The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-01-04 00:00:00

MUSIC AND THE DRAMA

ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE.—Madame Isabelle's troupe
of British and continental artistes have appeared at this
house during the week in equestrian performances. The
horsemanship of several of the performers is exceedingly
clever and graceful, and quite equal to those of the two
distinguished French companies (De Jean's and Fran-
coni's) which appeared at the Amphitheatre last year and
the year before respectively. The acrobatic performances
are truly wonderfu;, and the feats of strength displayed
by Mr. Young are perfectly astonishing. The "clownish"
department is supported by an English and also a French
professor of that peculiar art. M. Corteau, the French
clown, is one of the most versatile in his profession that
we ever remember to have seen, adding to his various
other qualifications. that of an exceedingly clever eques-
trian. The English clown is full of wit and drollery,
many of his jokes being quite original.

JULLIEN'S FAREWELL CONCERT AT THE PHILHAR-
MONIC li ALL.—On Friday evening, Mons. Jullien gave
the first of his farewell concerts previous to his departure
for America. The spacious hall was densely crowded in
every part, and the concert passed off with great eclat.
His band, as usual, consisted of some of the best orches-
tral performers of the day, and the programme contained
selections calculated to delight all tastes. Mademoiselle
Anna Zerr, who appeared at the Royal Italian Opera, at
Covent-garden, in 1851, with such distinguished success,
was one of the great features of the evening. Without
any pretensions to great dramatic power, her voice is one
of the sweetest we ever heard. Mons. Jullieu's farewell
concert will take place in Liverpool the last week in the
present month ; and we understand that he will sail for
the United States on the following day. We understand
that a testimonial concert to the distinguished artiste is
projected previous to his departure for America, as a
tribute of respect from the profession in England.

CLASSICAL CHAMBER CONCERTS.—We perceive that
the last of Mr. E. W. Thomas's classical chamber concerts
will take place on Friday evening next, in the saloon of
the Philharmonic Hall.

THEATRE-ROYAL.—The new Millie pantomime at this
theatre, entitled " Three Legs, King of Man, or Harle-
quin Lord Stanlie, and the Eagle and Child," promises
to sustain a lengthy run. The mode in which the piece
has been placed upon the stage reflects much credit on Mr.
Copeland. the lessee. Some of the scenes are really gor-
-1 geous. The full blown rose and fairy appearance of Re
j Rose, genius of Lancashire, is a scene which from its daz-
eing beauty and splendour, as well as from the tasteful
and artistic grouping of the figures, calls forth the warmest
1 expressions of admiration. The bewildering bower of
beauty and the glittering halls. of the good genii are fully
equal in magnificence to the former. Great praise is due
to the highly-talented artist, Mr. Dearlove, who has
suc-
ceeded in placing before the audience many other scenes
with which most of them are familiar. Amongst these
are a view of Douglas, Isle of Man, followed by a pano-
ramic view of the voyage from Douglas to Liverpool ; a
representation of Knowsley Hall, with a distant view of
the aviary; the eagle's nest, and a panoramic view of
Lancashire, and the departure of the Great Britain steam-
ship from this port for Australia, which is most truthfully
pourtrayed. The transformation over a variety of humour-
ous scenes and cleverly executed tricks elicit repeated
shouts of laughter from the spectators. Mr. Appleby as
clown is irresistibly comic. Miss Mansell's columbine
exhibits considerable taste in the Tcrpsichorian art, and
the extraordinary grace and agility displayed by Signor
Lauri as Harlequin are truly astonishing. Some of his
feats are really surprising ; and we may say, without any
disparagement to the rest of the company, that he is one
of the chief attractions in this pantomime. Several of the
scenes are highly amusing ; for instance, that in which the
new " Lankyshire " Militia are brought upon the stage,
and the scene in which the untimely fate of a " blessed
little babbv, " who is baked in a pie, excites the sym-
pathies of the audience ; his subsequent reappearance as a
Marionette clown being the signs], for shouts of laughter
and applause. We are glad to notice that, by a judicious
curtailment of the opening pieces, the audience have the
satisfaction of being able to witness the whole of the pan-
tomime, and of retiring at a reasonable hour. [We
understand that the transformation scene is not a fac-
simile of the one at the Lyceum Theatre, as erroneously
stated by a local paper. Mr. Dearlove states that it wag
altogether designed and painted by himself.]
ROYAL. PARK THEATRE.—In our last we were only able
to give a passing notice of the new pantomime at this
establishment, entitled "Ye Siege of Leverpole, or Harle-
quin and Prince Rupert, and ye Fayre Maide of Toxteth,"
written by Mr. Millward, the president of the Liverpool
Literary and Dramatic Society. As at the Theatre-Royal,
the opening story of the pantomime is founded upon a
legend purely local, which is exactly as it ought to be, for
it is obvious that in an entertainment of this nature, local
scenes and associations are best understood and appre-
ciated. The dialogue throughout is smart, and the piece
abounds with exceedingly droll allusions to the various
public events of the present time. The first scene intro-
duces the audience to a view of the village of Everton,
painted by Mr. Wright. This scene, as well as several
g
others which succeed it, is admirably executed, and dis-
plays the highestorrdecre Rofaurpte s cottage and the royal
ortn, the part of the painter.
eWn
cea havempm ennetx pin
, Bverton ; where Prince Rupert, nephew
of King Charles cock of the 17th
the First, " afi htin
hisc n tut.
restoration,y, ' (.Nfr.
ain Ware,)st addresses
itiakep en,e hisß a
~eb osoldiers,nes i n favor o
, command-
ing the parliamentary forces, (Mr. Phelton.) The ancient
park of Toxteth, and a moving panorama of the banks of
the Mersey
by moonlight, is an exquisitely beautiful scene.
This is followed by a view of the castle of Liverpool,
where Barebones is attacked by Prince Rupert, and the
Roundhead army is overthrown. William of Bernulph,
attached to the staff of Prince Rupert, is present, with
Anne, the Fayre Maide of Toxteth, to whom be is be-
trothed. The prince, enamoured of Anne, is about to
take her away from William, when the Genius of Devotion
appears, and the transformation takes place, amidst a
tableaux of brilliancy. From the commencement of the
harlequinade to the close of the piece the audience is kept
in a state of continued merriment by the excellent tricks
and the jokes of the clown, Signor Boleno. Madame
Boleno's columbine is one of the most graceful and artistic
we ever saw, and Mr. Carthy's harlequin is a very credit-
able performance. The same may be said of Herr Cole's
pantaloon. The piece is admirably got up in every respect,
and now that the machinery has got fairly into working
order, the various tricks are executed with much ease.
The losing scene is brilliant in the extreme. The house
is crowded every evening.

POPULAR CONCERTS AT THE PHILHARMONIC HALL.
—We understand that a series of grand instrumental pro-
menade concerts is about to be given at the splendid hall
in Hope-street. The admission will be fixed at a shilling
a head.

A VISION OF THE YEAR.

I heard a midnight knocking at my gate,
I ran to ope it, and with tender feet
Treading the show, with plaintive voice and sweet,
I found an infant visitor await,
Pleading for entrance, and he ever said,
"Let me in. Lady ! The old year is dead I"

I let him in,

es and clinging rime

‘,.. his scanty coats and curling hair;
I brought him to my fireside bright and fair;
knd. standing in the glow some little time,
I saw strange marvels, that I roust relate,
In this strange midnight knocker at my gate.
Melted the snow, and fell upon the floor,

Spr;na

g of its silver dew,
arose. and crocus gold and blue,
Trembling at blasts that entered from the door;
Where the snow melted, were his garments seen,
Scanty and slight. and of a tender green.

And to the Snowdrops other flowers succet
Brighter in colour, and of perfume swi
Summer. Clustering around the midnight stran
Now to a stately presence grown indeed.
Meanwhile my fire sank low, but heat was there,
genial beat, in perfume-laden air.

;er;s feet,

seemed my guest weary with the heat, and stooped
'Heath the rich droppings of the gleaner's toil,
Autumn. Thick sheaves of corn, fair produce of the soil,
And purple clusters that from vineyards drooped,
And apples, rosycheeked, and russet pears,
And golden plums, heaped round him unawares

Gazing amazed at this, a hail-storm beat,
Loudly and wailing, at my lattice pane;
'Winter. It roused the fire, that bright upblazed again,
And an old man was bending o'er the heat,
Spreading out trembling palms to catch the glow,
And from his mantle shaking flakes of snow.

So I had seen a Vision of the Year.
On this its threshold and its night of birth :
Seen all its fair succession upon earth,
And hailed each change as right, and good and dear;
I bad dreamed longer, save the church-bells broke
3lv slumbers, and to New Year's dawn I woke.
M.I.T.

Dublin University Magazine

LITERATURE.

Books, New Prints, Music, &c.
ay be left at Mr. C. Mitchell's, Red-
, London,

addressed "to the Editor