The record-union., 1896-08-16
VS.
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EAl1 USiC Aa&&@
S9FsNlN AND sFs4N
~ : Z -IHE DE4uA. D{;j'l


ologies. Wagner, the conjurer's noun
tebank, a part evidently designed for
the Lionel Brough or Harry Paulton OF
his day, becomes a staid and solemn
acolyte, the pink of sedate propr1ety.
, Mr.. Poel's favorite device of stage man
agement is to introduce a sort of slow
quadrille figure wherever it is possible
a series of meaningless mathematical
evolutions which would assuredly have
| eXasperated the groundlings at the Rose
or Newington Butts"
Evidence of musical progress in Lon
don is afforded by the fact mentioned by
| the Musical Times" that .whistling is
no longer in vogue" and 'the banjo has
been somewhat ousted from it's pride
of place by the mandolin" Further evil
dence may be found in the assertion
made by the Daily News that miscel-
laneous concerts have gone out of fash
ion, while on the other hand 1.-The vocal
recital of the type introduced by Mr..
and Mrs. Henschell and Mr.. Plunkett
Greene has wonderfully increased in
popularity, mainly owing to the inter-
esting nature of the new programmes,
from which drawing-rooom songs are
rigidly excluded, in favor of the rep
resentative Hede of England, Germany,
France and older Italy"
Jean de Reszke has not only dupli
Gated his New York triumph as Tristan
in London, but has again declared his
determination of appearing as Sieg-
mund and Siegfried in the 'Walkure"
and "Siegfried" in New York next sea-
son.
Planquette has been engaged to write
new ballet for the Alhambra in Lon
don. 1t is on the subject of Rip Van
Winkle, which that composer has al
| ready made use of for an operetta.
About year ago a teacher of the
italian method wrote to the "Musi-
cal Courier" claiming that Italy was
full of first-class singers, but that the
rest of the world never heard of them
because they had plenty to do at local
opera-houses. The falseness and alb
surdity of this assertion, says the New
York Post" was obvious to all who
know how very much higher salaries
are paid to singers in London, New
York, etc. than in Italy, which would
prevent these singers from remaining
at home. And now comes the announce
ment that Signor Sonzogno of Milan has
engaged no fewer than three American
singers for his next season-Emma Ne
vada, Sybil Sanderson and Mile. Van
Zandt. NThe London Figaro thus
fafa ear1fc II;
present Italy does not possess a really
great soprano, either light or dramatic,
for those that have a high reputation
there, bearing Italian-sounding names,
are either Spanish or Roumanian, or
any other nationality but Italian"
THE Brand of CAIN" new play by
Augustus Wolford, will have its first
production at Lincoln Theater in Chi
cago on the 18th inst
There are brave women among the
apparently hght-hearted and sometimes
frivolous people of the theater About
year ago young girl arrived in New
York from California She was stage
struck and had come East to seek her
fortune. She managed to secure a posi-
just before her funds ran out. The
company failed and she had no money.
From a man to whom she had brought
letters of introduction she borrowed Sc
with which to pay weeks board. Then
she promptly disappeared, and the man
mentally bade farewell to his little con-
tribution and proceeded to forget all
about the money and the girl After
he Io6
one morning a note inclosing the Sc and
informing him that the writer, despair
ing of finding employment on the stage,
had secured a position in another field
There was another lapse of time and
the girl put in an appearance in person
She had been working all through the
interval as nurse maid and had saved
enough money to be able to wait for an
engagement until the opening of the
| season. 1t is not always easy to read
the future, but there is not much room
to doubt the ultimate outcome in that
young woman's case.
What promises to be the most i'm
portant enterprise connected with op-
| cratic art in this country and the de-
velopment of singers desiring an oper-
by Nelson Wheatcroft's Empire Theater
Dramatic School, New York, t. e, a de-
| partment of the school devoted to op-
cratic acting. In all the great art
centers of the old world such schools ex-
ist, but in this country an aspirant for
! operate honors is obliged to enter a
chorus, or lacking experience, attempts
too much and thus makes a false start
F. w. Hoff, the tenor, who has been a.
year in Europe studying for the posi-
ton, will be chief instructor says
plays and Players
Charles H. Hoyts new musical farce.
which he is writing for Henry Conor.
will be presented at the Park Theater.
| Boston, for run on March 10Th. 1t
| has not yet been named, at least no
further than "a" There is the same
| indefinite beginning to all Of Hoyt's til
ties. The results, however, have been
exceedingly definite to the author
| Herbert Hall Winslow and VIII r.
| Wilson's new romantic play, THE
| Great Northwest" will open the sea-
son of the American Theater New
York, August 31st, and will be put on
for a run. The play made a pronounced
hit in Boston and other cities during it's
short spring tour, and there is every
reason to believe it will fare similarly
In New York, where it will have a Law
of $50 people. The scenic effects will
I