THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW.
September 20th, 1880.
So much for the poor part. As for the merits, they are also many.
There is a refreshing freedom from puns. The actors and singers are far
above the " combination " standard, and the operetina is as good as the
BOSTON, Sept. 14, 1880. standard works of Cellier, Sullivan, or Eichberg. The plot and cast of the
USICAL correspondents, like oysters, are only good in the months latter is as follows :
"DJAK AND DJUiL"
which have an " R " in them. For the last few weeks I have been by
the sea (by the way, why don't some composers write a song about the sea ?)
Argument.
and instead of dropping you a line, I dropped one to the fishes. Don't be
King
Stupidenko
XIV
having,
in a moment of irascibility, discharged
afraid ; I am not going to write you any fish stories ; my words shall relate
the porter of the palace, the Seneschal is sent for a pail of water for the
to musical, not piscatorial, scales
On my return I found familiar faces of artists in all the accustomed royal service. Djakh and Djill meeting the aged and decrepit Seneschal on
haunts ; Sherwood, Lang, Eichberg, Parker, Orth, Dannreuther, Wilkie, his way to fulfill his arduous task, take pity on him, and, depriving him of
the empty pail, go forth to fill it. The king, objecting to his daughter,
etc., etc., were all at their posts in various stages of tan and sunburn.
Djill, associating with Don Guzman's son, Djakh, is enraged when he hears
Everybody anticipates a brilliant and successful season.
Concerts have not as yet begun, but the theatres are open and doing of the adventure upon which they have entered in company, and refuses to
believe they could have been silly enough to go up hill for a pail of water.
a good business. Improvements have been made in almost all of them.
The Museum and Globe have sunk their orchestras in a pit, out of sight However, the fact of both Djakh and Djill falling down hill convinces him
of the audience. This alteration scarcely deserves to come under the head that he was not misinformed. He is so moved by the devotion of Djill in
of ' ' improvements ; " on the contrary the sounds are very indistinct, only purposely falling down hill, in order that Djakh, who had previously stum-
the flute and drum being prominent. Manager Field, on being spoken to bled, should not be alone in his misfortune, that he gives his consent to their
on this subject, quoted—•" European precedents—comedie Francaise without union.
orchestra," etc.
The King
Mr. Howson
These remarks seem to intimate that the managers are somewhat like Don Guzman
Mr. Bell
Joseph's brethren, and, after casting their orchestras into a pit, will take The Seneschal
Mr. Barton
them out and dispose of them altogether. But then what will be done for Djakh
Mr. Armand
musical plays, and how shall melo-dramas be rendered ? For example :
Djill
Miss Bell
Miss Jansen
Orphan.—" Oh me saaainted mother, look down upon your sta-a-arving The Abigail
Page
:
Mr. Lennox
cheild, and now prrotect her."—(Slow music.)
And the musical numbers are :
Enter three ruffians.
Duet.—"Take that and that,"—King and Guzman. Recitative and
(" Hurry " in orchestra).
Song.—"Of the dignified position,"—King. Recitative and Aria.—"Go,
tyrant, go," "O Love,"—Guzman. Duettino.—"Ah, father, how d'ye do,"
Three Ruffians.—Seize her and bear her hence !
—Djakh and Guzman. Aria.—"Sweet maiden,"—Djakh. Duet.—"Hove
Enter Alfonso (disguised).
you,"—Djakh and Djill. Scene.—"Ah, Djakh and Djill,"—Seneschal.
(Tremolo in orchestra).
Trio.—" He's turning 94,"—Djakh, Djill, Seneschal. Terzetto.—"Where
Unhand her, rrrumans!
are you going,"—Djakh, Djill, Seneschal. Song.—" There's nothing but
Ruffians.—Who and what are you ?
annoyance,"—King. Quartette.—"The cause of this confusion,"—King,
Abigail, Guzman, Seneschal. Air and Quartette.—"Djakh and Djill,"—
Alfred.—I am—her long lost brother !—(Chord.)
King, Abigail, Guzman, Seneschal. Scene.—"But, ah, a dreadful thought,"
No ; decidedly it is impossible as yet to do without the orchestra. As re- —King. Air and Quartette.—" 'Tis not on hills,"—King, Abigail, Guzman,
gards decorations, I find the Museum rather a disappointment, with its red Seneschal. Air and Sextette.—" Djakh and I,"—Djakh, Djill, King, Abigail,
paint blotches ; the Globe very bright in gold and white ; the Park much as Guzman, Seneschal. Air and Chorus.—"Dear papa," -Djill and characters.
last season, except in its drop curtain. This latter is quite a triumph for Finale.—"Pooh, pooh,"—All the characters.
your New York artist, Mr. Hoyt (of Booth's theatre) ; it is simple in
The king's songs bear in their rapidity a resemblance to the Major
design, being merely a pretty page, holding together a curtain composed of
voluminous folds of white satin. It is in a high key, white predominating Generals music in the " Pirates of Penzance," but the music, though at no
time very original, does not especially savor of plagiarism. The recitatives
throughout.
Now as to entertainments ; only two theatres have given plays wherein are pompous, with accented chords, and full of playful absurdity.
The aria "Sweet Maiden," is high in tessitura, but has much melody and
music was a feature.
is well sung by Mr. Armand. The Seneschal's part is quaintly humorous, for
THE GAIETY
he sings an old man's song, in season and out of season. The orchestral ac-
had a successful two weeks run of " Otto," with Mr. & Mrs. Geo. Knight in companiment is always pleasing without being too intricate; in the love
the leading roles. This couple extracts music from various strange sources, passages melodious themes appear on oboe, and flute, and at some of the
—hands, canes, bits of wood (xylophone), etc., etc. In Tyrolese business mock heroic scenes, brass is freely used, and figurated bass. The air and
they are very good, and Mrs. Knight sings the " Clang of the Wooden Shoon " quartet, "Djack & Djill," is the success of the work ; it is well but plainly
with good taste.
harmonized. The air was charmingly sung by Miss Jansen, and it won a
As regards the acting, I need say nothing, as the couple have lost none double encore. The final "Pooh ! Pooh ! " chorus contains a musical joke
of their charm, and Mr. Knight is the beat German comedian in the pro- in its imitations of the " Cuckoo " style of music. All in all—" Djack and
Djill " is witty, melodious, and contains all the elements of a successful light
fession.
opera. If it came earlier in the evening it would be sure to evoke even more
THE PABK THEATBE.
enthusiasm.
has been running "Fun on the Bristol," which dabbles somewhat on the
Of the performers we must speak in high praise. Mr. Howson was a
borderland of music. Misses Castleton. and Marion Fiske sing better than host in himself ; but if he persists in singing " Mary's Canary " (Burnand's),
the average of this class of performers, and Mr. Saville is improving, his in such a falsetto, he will tear his voice to pieces in a month. Mr. Digby
voice having more volume and feeling than heretofore ; but I earnestly Bell was, as ever, a genuine success. only two faults must be found with
counsel him to give up singing the " Toreador's Song " from " Carmen." His him—the gestures he uses, especially the movements of the arms, are not
voice is not brilliant enough for this fiery song, and his gestures do not suc- varied nor graceful, and in concerted music he seems too self-conscious and
ceed in picturing a Spanish Bull fight, but rather one of the New York sings too prominently. He is too fine a singer and actor to need to " force
order.
the pace." Of the female voices, Miss Jansen was the best; her voice
The popularity of this class of plays is not yet on the wane, and is easily though not brilliant, is very pure and sweet, and her acting too exhibits a
accounted for : they are merely thinly-disguised, variety shows, and people remarkable ease for a debutante. Miss Bell's voice, though far more brill-
(especially ladies), who do not wish to attend a variety theatre, have now a iant, was not so true to pitch, yet at no time distressingly false.
chance to see the " business," on the boards of first-class theatres.
Miss Tracy made the most out of a very ungratef ult part, and so also did
But the most important event of the young season, was the first produc- Mrs. Rowe.
tion of B. E. Woolf's new conundrum of
But if I write so much about an operetina, how long a letter would I
write about an opera ? (is the question your readers may by this time ask),
"LAWN TENNIS."
and therefor I check the careering pen and sign myself, your renovated cor-
I call it a conundrum, because it is impossible to classify it. It is neither respondent,
L. C. IL
fish, flesh, nor fowl, or rather it is all three. During the opening scene the
dialogue affects a Sheridan-like briskness and leads one to imagine that the
BAYBEUTH.—During the three summer months of May, June and July,
"legitimate" is aimed at; then come songs, which give a vaudeville the Bayreuth Patronage Association has been reinforced by 30 members,
character ; then impossibilities, a la extravaganza ; then just a little spice of belonging to 20 different towns in Germany and abroad. For a lump pay-
variety in costume and acting.
ment of 45 marks, or an instalment of 15 for 1880, each new member pur-
Plot.—Well, it would be difficult to define the plot. A set of ladies have chased the right of attending the performance of the Festival-Play,
formed a man-tamers' club (a touch of Shakespeare), a young dramatist in "Parsifal," in 1882. In addition to the above amounts, the Theatre Fund has
search of a plot, forms one by making love to everybody and watching the been augmented by 1,000 marks from the Universal Musical Association of
consequences, and writing them down (a touch of Benedix's "Dr. Wespe " Germany, and 1,745 marks as extra or exceptional offerings from the "faith-
here) ; but the whole is not intended for analysis.
ful."
A better set play was never seen. The scenes are marvels of artistic taste,
MENU.—M. Menu, a bass singer, late of the Grand Opera, Paris, is
and, in the second act, give a brilliant parody of Eastlake, Keramic, and engaged
at the new opera-house in Geneva.
other house-furnishing crazes. The costumes, incongruous as they are, are
TONKUNST.—The Tonkunst, Berlin, will in future be conducted by Mdme
bewitching (in one case,—a dress-coat with short sleeves—being taken from
one of Du Maurier's picture in Punch), and the eye is kept amused with a Hahn, widow of the late editor and proprietor.
constant succession of surprises. But cutting of dialogue will be an absolute
GOUNOD.—M. Gounod, not long since, paid a visit to Ostend, and a
necessity before the piece will make a furore. The footman Datchett, after special concert was given in his honor.
making a hit by appearing stolid as Mark Twain's "petrified lackey," proceeds
LEON.—Signora Ynez de Leon is announced to appear in Italian Opera at
to Bpoil it by a dialogue, both in the first and second acts, which is entirely the Brooklyn Academy of Music, on Sept. 30. The lady has an excellent
out of keeping with the first impression, and wearisome besides. The in- reputation in Italy, and will try her chances in America. Being a real
troduction of the operetina is managed by a rather flimsy artifice, and the dramatic singer, she has a great career before her, if she has success. She
sudden change of Mrs. Prout from a trivial society character to a highminded will make her debut as Norma. The other members of the company are
and resolute female, and the yet more sudden and cheap manner in which utterly unknown ; but sometimes unknown singers have proved very valu-
Mrs. Doll is converted, are abjectly puerile.
able artists, BO we must wait and judge after having heard the company.
'
L. C. E'S BOSTON LETTEB.
MUSICAL PEBFOBMANCES AT THE THEATBES.
M