The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-02-26 00:00:00

MUSIC AND THE DRAMA•

AT THE THEATRE ROYAL, Shakspeare's noble tragedy of
41-sebeth" was produced on Wednesday evening, in a style
Of artistic beauty, and with a variety and power of scenic and
e -effect, deserving of very high commendation. The
kellerY, dresses, and other stage properties are entirely new,
to
Snlall quantity of the scenery being admirable specimens of
tletorial -art. Much study has obviously been bestowed on
most efficient mode of maintaining the mysterious unity
014)er-human agency with the workings of evil passions
of.url a mind not naturally depraved ; but Which, through a
bination 'of circumstances, is ultimately wrought up to a
tfitAi of wickedness almost bordering on the sublime. To
4 cet this object all the resources of art have been brought
NeielY -into play_ Allusion has already been made to the gene-
A, of the scenery ; but, in addition to the usual
ePliances of -the painter's art, there have here been intro-
tem., and frequently with the most striking felicity -of adap-
t:on, the peculiarities of dioramic deception. This is very
1111134 applied ,to the appearance and disappearance of
eons64,qu's ghost, in the well-known banquet scene, in which,
sie presented, the ghastly phantom is made to fit from
Ilt:e point of the scene to another, while a sort of dread
t„Ysterious gloom is diffused over the whole. The con-
;,ast of light and darkness is also made an extensive as
1 as a powerful agent in adding to the supernatural
machinery of the tragedy. Indeed, it is probably the only
ZIA in this excellent reproduction which requires reconsider-
sn. To us it seems as if too free a use of darkness and
Cge gloom is adopted, many of the most striking and effective
lilleeches and soliloquies being delivered in nearly utter dark-
,eBe. The extraordinary and wonderful dagger soliloquy, for
k`(4rople, is given on a stage almost entirely destitute, of even
rair of light, the whole house being also reduced to the same
:tree of sombre dulness. This, besides being unpleasant to the
jaidienee, deprives the actor of the power to address any sense
that of hearing—general action and the expression of
.eature, on which so much of histrionic excellence depends,
?„ei4g entirely invisible. A similar objection lies with equal
h"tee against the scene in which the murderous Tisane and
not less guilty wife hold stormy counsel with each other
'er Macbeth has " done the deed." The whole of this
ceat scene, as here represented, is confined to its effect
I
vel?4l the ear, and all the wonderful power of expression
40a which it was wont to be invested by the genius
a Siddous, and the magic flexibility of feature of a
s'can is lost in inexpressive gloom. Such a deprivation is
I,leompensated by any extent or excellence of general effect.
i;e,haracter of Macbeth is creditably sustained by Mr.
Sullivan, whose elocution is in many respects of a very
N'eellent order. Lady Macbeth finds also a respectable
(Dresentative in Mrs. Vickery ; in some few points she intro-
' Aces new, and, in still fewer, improved readings of the part.
e piece has been played every night since Wednesday, to
6,Dital houses, and the audiences have been continuously on
4'ha., increase. It is to be performed every evening this week,
\ ,‘‘‘‘l, We doubt not that, notwithstanding the drawbacks to
L„.`l'eli we have alluded, it will increase in popularity as it
cesraes better known.

1444 Tuesday, the extensive stock of drapery goods, carpet-
Rs) &c., belonging to the sequestrated estate of Thomas
I,,tooks and Co., Buchanan-street, (formerly Crooks and Jones,)
4,4 disposed of by private bargain to Messrs. Jeffery, Morrish,
amounted
CO., Liverpool. The invoice value of the entire stock
Zottnted to fully £13,000, and the offers, to be paid in prompt
11, were as follow :
e,
4 ars. Jeffery, Morrish, and Co.
ke6srs. Arnott, Cannock and C 0....
kressrs. Thomas Chalmers and Co—._ •38 :,
• P. C. Battle
ees2ra. Fern and Easton, of Hull, offered to take the stock of
Only, At 30-1- per cent, below the ;invoice or cost price,
waagow Citizen.

Below invoice or cost price
361 per cent
........