The Portland daily press., 1875-03-12
Art. Music and the Drama.


Painting and dressing for the stage are very
ticklsh matters, requiring broad and minute
artistic sense and attention. Mrs. Rousby's
stage beauty which is wonderful, is said to be
due to her exquisite skill in painting; Aimee is
perfect and SO is Nelson. But Ristori, says
the article in the Arcadian from which we
quote, is the greatest in this as we'll as in all
other theatrical concerns; including acting and
managing. She literally copies upon her own
face the lines, etc., from the historical portraits
of the personages she is going to enact Thus
in Elizabeth her face is so strikingly like that
of ..zood Queen Bess'' that she might pass for
her majesty's twin sister. Janauschek does
not understand either painting or dressing. No
more does Miss Cushman. The case of these
| two great actresses is very curious. Miss Cush-
man is learned, and Nine. Janauschek is a
literary scholar of high merit and has studied
deeply Still, as Queen Katherine OF Aragon,
these ladies wore garments which would have
surprised that poor princess. A glance at one of
Holbein's portraits would have shown them
that they were ill-arranged, and also that, had
they chosen to follow this model in the matter,
both would have greatly improved their appear
ances. Miss Cushmaa as Lady Macbeth was
''under dressed" and her old yellow flannel
gown at the banquet by no means o thing of
beauty Ristori's dresses in this part are strict
copies from pictures of the period, and most of
her costumes are designed for her by great ar
lists. AIRY Scheffer furnished her with stu
dies for her dress in Medea and Myrrha, and
Paul Delaroche, Fraschieri and others with
those of many of the splendid costumes she
wears in other parts. Rachel had her thin un-
der garments made to suit her classical dresses
and to flow like them from the shoulders and
thus not interrupt the folds of her draperies.
Madame Janauschek as Medea wears crino-
line, or at any rate, such voluminous skirts
that her grand and majestic figure is greatly
marred by them, since they intercept the
downward folds of her classic peplum. This
lady also wears as Medea a garment of mod
ern shade of color utterly unknown to the an
clients. Ristori never uses a color for which
there is no historical warrant.
Henry Bacon, now in Paris, has nearly COM
pleted his picture of the Boston boys appeal
ing to General Gage for permission to coast on
Boston common. 1t is pronounced success,
and will undoubtedly be exhibited in the n ext
Paris salon.
The New York Philharmonic Society recent
ly produced the introduction to Wsgner's Iris
tan and Isolde and got criticised for very
bad failure writer for Dwight's Journal ask
ing, Why not leave this music to those who
can play it? They have also presented Liszts
symphonic poem, 'Tasso." perhaps the most
remarkable work of that composer.
The Kellogg opera season in Boston seems to
pass off very acceptably, Notwithstanding that
Miss Kellogg has been far from well much of
the time, and the company, especially the cho-
rus, lamentably unequal to the work devolving
upon them. Miss Kellogg's "Mignon,' in the
| English adaptation of Ambrose Thomas's
| WORK, is spoken of as truly wonderful, and
| ranking perhaps higher than even her Mar
| guerite," which has been considered her great
est achievement, in its subtle light and shade
| We fear that Clara Louise is working too hard.
Mas has been greatly criticised in Boston 4,
| Carleton has been praised, and, in the "Talis-
man. Mr.. Peakes was credited with forcible
rendering of "Nectabanus" The musical
Judgment of Boston, by the way, thinks
Balfe's ''posthumous op.ra'' pretty poor
thing. George A. Comfy, Philadelphia sing
er accustomed to concert and oratora, made
his debut as "Mephistopheles'' in support of
Miss Kellogg, very favorably impressing the
critics.
| Jeanne dare" had to be taken off the stage
in Paris because Liza Felix was used up. Lila