bility, an actress must possess a tragic voice, subtle conception, physical power, and an impressive physiognomy. Mrs. J. W. Wallack is eminently gifted with all these qualities. Her face, from a certain squareness of form, and striking assemblage of features, exhibits the ominous and boding conntenance required for highs tragedy : her voice has deep solemnity of intonation, while her eloenti is clear and modulated. It is rarely, now adays, that terms bordering on the superlative degree can be applied to tragic perforimuwes, but we can truly record that since the retirement of Mr. Maeready we have seen no acting equalling the Lady Macbeth of Mrs. Wallack in artistic completeness and vigorous realisation of a great Shakspeariatt part. It is a highly intellectuarportraiture, in which the criminal resolves of Lady Macbeth and the haggard tortures of her subsequent misery are tearfully embodied. 'Sten, grandeur is its pervading quality. The text. Is enunciated throughout with energy regulated by sound judgment, and, where the actress ellirlos byplay, her attitudes are imposing and dignified. It is a more solemn and deliberate presentment of the part than is customary. In voice and power of fea ture Mrs. Wallack has greatly the advantage of Mrs. C. Kean and Miss Faucit, and, though Miss Cushman has the superiority in declamatory force, she does not excel Mrs. Wallack in skill in portraying the ideal, and marking the mulotleremotions of the mind. Not having seen Mrs. Wallack in any other part, we cannot pronounce an opinion an to her likelihood of first-rate success in one of our large theatres. Her eyes, though capable of great intensity of expression, are not of the kind alinult abbolutely necessary fur 619 rivetting a crowd, and there is an absence of those bursts of vehemence in her acting which tell so pow erfully on our English audiences. Her Lady Mac beth would be nearly a perfeet performance if it had more female fascination to relieve its sterner pas sages. We are bound, however, to add that we have heard that the Mrs. hatter of this lady is must affecting mid lit completely successful. It will be our pleasing ditty to mark other performance* by this remarkable aetreats. The Macbeth of Mr. J. W. Wallack will want con siderable study and practice before it can at all approximate to the success of Mrs. Wallack iu the intme tragedy. Mr. WaHack's voice has improved in variety of tone, but the ttttt wtouous energy with which he played this %stied part is fatal to artistic effect. MU' HY LAN E. AN " season " hag supentesied the dramatic performances at this theatre. Homes, tumblers, and 4. posture " groups occupied on Monday last the stage heretofore devoted to SliSklipi`iire Saki tiustsvus Brooke. But upon two points Mr. Smith, the enter prising lessee, kept his old principles of management unchanged—ht uttered to the public the best talent in the market ; anti he retained that monopoly of full looses of which he alone, of all Ontry-lane managers, during the present generation, seems to have pone. trated and utilised the secret. As a species of performance, the:peculiar exhibition now presented labours doubtless under this disad• voltage—that if petiCetion be quite as difficult of at tainment as in higher walks of the drama, which we candidly admit, at all events novelty is mousier ex hausted. The range is so limited, and aeper-excel lenee, we are sorry to say, so little appreciated by the supereir public. if a rider eau leap at full gallop through a SrlieS of hoops, or over a certain area of coloured ribbons, the average audience are contented e u gh with his performance to pass almost unre gartled the Miens of a rival who may jump through one more balloon or acmes an additional yard of binning, even though the ditference may represent a more exalted genius, developed by yearn of patient industry. In like manner, if the ingenious gentlemen who climb up smooth poles, loosely resting upon a comrade's girdle, balance themselves, in the perfor• 1111111C1, entitled " La Perche." at an altitude of twenty feet or of thirty, what do the audience care ?—though one feat may require nothing more than the ordinary nerve and muscle of a " climbing-boy," and the other task the energies anti exhibit the dexterity of human limbs to the uttermost. Yet again—when one tumbler has thrown lorty nommersaulta in &WWI. slurs, there is not one spectator in a thousaud who will not think he has had enough of it, or will admire, as it deserves to be admired, the miraculous endue ranee of head and heck which eitablea another to throw sixty-one, as Mr. Barnes dues, we believe, nightly—and semetinies more. Or yet one more— when a couple of artists, lying on their backs, have shown that they can toss, and catch, and spin a solar system of globes on the points of their Wets, the wonder of the ps•rformance is very little enhanced to the audience—whatever it may be to the performers — it the regular spheres are exchanged fur miniature wine casks, anti get handled, or rather footed, as deftly. With this drawback in his theory, Mr. Smith hats succeeded in practice in collecting a corps of biped's and quatintpeds, each superexcellent in their respee live walks, rides, child's, or gallops. Four hours are twetipied with their performances every night, to the delectation of thronged audienees. We have, how• ever, three suggestions to make. First, that he should reitiftpree lois troupe with some additional lady etittestriatts. Aloulanue NewNitllle anti Mlle. Zatne. son look prettily and ride well; but what are two oolong so many? Secondly, let his clowns, espe cially the "deathless Tom Barry," learn to hold their tongues occasionally ; anti, thirdly, let hint retrench the outrageous puffing of his playbills. Fortner lessees have, no doubt, pulled their ' blows of triumph' before him, but they did not succeed ; and Mr. I Smith, who has succeeded, should reform the prac tice altogether. Tar. lAwsoN °awayAroav CouurrrEr. have been making renewed exertions by applying to the nobility gentry, and various scientific societies for assistance, The central committee have generally doubled their former subscriptions, but hitherto all their exertions leave them nearly Ellin/. short of the sum stipulated by Mr. Lawson. I r is said that the English and French chess clubs have mule a novel Match, to be played shortly at the Hippodrome in Paris. A gigantic chessboard will be marked out upon the turf. The castles will be carried on the backs of real elephants, and every other piece will be represented by an equestrian per former dressed in character. 'llse kings and queens will be in gorgeous robes, the knights in complete armour, and the bishops in full canonicals. tiornicnts, ex-editor of the New Prussian Ga zette, who had been condemnial to detention its a for tress, has obtained a pardon from the King.