The Portland daily press., 1875-11-04

the premiere danseuse of the opera. She Ia
menls the decadence Of the grand paiiet, anu
finds the cause of il in the fact tnas Tue oa'e'
is low chiefly used as advertisements III OPERA
In closing, Mile. Langalli says: "Ihere Is
tendency to replace the want of cultivation OF
the choregraphic art by another deficiency
that of costume. 1t is not for nothing that
the tulle of which our skirts are made is called
tulle Illusion By abandoning these skirts, and
by substituting for them flesh !olored drawers,
aux couleurs chatoyantes, charm and Illusion
are alike dispeed.
A Paris newspaper says of the representa-
ton at the Gymnase Theatre: 'The revival OF
LA Dame au Camellias'' has possessed Pc
culiar interest from the fact that Mile. ITALIAN.
diera assumed the role of Margaret Gautler
for the first time, and M. Worms, who mas just
returned from Russia to the Partisan boards,
played s'Armand Duval." Seldom has the in
fatuated and fiery hero been more admirably
represented NJ. Worms is indeed that theatri'
cal rara auis, thoroughly satisfactory jeune
premier. 1t is even said that Coincide Fran
caise-whose jeunes premiers are all sixty years
old or thereabouts-is in treaty with him to re-
place the departed Pierre Berton. AS to Mile.
Talandiera, she left the imprint OF her eccen-
trio but most real talent on the individuality OF
the heroine She was not exactly the MAR
guerite Gautier'' that the Partisan public, ac-
customed to the elegance of Doche and the
pensve sweetness of Blanche Pierson, has been
wont to applaud. These fair and refined wo-
men gave to the part an air of distinction and
of sentiment which is lacking in this later inn
PRESERVATION. The Marguerite Gautier' of Mile
Tallaudiera is not a fallen angel; she is of earth
earthly, and it is only when touched by true
affection that she reveals the unsuled depths
of a nature not originally framed for evil.
There is power and originality in the persona
ton, and the death scene in particular is re-
markabe for its absence of exsggeration. And
yet the performance is not wholly satisfacto-
~ one."
Writing of the performance Of the "Bobe-
milan Girl" with the additional music COM
posed for the French version of the work by
the Carl Rosa Company at the Princess
Theatre, London, the Pail Mall Gazette says.
'As to the new music, it may be doubted
whether it was wanted; hut if it is to be re-
tanned in the English version. as will doubt
less be the case, the opera should be played
in four acts, as we fancy it must have been in
France. The only pieces which we recog-
nized as new occur in the second act, which
by the introduction of solo in two verses
for the queen of the gyps!es and whole
series of dance tunes, is rendered somewhat
long. The new ballet, of which the music is
turn by turn graceful, quaint, and vigorous
almost to the point of violence, might termi-
nate the second act Then the third act would
commence with the baritone's air announced in
short entr'ac bs the clarinet solo; and the
last act, numbered four instead of three,
would stand as at present In the French YER
sion the last act is altered. and terminates with
final adagio for the queen of the gypsies in
lieu of the final rondo allegro for Airline.
What is much more extraordinary is the sact
that the same melody is used for the new slow
movement as for the original quick movement.
This gives one a sufficient notion of Balfe's
carelessness, or rather of his incredulity, on
subjects OF absolute musical expression. 1t
shows also that he had but little respect for his
own work. Mr. Carl Rosa of course keeps to
the final rondo to which we are all accustomed
but il would be interesting, once in way, to
hear the new finale with Arlire's rondo as con.
verted by Balfe himself into an adagio for an
other character"
james Crawford Thorn is painting two large
pictures for the Centennial Exhibition. They
illustrate French river scenes at morning and
evening, with figures. One of his recently
finished pictures represents a wood scene with
the figures of an old lady and girl rambling in
shady path. The girl has been gathering
wild flowers, and is offering pretty nosegay
to her aged companion. The cooring of the
work IS rich, and the detail of the forest vege-
tation is carefully worked up.