The record-union., 1896-12-27

putting forth fiction in monthly in
stallments. In recent years, until Paul
Potter made an actable and positively
entertaining play out of ''Trilby," the
trade langulshed. But it's revival has
secured fortunes to several worthy per-
sons, and nearly all the novelists have
letely been turning their attention to
the theater, which offers enormous roy
alties in the event of success.
M. Gailliard, director of the Paris
Opera, was in Vienna the other day
and submitted to an interview. He was
delighted with Hans Richter and his
orchestra and chorus at the opera. He
did not approve Of the Viennese custom
Of lowering the lights very much during
performance, but envied the Burg
Iheater the arrangement by which all
the lights can be raised or lowered in
second. The Paris Opera has 10000
lights, but they are not under instanta-
neous control. In the Carl Theater he
admired new way of lighting the stage
from above, which he intends to intro
duce in Paris. Being asked to explain
the sudden enthusiasm of the French
NNOi w c1So lltI OptIdS, lie JGplISu UUdl
this enthusiasm was not really a new
thing, but had been artifcially kept
back during the many years when the
chauvinistic opposition to Wagner was
so great that no manager could produce
his operas even under police protection.
Now that the spell was broken the Wag-
ner enthusiasm found free vent. Next
year, he added, ''Rienzi" would be added
to the repertoire of the Grand Opera.
London journalist says that the
late Italo Campanini did not come
prominently into notice until his per-
formance Of 'Lohengrin" at the pro-
duction of Wagner's work in Italy at
Florence in 1871. One of Mr.. Maple
sons agents forthwith engaged him for
the London seasan at Drury Lane in
1872, and in his "reminiscences" Mr..
Mapleson gives an amusing account of
managerial dismay when the tenor up
on whom he had placed such hopes ap-
peared one evening at the stage door
in a colored flannel shirt with no shirt
collar, with a beard of three days
growth and q little pot hat. However,
Campanini made his debut at Drury
Lane under Costa's conductorship on
May 4, 1872, quite unheralded. and Gre
ated a great sensation.
It is pleasant to record the fact that
Edward Grieg, Norway's delightful
composer, the most original of living
harmonists, is Vienna's idol at present.
His concerts there last year We're so
successful that he returned this autumn
to give three more concerts of his own
works The result was that several days
before the first concert the papers con-
tanned the significant notice, "All seats
sold. Box-office not open in the even
ing"
1t appears that the recent announce
ment that some new marches of Beetho
ven's had been found rests on error
They were simply arrangements of
known marches made by the composer,
who made several different arrange
ments Of these for different band
pieces, sometimes with slight altera-
tions of the scores.
| Mrs. Kendall has been protesting
strongly, not to say angrily, against
the term of 'Matron of the Drama"
which some newspaper writer applied
to her. In her Dramatic Opinions
she professed to be very proud of this
title, calling it a crown of honor"
That was some time ago, however, and
she now regards it in a different light.
Bancroft, intends TO devote the next
few years Of his life to giving readings
in the principal cities of England, the
| proceeds to go to the support Of local
/ hospitals He began in London, the
! other evening, with a reading of Dick
| ems Christmas Carol" and seems to
/ have delighted all his hearers. including
/ the critics This is an admirable ex-
/ ample, which other performers who
! have been rewarded richly by the pub
! lie would do well to follow.
| San Francisco Music and Drama: A
private letter from a prominent pro-
/ fessional IN the East conveys the intel
! ligence that things theatrical are some
thing awful, and the number of compa-
MES that have gone up, and those that
are liable to close at any time, is some
thing startling. The same letter also
mentions that r. managerial firm that
/ has several big attractions on the road
is liable to make an assignment before
! the holidays.
The performance Of THE Two Gentle
men Of Verona" by the Elnabethan
I Society in Merchant Taylor's Hall. Lon
! don. does not appear to have excited
any tremendous amount Of enthusiasm
among the spectators. The next play
( 10 be presented by the society IS
Twelfth Night" which viii be pro
duced IN February.
On the occasion of the twenty-fifth
anniversary Of the production Of ''The
: Bells" Sir Henry Irving was presented
with n highly ornate silver bell by the
. members Of his company and other per-
sons employed about his theater in vari-
Gus capacities.
The Spellbound Garden" is the name
Of a new piece by Louis y. Parker and
Murray Carson, authors of Rosemary, -
which win be tried for the first time in
Glasgow. They have put the finishing
touches 10 Change Alley" the play
which they have written for Charles
Wyndham-
That wonderful Old English actress,
Mrs. Kelley. has just celebrated her
ninetieth birthday and still retains her
high spirits and much of her vigor.