The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-10-28
Art, Music and the Drama.

gerOuSly Ill, nor In lunatlC asylum, nor any,
thing of the sort" He was simply tired out
with his American tour, and when he reached
Europe he went to Godesberg to recuperate,
aid is now in good health.
Maggie MitchelPs new play for this season
is revision of Wilhelm Meister, made by
Mr.. Runnion, dramatic editor of the Chicago
Tribune. OF course the events are mainly the
same as those of the opera, known to Amer-
can audiences chiefly by Miss Kelloge's per
formance of an Epgllsh version. OF course,
also. it will be manly varied Fauchon that
we shall see when Maggie acts Mignon.
2The Oratorio society of New York, Leopold
Damrosch director, will produce "Elijah" on
the evening of November Sth, the Messiah on
Christmas night, and will give other works on
February % and April 10. The first of a series
OF Sunday evening concerts was given at
Booths last Sunday by a large company under
Maretzek and Flyers management, including
Nine. Eugene Poppeuheim, Mr. Castle, Mr..
Sohst, Levy the corpetist aud quartette of
Swedish women whose singing is greatly
praised; besides an orchestra
Sardanapalus will continue at Booths thea
tire in New York until Christmas; soon after
which Lawrence Barrett begins au engagement
in which, it is said, E. L. Davenport and Mrs.
Scott Siddons will support him. King Lear,
will be produced with spectacular effects of
great maguifcence; Barrett as Lear. Daven-
port as Edgar, and Mrs. Scott-Siddons az Cor
delia. w s. Gilbert's play of Daniel Druce,
Blacksmith, made from George Eliot's novel
OF Silas Manner will also be produced during
Barretps engagement
Biographical Sketches of Eminent Musical
Composers, including Beethoven, Bach, Haydn,
Handel Mozart Mendelssohn and the rest, by
Mmle. L. c. Urbein, is book announced by
o. Ditson & Co of Boston, who have also re-
Gently published Stainer & Barretts dictionary
of musical terms-a valuable work; Maria I'm
maculata, for Catholic choirs, E. j. Dooley;
the World of Song, being about 100 songs in
sheet music size ip one volume, for $3.50 to 81,
according to binding; and book of Gems of
the Dance, By Strauss Gungl, Faust, and 9TH
ers. at the same prices
Sir Noel Patton, pletistic painter, like Carl
Muller. but more positive, exhibits in London
a painting of the Good Shepherd, which re-
ceives attention, though far less than was paid
to Holman Hunts Shadow of the Cross 1t
must be as conventional as that was original;
representing IN the foreground . landscape
composed principally of rugged mountains.
the Savior standing, his left hand holding
shepherds crook, while his right arm grasps
lamb which he has rescued from the thorny
twigs at his feet the scratches from which are
visible in its bleeding limbs. The Shepherd
looks down on the extrcated lamb with tender
pity. such as be would feel in gazing on bu-
man soul that had been rescued fl ON the snares
of a sinful world.
Two paintings by Signor Tojetti of San
Francisco are exhibited in Brainards gallery
on fremont street, Boston; one of Elaine, the
other of francesca da Rimini. The Elaine at.
tracts more public admiration than even
RosenthaPs did; it is nearly twice the size OF
that picture, and represents that moment in
the story of Elaine when her brothers have
just placed her in the barge. and the old serv-
ant is pushing off the shore. Tue general
artistic judgment considers the work ID feror to
RosenthaPs in conception and in drawing,
while better in color and, as many think sur
passing in the beauty of the silly maids face"
The francesca is like all other illustrations of
Tojetti's glowing harmony of color.
The stage phrase, "Heroes of the sock and
buskin," is of classical origin. "Buskin," is
the English translation of the Latin word
cothurnus which was kind of boot, covering
the foot and rising above the calf of the leg,
sometimes reaching as high as the knee. 1t
was principally worn by hunters horsemen and
persons of rank and authority The sole of the
buskin was generally of an ordinary thickness,
by the insertion of slices of cork. The object
here was to add to the stature of the wearer,
for which reason it was worn by the Greek and
Roman tragedans in order to give them a more
heroic appearance, as the Soccus or low-heeled
shoe was worn by the comedians Hence the
buskin and sock have come to be syn0ny nous
with tragedy and comedy.
Mr. Gilbert has written the libretto to COM
ic opera by Frederic Clay, which has been pre-
ant tad with soft o1
ter in London. The Princess Toto, who gives
name to the piece, is an adventurous feather
head of such imperfect memory that she can't
discover which of her lovers, Prince Doro and
Prince Caramel. she has married. Though the
bride of Doro, she runs away with Caramel to
join band of brlgsnds; aud, just as Doro
catches up, her father and his principal cour-
tiers come in, disguised as Indians, and off she
goes with them to the Pacific ocean Both
princes tag after, aud she manages fnally TO
pick out the right one. Mr.. Giibert's Indian
language is said to be happily parodied from
LoDgfellow and Cooper, and the music of Dir
Clay is said to be as sparkling as tine dialogue,
making bouffe opera quite as good as the
French Article.
forbidden Fruit" Mr.. Boucicault's play
now running at WallacK's, has a morally re-
pulsive plot and we should presume was prof.
erly characterized by Nym Criukle, who says
it reminds him of ''copy of Rabelas pre-
pared for the public by making certain era
sufes with gold pencil. 1t enhanced Rabe
lais immensely, because we have 10 guess at
the mystery through the Ingenious marks.
A lighter brighter, more insincere setting of
animal passion in frisky measure have not
seen for long time. The invitation of the
piece was not to the seriously-nclned people
ITnl.B .Bo NO, &C H~I.E
requested the people to leave his plsyiDg-cards
in the vestry, the author of Forbidden Fruit
advises everybody to bring his propensities
with him. Everybody does. And airs them
in gusty laughter"
La File de Madame Angot suffered an anus
ing transformation into German. II was re-
Gently performed at Leipslc as if it were a sa-
cred allegory, and without the slightest imita-
ton of French freedom. Frau,ein Marie
GutschbacK as Clairette was the sweetest DOS
sible sort of q good girl. The duette in the
second act with Nine. Lange Fraulein LOWRY
was sung much in the same way as we might
imagine the babes in the woods sung them
selves to sleep. Not once did either of these
two characters do anything that would have
been out of place in Sunday school enter
tainmeDt, save, perhaps, at the end of the sec
ond act, when, as the curtain descended in the
dance, Nine. Lange threw herself very timid
ly into her partners arms. The only approach
to anything like chic was once or twice when a
member OF the chorus placed her arms akin
DO In French fashion. OF the chorus, the
male members would Eot have been out of
place in an Indian delegation on visit to
Washington The heavy. fat German faces,
without powder, and long, straight Dlack hair,
appeared beneath gray stove pipe hats, with
rolf g brlms, aud over red velvet half coats
white or blue vests, and not long enough browo
| Jean trousers The effect was indeed c0mical
and when these worthless danced in style as
heavy as themselves the effect was irresistible
| in its western suggestion of a war dance, only
not half so animated.