WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 1933.
ART & DRAMA.
TAX ON
MUSICAL
FESTIVAL
Law Case Compromise.
entirely misconceived, The Commissioners
xious not to
were an-
A Drama Of The Inquisition
Vicissitudes of "Don Carlo"
DISPLEASED
AN EMPRESS
over
at the
THE CHINA MAFL.
SUGGESTION AND THE STAGE.
Valuable Art That Is Seldom Used,
NEW STYLES WANTED.
(By SYDNEY W. CARROLL)
The art of suggestion is all too seldom seen upon our stage. It is a delicate, fragile, unsubstantial. busines. Statement, bold, plain, (and unmistakable, 16; naturally Jenough, preferred by all those man- Don Carlo agers who think only of the box- farewell to office and the approval of the masses.
go back on what they had said. As the plaintiffs he had met the Parisians' demand artifice which ends the action.
and
Santuary.
An action brought to test the question of whether Sheffield Musical Festival was educational, or partly educational, and there- fore not liable to entertainments duty, was ended by compromise
"Don Carlo," which was revived is the end of the opera. before Mr. Justice Swift in the at Covent Garden recently is not has made bis last
in the cloister of St. I do not wish it to be understood King's Bench Division recently. amongst the Verdian operas whose Elisabeth
It Just. where hist grandfather, that I am decrying either the com- The case was brought by the success has been immediate.
Philip dis-merch! side of the theatre or the chairman and treasurer of the was written for Paris and produc-Charles V., is buried.
ed there in 1867. in the presence covers nim, and orders his guards to practice of clarity. Both must be the of Executive Committee of
his son to the Holy studied and practised. It would the Empress Eugenie, who, hand Sheffield Musical Festival Asso-annoyed by the liberal sentiments Office. When the guards proceed however, be a dismal and deplor ciation against the Attorney-expressed by one of the characters to arrest him, he is rescued by his able world if the subtle, refined, and General.
in the opera, deliberately turned her grandfather, Charles V., or, pos-less obvious sides of the dramatic The Solicitor-General (Sir Fback on the stage and, by this sibly, by his grandfather's ghost. art were never represented in our
On that the curtain falls. Boyd Merriman, K.C.) said that, action, made anything like complete
There play-houses. Managers, I think. if the action had proceeded, heļauccess out of the question. is thus no poetic or dramatic justice. need is cater for all tastes. There would have contended that it was
Veru: was disappointed. He had No wrong is righted; no final scene are gourmands enough in this work- stirs our pity, and the only emotion away hungry crowd of ours. Can given much time and consideration to the composition of "Don Carlo."aroused is one of surprise and die-we not convert or recruit a few of disingenuous them to the small but distinguished and he had reason to believe that appointment
A coter of gourmets? Why not
were content
to withdraw this for a spectacular production
very slight but efficient change in cultivate our garden? action and pay The costs, ther
Covent Garden arrange- otherwise fulfilled conditions, not the new Crown would treat the coming!
whichment avoids the anti-climax com-
The theatre I hold to be not mere- congenial, parucularly festival as not subject to lax.
ly a place of common entertain That, however, would apply"Grand Opera" as understood then
brought his opera to the level of pletely.
Two Great Arias.
Įment. It must be. in its more pre- festival only to the one
This, however, is not that in Paris, and exemplified in the libretto to be not quite worthy of soul. The numan heart is nothing the only cious aspects, a sanctuary for the takes place this autumn. and
work of Meyerbeer.
fits music. would not prejudien the position|
In considering the till it has been purged with auffer- "Don Carlo," musical score it is important to re-ing. The divine self-analysis, the in regard to future festivals,
and reducing member that "Don Carlo" was writ cleansing of our spirits, the healing the fivets to four. The new ver-, ten after "La Forza del Destino" of our wounds can nowhere be so sion, mote fortunate than the first, and before "Aida"; if it eschews well accomplished as in a well-direc- was warsily applauded at Milan the occasional banalities of the first.ted play-house. For this reason the 1884, and the opera was launched it does not rise quite to the unity little theatre movement is a valuable
and more successful of style of the latter.
lone. We cannot expect reforms Carser. But the original sing of Verdi feared that an exceptional-jup a grand scale. Caviare, as the ine ireno (by Mery and C. du ly long libretto might result in greatest of all dramatists reminds
cle could not be entirely remove musical patchwork, devoid of style us, is not for the general. ked.
and character." It would be absurd
Emotion too openly expressed, The source of the libretto is so to describe "Don. Carlo"; but it
$200 Many of the artists who have been Schutter's "Don
displayed, tuo Carlos,"
vigorously play does not equal the works of the last 3 honored by the Queen in having; when, written
at different times period. Some of its pages, like the patently revealed, becomes vulgar. their pictures of flowers bought and under the influence of various finale of the third act, will stand Its greatest theatrical effect is have the pleasing knowledge that impulses, is
Isecured by a shy, errant, almost extremely intricate. comparison with anything Verdij furtive
Ite special favourites of the Queen's are Senter's original intention was
approach.
highest) to had written up to that time. taken to Sandringham, where the make the Spanish Infante his hero of
reacles depend upon the degree of its duets have never been walls of her Majesty's private apartin the end he shifted the
sensitiveness by which it is inspired. central forgotten, and the way to fame has
Its ideals are gathered almost ments almost resemble a flower gar jinterest to the Marquis of Posa, who been opened for many a singer by!
Jan the mouthpiece of his the great arias "O don fatale" and secretly and sacredly.
den.
QUEEN'S ART GALLERY.
Private Apartment Resembles Garden.
Later he revised
fomitting the dances
11 it
Some
The Passions, of course, need
Here, for instance, are some of the political ideals. Verdi's librettists "Ella giammai m'amo.” miniature embroidered gardens on restored the original idea by mak One point in the history of the handing in the grand manner. But
painted back-grounds that the
Don Carto agus the
Queen bought from Lady Corynden. Lagonist. But they had not whose late husband was Governor of courge to discard what seemed Uganda and Kenya, and flower picthem effective and all tures bought at the Royal Amateurtheatrical and rhetorical. Art Exhibition and the Glebe pottery
It nevera pasion suppressed
pro- opera deserves notice.
can stijl de- the failed to appeal when the interpreta-clare itself upon the stage more totion was entrusted to Verdi'e friend, forckly than an open floodgate of is the conductor Mariani. Others anger. Comedy in England was, I
carried the opera to success some- believe, before the war, a much more! times Mariani always. Now, from graceful and wholesome url than it what one can gather from the re-has subsequently become. Our cords of the time, there seem to be playwrights have tried to cater for! Within tam last fortnight the Schiller's drama, music, by expand temperamental affinities between him the earser, cruder palates of the Queen bought half a dozen more,ing every picture and every scene, and Sir Thomas Beecham, who is to publk.
forver gardens made by Miss Made-)
the Raper.
A Tangled Plot.
there หยง confusion
in
including iris pools, cherry blossom made the confusion greater. There' conduct "Don Carlo" nt Covent Hoary Conventionalities.
tes, and cottage gardens.
are half a dozen themes which could
Garden.
A writer who can reveal the plea-
provide the central plot of a play. Mariani reformed Italian o-sanur processes of life to us and Land one whien actually served chestras much as Sir Thomas hassult retain dramatic strength, still' |Goethe for "Egmont." And Verdi, raised the standard of British or-keep firm and eager grip upon his FAMOUS BOOK-CASE FOR SALE Whose "love and pity embraced the chestras, Mariam, too, is said to story and nis people, is surely much universe was too easily attracted have been somewhat impetuous, mort a master of his craft than one by interesting but unneccessary temperamental, and to have obeyed whose only temple is the House of |tigures which crowded the canvas. the inspiration of the moment while Satan, and who relies upon hoary
maintaining perfect discipline.
Contains Mark Of Mourning For Nelson
The love of Don Carlo for the London. princess to whom he was affianced, An interesting book-case which who for reasons of political
belonged to the late Mr. Kenneth expediency became his stepmother: G. B. SHAW AND THE
Flemish
Grahame, author of "The Golden Don Carlo, champion of Age" and other delightful books, is liberty in revolt against mis father's
coming into the saleroom.
rule: Ebob's treachery; the mysteri-
B. B. C.
Cutting.
conventionalities of the theatro- -plan for all to see-for nis argu-
The insidious, indirect, yet simple. takes require greater skill in the actor. That goes without saying. But much better they are for
Mr. Bernard Shaw has a com- talent. plaint against the B.B.C.
It was in Apsley House, and so ous resuscitation of Charles V.; the Complaint About Playthor art. To bring home to had an association with the "Iron cold bridal chamber of the old king;
an audience that something delicate! Duke," and through it runs a black the antagonism between Church and
has been perceived calls for real line, thought to be a mark of mourn-State; the iniquities of the In- ing for Nelson, Mr. Kenneth quisition-all these single threads,
O'Neill's "Strange Interlude" pro- Graname was very proud of it, and properly treated, might have He listened to the broadcast per- vide, for example, a cheap and easy his friends knew it as the Welling-borne the weight of a whole play; formance of "The Wild Duck" re-solution to the player's difficulties. ton book-case.
but more experienced, artists than
cently night, and admired Elizabeth Whit.every ttle thought, every He kept his first editions and Verdi's, librettists might well fail Bergner's Hedwig very much, but he charge of mood, every fleeting secret other literary treasures in it, and in the attempt to combine and re- protested against the cutting of the suspicion has been betrayed by a on an escritoire forming part of It concile them'all. he wrote most of his books.
Especially weak and inconclusive play, which was hardly intelligent flood of words put into a character's
to ordinary listeners.
mouth, how can the actor hope to "The B.B.C. is always doing that supplement or improve his art by sort of thing," he added, "but they acting? Nothing is so boring as |do not explain that only a portion of the superfluous. Nothing so artisti- the play is being given. That is cally satisfying as an accurate and what I object to."
just degree of sufficiency.
KOMOR
1
KOMOR HONG KONG
New goods arrived. From 50 cta, to $5,000, Every article marked in plain figures.
York Building Chater Road.
ART & CURIO
Experts
At the end of this month - Mr. Shaw will be '77, and he is nów en- gaged in putting the finishing touches to a new play, for which the} 'tentative title is “On the Rocks.”- The name is not definitely fixed.
THE KING'S PAINTER'
IN SCOTLAND
"It is a long serious play about The King has been pleased to ag English politics so long, indeed, pro the appointment of Sir David that I am wondering whether I shall Young Cameron, R:A., R.S.A, LL.D., be able to get it into three and a-to be his Majesty's Paluter and half hours. All the characters are Liner in Scotland, in the room of typical figures.
the late Mr. Robert Gibb, R.S.A, "There are several women charac- *Sir David Cameron is a member tors," he said," with a smile, “al-of the "Glasgow School” Though though the lady who has most to say he is one of the greatest of living is mainly interested in politics.” etchers, among his most famous The play may be produced by Mr. belu "The Five Sistera, York Min- Macdons at the Prince's, although-ster" "Ben Ledl," "Gloucester,” and contrary to report-no decision has "Villey of the Tay," he is perhaps been made. Mr. Shaw is very in-sech at his best in his water-colours terested in Mr. Macodonia" ven- and drawings of the Highlands. ture, for he has been advocating big Examples of his work may be seca theatres and cheap prices for years, in ip Tate Gallery, the Victoria and
“I may hand the play over tó hím Albert Mussoum, in many other art. when he is on the brin, of ruin,” he galeries throughout the country, } states."
and in many places abroad,
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ALHAMBRA'S LAST the direction of W, de Basil, for many years associated with the SHOW.
Russian Opera in Paris.
The Russian Ballet.
At the close of the short season of ballet the theatre will be given
over to the house breakers, who wil begin the work of demolition in pre On July 4 the Alhambra Theatre paration for the new house of enter- began its "dwan song" season with tainment which is to take the place
visit of the Diaghileff Ballet, under of the present theatre. :
KAREN HOFLEY)
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