The record-union., 1897-10-31


ly used in both plays.
After so many years of distinguished
successes as a comic opera Hbrettist in
collaboration with Sir Arthur Sullivan,
Mr. Gilbert returned to serious play
writing only to score failure His new
comedy, The Fortune Hunter" which
was tried upon the Birmingham public,
has fallen fiat. The critics are unani-
NOUS in their verdicts that the play
lacks the elements of strength and pop
ularity and that no amount of carpen-
tering, tinkering or revising could m
fuse life into it. This after Mr.. Gilbert
had announced, seemingly without
thought of the possibility of failure,
that he had resolved to foreswear comic
opera for more important work. Now 1t
is being recalled that he promised his
public, after the disastrous "Branting-
hame Hail. had met an unhappy fate,
ten years ago, that he would never re-
peat the offense.
While opera at reasonable prices, II
the singers be worth hearing, never
lacks patronage in London, theatrical
managers are complaining of bad busl-
ness and casting about to discover the
reasons thereof Several of the best
houses which are presenting plays with.
all the elements necessary for popular
ity under ordinary conditions, play %
half-empty rows or to paper, and some
have even taken to offering gift in
ducements to draw money. The ques-
tion is being seriously discussed wheth-
er the theatrical business is not over
done here, though the general verdict
is that the increase in numbers Of the
suburban theaters is drawing business
away from the center of the city.
1.-THE Sign of the Cross had its five
hundredth performance in London week
before last, after which it was shelved,
and Wilson Barrett will briefly revive
some of his earlier successes, giving
first place to THE Silver King" 1.-THE
Sign of the Cross has been translated
into the German, and made its Cont
mental debut recently at the Frederick
Wilhelmstadt Theater, in Berlin, re-
ceiving the approval of a large public
and the hearty condemnation Of the
critics, which is practically the repet-
ton of its history everywhere.
Clement Scott gravely tells this story
about a limelight man who, on a recent
occasion when Henry Irving visited the
Borough Theater, Stratford, was so en-
amored of the STORY of Waterloo or
THE Bells" that he forgot all about
his duties, and the "light-pilot, sitting
spell bound, with crossed legs, IN the
flies When demonstrated with, anu
asked how he could have been so care
less as to neglect his duties and forget
his instructions given at rehearsal, ne
answered very promptly and cand1dly:
'eWell. governor, 1 don't often get
chanst like this 'ere. I was just sit
ting down and enjoying of myself with
your actin'-which was grand, an no
mistake = and, s'elp me, forgot all
about the bloomin,. light!''
M. Iamoreaux, the famous French
conductor, has, it is said, abandoned
the direction of his orchestral con-
certs in Paris, and is contemplating
the foundation of an opera-house there,
where, during the exhibition in 1900,
representations of opera Will be given
on an extended scale and without dis
tinction of schools.
=
The late Franz Won Suppe was one
of the most productive composers of the
day. He wrote over two thousand
works. and in the papers he left at his
death was the unfinished operetta,
THE Model" which two Viennese COM
posers completed. A further examina-
ton Of his papers has brought to light
the music, we'll advanced, of a three
act opera and a one-act farce, both
works written some years ago. Suppe's
widow has asked Adolf Mulled, an ex-
celleut musician, to complete the three
act operetta. 1t is hoped that the piece
will be produced next season.
A Boston vegetarian proclaims this
terrible warning to meat-eating singers:
Fine voices are seldom found in coun-
try where fish or meat diet prevails.
Those italians who eat the most fish
Chose of Naples and Genoa) have few
fine singers among them. The sweet
voices are found in the Irish women
of the country, and not of the towns.
Norway is not a country of singers, be-
cause they eat too much fish, but SWe-
den is a country of grain and song. The
carniverous birds croak; grain eating
birds sing.
Heaven forbid!-but read this: 1t is
announced that Joaquin Miller has
been engaged to play part in the
forthcoming production of "The Heart
of the Klondike" at the Star Theater.
The tour of Nine Lillian Nordica will
be most extensive one this season,
travelling with Theodore Thomas part
of the season in the Middle Western
cities, then West, Northwest and
South, and appearing in New York in
March with the Philharmonic Society
under Seidl.
t. w. Keene will branch out into the
romantic historical in "An American
Emperor" new play which he has had
written for him. The scenes are laid
during the revolutionary times, and
Aaron Burr is made a central figure.
A monograph on the life and works
of Johannes Brahms, from the pen of
the well-known musical author Dr.
Heinrich Reimann, is to be published
this month as the first volume of
series entitled Famous Musicians is
sued by the Harmonic Publishing Com
pany of Berlin.
While in London a tendency asserts
itself toward stretching the musical
season to within month or two of the
year, New York exhibits a disposition
to compress it's musical enjoyment
within six months, covering the period
from November to April.