DOI Heft:
November 13, 1880
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17764#0225
November 13. 1880.]
PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
217
Knave and Abbe—a very Low
Churchman.
TWO COMIC OPERAS.
Had the Librettist, in adapting: Les Mousquetaires au Convent,
remembered the good old farce of The Boarding-School, and trans-
formed the French piece into something thoroughly English, the
“ book” might have been less objectionable than it is at present.
In The Boarding - School the characters are drawn with a
broadly humorous touch, and there is plenty of scope for good
rollicking fun of a gen-
uine farcical character.
The Mousquetaii es is a
dull comic Opera: the plot
is slight, the dialogue
(after the first little spark)
savours of vulgarity, and
the whole thing is neither
comedy, farce, nor bur-
lesque. Mr. Paulton is
to be highly commended
for toning down his cha-
racter, which, in less
conscientiously artistic
hands, would have become
almost as repulsive as
that of the drunken officer,
who, disguised as a monk,
uses the modern slang of
a Music Hall, speaks of a
girlas“ascorcher,” which
much delights the Gallery,
and behaves in a way
as out of keeping with
the particular situation
in which he should preserve his disguise as it is with the spirit of a
work that, at least, professes to be a Comic Opera! Heavens! Imagine
Count Almaviva talking of Rosina as “a scorcher,” or Rosina replying
to some question with “ Not for Rosey ' ” There are several objection-
able lines, but there is one—or there was on the first night—which
ought never to have been passed over by the Licenser if it existed
in the original MS. sent in to him. Its introduction, to say the
least of it, is offensive to good taste. Let us hope that the Librettist
erred through ignorance of the
original line he was parodying,
which, in all probability he attri-
buted to Shakspeare.
The instrumentation is good, and
the accompaniments melodious;
but the airs—with the exception of
Mr. Celli’s song, which does not
belong to the Opera at all, and is by
another composer.—are decidedly
commonplace and ineffective. The
chorus is well trained, the girls
are pretty, the dresses bright, and
the opening is so lively as to make
the remainder doublv disappoint-
ing. Miss Alice May does too
much, and Mile. Sylvia does
too little. The noble Comte was
represented by a Gentleman who
may be described as a Confi-
dential Amateur. He steadily
refused to face the audience, and delivered all his asides, as most
important secrets, to the Violoncello-player in the corner, who,
judging from his studied indifference, had probably heard them all
before. The Comte was the one funny thing in the Comic Opera.
Miss Clara Graham, first as a mous-
quetaire and then as a nun, looked very
pretty, and acted carefully. The scenes
call for no special remark.
The music’s by Varney,
The words are by Farnie.
And there ’s an end of it. If it turns into
a success, we shall not he surprised, seeing
that Olivette has succeeded, though we
fancy that in this latter case Miss St. John
is the chief attraction. It will be some
time before we get a rival to Les Cloches
de Corneville.
Billee Taylor, at the Imperial, is quite
another affair. It is in two Acts, well put
on the stage, charming old English
dresses designed by a Frenchman (M. Pilo-
tei,l) and made by a French firm (Auguste
& Cie.). There are a few pretty tunes, some well-executed choruses,
The Musketeer—and Nun
like HIM.
Plain and Coloured
this “ Stoyle.”
Charity begins at Home.
ingeniously devised accompaniments, and no offence in plot or
dialogue from beginning to end. Why was it called “Billee,”
which suggests burlesque when it is
described as a “Comic Opera”? This
is irritating. With every wish to
give a most sincere and hearty welcome
to an English librettist and composer,
we are sorry that Messrs. Stephens—a
name of good omen so near the Houses of
Parliament—and Solomon—who ought
to inherit a share of the hereditary wis-
dom-should have deliberately chosen to
follow so closely in the footprints of
Messrs. Gilbert and Sullivan, as to
convey either the idea of bold rivalry or
intentional compliment. Had Messrs.
Stephens and Solomon adapted Messrs.
Gilbert and Sullivan’s names to their
own, and described themselves as Messrs.
Gilphens and Sullimon, we should have
known what to expect; but though we
may regret that Masters Stephens and
Solomon should have chosen to enter themselves as pupils in this
particular school, yet, as the boys insist on a competitive examina-
tion, we are bound to place them in the first
class and award them a prize. But Billee —
(Why Billee? Very annoying!)—is not the
measure either of their ambition or their
capabilities.
The music is light and pretty, but provok-
ingly like “ something you’ve heard before,”
which in itself has been found by eminent
composers a sure element of success when
combined with original treatment. The most
original, and happily the best thing in the
whole piece is the Chant of Charity girls—
not their chorus—unaccompanied, describing
their duties, to which the orchestra plays
“Amen.” This is excellent.
Master Solomon has evidently taken a
great fancy to one of the learned Dr. Sul-
livan’s tunes in Cox and Box — “ Three
years ago ”—as he has given us an inkling
of it first in Billee Taylor's song—(Why
Bil lee ? Provoking!)—and a second time in Minsinqing Lane.
Mr. Stoyle’s song, “ All for the sake of
Eliza," where Master Solomon seems really quite sorry to part with
the original model and substitute anything of his own. When
Mr. Stoyle began it with Solo-
mon, we finished with Sullivan.
Sir Mincing Lane (Mr. Arthur
Williams) tells us “how he be-
came” what he is, just as Mr.
Gilbert’s characters do.
The stage business at the Imperial
is so over-elaborated as to he neaily
as wearisome as what we are
accustomed to at the Strand and
Globe, where the perpetual mechani-
cal motion of the chorus is now of an
idiotic stereotyped pattern.
But even piaved as it is—by the
way little Miss Chambers is charm-
ing in it—those who are fond of this
form of Opera in this “ school ” will
be highly delighted with Billee—
(Why BiUre ? Most worrying!)—
Taylor, and,
Billy and Arry-bella’ing.
Spite of all temptations
From other recreations,
will rush to see the Prize Work by Masters H. P. Stephens and
Solomon, now performing at the Imperial.
Come at Last!
In the list of the Banquet given by the late Lord Mayor to the
Royal Academy on Wednesday, the last names are Mr. and Mrs.
Manners. Don’t we all recollect how in childhood’s happy but
gluttonous hours we were invariably bidden to leave the last piece in
the dish for Mr. Manners? Mr. Manners was by polite fiction
always supposed to come late, and here he is at the Mansion House
actually last! What an excellent lesson to the Aldermen and the
regular City feeders who had preceded ihem. Let us hope that these
dilatory but. distinguished guests had been duly provided for, and
that something was left for Mr. and, of course, Mrs. Manners.
PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
217
Knave and Abbe—a very Low
Churchman.
TWO COMIC OPERAS.
Had the Librettist, in adapting: Les Mousquetaires au Convent,
remembered the good old farce of The Boarding-School, and trans-
formed the French piece into something thoroughly English, the
“ book” might have been less objectionable than it is at present.
In The Boarding - School the characters are drawn with a
broadly humorous touch, and there is plenty of scope for good
rollicking fun of a gen-
uine farcical character.
The Mousquetaii es is a
dull comic Opera: the plot
is slight, the dialogue
(after the first little spark)
savours of vulgarity, and
the whole thing is neither
comedy, farce, nor bur-
lesque. Mr. Paulton is
to be highly commended
for toning down his cha-
racter, which, in less
conscientiously artistic
hands, would have become
almost as repulsive as
that of the drunken officer,
who, disguised as a monk,
uses the modern slang of
a Music Hall, speaks of a
girlas“ascorcher,” which
much delights the Gallery,
and behaves in a way
as out of keeping with
the particular situation
in which he should preserve his disguise as it is with the spirit of a
work that, at least, professes to be a Comic Opera! Heavens! Imagine
Count Almaviva talking of Rosina as “a scorcher,” or Rosina replying
to some question with “ Not for Rosey ' ” There are several objection-
able lines, but there is one—or there was on the first night—which
ought never to have been passed over by the Licenser if it existed
in the original MS. sent in to him. Its introduction, to say the
least of it, is offensive to good taste. Let us hope that the Librettist
erred through ignorance of the
original line he was parodying,
which, in all probability he attri-
buted to Shakspeare.
The instrumentation is good, and
the accompaniments melodious;
but the airs—with the exception of
Mr. Celli’s song, which does not
belong to the Opera at all, and is by
another composer.—are decidedly
commonplace and ineffective. The
chorus is well trained, the girls
are pretty, the dresses bright, and
the opening is so lively as to make
the remainder doublv disappoint-
ing. Miss Alice May does too
much, and Mile. Sylvia does
too little. The noble Comte was
represented by a Gentleman who
may be described as a Confi-
dential Amateur. He steadily
refused to face the audience, and delivered all his asides, as most
important secrets, to the Violoncello-player in the corner, who,
judging from his studied indifference, had probably heard them all
before. The Comte was the one funny thing in the Comic Opera.
Miss Clara Graham, first as a mous-
quetaire and then as a nun, looked very
pretty, and acted carefully. The scenes
call for no special remark.
The music’s by Varney,
The words are by Farnie.
And there ’s an end of it. If it turns into
a success, we shall not he surprised, seeing
that Olivette has succeeded, though we
fancy that in this latter case Miss St. John
is the chief attraction. It will be some
time before we get a rival to Les Cloches
de Corneville.
Billee Taylor, at the Imperial, is quite
another affair. It is in two Acts, well put
on the stage, charming old English
dresses designed by a Frenchman (M. Pilo-
tei,l) and made by a French firm (Auguste
& Cie.). There are a few pretty tunes, some well-executed choruses,
The Musketeer—and Nun
like HIM.
Plain and Coloured
this “ Stoyle.”
Charity begins at Home.
ingeniously devised accompaniments, and no offence in plot or
dialogue from beginning to end. Why was it called “Billee,”
which suggests burlesque when it is
described as a “Comic Opera”? This
is irritating. With every wish to
give a most sincere and hearty welcome
to an English librettist and composer,
we are sorry that Messrs. Stephens—a
name of good omen so near the Houses of
Parliament—and Solomon—who ought
to inherit a share of the hereditary wis-
dom-should have deliberately chosen to
follow so closely in the footprints of
Messrs. Gilbert and Sullivan, as to
convey either the idea of bold rivalry or
intentional compliment. Had Messrs.
Stephens and Solomon adapted Messrs.
Gilbert and Sullivan’s names to their
own, and described themselves as Messrs.
Gilphens and Sullimon, we should have
known what to expect; but though we
may regret that Masters Stephens and
Solomon should have chosen to enter themselves as pupils in this
particular school, yet, as the boys insist on a competitive examina-
tion, we are bound to place them in the first
class and award them a prize. But Billee —
(Why Billee? Very annoying!)—is not the
measure either of their ambition or their
capabilities.
The music is light and pretty, but provok-
ingly like “ something you’ve heard before,”
which in itself has been found by eminent
composers a sure element of success when
combined with original treatment. The most
original, and happily the best thing in the
whole piece is the Chant of Charity girls—
not their chorus—unaccompanied, describing
their duties, to which the orchestra plays
“Amen.” This is excellent.
Master Solomon has evidently taken a
great fancy to one of the learned Dr. Sul-
livan’s tunes in Cox and Box — “ Three
years ago ”—as he has given us an inkling
of it first in Billee Taylor's song—(Why
Bil lee ? Provoking!)—and a second time in Minsinqing Lane.
Mr. Stoyle’s song, “ All for the sake of
Eliza," where Master Solomon seems really quite sorry to part with
the original model and substitute anything of his own. When
Mr. Stoyle began it with Solo-
mon, we finished with Sullivan.
Sir Mincing Lane (Mr. Arthur
Williams) tells us “how he be-
came” what he is, just as Mr.
Gilbert’s characters do.
The stage business at the Imperial
is so over-elaborated as to he neaily
as wearisome as what we are
accustomed to at the Strand and
Globe, where the perpetual mechani-
cal motion of the chorus is now of an
idiotic stereotyped pattern.
But even piaved as it is—by the
way little Miss Chambers is charm-
ing in it—those who are fond of this
form of Opera in this “ school ” will
be highly delighted with Billee—
(Why BiUre ? Most worrying!)—
Taylor, and,
Billy and Arry-bella’ing.
Spite of all temptations
From other recreations,
will rush to see the Prize Work by Masters H. P. Stephens and
Solomon, now performing at the Imperial.
Come at Last!
In the list of the Banquet given by the late Lord Mayor to the
Royal Academy on Wednesday, the last names are Mr. and Mrs.
Manners. Don’t we all recollect how in childhood’s happy but
gluttonous hours we were invariably bidden to leave the last piece in
the dish for Mr. Manners? Mr. Manners was by polite fiction
always supposed to come late, and here he is at the Mansion House
actually last! What an excellent lesson to the Aldermen and the
regular City feeders who had preceded ihem. Let us hope that these
dilatory but. distinguished guests had been duly provided for, and
that something was left for Mr. and, of course, Mrs. Manners.