THE
MUSIC
TEADE
L. 0. E.'S BOSTON LETTER.
BOSTON, Aug.
SUMMER GARDEN OBCHESTEAS.
2, 1880.
tradesman, Mr. Forrester played the part more like an American commercial
drummer. The role should be acted somewhat (though not exactly) as Mr.
Stoddart acts the Notary in "French Flats," then the character would be
irresistibly comic. Mr. Forrester's boyish burlesque and weak "gags"
ruin the only chance the opera has of success. The two Robbers, Jose and
Sancho, looked villainous, but their looks were not half as villainous as their
voices; they did not give even an idea of the music which Sullivan has
written.
CERTAIN Italian traveler who reasoned by the inductive process, vis-
ited Pisa twice in a rainstorm ; " What !" he exclaimed on his second
visit, " when I left Pisa it was raining ; I come back after twenty years, and
it is raining still!" Much the same experience has followed me in my re-
MORE PINAFORE.
sfearches into the music of the Boston Summer gardens. Every time I go, it
rains. Jupiter Pluvius is evidently opposed to my listening to the garden-
This week I do not intend to go to the Oakland, for they are giving
music of Boston, and J. P. is right; most of the Summer orchestras seem to "Pinafore," the opera which has abolished the use of the word "never"
have been picked before they were ripe ; they contain young men of tender in the English language. Perhaps Sullivan will take a hint from the success
years, but tough harmonies, who may become good musicians about A. D. of the " New Evangeline," and gather an aftermath from his work by adding
1900. I have spoken often of our need of a Summer orchestra worthy of the a few new characters, and calling it the "New Pinafore." I believe that
name, but I have not told you that the orchestras of the gardens contrive, there is more juice in the lemon yet if he squeezes it in that way.
like Goldsmith's bed, " a double debt to pay," an orchestra by night, a street
HAXLLECK'S ALHAMBRA.
band by day ; that is, in the day-time they ride around on the top of a street
car, surrounded by flaring advertisements, inviting the hoi polloi to come to
There is one summer resort in Boston where an operatic representation
the gardens and be elevated and cultured. There is one other little (perhaps (even if a light one), has been given with a belief that music in Summer need
unintended) deception in connection with these gardens ; the price of admis- not necessarily be of the circus-band order, and the idea seems to have paid.
sion is given on the posters as 20 or 25 cents, but not a word is said about Halleck's Alhambra is not a "garden ;" it is a pretty, wooden building at
reserved stats at 50 cents extra. A gentleman who escorts a party of ladies City Point, where fine ocean views and breezes may be enjoyed before enter-
to the entertainment, finds his expenses unexpectedly trebled, for without ing, or between the acts, and it is the only place that has given a perform-
these reserved seats, one sees and hears practically nothing. Last week I ance which as a whole will compare fairly with those at the regular theatres
went to the
in Winter. The bill, when I visited the place, was
A
OAKLAND GARDENS.
THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE,
On entering, I perceived that the audience was of a better class than
that which I had seen at the other resorts. Being situated in a fashionable and I am glad to notice that it has drawn large houses. Of course it rained
neighborhood, it draws to itself rather a high order of patronage. I nat- when I went; I believe that the clerk of the weather ia off on a vacation, and
urally, therefore, expected a higher order of entertainment; I was thoroughly has left an amateur at the pump. But within four walls, and under a roof,
disappointed. The programme began with " the talented La Rue children," the rain did not matter much, and seemed to have no perceptible effect in
who tortured music in many ways. They began with the time-honored song diminishing the size of the audience.
THE CAST.
and dance, where somebody meets a "charmer" who "steals his heart
away," and they dance together, and he takes off his hat and bows, and she
The
cast
of
the
piece
was
very
fair: Richard, a Pirate Chief (the original),
twirls a fan, and they commit various other infantile nonsense. This made Mr. Brocolini; Samuel, his Lieutenant
original), Mr. J. E. Nash ; Fred-
me rue that I had come to hear the La Rue infantry. After this they sang a eric, a Pirate Apprentice, Mr. Macrery ; (the
Major- General Stanley, of the Brit-
" pop " song, wherein the yoixng lady expressed a desire that some one should ish Army, Mr. A. W. F. McCollin; Edward,
a Sergeant of Police, Mr. Rey-
take her " back to home and Mother." In this desire we cordially shared, nolds ; Mabel, General Stanley's youngest daughter,
Miss Mattie Danielle ;
particularly as the song was aggravated by a violin obligate. Then came a Edith, Kate, Isabel, General Stanley's Daughters, Miss
Hattie Clifford, Miss
banjo duet, which suggested an alteration of a riddle of childhood : What
sounds worse than a banjo ? Two banjos. After this the talented La Rue Bessie Grey, Miss Helen Stuart ; Ruth, a Piratical " Maid-of-all-work," Miss
Marie Girard. In criticising the performers I must say that the worst of
children went home, and we had a chance to listen to
them were fully as good as the best I have heard at the "gardens."
THE CONTBABANDISTA,
THE ORCHESTRA.
by A. Sullivan. This comic opera has the disadvantage of a rather weak li-
Of course, there are a few " make-shifts." The orchestral effects, some
bretto by F. 0. Burnand. We have before expressed our opinion of this of which have in the original score considerable humor, are helped out by a
writer; he has written himself out in one charming book ("Happy piano and organ ; the latter was played by the director, Mr. Geo. Loesch,
Thoughts"), and then has subsided into a dreary level of puns. Although with one hand, while he directed with the other. Nevertheless, "ttie orches-
we don't echo the stale Johnsonian platitude about puns, yet a person who tra gave a good, outline of the full score, and was not to be compared with
habitually uses them is rather a bore than a wit.
the circus bands of the other resorts.
The opera was written thirteen years ago, and has never made a great
THE SINGERS.
hit, although some of its numbers have become well known as ballads.
Among these, the most famous is "Only the Night Wind Sighs Alone,"
Of the singers only two were inefficient; it is a sorrowful fact that these
which is very pretty, and the close of the opera. It is followed by a pleasing were the two "principals," Mabel and Frederic. That Miss Danielle was
duet—"A Guard by Night." It also contains considerable Bolero, and other specially engaged in London by Mr. Carte," as the programme states, does
imitations of Spanish music, besides several burlesque songs for the buffo.
not seem to have made her voice one whit better. Perhaps he engaged her
The finale of the first act reminds one of Cellier's pompous effects in because her voice is of a muffled quality and there would naturally be an
" Charity Begins at Home ;" the march of the Beadle, for example. In the affinity between the "Carte" and the "hoarse." Her voice is flexible, but
second act, the duet—" Let Hidalgos be Proud," is as much like the duet in she smothers her upper tones in the back of her mouth, (Pharynx), produc-
•' Box and Cox," as a twin brother. The chief air in this is " He Will Re- ing the bad quality which I have noticed in the much finer voice of Miss Ida
turn," which has also become very popular as a separate ballad.
Hubbell. As for Mr. Macrery, he sings tenor notes with basso (open) regis-
The following is a synopsis of the plot :
ter. Either he is an erring baritone, or a mistaught tenor. He seems to
The opera opens with a mountain scene, the home of the Ladrones. have a voice, but the poorest of methods. His high notes give the trained
Jose and Sancho, two of the tribe, are on duty, listening for the sound of auditor great apprehension. He goes up—like a rocket, bursts—like a
footsteps, and the rest of the Ladrones occupied in various pursuits. Dur- rocket, and comes down in a disconsolate way—like its stick. He acts well,
ing the opening duet and chorus we learn that Jose and Sancho are aspirants and I think (on a single hearing) has material to become a good singer.
for the hand of Inez, their Queen. Their jealousy arouses them to the point
The "business" of the chorus, and the great attention to clear enuncia-
of attacking each other, when Inez appears and stops them ; after reproving
which bore such excellent fruit under Mr. Gilbert's superb stage man-
them, she tells them that their clamor has awakened her from a dream in tion
are not discernible in this company.
which their future chieftain was pictured to her, and bids them to depart agement
But there ! I have done with finding faults. Broccolini was glorious
and await the fulfillment of her dream. An English tourist (Mr. Grigg), as the
Pirate King ; his lieutenant and his maid-of-all-work were acceptable,
"in search of the sublime and beautiful," appears on the scene; the La-
The three other daughters of Gen. Stanley, Edith, Kate and Isabel, were
drones seize him, and Inez, entering, recognizes in him the fulfillment of her too.
dream; Grigg, much against his inclination, is forced to become the chieftain. very good, and Mr. McCollin, made a good, but a too virile, major-general.
Previous to this, however, Vasquez, a Spanish officer, searching for Rita, his
THE AUDIENCE.
affianced, is taken prisoner by the Ladrones, but is surprised at the discov-
The audience was enthusiastic, encoring everything. I believe that the
ery that Rita is also held captive by the same band. They immediately seek
means of escape ; Vasquez departs, shortly after which Rita, hearing the re- opera will be more popular in America this season than last.
port of pistols, and fearing that Vasquez has been shot, throws herself on the
BOSTON CONCERTS.
mercy of Grigg (who has been crowned chieftain), and begs him to set her
I
have
now
finished
up
the
summer resorts of Boston, and shall take
free. Inez, the Queen of the tribe, entering suddenly, discovers them to-
gether, and her jealousy being aroused, summons the Ladrones and demands my wav " down to the sea in ships." In my next communication, therefore,
the life of Rita. They are about to seize Rita, when Vasquez appearing with I will sum up a few impressions which have been forced upon me in my past
attendance at Boston concerts. Till then—"Farewell, my own,"
soldiery, effects her release, and the lovers are made happy at their re-union. vear's
J
L. C. E.
The real humor of the piece must lie in the acting of Mr. Grigg, who is
the typical English shop-keeper abroad, and while a most prosaic being him-
HOWE'S PHILADELPHIA LETTER.
self is led into the most romantic situations.
THE PERFORMERS.
PHILADEIIPHIA, August 3d, 1880.
EXCITEMENT IN PIANO-ROW.
The list of performers was not altogether a poor one, with Mr. Wm. r
Forrester, Mr. Grigg, English Tourist; Mr. Jas. A. Gilbert, Jose; Mr. Paul T^HERE is a positive excitement in "piano-row," even at this unheard of
Bown, Sancho; Mr. Percy J. J. Cooper, Vasquez; Mr. Bogle, Capitaine Al- _1_ time of year for getting up excitements. Some of the " can't get away"
phonso; Miss Geraldine Ulmer, Rita, and Mrs. Flora E. Barry as Inez. folks are on hand to take an inter-est in the matter. A previous letter told
Open-air singing plays havoc with the voice, and Mrs. Barry sang quite you that nearly all of the more prominent pianoforte agencies are located
huskily ; besides her part does not give her any chance to make a hit. Miss within a single block. Every one of the buildings on the north side of
Ulmer was satisfactory in her singing (her part contains some splendid op- Chestnut street, from Eleventh to Twelfth, are comprised in the famous
portunities) but quite weak in her acting ; Mr. Cooper, ditto ; but he added Girard estate, bequeathed to this city, and are popularly known as Girard
to his misdeeds of acting by singing a Serenade, (or rather an Aubade), Row. They are very substantial four story bricks, with modern iron or
"Wake, Gentle Maiden," in a manner that would have "waked" an Egyp- marble fronts for the stores located on the first floor. But the city has taken
tian mummy ; and besides singing it fortissimo, he sang it at the audience a fancy to renovate the fronts of the upper stories (or "lofts " as you love to
instead of at the lady, which proves him to be no actor at all. Mr. Grigg call them) and they are all being torn out, and replaced by the enameled
was the weakest part of all. We have said that he is the typical English and vari-colored brick designs which are at present so popular.