The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1856-02-26 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

MUSIC AND THE DRAMA.  'P THE THELTRH ROYAL, Shakspeare's noble tragedy of ~itarbeth" was produced on Wednesday evening, in a style artistic beauty, and with a variety and power of scenic and :et4 effect, deserving of very high commendation. The 4,417, dresses, and other stage properties are entirely new, 411 quantity of the scenery being admirable specimens of 111('tc hal. art. Much study has obviously been bestowed on fe Est efficient mode of maintaining the mysterious unity 41:,.11Per-human agency with the workings of evil passions topt",.ft mind not naturally depraved ; but which, through a kulnation of circumstances, is ultimately wrought up to a tll of wickedness almost bordering on the sublime. To rat this object all the resources of art have been brought rely into play. Allusion has already been made to the genetpp.e.!cellence of the scenery ; but, in addition to the usual qaQ""Jaces of the painter's art, there have here been introtati'4, and frequently with the most striking felicity of adaphat,°3l, the peculiarities of dioramic deception. This is very VIII' applied to the appearance and disappearance of .19/40's ghost, in the well-known banquet scene, in which, c:Ile ere represented, the ghastly phantom is made to fit from 11144130 int of the scene to another, while a sort of dread trkv.`tious gloom is diffused over the whole. The conReif of light and darkness is also made an extensive as N_aa. a powerful agent in adding to the supernatural lx44,lllery of the tragedy. Indeed, it is probably the only 4101' in this excellent reproduction which requires reconsidertta:. To us it seems as if too free a use of darkness and ke gloom is adopted, many of the most striking and effective kiWiles and soliloquies being delivered in nearly utter darkThe extraordinary and wonderful dagger soliloquy, for mule, is given on a stage almost entirely destitute of even d;„?' of light, the whole house being also reduced to the same 4a7.ee bf sombre dulness. This, besides being unpleasant to the tqcence, deprives the actor of the power to address any sense kttethat of hearing—general action and the expression of Ilre, on which so much of histrionic excellence depends, Tatilk entirely invisible. A similar objection lies with equal 6hee against the scene in which the murderous Thane and art hot less guilty wife hold stormy counsel with each other het Macbeth has " done the deed." The whole of this t scene, as here represented, is confined to its effect Ivitvl the ear, and all the wonderful power of expression Of Which it was wont to be invested by the genius ke: Siddons, and the magic flexibility of feature of a .114,1— is lost in inexpressive gloom. ' Such a deprivation is 111,,14ensated by any extent or excellence of general effect. Zia- character of Macbeth is creditably sustained by Mr. tke:i Sullivan, whose elocution is in many respects of a very l'eD„ ent order, Lady Macbeth finds also a respectable dttr,..egentative in Mrs. Vickery ; in some few points she introre .new, and, in still fewer, improved readings of the, part. eapitl;iece has been played every night since Wednesday, to the "", houses, and the audiences have been continuously on 144 Increase, It is to be performed every 'evening this week, MI; we doubt not that, notwithstanding. the drawbacks to ,et,, We have alluded, it will increase in popularity as it tt' c'kes better known.  0 ink! Tuesday, the extensive stock of drapery goods, carpet° &c., belonging to the sequestrated estate of Thomas tv4,,,4'.a and Co., Buchanan-street, (formerly Crooks and Jones) 414 disposed of by private bargain to Messrs. Jeffery, Morrish, 441•, Liverpool. The invoice value of the entire stock 0 " kosnnted to fully £13,000, and the offers, to be paid in prompt , Were as follow : ,Ifeu Below invoice or cost price. g—, 1.3. Jeffery, Morrisb and Co. ......... 362 per cent. 4 %'s. Arnott' Cannock and Co. ........ 37i sfir•, b"' Thomas Chalmers and Co 38 40:L. C. Buttle Nr.11;1. Peru and Easton, of Hull, offered to take the stock of t: *Only, at 30i per cent, below the ',invoice or cost price. i agoto Citizen.