DOI Heft:
April 14, 1883
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17754#0184
April 14, 1883,]
PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI,
177
ESMERALDA ;
or, “ Meet me at ‘the Lane’ when the Clock strikes Eight.”
Considering that Mr. Carl Rosa has only got Drury Lane for an
Opera Season of one month’s duration—just sufficient time to let
people know that he is there—the performance of Esmeralda is
most creditable to
the management.
The raise-en-scene \
is very good, the |
grouping and the
“business” j
evince careful
rushed about with her, first to the left, then to the right, as though
he were on the platform of some puzzling junction, vainly endeavour-
ing to obtain information from anyone as to the whereabouts of his
manage- j
ment, and the j
effects obtained j
by the simultane- j
ous impulse of
arms and hands— !
in the end of the
Second Act, where J
the united Harris- j
stocracy go wild i
—will remind |
playgoers of the *
Herman Com-
pany, and those !
who have seen j
the new Eden-
Theat-re in Paris, \
of the striking action of the crowd in the Prologue to the Great
Ballet. The only sign of anything like hurry or incompleteness was
to be found in the costume of the “ men in armour,” belonging to
the brave corps commanded by Captain Phoebus, who, intended to
be armed cap-a-pied. were perfect as far as the ankles, where the
ordinary modern walking-boot was distinctly visible—and even this
might be set down to the indomitable energy and enthusiasm
of the chorus-men, who would rather be on the scene with seven-
teenth century armour on their backs and nineteenth century boots
on their feet, than sacrifice one of the grand effects of the Opera.
Mr. Goring Thomas’s music is throughout graceful and melodious,
but it lacks character, as, for example, in Esmeralda's first song,
“ All Hands ” for the end of Act II.
“ Goring Thomas.”
which rather reminds us of a sea-nymph gliding through the calm
water, and singing to the accompaniment of her harp, than of a
dancing Gipsy Girl with her tambourine and her performing goat.
Madame Georgina Burns is better suited to the part as a vocalist
than as an Actress. She is always on the scene, and, when not engaged
in being fondly, or insanely, hugged by her lover, or threatened by
some disagreeable person, she is at once set upon by anyone who can
get at her, hauled and lugged about the stage, and generally bullied
in the most cruel manner. Like Mr. W. S. Gilbert’s Policeman—
“ When operatic duty’s to be done, poor Esmeralda's life is not a
happy one!” At the end of the Second Act, Mr. McGuckin—a
stalwart representative of the dashing Phoebus — takes the poor
Lady’s head under his protection in such a manner that he appears
to havegot her, as the pugilists say, “ in Chancery,” in which try-
ing position she is dragged hither and thither, singing all the time.
Finally he lugs her desperately, and still in Chancery, up the steps,
with such vigour that we wondered she had any breath left in her
body. Occasionally, when Mr. McGuckin gave her a second’s rest,
we heard her voice making a plaintive appeal in a high key from
somewhere under Mr. McGuckin’s arm ; but directly he became
aware of there being any life left in her, he set to work to hug her
head more closely than ever to him, and in this helpless position he
Esmeralda, evidently one of the Romany or Roman nez tribe, interviewed by
the Rev. Claude Erollo, of the Mediaeval Church and Stage Guild.
train and the time of its starting. The heroine had about as hard a
time of it as any prima donna we ever saw.
The Reverend Claude Frollo (Mr. Ludwig), whose taste for theatri-
cals led him into the commission of some very unclerical acts, was
apparently suffering either from a cold, in which case we sincerely pity
him, or from a mistaken notion that, to convey the idea of concen-
trated passion, the singer should be as confidential as possible, and
so, though no doubt he was very good and sang perfectly, we were
unable to give any opinion on the subject, as to us he was almost
inaudible.
Mr. Leslie Crotty’s Quasimodo is a very clever performance,
seeing what a difficult character it is,
and bow completely the librettists have
washed all the colour out of it. Occa-
sionally Mr. Grotty, by the production
of his voice and his pronunciation of
certain words, vividly recalled Mr. Sant-
ley. He has to sing the best and most
telling air in the whole Opera; and had
the situation been more favourable, the
audience would have enthusiastically
insisted on his taking their encore of “1,
cursed of gods and men.” Why “gods” ?
Quasimodo wasn't a heathen. The
librettists have damaged the story, and
the finish is ineffective. Fancy missing
the grand effect of Quasimodo chucking
Claude over tbe top of Notre Dame
tower ! What a splendid Wagnerian sen-
sation this would have been, musically
illustrated by a chromatic scale descent, from the topmost note in
the treble down to the lowest note in the bass,—then one solemn
whack on the drum, and “ the rest is silence.”
Could Esmeralda have had one such song as
falls to the lot of any one of her operatic rela-
tives, jLrline, Maritana, Carmen—could poor
Quasimodo have had something as brusque and
catching as the “ Piff-paff" of Marcel,—could
Phoebus have walked to the “ flote,” and come
out with something as stirring as the Toreador,
or Miss Perry, as Fleur-de-Lys, have had a
song like the Queen’s in The Huguenots, the
lasting popularity of Esmeralda would at once
have been secured. But as it is, the public has to make its acquaint-
ance, to get to know the Opera, and so to “learn to love” the some-
what Bizet-WagDerish music, for which process, on account of Mr.
Rosa’s very brief London season, the public literally has not the time.
Colomba is the new Opera, of which, as at present advised, we can
only say that the music is by A. C. Mackenzie, and the libretto seems
to be good, Whoever wrote it—no, we should say and correctly—
Huefeer wrou it.
Quasimodo ; or, Bent on
Mischief.
Two of the Leading
Features in the Opera.
Correct Title for the New Line.—The Charing Cross-the-
River-and-under-Water-loo Electric Railway. No ventilation
necessary. This scheme can’t end in smoke. There’s a first-rate
Board of Electric Directors, and no chance of any Elec-tricks upon
travellers.
PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI,
177
ESMERALDA ;
or, “ Meet me at ‘the Lane’ when the Clock strikes Eight.”
Considering that Mr. Carl Rosa has only got Drury Lane for an
Opera Season of one month’s duration—just sufficient time to let
people know that he is there—the performance of Esmeralda is
most creditable to
the management.
The raise-en-scene \
is very good, the |
grouping and the
“business” j
evince careful
rushed about with her, first to the left, then to the right, as though
he were on the platform of some puzzling junction, vainly endeavour-
ing to obtain information from anyone as to the whereabouts of his
manage- j
ment, and the j
effects obtained j
by the simultane- j
ous impulse of
arms and hands— !
in the end of the
Second Act, where J
the united Harris- j
stocracy go wild i
—will remind |
playgoers of the *
Herman Com-
pany, and those !
who have seen j
the new Eden-
Theat-re in Paris, \
of the striking action of the crowd in the Prologue to the Great
Ballet. The only sign of anything like hurry or incompleteness was
to be found in the costume of the “ men in armour,” belonging to
the brave corps commanded by Captain Phoebus, who, intended to
be armed cap-a-pied. were perfect as far as the ankles, where the
ordinary modern walking-boot was distinctly visible—and even this
might be set down to the indomitable energy and enthusiasm
of the chorus-men, who would rather be on the scene with seven-
teenth century armour on their backs and nineteenth century boots
on their feet, than sacrifice one of the grand effects of the Opera.
Mr. Goring Thomas’s music is throughout graceful and melodious,
but it lacks character, as, for example, in Esmeralda's first song,
“ All Hands ” for the end of Act II.
“ Goring Thomas.”
which rather reminds us of a sea-nymph gliding through the calm
water, and singing to the accompaniment of her harp, than of a
dancing Gipsy Girl with her tambourine and her performing goat.
Madame Georgina Burns is better suited to the part as a vocalist
than as an Actress. She is always on the scene, and, when not engaged
in being fondly, or insanely, hugged by her lover, or threatened by
some disagreeable person, she is at once set upon by anyone who can
get at her, hauled and lugged about the stage, and generally bullied
in the most cruel manner. Like Mr. W. S. Gilbert’s Policeman—
“ When operatic duty’s to be done, poor Esmeralda's life is not a
happy one!” At the end of the Second Act, Mr. McGuckin—a
stalwart representative of the dashing Phoebus — takes the poor
Lady’s head under his protection in such a manner that he appears
to havegot her, as the pugilists say, “ in Chancery,” in which try-
ing position she is dragged hither and thither, singing all the time.
Finally he lugs her desperately, and still in Chancery, up the steps,
with such vigour that we wondered she had any breath left in her
body. Occasionally, when Mr. McGuckin gave her a second’s rest,
we heard her voice making a plaintive appeal in a high key from
somewhere under Mr. McGuckin’s arm ; but directly he became
aware of there being any life left in her, he set to work to hug her
head more closely than ever to him, and in this helpless position he
Esmeralda, evidently one of the Romany or Roman nez tribe, interviewed by
the Rev. Claude Erollo, of the Mediaeval Church and Stage Guild.
train and the time of its starting. The heroine had about as hard a
time of it as any prima donna we ever saw.
The Reverend Claude Frollo (Mr. Ludwig), whose taste for theatri-
cals led him into the commission of some very unclerical acts, was
apparently suffering either from a cold, in which case we sincerely pity
him, or from a mistaken notion that, to convey the idea of concen-
trated passion, the singer should be as confidential as possible, and
so, though no doubt he was very good and sang perfectly, we were
unable to give any opinion on the subject, as to us he was almost
inaudible.
Mr. Leslie Crotty’s Quasimodo is a very clever performance,
seeing what a difficult character it is,
and bow completely the librettists have
washed all the colour out of it. Occa-
sionally Mr. Grotty, by the production
of his voice and his pronunciation of
certain words, vividly recalled Mr. Sant-
ley. He has to sing the best and most
telling air in the whole Opera; and had
the situation been more favourable, the
audience would have enthusiastically
insisted on his taking their encore of “1,
cursed of gods and men.” Why “gods” ?
Quasimodo wasn't a heathen. The
librettists have damaged the story, and
the finish is ineffective. Fancy missing
the grand effect of Quasimodo chucking
Claude over tbe top of Notre Dame
tower ! What a splendid Wagnerian sen-
sation this would have been, musically
illustrated by a chromatic scale descent, from the topmost note in
the treble down to the lowest note in the bass,—then one solemn
whack on the drum, and “ the rest is silence.”
Could Esmeralda have had one such song as
falls to the lot of any one of her operatic rela-
tives, jLrline, Maritana, Carmen—could poor
Quasimodo have had something as brusque and
catching as the “ Piff-paff" of Marcel,—could
Phoebus have walked to the “ flote,” and come
out with something as stirring as the Toreador,
or Miss Perry, as Fleur-de-Lys, have had a
song like the Queen’s in The Huguenots, the
lasting popularity of Esmeralda would at once
have been secured. But as it is, the public has to make its acquaint-
ance, to get to know the Opera, and so to “learn to love” the some-
what Bizet-WagDerish music, for which process, on account of Mr.
Rosa’s very brief London season, the public literally has not the time.
Colomba is the new Opera, of which, as at present advised, we can
only say that the music is by A. C. Mackenzie, and the libretto seems
to be good, Whoever wrote it—no, we should say and correctly—
Huefeer wrou it.
Quasimodo ; or, Bent on
Mischief.
Two of the Leading
Features in the Opera.
Correct Title for the New Line.—The Charing Cross-the-
River-and-under-Water-loo Electric Railway. No ventilation
necessary. This scheme can’t end in smoke. There’s a first-rate
Board of Electric Directors, and no chance of any Elec-tricks upon
travellers.