Punch (80.1881)

March 19, 1881.]

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

121

FAUST AND FURIOUS.

(A Nicht ioi' Berlioz, and an Afternoon with Three Popular Performers.)

The Musical Public is now paying Berlioz nothing more than
what it barely owes him. His Faust is a grand work.

Why in Oratorio or in the musical rendering of a Dramatic Legend
is it necessary for the performers to keep the
words-and-music-books in their hands ? Of
course, singers are required to hold their notes,
but not in this way. Is their memory so
very defective that, no matter how often they
may have sung their parts, they cannot get on
without these partitions f Is it a greater
effort to remember a dramatic legend, or an
Oratorio, than an Opera ? _ Fancy on the
operatic stage the Artists going through an
Opera holding the score of each Act before
their eyes, or Mr. Irving, Mr. Booth, and
Miss Ellen Terry playing Othello with books
of the play in their hands !

The book of a Dramatic Legend which is to
be sung and not acted, should not be inter-
spersed with Stage directions. For example :—
Part I., Sc. 1—" They disappear in the air."
They—Messrs. Lloyd and Santley—don't do
anything of the sort; they sit down quietly
on each side of Mr. Halle. Again— They
are borne through the air upon Faust's cloak."
Mr. Santley as This applies to the same gentlemen, who
Mephistopheles. simply resume their seats, and the only air
"The Prince of they are taken through is the one conducted
Darkness is a gen- by Mr. Halle, and played by the Orchestra
tleman." «- Lear, alone; and a most balmy air it was. The
Act III., sc. 4. Hungarian March is effective; the " Gaude-

amus igitur!" disappointing; and there is
nothing to equal Gounod's Soldiers'1 Chorus.

Miss Mary Davis, charming as Marguerite, is the only one of the
performers who appears in proper costume. If not quite the Mar-
guerite dress, it was a sufficient indication of it, and the idea might
be adopted by Mr. Lloyd and Mr. Santley, who, in future, could
suggest a notion of the characters they are assuming by appearing in
a portion of the appropriate costume. As Mephistopheles, Mr.
Santley could be in evening dress as far as the waistband, and then
he could be continued in tights d la Mefisto ; and Mr. Lloyd as
Faust might reverse the notion, and come out in dress trousers, with
doublet, cloak, and collar. A propos of costume, in the present
libretto Faust is evidently particular as to his dress, the Author
having made him ask Mephistopheles,

" What boots to-morrow, Fiend ? "

To which inquiry, however, his diabolical companion returns no
answer, implying by his silence that the To-morrow will come-
never.

The most stirring, most dramatic, and, we should say, the one

St. James's Halle conducting Mephistopheles And Faust

through the AlR.

song likely to achieve permanent popularity, is the diabolically reck-
less serenade of Mephistopheles. It was magnificently given by Mr.
Santley—that is, it was magnifi-santley sung. Mephistopheles in
evening dress really gave this serenade with such an infernal relish
that it would not have surprised us had he afterwards hopped about

the platform, like Barnaby Budge's raven, shrieking out at the top
of his voice, "I'm a devil! _ I'm a devil!_ I'm a devil! ! " There
was, indeed, a sort of satanic eagerness displayed by Mr. Santley

as Mephistopheles, in run-
ning off the platform after
Mr. Lloyd as Faust,
which, though no doubt only
the effect of their both

Madame Schumann and Herr Joachim doing a little "Op."

together.

being in a hurry to catch a last train, or to avoid the crush, sug-
gested something terrible at the finish. Probably Mephistopheles
caught him up at the door, and said, "I'm going your way; I'll
take you."

The last part is the best of all, barring the serenade above-men-
tioned. The wild weird ride is thrillingly exciting. Then comes
the climax :—-

Mephistopheles. His soul is mine for evermore !
Faust (naturally enough). Oh horror !

[l' They plunge into the abyss"'—i.e., Messrs. Lloyd and
Santley sit down comfortably, the former occupying his
time agreeably enough in talking to Miss Davis.
The Dramatic Legend ends with an Epilogue and a chorus of Celes-
tial Spirits, followed by loud acclamations from a delighted audience.

Last Saturday Madame Schumann gave us " her last appearance
(but six) "—to quote the advertisement, which reads like a sort of
stage " aside." Were the line written dramatically it would be—

High Art-hur Chappell (aloud). Her last appearance ! ! !—(wink-
ing aside)—but six. [Exit slily.

Her reception was enthusiastic, as usual. Yet there is always a
certain shade of melancholy that must
tinge the pleasure of any one who assists
at a concert of celebrities, arising from
the fact, not of it being their last appear-
ance bar six (why not "bar six" when
speaking of musicians, Mr. Chappell, or
is it too sporting ?)—but of being present
for the sole purpose of witnessing their
execution ! Boldly, yet modestly, Ma-
dame Schumann, Herr Joachim, and
Signor Piatti stepped on to the scaffold—
we mean the platform—and their execu-
tion was as glorious a triumph as that of
any Martyr of Penzance—no, Mr. Sul-
livan, we should have said Antioch.
The Martyrs of Penzance would be a A Little Afternoon Pi-
Ritualistic Opera. The selection on atti—Small and Early.
Saturday deserved to be murdered rather

than justly executed, it being about the dullest thing we've heard
for some time. By way of relief, a pale young gentleman of feeble
appearance, but with a fairly strong voice, sang Handel's light and
airy trifle, " Bevenge Timotheus cries" which had quite an
enlivening effect. We recommend everyone to go to all "the Last
Appearances but Six "—(why stay away from the six, though ? eh,
Mr. Chappell ?)—of the gifted pianiste, Madame Schumann.

The Voting Market.

What are called the "legitimate expenses" of elections yield
some curious results, and show that the cost of Voters varies like
the cost of beef or labour. At Oldham a good substantial Liberal
voter could be had for 10d., while a Tory cost Is. 6c?., and the same
articles at Wolverhampton cost respectively 2s. 2d. and 16s. Id. At
Hackney Radicals were as low as 10^d., and Conservatives as kig i
as 8s., and in nearly every borough the Tories were considerably
higher in price than the Liberals. The nearest approach to an
equality was at Manchester, where the Liberal fetched 4s. 2\d. and
the Tory 4s. W\d. These are the lowest ready-money prices for the
political article, and no reduction is made on taking a quantity.

vol. lxxx. m