October 9, 1886.] PUNCH, OK THE LONDON CHAPJVAKI.

169

COMPARING NOTES.

"With the departure of the warm weather music'begins'to reassert
its sway. The Crystal Palace Concerts, ten in number, to be given
before Christmas, promise to be unusually interesting, and Mr.
August Manns will resume the baton on Saturday, Oct. 16th, when

a new Spanish ballet, in seven short
movements, by Massenet, is to be
heard for the first time in England.
The second Concert will be a tribute
of respect to the memory of Liszt,
and consist almost entirely of his
works.

At the Covent Garden Promenade
Concerts the evening of .Sept. 29th was
devoted to the music of English Com-
posers. The Overture, by Mr. E. H.
Thobne, which gained the prize offered
last year by Mr. Fbeeman Thomas,
was heard once more ; and there is no

doubt that it is a work of considerable
Comparing Notes. meriti if of Httle in6piratioI1. Mr.

Gadsby's Scene, " The Forest of Arden "—this is down for perform-
ance at the Crystal Palace next year ; an Intermezzo> by Mr. E.
Hopkins Otjld ; and a Scene de Ballet by Mr. H. M. Higgs, were
also given and conducted by their respective authors. The last-
mentioned is a very original and taking production, containing much
ingenious instrumental combination, and having, particularly in the
first movement, allegro, an amount of " go " that is almost infectious.
The Composer was loudly cheered, and had he been of the grasping
order, might very well have construed the applause into an encore. As
it was, it was nearly eleven o'clock when the second part of the pro-
gramme was reached, and cutting and hacking was now perforce
indulged in with a ruthless hand. Mr. Cowen's " Language of
Flowers," a piece which is generally overrated, to my thinking, and
which conveys the suggestion of " scrappiness " rather than happi-
ness; and Sir Arthur Sullivan's bright music to " Henry the
Eighth ' helped to swell an absurdly long programme. Mr. Fbede-
ric King and Miss Annie Mabrioti sang, and Madame Fricken-
hatjs gave a clear rendering of Sterndale Bennett's favourite piano
Concerto in F, being fairly well accompanied by the hand under
Mr. Calbicott.

The music of "Dorothy," at the Gaiety, is in itself a distinct
feature of the season. Mr. Celliee's music is of that order, that it
can stand by itself when once heard. Miss Maeion Hood is, pro-
bably, the only stage vocalist who could do full justice to the music
allotted to Dorothy. Mr. Celliee's treatment of the orchestra,
whether in accompaniments or symphonies, is, as usual, charac-
terised by the refinement of earnest intelligence.

At the Alhambra the ballet " Cupid," composed by M. Jacobi,
deserves by its high musicianly qualities, a far wider and more
intelligent recognition than it is usual to bestow upon this class of
work. There is more " stuff" in it, than in nine out of ten comic
operas, and the graceful themes of which it is constructed, besides
being treated with all the judgment of a practised orchestral writer,
are frequently handled with a truly symphonic grasp.

NlBELUNGLET.

WITHIN (AND WITHOUT) THE GAIETY.
Deae Me. Nibbs,

You may possibly be interested to hear that the Gaiety is gay
no longer. Yes, the Gaiety of London is totally eclipsed; and the
theatre now has somewhat the air of a reformed rake. It strives to
De decorous and succeeds admirably—in being dull. It is remodelled
and decorated with a lavish hand, that only required the guidance of
good taste; the alterations in many cases are additions without
being improvements. Newly-decorated foyer, new act-drop, new
fittings, everything so new that it is a matter of surprise to find that
the old frieze, painted by Stacy Maeks, has not been replaced by
something new and effective in red and gold lincrusta. Mr. Phxpps,
the theatrical architect, was in the House, and nearly had a fit when
he saw the "improvements." So much for the Theatre, now for the
Play.

Dorothy, is a Comedy Opera, not comic, you observe, far from it.
Music by Aleeed Celliee, words by B. C. Stephenson, who, as he
seems only partially acquainted with the alphabet of libretto-writing,
might be called " A. B. C. Stephenson."

The music is much better than the plot—not that this is saying
much, and indeed as you will probably have an expert at work on
this department, I shall say no more on this score—I mean on Mr.
Celliee's score; but I fancy that Herr Meter Ltjiz must have
received instructions not to indulge in any of his old burlesque
frivolous ways, but to conduct the music gravely and sedately—
which he did. I was wondering whether he was awake all the time.

The plot depends mainly on the chief characters continually dis-
guising themselves byjlthe^ simple" process—as it appeared to me—
of powdering their hair, which off course renders them perfectly
unrecognisable until the last Act, when everybody finds out every-
body else, and all ends happily. I am sure, speaking for myself, I
was quite pleased when it was over.

Miss Maeion Hood looked very pretty, acted spasmodically,'and
sang delightfully; Mr. Redfeen Hollins, who sang, but couldn't
act; poor Mr. Hatden Coffin acts, but is not allowed to sing ; and
Mr. Arthur Williams, as a sheriff's officer, raised expectations of
the greatest amusement, which however were not destined to be
realised. He sings a song in the First Act about " The King's own
writ I hold, Sir .'"—the style and the metre recalling "The Vicar
of Bray"—which is unfortunate for the song,—and otherwise gives
great offence to the villagers, who soon knock all the nonsense
out of him. So he sings no more facetious songs, and subsequently
retires into the background.

The unexpected introduction of a pack of at least twelve real live
harriers,—unmuzzled, but well under control,—brings the Second
Act to a sportive conclusion. I am informed that the idea of having
the harriers out on a September morning in a hop-country is quite
original, and, this not being a comic opera, the introduction of this
pack—quite " a pack of nonsense "—does Mr. A. B. C. Stephenson
all the more credit. What thorough sportsmen Messrs. Celliee
and A. B. C. Stephenson must be! Yet if they brought the
hounds on the stage in anticipation of a run, I fancy they will find
themselves rather "out of the hunt." On Saturday night, there
were loud calls for Mr. Haebiees, or Harris, or somebody whose
name I couldn't quite catch. However, the rule on the Gaiety stage
just now seems to be, " When in doubt play A. B. C. Stephenson)'
and so this gentleman came forward and bowed, much to his own
satisfaction.

Each Act has its own elaborate set-scene, the second, Chanticleer
Hall, being the most effective, and the Bound Coppice, by Messrs.
Spong and Banks—(I have seen so many of the latter's stage pictures
representing scenes of town and rural life, that I like to think of
him as " London and County Banks")—being the next best.

No expense—or material—has been spared by Manager Edwabdes
on the dresses. The fair wearers (two words which seem to suggest
"wayfarers," but this is " by the way") seem a little awkward in
their long-trained silken skirts, and I fear they will not have time to
grow accustomed to them.

There is a ballet, or dance of bridesmaids and groomsmen in the
last Act, but it is conducted on the strictest principles, half the stage
being occupied by old women—presumably chaperons—who keep up
a sort of droning comment on the proceedings which effectually
checks all hilarity.

The mise-en-scene" is good,—better than the misses-en-scene men-
tioned above, — and the whole performance may be described as
perfectly innocuous, warranted neither to give offence nor to afford
much amusement. Yours, Penelope Anne.

Puzzles.—Last Friday the Pall Mall Gazette_ announced that it
would give a prize for the best solution to an original puzzle. And
then the Editor was so puzzled to invent a puzzle, that he advertised
for an original puzzle to start with. But how he will prevent the
inventor of the puzzle from also winning it, is another puzzle for
himself. If a daily paper cannot sell without puzzles, why not make
it all puzzles ? Puzzle-leaders, puzzle-correspondence, puzzle-
telegrams, puzzle-latest news ! Why not ? That's another puzzle.
Now, here is an Art-Puzzle, of which Mr. Punch is ready to confess
he does not know the solution:—Puzzle—How to deal with the Royal
Academy Difficulty so as to satisfy everybody inside and outside
the Academy.___

Summing Up.—After 'several months' inquiry, the Police Com-
mission arrived at the satisfactory conclusion that " accidents will
happen in the best-regulated families," and have made a few sug-
gestions,—such, for example,^ as the appointment of a few Chief
Constables of good social position, without any previous special train-
ing for this kind of employment,—which, if adopted, will probably
render the chances of a good muddle on any given occasion rather
less improbable than it was before,—that's all.

Inevitable.— Mr. Punch knew how it would be. Since the
election of the new Lord Mayor he has been inundated with letters
suggesting that as Sir Reginald Hanson at the close of his speech
said that his devotion to his duties would prevent him from being an
entire failure in his office, he must remember that at the end of his
mayoralty he will merely be judged by the old proverb, " Hanson is
as Hanson does." [At least a hundred beaux esprits have all met
over this epigram.]

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