The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-12-21
MUSIC AND DRAMA.
LAWRENCE BARRETT.

LAWRENCE BARRETT.
1t is evident that very brilliant aud crowd
ed audience will greet Mr.. Barrett at Portlsnd
Theatre tomorrow night. The plot OF the
new play Francesca da Rmini" is as follows:
"Maltesta of Rimini Guelph, had two sons.
one Count Paolo, handsome and accomplished,
the other, Lanciotto, hunchback, brave, sem
sitive, the stay and barrier of his country. To
cement peace, the rival cities of Rimini and
Ravenua offer to unite their houses in mar
rage, and Lanciotto Is chosen as the BRIDE
groom for Francesca, the lovelest maiden of
Ravenua, young and motherlsss. Lancotto
consents on condition that his brother shall go
and WOO his bride in his name, telling her his
defects and deformity without deceit. His nc
BILE brother goes, and with his meeting with
Francesca the deesit begins She mistakes
him for her promised husband. Undeceived,
Paolo hesitates TO describe the qualities Of
Lanciotto. and himself becomes the lover.
Francesca, in turn, overcome by love, repays
deception for deception. In love with the en-
bassador, she yet consents to be the bond
which ends the wars of Guelph and Ghibein.
She goes to Rimini to meet her betrothed, and
though she shoulders at first sight of him, abe
disdains the release he offers and anew be-
troths herself to the hunchbsck. Yet, at the
not but shrink at bis salute revealing to the
deformed husband the wretched truth that he
is not loved. A sudden outbreak of the enc
my distracts his mind from dwelling on his
misery, and leaving bis bride and brother he
dashes to the wars to drown his sorrows in for
| getfulness.
| With his absence follows the inevitable
| Thus together, the sweet bud of an unconquer-
| able love between wife and lover bursts into
sudden bloom. Seated by her side he reads to
| her the passionate story of Sir Launcelot and
| Queen Guinevere. "He kissed her full upon
the mouth" AS the poet writes SO they per-
form. and duty, tilial love, domestic truth, 10y
| atty to the absent are swept away BY power
as resistless as it was ecstatic. The vindictive
fool overhears the scene, and hating Laneotto.
rushes to him with this news. Breathess he
| tells his story, and for reward finds death. The
soldier and the husband, seeking vengeance,
/ rides to Rimini.
The last scene opens on the boudoir Of the
guilty wife. Tho remorsefu lovers paint in
| horror their deceitful past, yet dwell with rap
| ture on the glorious Delights of love. In the
form o., the injured husband. vengeance ape
| pears. Tae relief is death. AT the summit of
| Illicit love stands retribuiion, and the immor-
tai story of Dante is ended with the immola-
| tion of the lovers, the vengeance OF the hunch-
back husband, and the baptism of the strife of
| Guelph and Ghibelin in the blood of Frances
ca and Paolo and that of the heroic and sens-
tive hunchback.
MILE. NoRDIcA.
The Boston journal thus speaks OF Mile
Nordica's Gillian Norton ofsFarmington) Mar
garet in "Faust' IN Boston Wednesday night:
Her entrance, from histrionic point of view,
was somewhat disappointing, for instead of the
characteristic light-haired, simple German
maiden whom Goethe's Gretchen represents,
tbs Margherita of last night appeared as a
dark-haired young lady, deliberately costumed,
and with the dignifed bearing natural only to
a social world far removed from that of the
poor German maiden. But this inaccuracy of
costume was soon forgotten. for Miss Norton
proved herself an excellent actress in every
respect, enforcing the beauty of her singing
doubly by the grace and naturalness OF her ac-
ton. Her rendering of the vocal numbers
won the commentator it well deserved I'm
fortunately the opera of "Faust, present but
two good opportunities for the heroine, the
moonlight duel between Margherita and her
lover and the prison scene of the last act But
both of these scenes were magnifcenty rem
dered. Miss Norton's pleasing voice appealed
perhaps more to the feelings by its clear sweet
ness than by any extraordinary display of
vigor, and for this reason the artistic found her
most excellent opportunities in the gentle
songs OF love. The beautiful prayer, "Signor;
accogi la preghiera,' of the fourth act was ex.
quisitely rendered, while the trio of the prison
scene, although entirely opposite in character
yet was so well sustained in its soprano part as
to raise even higher than before the estimation
of Miss Norton's lyric skill. The upper notes
were especially admirable, pure, clear aud
delcately shaded In expression. Miss Norton
was twice called before the curtain, after the
third and fifth acts, and heartily greeted by the
| audience.
VOCAL AND INSTRUMENTAL CONCERT.
A very delightful vocal and instrumental
concert was given at Pine street church last
evening, to greatly pleased and enthusiastic
audience. Several of the performers are es.
tablished faYorities in Portland and the others,
who are comparatively strangers, showed ex.
cellent abilities. The programme was quite
lengthy, but this fact did not detractS from its
merits The performers were of course en-.
| cored, and deservediy. Mrs. Seaver, the
| Colby quartette, the Sturtevants, Miss Pennell
and Miss Thomas, al acquitted themselves ad-
mirably.
The Lewiston Journal says: "Mr. Homer i
Norris intended to either spend the year study
ing In Boston or take an important church
position offered in Portland. Through the adj
vice of his physician he will do neither, bui
remain in Lewiston at present After the Gus
| soA Souioo 10 hiioiOu uO piOpoooS w lahb 10 Oh
gagement OF any kind.
Mr.. Frank Williams, agent for Harry Lacy'l
planters Wife," is in town. Mr.. Lacy and
Miss Emile kigl will appear in the play al
Portland TheatresDe 9th and 28th.
Mr.. A. M. Sawyer has prepared an enter
tainment of an exceedingly novel character
and one that will prove highly attractive, oil
we are much mistaken. 1t consists of dra
matte sketch. including series Of tablesux
the whole serving to introduce all the songs &C
popular during the war, to be sung by larg,
chorus of selected voices. A rehearsal took
place last night, which was voted success