On this page
- Departments (1)
-
Text (7)
-
Ma* 4, 1850.] ffilltf &£&&*?+ 137
-
jf Voyage to the Arctic Region*. By K. A...
-
NOTES AND EXTRACTS. Political Economy on...
-
Cjre %x\b ?
-
THE LYRIC DRAMA. The production of Linda...
-
Sccira's Opera: The Orphan of Geneva.— S...
-
THE DRAMA. Drtjby Lane.—The An tigone wa...
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
-
-
Transcript
-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
Books On Our Table. Household Words. Con...
feelings necessarily undergo in the training of bis early years , and he will see how important it is that parents and instructors should hare clear and defined principles upon which to act . Let any man look around him , or look back into his past life and see the errors , pernicious errors , which have distorted the tendencies of our nature , and he will see at once the practical bearing of such a work as this . Mr . Bray is a phrenologist and takes the phrenological classification and analysis of the faculties ; but that need deter no antagonist to phrenology , for one excellence of Mr . Bray ' s work is that it suits every system as well as phrenology . Human nature remains the same , whatever theories we may adopt ; and it is with the elementary feelings of our nature Mr . Bray deals .
Ma* 4, 1850.] Ffilltf &£&&*?+ 137
Ma * 4 , 1850 . ] ffilltf & £ &&*? + 137
Jf Voyage To The Arctic Region*. By K. A...
jf Voyage to the Arctic Region * . By K . A . Goodsir . Van Voorst . Jn Elementary Course of Geology , Mineralogy , find Physical Geography . By David T . Ansted , M . A . F . H . S . Van Voorst .
Notes And Extracts. Political Economy On...
NOTES AND EXTRACTS . Political Economy only Half the Social Economy . —In the recently published discussion between Proudhon and Bastiat , on the question of Capital and Interest , M . Bastiat makes this notable avowal : — ' * Whatever may be my sincere admiration for the admirable laws of social economy , whatever time I may have devoted to the study of that science , with whatever confidence its solutions may inspire roe , I am not one of those who believe that it embraces the whole of human existence . The production , distribution ^ circulation , and consumption of riches are not all-sufficing to man .
Nothing m nature is without a final cause , and man also must have some other mission besides that of supplying his material wants . Everything tells us so . Whence come the delicacy of his sentiments , the ardour of his aspirations , his faculty for admiration and rapture ? "Whence comes it that he finds a subject for contemplation in the smallest flower ? that his organs seize so vividly and bear to the soul , like bees to the hive , all the treasures of beauty and harmony which nature and art have spread around him ? Whence comes it that tears moisten his eyes at the least trait of devotion which he hears told ? Whence comes that ebb and flow of
affection which his heart elaborates as it elaborates blood and life ? Whence come his love for humanity and yearnings towards the infinite ? Those are the indications of a noble destiny which is not circumscribed in the narrow domain of industrial production . Man has , therefore , a mission . What is it ? Be it what it may , he cannot attain it if , bowed beneath the yoke of inexorable and incessant labour , no leisure remains to him in which to develop his organs , his affections , his intellect , the love of the beautiful , all that is most pure and elevated in his nature ; that which exists in embryo in all men , but remains for want of leisure latent and inert in too many of them . "
Pleasant Homes for Working Men . —Is it inevitable that the suburbs of a manufacturing town must consist of dense masses of squalid habitations , unblest by a proper supply of air , light , or water ; undrained , uncleansed , and unswept ; enjoying only that portion of civilization which the presence of the police declares ; and presenting a scene which the better orders hurry by with disgust ? Or , on the contrary , may we not , without giving ourselves up to Utopian dreams , imagine that we might enter the busy resorts of traffic through extensive suburbs consisting of cottages with their bits of land ;
and see , as we oame along , symptoms everywhere around of housewifely occupations , and of homes which their humble owners might often think of with pleasure during their day ' s labour , looking forward to their return at evening with delight . The richer classes , even those low down in the scale of wealth , mostly struggle to secure some portion of country air for themselves : surely they might do their best to provide for the working man something like a change from the atmosphere of the factory , or workshop , in which he must pass the greatest part of his day throughout the whole year . — The Claims of Labour .
Cjre %X\B ?
^
The Lyric Drama. The Production Of Linda...
THE LYRIC DRAMA . The production of Linda di Chamouni at her Majesty ' s Theatre , on Saturday last , claims notice because Mademoiselle Ida Bertrand made her first appearance in England on that occasion . The secession of Alboni has left a great opportunity for contralto and mezzo soprano singers , and has disposed us to accept , with a warm welcome , talent which will not bear being measured by the highest standard . Mademoiselle Bertrand reminds us somewhat
of Alboni in appearance , and possesses a voice which will give her a good , though not a first-rate , position in our exacting world of London . She is properly a rnezzo-sopiano , with more capacity for ascending into the soprano , than for descending into the contralto portion of the register . The quality is purethe power rather deficient . In shore , though not an Alboni , Mademoiselle Ida Bertrand is a very charming singer , and people ought to go to hear and applaud her .
On Thursday the Sonnambula was given ; Sontag being the •« Amina , " and Sims Reeves the " Jilvino . " Talk of popularity ! can any opera of modern times compare with this fascinating production , which enrages " classical" musicians ., but pleases all the world besides . In Belgravia and the New Cut its
melodies are equally familiar , the pets alike of dukes and of dustmen . Then , though the libretto of an opera is allowed to be stupid , the drama is interesting in the extreme . In the regions of fashion , even , it has powers to excite , and to see the old ladies weep at the ' Surrey " for the sorrows of " Aaiina , " is a sight not easily to be forgotten . The Sonnambula is the perfection of ' Minor opera . " Sontag was as great as ever in " Amina . " The " ! non giunge " was a splendid effort of brilliant vocalization , and commanded an inevitable encore . Sims Reeves essayed " El vino " in Italian for the first time before the Londoners . His success was
most unequivocal . His acting and singing—particularly in the " bedroom scene " —were of the very first order . Sims Reeves has now fairly established his right to rank with the best tenor singers of Europe . On Thursday the Huguenots was given , for the first time this season , at the Royal Italian Opera . This magnificent work is becoming more and more appreciated at its true value . Notwithstanding its numerous presentations here , we believe it to be the most attractive performance which can take place . It is a striking and masterly combination of the arts , and , perhaps , all points considered , must be ranked as high in the " major" opera as we have ranked the Sonnambula in the minor . " The
cast is pretty much the same as last season . Grisi is "Valentine , " Mario " Raoul , " Castellan " Marguerite de Valois . " The performance of the opera on Thursday was chiefly remarkable from the fact that Formes appeared as " Marcel , " the stern Huguenot , so firmly impressed on the public mind by Marini . This lively reminiscence was , of course , a great drawback upon the exertions of Formes , and it had the effc-ct of making him somewhat
nervous at first—so that the celebrated " Piff , paff " was not so successful as usual ; but he soon rallied , and , in the grand duet with ** Valentine , " in the second act , achieved a perfect triumph . His version of Marcel has not the massiveness—the colossal dignity—of Marini : it is more vivid—more picturesque . It is smaller certainly—but as good , in another way . The orchestra and chorus acquitted themselves with the amount of excellence which we
now regularly expect from them . The " Benediction of the Poniards " was a vociferous encore , according to custom .
Sccira's Opera: The Orphan Of Geneva.— S...
Sccira ' s Opera : The Orphan of Geneva . — Signor Schira ' s opera , The Orphan of Geneva , produced at the Princess ' s Theatre on Friday evening , has one of those plots of " thrilling interest " which , in the palmy days of melodrama , was accepted by the audience as a powerful picture of real life . The story is one of French origin , and became popular some thirty years ago in England , chiefly through the acting of Miss Kelly as the heroine , " Therese . " In the interim , however , public taste has wonderfully altered ; intellect has been
powerfully appealed to , and the spirit of enquiry now abroad leads men rather to investigate these matters than to wonder at them . The reason , therefore , why this story is not as effective now as it was then is obvious . The audience ask themselves how it is that a young lady wanders about in a thunder-storm , clad in a cool dress of book-muslin ; how it is that , when she goes mad , she should always pull down her back hair ; how it is that the villain , as soon as he is discovered , should fall down and die off hand ; and
how it is that a great many other things occur which in life off the stage would appear little short of miracles ? All these improbabilities , however , are collected together in the Orphan of Geneva ; and , although every praise is due to Mr . Jeffreys ( the author of the libretto ) for the manner in which he has performed his task , we regret that he had not availed himself of a less complex story . Signor Schira , in the composition , of this opera , has aimed at nothing beyond the writing competent to an accomplished student of the modern Italian school . His melodies are sometimes pretty and sometimes trivial , and his instrumentation is based on the supposition that passion and energy cannot be heard , unless spoken through a trumpet . With all these defects , there are occasional indications of creative power , as instances of which we would cite the sestette in the first act , " What fearful mystery is this ? " and the glee in the second act , " The " flocks are in the fold . " Besides these , there are songs which will be warbled in evening parties , and which of course , therefore , should be criticized by the music-seller . The cast
included the whole vocal strength of the company . Mr . Alien , as the " Count de Morville , " had little to do ; but he took pains , and struggled against his defective voice manfully . Mr . Weiss , as the villain in the dark cloak , " Carwin , " evinced a marked improvement , both in voice and style , since we last heard him . But the whole weight of the opera rested upon Miss Louisa Pyne , who , a 9 the orphan , " Therese , " sang and acted with on intensity of power for which we were quite unprepured . Her style is faultless , and in her impassioned scenes , so perfect is her intonation , that she is enabled to abandon herself at once to the reality of the icene
without the slightest apparent effort . We hope and expect shortly to see Miss Pyne on the stage of the Italian Opera . All the performers were called for at the conclusion of the opera , and the success with the audience was most decisive .
The Drama. Drtjby Lane.—The An Tigone Wa...
THE DRAMA . Drtjby Lane . —The An tigone was regarded by ancient critics as the flower and consummation of Greek art , and , if modern critics have been less enthusiastic in their admiration , it is because they could not thoroughly sympathize with its intensely Athenian ethics . Indeed , their ignorance of Grecian feelings and ideas has led them almost universally to mistake its scope and bearing . But , in spite of this misconception , the eternal beauty of the work has embalmed it . One may say , indeed , that no work can be truly great in Art that does not appeal to the sympathies of all ages and of all nations ; whatever
temporary or national colouring may predominate , and give it national success on its first appearance , there must also be in it the substance of eternal universal truth , or it will perish , and deserve to perish . In the Antigone there are two subjects which preeminently interested the Athenians , —the holiness of the rites of sepulture and the sanctity of the laws . These are , of course , subjects in which all civilized nations deeply sympathize ; but our modern feelings very feebly represent the intensity of the Athenian feelings on those points . It is doubtless shocking to a Christian to think of the corpse of a brother exposed to the wild birds , denied the rites of sepulture , and tossed upon the earth like a vile clod . Even to those who believe the soul has passed to heaven , leaving behind it nothing but a tenement of clay , there is still a sanctity in burial which draws
its solemnity from our deepest instincts . Far deeper and holier were these rites to a Greek . He believed that the unburied corpse was not merely a torture to the dead , by condemning him to wander forlorn upon the Stygian banks , unable to pass to Hades for a hundred years , it was also an outrage to the Infernal Deities who claimed those rites . Hence the excessive importance given in Homer and the tragedians to the rescue of the slain and the ensurance of burial . So also an European understands the feeling of respect for the laws , but in far less absolute manner than that which , actuated the democratic Athenian . With us laws are , after all , but human consents ; with the Athenians they were almost divine . To obey them , even when , unjust , was virtue , to disregard them was crime .
Herein lies the grand tragic collision of the Antigone " Polynices " has waged war against his brother and his country . Both brothers fall ; and " Creon , " the new King , following the laws , ordains that "Polynices " for his treason shall be denied the rites of sepulture . " Antigone " knows full well the justice of the edict , but she braves it ; she buries her brother and is punished for her disobedience by death . " Antigone " —and critics have overlooked this—never disguises from herself that she is criminal in her disobedience , she calls her act a " pious crime . " This is the tragic motive . Had she thought the ediqt
unjust her conduct would have been simple ; but she knew the edict was just according to all human justice , and at the same time she knew it was unjust according to all divine justice . The state had ordained a punishment ; but the Gods claimed their rites . In this complex feeling lies the pathos ; in her opposition to " Creon" there is a collision of duty with duty , will with will . " Creon" is not a tyrant , as modern critics , with strange forgetfulness of Greek politics , assert ; he is but the exponent of the law and is supported by the whole nation ; even " Antigone ' s" sister bows to the decision , " Antithe of affectionand
gone" alone , moved by impulse , bringing into view the equally imperative claims of the Gods , braves the laws and suffers the penalty . Even to our feelings the collision between •* Antigone " and " Creon" is powerful , though of course Infinitely less so than it was to the Athenians ; and in this play there are other chords sounded to which all hearts vibrate a response . The energy of " Antigone , " and her thoroughly human womanly nature , contrasted with that of her gentle and devoted sister , presents the dramatic art of Sophocles on a par with that of Shakespeare . How delicately and
profoundly observed is the distinction between them , — " Antigone" at first vehement , intense , spasmodic , bent on the one object of burying her brother , reckless as to consequences ; but no sooner is the object attained than her womanly nature reappears , and she shudders at death , resists it , wails over her lot and all her fierceness melts in tears . " Ismene , " on the contrary , is at first timid , weak , dares not disobey the laws , shrinks like a woman from rebellion ; yet when the deed is done meets consequences with a calm and resolute front : a patient womanly nature from first to last .
Wo mentioned Shakespeare ., Is not the change indicated in *• Antigone " analagous to that in " Xady Macbeth " ? She too is fierce and relentlesstill the deed is done ; in both women the , fierceness is spasmodic—it is feminine vehemenoe eoncentrated in one absorbing project . When all is ovw both relapse into
-
-
Citation
-
Leader (1850-1860), May 4, 1850, page 17, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_04051850/page/17/
-