The Portland daily press., 1877-10-10
Art, Music and the Drama.

The fine group of st. John, which was
nodded in clay by Thorwaldsen and set above
the entrance of the True Church at; Copenha.
gen, has been copied in marble by Danish
sculptors to insure its preservation. The copy
is to replace the original piece.
Bret Harte's short story of "M'liss" has been
dramatized by Clay Greene, native Califor-
nian and, they say, ruined in the operation.
'Mliss'' becomes, says critic, sort of s'sen-
timental tom-boy. As put on the San Fran
cisco stage it proved moderate failure. even
with quite good acting AID special scenery.
The engagements for this.year at the Italian
Opera House include two American prime
donne, Mines. Alice Urbaniand Laura Harris,
the former being from New Orleans and the
latter from New York Mime. Urban has
never yet sung In Paris. She is "heavy
Soprano" as it is technically termed, and will
take the great tragic roles.
AT last one young woman has seen Liszt
without bowing down in abject. worship, and
her letter in the New York World is refresh
ing break in the sad twaddle Of adulation
which we are used to get from Weimar. She
describes his coterie there as much talked of
for their immortality; "it makes one," she says
'a!most afraid of the whole set. they seem such
free-lovers and exempt from the ordinary regu-
lations of society" Her description of him
accords with the photographs of him-with
those that have fac-simile of his autograph on
his right cuff. She says: "Liszt looked old
and ugly, and at moments even wicked. His
is strange face, full OF power and dabolism,
and as nearly all of his front teeth are gone his
chin protrudes in a way that reminds one ire
sistibly of the witches in Macbeth This
resemblance to some uncanny spirit is in
creased by his enormous hooked nose, strange,
eagle like eyes and the great warts distributed
over his face, His hair is qrite white, and 1
subsequently saw that he was not as tall as he
appeared at the first glance. Afterward, too,
he did not look so 'devilsh,' nor so old. He
seemed to me to be always acting for effect"
This critical young woman got admitted
| to IAN assembly of his young artists (ho
will not have them called lessons-'0h no,
he never teachesP1' and observed that Liszt
seemed beloved by all his pupils, and
that Hungarian compositions and works Of
Liszt, Chopin, Tausig and Wagner are the only
ones played" as for the 'Meister'' himself "he
does not seem to have any particular method
of playing, often striking the notes with
hammer-llke touch; his tone is sometimes not
very good, and he plays his octaves from the
ARM. OF course she nevertheless admired
his playing, finding it wonderful in effect, and
also that of Fraulein Tremenoff, who is the
Meister's present favorite.
Ben DeBar did not altogether agree with
haCAett AS W Iub CHardCter OF palStau. de
thought Hackett made it far too coarse DeBar's
idea was that he was moro of a gentle man,
more of philosopher, more courtly and man
nerly than most of his exemplsss had made him.
III he were the coarse BRUTE" he used to say,
that ne often appears on the stage, not even
his wit would have condoned his coarseness.
Ine prince OF Wales would not have associated
with him, especially Prince Hal"
A fac-simile reproduction of William Blake's
Jerusalem, the emanation of the giant,
Albion" WILSON appear in England. The only
copy of the original that has appeared for
some years, sold at auction lately fol- Gl00 and
this has. led to the present reproduction. Since
the recent collection and exhibition of Blake's
works by the Burlington Fine Art Club his
fame has immensely extended. Drawings that
would not produce a shilling are now eagerly
sought fol, by collectors for pounds Other of his
works will be issued, done by some of the nu-
merous processes now used for the multiplica-
ton of engravings, etc.
The American Architect thinks the Boston
soldiers monument commonplace. Consider
ing the function of this piece Of architecture,
this is an objectionable sin. There is no at
tempt made to adapt the Doric order to this
especial use, no touch of grace or poetic feeling,
none of that invention and courage which com