Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-11-19
MUSIC AND THE DRAMA.


Frederick Pauldiug the falsely sc-
cused t~ragedian, will spend the winter
in Florida.
Joe Jefferson says he has played
Rip Van Wrinkle about $500 times and
ye: it is not played out.
At Nine. PATHS Concerts, in New
York, the at-ten-( S) dance does not
appear to be remarkably lively.
The Patti concert at New York last
Wednesday night for ths benefit OF
the Michigan sufferers netted about
$1,000.
Fanny Davenport appears in Phila'
delphia, at the Walnut, next Monday,
beginning a farewell engagement and
she is on the list here for FEBRUARY 9th.
Miss Davenport intimates that she is
going abroad to stay three years.
A Boston theater is to have a stage
made in sections on r%ollors, so Thai
while the scene is before the audience
another is being arranged out Of sight
thus doing away with the tedious in
termissions between acts. and making
it possible to show a greater amount
Of elaborate scenery than can be done
by the ordinary method. The elevator
stage at the Madison Square New
York; accomplishes the same result,
but a deep excavation and tall tower
are required to operate it.
The Comley-B Barton Opera Company,
to play here three days Of next week,
open next Monday for three nights and
a matinee at Louisville, and will sing
"0livette" as originally produced 10
New York, with a chorus of seventy
FIVE and gorgeous costumes. Catherine
LOWS has never appeared here, but she
is known in the East as the leading
opera bouffe singer. John Howson is
an old f~averite. The company have
been singing in st. Louis.
Queen Victoria has, for the first time
in many years. witnessed a theatrical
performance. 1t took place at Aber
geldie, and the Prince OF Wales took
much interest in all the arrangements
The play was Mr.. Demands 'The
Colonel, which ridicules the aesthetics.
Tbe Prince and his wife permitted the
manager to use part Of the furniture
oftheir d%raBineroom, aud the Prince
attended the performance in Highland
costume. a programme, printed on
pink satin and bordered with lace. and
a bouquet Of white flowers mounted
With white Grape, were presented to
the Queen.
The musical critics are as much at
sea in their judgment Of Patti at New
York az are those who write for the
newspapers about amusemonts in this
city, IS the following extracts after
her first appearance plainly show:
Tribune: at is cold praise to say that
we have had no singer here ike Mad
anne Patti, but it is impossible to de.
scribe her merits without appearing
extravagant." Per contra, World:
ut is not a matter Of doubt that she
sang out of tune, and, notwithstand.
ing thu lovely character Of her voice,
there was a disappointment in her
performance. In her upper notes her
voice is now cold and hard" Herald:
IAN the br~illiaHcy which Madame
Patti had in what may be called the
days Of her greatest successes she still
retains unimpaired, and there is a
sympathetic quality to her voice that
lends to it an indescribable beauty"
Per contra, Post: Her voice was not
50 absolutely perfect in every detail
last night as it has been heretofore
Her highest forte notes were some.
what metallic and forced, and her
lowest notes a triae out Of tune"
1t may be added that the experiment
Of her management in demanding $40
for the choicest seats is a failure; fully
One-third Of those seats we're vacant.
Away back in 1851 Max Maretzek
vas the leading operate manager of
this country. He went to Mexico
that year with a fine troupe, passing
down the Ohio river to New Orleans
on the great steamer Eclipse, Captain
i. I. Sturgeon, the finest boat that
ever foated 10 the West up to that
period, Recently, Maretzek, now old
aud poor, has sued Patti for an alleged
breach Of contract. He claims to have
engaged Patti for ? tour of Mexico for
a stipulated amount aud prepared tn
route, engaged the rest Cfthe company,
purchased the necessary wardrobe and
made contracts for the theaters and
advertised the tour. Its alleged that
Patti finally refused to 90 TO Mexico,
and that Maretzek had spent $4,000
in making the arrangements for the
tour, and that he lost nearly three
times as much business by reason Of
the breach Of contract. Mr.. Francbi,
Madame PATHS agent, says Madame
Patti knows nothing about the case
whatever, At the time Of the alleged
breach Of contract she was only seven
teen years Of age, and was entirely
under the management Of her father
and Max Strakoscll. If any contract
was broken, Mr.. Franchi thought il
was because the state OF the country
was such that Madame PATHS father
Sas afraid that bodily harm would
beiall her if she went to Mexico.
In New York theatricals arc at
their height. a letter to the Phila-
delphia Ledger says: The theaters
have all done we'll, aud, considering
that we have now no fewer than fifteen
in full blast, the fact is significant as
demonstrating the financial ability Of
the masses to provide themselves with
amusement. Rossi gave bis
last performance C'Hamlet' at a
matinee Ia. day. The rain fell 10 tor.
rents. but he hada fair audience new
81 lis tii,f s%ngagcbrni herc
la. fully CONFIRMED bi, Eurglaan req
Is a great artist, though some
Of the critics have tr,ated him cOldly.