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published Every Saturday.
VOL. XVIII. No. 2.
OUR EUROPEAN
*
Yoi% /lugust 5, 1893.
and elsewhere know him, apart from this, as
the author of a host of bright compositions in
the small forms.
Riviere's " Recollections " are full of amus-
ing anecdotes. One tells of a pugilistic en-
counter he had with Offenbach, during which
both pummelled one another in the most undig-
nified fashion. Of this our author says : " Ex-
cept that we had to look for our hats that had
rolled upon the floor, to set our collars in order
and pick up the spectacles that each had lost,
no serious results ensued." Both became friends
later on.
Jules Riviere was born in France in 1819. He
came to England in 1857.
WELCH SINGERS FOR CHICAGO.
THE DKURY LANK THEATRE DOOMED—AN IN-
TERESTING AUTOBIOGRAPHY — THE
WORLD'S FAIR EISTEDDFOD —
THE VISIT OF IRVING—
GENERAL FACTS.
LONDON,
July 23d, 1893.
The Welch musical world is taking a deep in-
terest in the Eisteddfod, which is to be one of
the features of the World's Fair. The Principal-
ity has subscribed $5,000 to send over one of the
best female Welch choirs. On August 10th,
Mrs. Mary Davies will cross. She will sing in
Chicago during the first week in September,
and, I have no doubt, will be favorably received,
for she is a conscientious and effective artist.
DEAR MUSIC TRADE REVIEW :
The doom of historic old Drury Lane Theatre
is the chief topic of conversation in literary
and artistic circles just now. Who, in the Eng-
lish speaking world, has not heard of this fam-
ous play house ? It is the property of the Duke
of Bedford, who has refused to grant a renewal
of the lease, as he has decided to demolish it. It
has represented a loss of $15,000 and interest
ptr annum to the Duke, who is not a sentiment-
alist. At a general meeting of the proprietary
recently, with Mr. J. C. O'Dowd in the chair,
the decision of his Grace of Bedford was warmly
discussed, and regret was expressed that after
a career of 266 years the world renowned theatre
should cease to exist. It was then resolved to
wait upon the owner and try and urge him to
reconsider his purpose, but it seems that the
chances in favor of the maintainance of the house
aie vtry slight. The Duke is a sharp up-to date
business man and will not stand further loss in
this direction.
RIVIERE'S MEMOIRS.
I am informed by an American friend that the
name of Jules Riviere is not very generally
known on your side of the ocean, and think it
strange. At any rate, he is a distinguished
and popular figure in British music, though he
has not scintillated very much in the public eye
during the past few years. Riviere has now
published a charming volume of memoirs
through Sampson, Low, Marston & Co., and
everybody is talking about it. It is entitled
his "Musical Life and Recollections," and
forms a handsome book of 226 pages. Riviere
will be remembered by Americans who have
visited London, ten or twelve years ago, as the
conductor and chief spirit of the Covent Garden
Promenade Concerts, but musicians in America
A SONG IN COURT.
The value of a really popular song can be
estimated to some extent by the pains which are
taken to enforce the legal rights of its owner,
says the Telegraph, A few months back the
law courts were listening to lengthy conten-
tions as to the authorship of '' Ta-ra-ra-boom-
de-ay," and now the sprightly ditty, " Margue-
rite of Monto Carlo," which Miss Letty Lind
" introduces " nightly at the Shaftesbury Thea-
tre, has had an injunction leveled at its devoted
head in the interests of an opposition air enti-
tled " Margarita." The case was heard, appro-
priately enough, by Mr. Justice Chitty, who,
being one of the most ardent musicians on the
bench, should be as capable of analysing a tune
as he is of deciding a knotty point of equity.
But Mr. Edward Cutler, Q. C, argues he never
so wisely, failed to persuade the learned judge
that an interim injunction would settle the ques-
tion in a satisfactory maner. No doubt Mr.
Justice Chitty realized that the lightsome melo-
dies of our modern civilization never catch the
ear of the crowd unless they contain material
which has already done duty in a hundred dif-
ferent forms. A popular song, nowadays, is not
composed—it is arrived at by an ingenious pro-
cess of evolution.
HENRY IRVING'S TOUR.
The details of Henry Irving's coming
American tour have been published. These are
the facts : During the month of September, be-
ginning on Sept. 4th, the Lyceum Company
will visit the following towns : San Francisco,
Portland, Tacoma, Seattle, Minneapolis, and
St. Paul. Five weeks will be spent in Chicago,
from Oct. 2d to Nov. 4th-, followed by eight
weeks in New York. The New Year will com-
^4.00 PER YEAR.
SINGLE COPIES, 10 CENTS.
mence in Boston, at the Tremont Theatre, with
a visit of four weeks ; then, from Jan. 29th to
Feb. 17th, three weeks will be occupied in
Philadelphia, and one week—Feb. 19th to Feb.
24th—in Washington. The remainder of the
tour will be divided between Boston and New
York. March 17th will be the last night of the
Lyceum performances on your side.
Mr. Irving, Miss Ellen Terry and their excel-
lent support look forward to a very successful
trip, and there is no reason why they should
not draw as well as formerly .unless it is that they
will have more competition this season than be-
fore.
OPERA FOR ROYALTY.
The recent performance of " Cavalleria," at
Windsor Castle is now known to have cost Sir
'Gus Harris a big sixpence. An estimate has
been published in one of the dailies on the
authority of Harris himself, which gives
the figures : For the three performances some-
thing like 550 persons were engaged, with-
out counting artisans and mechanics, and
among them were 28 leading artists, 120 choris-
ters, 50 ballet dancers, and 250 instrumental-
ists, from which an idea of the expenditure
may be deduced. However, Sir Augustus is
wearing his ornamental mantle and he has to
pay the donor somehow.
A POTENT WORD.
" Did you ever notice," said an old actor the
other day, " what an immense amount of humor
lies in the word ' d
n ? ' It used to shock
our forefathers, but now, I have known the
word to carry a whole scene. An audience will
let a man call himself or somebody else a fool
without a smile, but let him put the word d
n
before fool and they'll laugh, laugh loud. Why ?
It's not very wicked to say that word. It used
to be, but it isn't any more. It has become
rather commonplace. It does not seem to lose
any of its dramatic force. It's a strange word.
It makes people laugh in comedy, and it is one
of the most effective words in a melodrama.
You know when the villain drags the heroine
all over the stage and says, ' Now, you shall be
mine ! ' the hero steps out from some convenient
shelter, and says, 'I'm
if she will,' and
down come the thunders of applause. If he
didn't put that word in, it would fall flat. Yet
it's perfectly meaningless. It's only an explet-
ive ; but I suppose there's something in the
short, sharp, decisive sound of it. Ah, famili-
arity ! We'd grow familiar with the devil if he
didn't keep in the background all the time."
The death of Mr. John McKinley, the husband
of Anoinette Sterling, must be a severe blow to
that estimable lady and devoted wife. Between
the two a perfect attachment existed.
The silver wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Edward
Lloyd will be celebrated at their residence,
Hassendean, Tulse-hill, on August 1st. The
popular tenor is expected home from America
for the event.
The music trade is absolutely fiat at present,
but next week I shall endeavor to say something.
NIRVANA.