New-York tribune., 1907-08-04

the comedians sent to the colonies by William
Hallam under the management Of his brother.
Lewis, produced IL, yet the historic CoVent Gar
den Theatre, In which II first cav the stage
lights lcandles they were, too). would scarcely
stand comparison with the most modest of the
metropolitan theatres nowadays. Its audience
room only 64 or 90 feet deep; there were
mo footlights. the stage being illuminated by
four hoops of candles. over which crown hung
from the borders. The orchestra held only If
teen or twenty musicians. though it was in this
house that Handel produced his operas and
oratories: the boxes were fat IN front and had
twistle double branches for candles fastened to
the plaster. There were pedestals each side
OF the boards. with elaborately painted figures
OF Tragedy and Comedy thereon Hallams
tors went first TO williamsburg Va but were
persuaded 20 change their home to New York
IN the summer Of 1853, among other things by
the promise that they would find very fine
Playhouse Building here. Nevertheless. when
Lewis Rallam came he found the fine playhouse
unsatisfactory. and may be said to have inau-
gurateo the habit custom. whatever it
may be called, followed by many managers
since, Of beginning his enterprise by erecting
new theatre. The old one in Nassau street was
torn down, and a new one built on its site. 1t
was promised that it should be very fine large
and coTnnodious,' and il built between
juno and September. 1853; how fine, large and
commodious IL was may, therefore, be imagined.
A year later the German Calvinists. wanting
place Of worship bought the theatre, and New
York was without a playhouse until a new one
Cruger's Wharf built by David Douglass,
who had married Lewis Hailams widow, Hal
lam having died in Jamaica in 100. This
abandoned in turn. and Mr.. Douglass built
second theatre, this time IN Chapel street. 1t
cost 81, Cos and scarcely have been either
very roomy or very ornate. Such as ii was,
however, il the home OF the drama in all
its forms. possibly the ballad opera until
about 1165. and the centre around which
storm ragged which eliminated in a riot which
wrecked II.
The successor of this unhappy institution was
the John Street Theatre, which was opened
toward the close of the year 1I6T. There seems
TO have been period of about fifteen years
during which the musical drama absent
from the amusement lists, but this house
echoed. like its earliest predecessors. to the
strains OF the ballad opera which made Gay
rich and Rich gay" The Beggar's Opera
preceded, however. by Love in a Village" for
which DR.. Arne wrote and compiled the music;
and Bickerstaff's Maid Of the AIll' was also
in the repertory. In 1774 1t was officially recon-
mepded that all places Of amusement DE closed.
Then followed the troublous times Of the Rev
oiution, and IL was not until twelve years after
ward-that is. TIL 11SG-that English opera re-
surned its sway Love in a Village" re-
vtved and 1t followed by "Inkle and Ia-
rico" arrangement Of Shakespeare's TEN
pest with Purcelrs music, mo Song. No Sup
per-; Macbeth" with Locles music; McNally's
comic opera robin Hood" and other works Of
the same character; in fact. il may safely he
said that few Il any English operas either with
original music music adapted from the bal
lad tunes OF England, were heard in London
without being speedily brought TO New York
and performed here In the John Street Thea
tre too, they were listened to by George Wash
ington, and. unless my memory plays me false
(for I am writing far away from my books
the leader of the orchestra, q German named
Pfeil, whose was variously spelled rye,
File, Files and on produced that president
March tho tune Of which was destined 70 be-
come associated with Hail Columbia" TO the
words OF which II was adapted by Joseph Hop
kineon. Of Philadelphia On January 20. 1t9S.
q new playhouse. the name Of which has never
been permitted TO die out in New York, was
opened This the Park Theatre musical
piece entitled The Purse or American Tar,
was on the programme Of the opening perform
ance and for moro than score of years the
Park Theatre played important role in local
operatic history. For q long term English
OPERAS Of both types held the stage along with
the drama in all its forms. but In lSl9 an Ing
lish adaptation Of RossinIs Barber OF Seville
the opera which opened the italian regime
six years iater-was heard on its stage and
two years after that Henry Rowley Bishops
ARRANGEMENT of Mozarts Marriage Of Figaro
a. the close OF the season Of $50 the Park
Theatre WAS destroyed by fire, to the great loss
of ii. owners one OF whom was John JACOB
Astor. On It's site was erected the new feFh
Theatre which was the original home OF ltallan
opera performed in its original tongue and IN
the Italian manner, though only n small minor
tty of the performers were Italians by blrth
Garcia was q Spaniard, born in Seville. Idch-
ard Grant White. writing in The century
Magazine" for March. 1SS2, calls him q span
,sb uebrev" on what authority am unable
70 puess Not only Manuel Garcia, the
elder q chorister in the Cathedral OF SeVlIe AT
tho ape Of six but It seems likely as not thdt
no came OF a family Of Spanish church hlual-
clans who had made their mark for more thail
Nrty wears before the father or MaIlpfah "dS
born But 1t is habit with some writers -
find Hebrew blood in nearly all persons OF
genius A glorfcation Of the Jew In iluSio'
written by A r Keeton, published IN n feceH.
n,,nher of 1.-The Contemporary Review anu
u1de,v repubushed by Hebrew journals through
ont the world. goes so far as to lmpute an
op rIehrew blood to Haydn, Mozart, BeethoNel'
Sct,bert schumann, Chopin. Dvorak and WaB-
,er merely because Germany. austria nun
gary Poland. Little Russia Boher1ia. Just Ii-o9
a.rt. or Europe where Jews have Tor genera
t,ons heen most closely concentrated are 11to
r,odern worlds richest harvest heios III iiId'.
The writer left little Of Europe to ChrlsIian III