The times., 1897-11-07

Van Bene, cf an actor who has "a tenacious
grip on the elocuting style. He had grand
speeches and loud speeches, he staggered
and fell and he held he center OF the
stage Witt florid words To roll at his
auditors, but all his strokes We're with
a C3tton hammer, his lines were written in
wste-. 70 one was moved because he
didn't act. ne only eIocuUed, and 10 one
was made TO feel.
When one notes the remarkable spectacle
of the Boatoniana turning people away night
after night from the largest theater in the
CITY with L new opera, with no tights and
no suggestive lines or situations, IL can be
permitted TO cali these people benefactors.
They sing hight opera more pieaSingiy titan
any organi .stiun extaHt, and their reward
is al hand, wherever they appear. There
are many distinguishing merits to the
Bostoniaus' productions. The music is
aIwavs superior: the huuor not less
droII becanseft Is more cleanly; the chorus
Is made up OF singers, and the men are all
comedians of capacity; the principals sing
with skill ard taste. and not as IL their
legs or their last shade of bleach or their
costume were the point OF the song, and,
finally, sTfrlISine the entire presentation
is tine adunirable evenness of all the artists
and thei- liberation OF each other
This season they seem To be better than
ever. how many years Barna bee has
been an old man yet he is still spry
performer. VIII Macdonald has lost his
box II wrinkles, and his voice is re
turning. Jessie BARTLETT Davis wears
reartirul gown in the first act that dis
pIfvs every ounce OF her avoTdup,,is. but
a. hpr
fie-re IS actually trim if il isn't slim.
Her voice is perenniaIy sweet and she
had three excellent opportunities to use
II in "Don jose Of Sevillia. - The
AngeIus.r and in her staccato lead against
the fun choral background OF the second
act finale Eugene Cowles doesn't i'm
prove because tEere is no IoOm for 1t.
Poor win Fhnp was SO III ne could scarcely
sing at any jia4e during he week He IS to
be married next week. he should be Drawer,
George buckingham never before sad the
opportunity giten him III this opera. He
seizes It with all his might and tie result
is tie audience is in roar every nom ent he
is on.
Though the serenade song Is pretty it is
tricky and hard to remember after the first
few bars. The two march songs, Don
Jose and the few mea asures Of tile en-
trance Of the Dukes household, win be
more readily remembered. Every one who
saw the opera VIII recall as particularly
attractive Cow les first song ofthe cart:.ne,
B6rna bee S entrance, Il am Duke Of High
Degree the singing lesson the monks
chorus, the bolero and song, The AngeluS''
CowIes' song Of the monks adventure; the
sopranos waltz, Cupid and L." the song
Of the haunted castle, with which CowIes
opens the third act, the dreaming trio, and
the tenor 5 song. But those who have the
full score to go over at leisure VIII find
there IS not q note of Herbert's music but is
worth remembering.
The Bostonians could play here for two
weeks with profit. They should make the
experiment next year. With 50 many the
aters and so few good attractions on the
road, we could well afford to entertain
these artists for a fortnight.