The Sun.
London, England, 1870-07-26 00:00:00

RICHARD WAGNER'S NEW OPERA.

The old legend of the spectre ship, the "Flying
Dutchman," has been often and variously told in
prose and verse, in song and drama. Its weird and
mystic character not unnaturally attracted the atten-
tion of Richard Wagner, one of whose earliest pro-
ductions was the opera of " Der Fliegende
Hollander," which has just been produced
for the first time in this country. It is less
marked by the peculiar theories which dis-
tinguish Wagner's compositions than most of
his works. The Flying Dutchman is vigorous
and effective in many parts, but it belongs less to
the school of that "music of the future" which
Wagner now affects, than the Tannhiiuser or the
Walkyre. Like many another composer, he has be-
come personally involved in so many professional dis-
putes and national antagonisms that it is diffiJult for
his music to obtain a fair hearing apart from him-
self. He has had the bad taste to offend the public
before submitting a piece to their verdict. Thus he
made a furious attack upon French music, and then
produced his Tannhauser at the Imperial Opera
House of Paris. As a:matter of course the result was
rather demonstrative of the vehement indignation of
Frenchmen than fair to the work, or gratifying to
the composer. Wagner writes his own librettos
and holds they should be in complete harmony with
the music. No effort has been spared to render his
" Phantom Ship " a success, and performers of all
degrees exerted themselves to give it a brilliant
inauguration at Drury Lane Theatre.

triUrt

HER MAJESTY.

OSBORNE, JULY 25.

Her Majesty and their Royal Highnesses Princess
Louise, Prince Arthur, and Princess Beatrice walked
in the grounds this morning.
The Marquis of Hartington arrived at Osborne yester-
day, and had the honour of dining with the Queen and the
Royal Family.

FASHIONABLE ARRANGEMENTS TO-DAY.
Viscountess Combermere's evening party.
Goodwood races.

DISTRIBUTION OF PRIZES TO MEDICAL

STUD ENTS.

The annual distribution of prizes to the students of the
medical school attached to the Charing Cross Hospital
took place this afternoon in the board room of the
hospital. The Dean of Westminster presided and
distributed the prizes. The prizemen were as follows :
Llewellyn Scholarship, Mr. Monkes ; Golding Scholar-
ship, Mr. Chittenden ;
Gold Medal Mr. Monkes ; Senior
Anatomy, Silver Medal, Mr. Lea; Certificates of
Honour, Mr. Taylor and Mr. Crouch ; Junior Anatomy,
Silver Medal, Mr. Hartley ; Certificates, Mr. Orwen
and Mr. Stephens ; Senior Physiology, Silver
Medal, Mr. Lea ; Certificate, Mr. Chittenden ;
Junior Physiology, Bronze Medal ; Mr. Grey ;
Chemistry, Silver Medal, Mr. Leeds; Certificate, Couldry ;
Senior Medicine, Silver Medal, Mr. Walker ; Certificate
Mr. Hooper ; Junior Medicine, Bronze Medal, Mr. Routh ;
Certificate, Mr. Lea ; Senior Surgery Silver Medal, Mr.
Noakes ; Certificate, Mr. Burroughs ; Junior Surgery,
Bronze Medal, Mr. Routh ; Certificate, Mr. Lea ; Botany
Silver Medal, Mr. Whiteham; Certificate, Mr. Taylor;
Materia Medica, Silver Medal, Mr. Lea; certificates, Mr.
Whiteham and Mr. Chittenden. Midwifery, Silver
Medal, Mr. Boroughs ; Certificates, Mr. Noakes and Mr.
Leigh. Forensic Medicine, Medal, Mr. Leigh ; Certifi-
cate, Mr. Weston. Pathology, Medal, Mr. Leigh; Certi-
ficate, Mr. Hanson. Practical Chemistry, Medal, Mr.
Lea ; Certificate, Champneys.
The Dean of the Medical School (Dr. Pollock) read the
annual report, especially adverting to the coming en-
largement of the hospital by the addition of two houses
and the consequent enlargement of the staff.
Dean Stanley said it became his agreeable duty to
award the prizes on the present occasion. He said agree-
able duty, because in so doing it recalled in a lively way
an outward form in which he participated some 30 years ago
when at Rugby and Oxford. It was curious to find how
the human mind had not changed in these eventful times,
because the mottoes he had heird were mostly the same
he had heard at school and college—(laughter)—the only
exception being that of Snowflake and Pharmacon, the
first of which he wished could be diffused through the at-
mosphere of the place in which they were now assembled.
Before separating from them he should like to offer a few
remarks on the subject of the science in which
they were particularly interested. In the first
place he might state that he heartily sym-
pathised with the progress of the study of
science in every direction. If any of them had pro-
duced the same amount of knowledge and speculation
some four or five hundred years ago that 'had been ex-
hibited to-day instead of winning their certificates and
medals, they would have been marched off to Smithfield
and burnt as wizards. In the V. orld in which we lived It
was difficult to engage in any enterprise without doing
more harm than good, but it was satisfactory to think that
the science of medicine had no other object than that of
doing good. In the lamentable calamity which had now
fallen upon Europe, when it was considered how difficult
it was for other professions to take any step that would
not add to the complication it was satisfactory to know
that there was one at least, that of medicine and surgery,
whose mission alone was to soften the miseries that would
be entailed on mankind. In almost every other profes-
sion, too, he might observe persons could rise to the
highest position by various byeways and intrigues ; but in
the science of medicine and surgery the only way to suc-
cess was by a continuous and energetic course of duty.
The very rev. gentleman was loudly cheered by the
students at the conclusion of his address.

THE WAR.—A. series of lectures on the Geography
of the War will be given by Eugene Oswald, Esq., at the
Working Men's College, Great Ormond-street, commenc-
ing to-morrow evening. During the progress of the war
between Prussia and Austria Mr. Oswald kept the stu-
dents of the college in concert with the occurrences of the
day, and we have no doubt the present lectures will be as
entertaining as those previously delivered.
THE HEALTH OF MR. BRIGHT.—We are glad
to report that the health of Mr. Bright continues steadily
to improve, and that there is every reason to think that
he will be able to resume his place in the House of Com-
mons next session. Whether it will be prudent that he
should add official to Parliamentary labours must remain
for some time undecided. The cause of Mr. Bright's
illness—a tendency to capillary congestion of the brain—
suggests caution. Mr. Bright has refrained from giving
effect hitherto to his wish to resign the Presidency of the
Board of Trade, in deference to the strongly-expressed
wishes of his colleagues.—Daily News.
THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH.—The visit of the
Duke of Edinburgh to India was attended by several
curious incidents, two of which are- indicated in the
following statements contained in the Bombay Gazette
received yesterday by the overland mail :—Peter Joseph,
the man who robbed his Royal Highness of a currency note
and other property to the value of about 2,500 rupees—
about £2so—besides making free with many other items
belonging to the Viceregal household, has been sentenced
by the Sessions Judge of Mirzapore to seven
_years'
rigorous imprisonment.—A correspondent of a Ceylon
paper, of a prosaic and economical turn of mind, has
been kind enough to work out an intricate calculation,
and sends the result as follows. He says that if the
Duke of Edinburgh had indifferent sport, he still had the
satisfaction of killing the most expensive elephant ever
slain in Ceylon, the sum total of its value being no less
than £2,733175. 9d.

THE OPERA.—It is now an accomplished fact that
Mr. Mapleson and Mr. Gye have separated. The friends
of the former gentleman will be glad to learn that the
operatic future of such a successful and eminent opera
director as could have managed an uninterrupted succes-
sion of eight years' triumph at Her Majesty's Theatre is
now independent It will be remembered by those who
note the applause and admiration lavished upon the opera
celebrities of the present season at both the opera houses, that
it was to Mr. Mapleson that we owe Madlle. Ihna die
Murska, Mr. Santley, Signor I Foli, Madame Trebelh-
Bettini and her husband, Madame Sinico, and the ac-
complished conductor, Signor Arditi, who was very little
known in comparison when he assumed the conductorship
in 1862, for Mr. Mapleson, at Her Majesty's Theatre.
Report asserts that the opening of her Majesty's Theatre
for grand opera will take place in February under Mr.
Mapleson's management, and that a very distinguished
musical man indeed, whose name alone when adduced as
the director of the music will be sufficient to secure a
double subscription, will join the new operatic authorities
in the splendid recently-built opera house.