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I March 30, 1850.] ffiftS ZLttibtt* 19
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, I - i OUR AGE. I Friends ! ye overprai...
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K-n-n-n a -tj t- ^^t, -^ r,AO Tr^ <J1 Ji...
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THE DRAMA BEFORE EASTER. In the eatly pa...
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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.
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— . . =? Political Fa.Bie No* L >—The Li...
j § mountains near , and who claimed a right , in consideration of permitting the I cattle to remain , to eat as many as they wanted among them . The cattle | 3 , _Ai ¦• a . _t- a . _ij . \ . _i' _± _xi _t , 4 . _u I submitted , partly because they were too weak to help it , partly because the | lions said it was the wish of Jupiter ; and the cattle believed them . And . so I they went on for many ages , till at last , from better feeding , the cattle grew larger and stronger , and multiplied into great numbers ; and at the same . s r 4 . x . jx _. 1- 1 . i _t _~ _*• ¦ \ a 4 . x . c time , from other causes , the lions had much diminished : they were fewer , smaller , and meaner-looking than they had been ; and except in their ow , n i opinion of themselves , and in their appetites , which were more enormous If than ever , there was nothing of the old lion left in them . m _^ ii 8 . ,. . , e ,. t One day a large ox was quietly grazing , when one of these lions came up , ' and desired the ox to lie down , for he wanted to eat him . The ox raised his - _} head , and gravely protested ; the lion growled _; the ox was mild yet firm , ?! The lion insisted upon his legal right , and they agreed to refer the matter * __ ,. _* ft _h ' J " to Minos . When they came into court the lion accused the ox of having broken the laws of the beasts . The lion was king , and the others were bound to obey . Prescriptive usage was clearly on the lion ' s side . Minos called on the ox for his defence . The ox said that , without consent of his own being asked , he had been born into the meadow . He did not consider himself much of a beast , but , _u v . u i j t -i . _xi . _i at : _* _+ _u _« such as he was , he was very happy , and gave Jupiter thanks . Now , if the I lion could show that the existence of lions was of more importance than that I of oxen in the eyes of Jupiter , he had nothing more to say ; he was ready to I sacrifice himself . But this lion had already eaten a thousand oxen . Lions' I _.-. . _,.,,..,, - j . _i u _4 / u * u _~™ 1 appetites were so insatiable that he was forced to ask whether they were I really worth what was done for them , —whether the life of one lion was so I noble that the lives of thousands of oxen were not equal to it ? He was 1 ready to own that lions had always eaten oxen , but lions when they first I . ., ¦ , ,. _« , J . _L j . ' , ., _,-, i _«„ I came to the meadow were a different sort of creature , and they themselves , I too ( and the ox looked complacently at himself ) , had improved since that time . Judging by appearances , though they might be fallacious , he himself was quite as good a beast as the lion . If the lions would lead lives more _,, \ , ° ., _.. _, ,, i a _•< . i , _« noble than oxen could live , once more he would not complain . As it was , he submitted that the cost was too great . Then the lion put on a grand face and tried to roar ; but when he opened his mouth he disclosed a iaw so drearily furnished that Minos , ' , i j , _,, , . _" _» j" - _» _« j . „ . laughed , and told the ox it was his own fault if he let himselt be eaten by such a beast as that . If he persisted in declining , he did not think the lion would force him . F . I *
I March 30, 1850.] Ffifts Zlttibtt* 19
I March 30 , 1850 . ] _ffiftS _ZLttibtt _* 19
, I - I Our Age. I Friends ! Ye Overprai...
_, I - i OUR AGE . I Friends ! ye overpraise the times of old , I Wise and noble action is for man , I And ye languish o ' er a dead ideal ; Healthy _workfor all , thatnone may sorrow ; I If we cannot boast an age of gold , He alone reveres the world ' s large plan , I Men and women yet , thank God , are real . Who with cheerful brow salutes the mor- Knighthood , noble action , simple faith , row - Keiril church and soldier king _delisrht you ; We are children of the ages past , But a royal life and knightly death , j Trust me , fri ends , a right good time is ours : Even in this age of prose , invite you . ! Here is work that brings glad rest at last ; Think not that old pieties are fled , I Here are ho P es that bear immortal flowers . Think not Faith and Love can ever perish ; ! , . , , , go not mourn that the old forms are dead , ; Crown ™ crosier ' 8 word and lyre > are But the enduring . pint seek and cherish , j Butas _? ° n ; l m ' erdawnswlienspringisfaning , Trust the Soul that dwells in every soul , i And majestic days are marching on Into one brave friendship let men enter ; j To reproach us for our weak bewailing . All the stars and planets , as they roll , 1 < md in one great sun their common centre . Truer church shall be than in old times , Gather up the coloured rays ere night , -Lordlier governance shall bless the na- Save men ere theyfade from earthunheeded ; a _rtrt , _^ ! ° . ' _, _„„ , „„ , _„ ,, anto , _¥ i _,,, mnc _& ° ™? » _£ r " _^ _iMSX m _^ eeded _aX _^^ _S _^^ _SSSSr " ' JNever , never , was that light more needed . & Wander thro' the many winding ways Courage ! ye that praise the days of old ; Of sweet thought dissolved to feeling Ye that languish o ' er a dead ideal ; sweeter ; If we cannot boast an age of gold , Flash the truth from swift and fiery lays , Men and women yet , thank God , are real , Smooth rude passion into flowing metre . M .
K-N-N-N A -Tj T- ^^T, -^ R,Ao Tr^ <J1 Ji...
_K-n-n-n a _-tj _t- _^^ t , - _^ r , Tr _^ < J 1 JiliA U _& i _OltJi . fciAbl _uiK . The great " Exposition" of musical works for ihe season of 1850 has now fairly commenced . The directors of the Philharmonic Concerts , and of the two gigantic Italian Opera establishments , have opened their doors , and it only remains for those who have sufficient taste and sufticient money to enter and be delighted . The old question , as to whether London can support two Italian Opera-houses , is now again being tusked . Let us begin b y stating that the question is not put quite fairly . It is not London alone which , in these days of steam , is relied upon as the support of any metropolitan public undertakings . Visitors from the provinces are becoming more and more numerous an d regular in their attendance , mid foreigners now arrive on our shores in thousam Is . These temporary _inha- bitants of London arc the very best patrons of all public entertainments . It depends entirely on the managers themselves whether these establishments shall both succeed or botli fail , for we hold that they will sink or swim together . It they shew themselves to be mere vulgar rivals , they will assuredly destroy cadi other ; but if they comprehend that they may bo harmonious fellow-workers , they will , as surely , support each other . It is beginning to be clearly marked out that the Haymarket Opera-house is the home of Fashion , whilst the Covent- _gurden Opera is the home of Arts . It is expected now that the one shall furnish chiefly those works which may be listened to without extraordinary exertion ot mind , which will admit nicely of conversation at intervals , and which will leave you with an appetite for the ballet ; that the other shall bestow its principal attention upon works so elaborate that all , both behind and before the curtain , have their powers of execution and of comprehension taxed to the utmost—so complete and ambitious in structure as to form of themselves a grand exhibition
K-N-N-N A -Tj T- ^^T, -^ R,Ao Tr^ <J1 Ji...
of the combined talents of poet , musical composer , scene-painter , ballet-master , and costumier If the Haymarket establishment fix itself in the public mind as the place for minor opera and mai or ballet , and the Covent-garden establishment as t _£ at for major o _^ ra \ nd mil J or balle _£ both will g our f 6 h in mutu ai peace . TJp to the present time nothing has been produced in the shape of novelty at either of the Operas . At her Majesty ' s Theatre , the revival of Mayer ' s vapid opera , *• Medea /' has enabled the admirers of Mademoiselle Parodi to ascertain precisely the amount of her inferiority to Pasta , —an injudicious step with any vocalist _> but especially with one who , like Mademoiselle Parodi , has steadily worked her way to a high position in public favour . To avoid the degradation of au imitation is impossible , even with the occasional fine flashes of original conception observable in the new Medea As musical requirements enlarge , great operatic works must take the place of mere scenes of vocal declamation ; and t as Pasta ' s genius alone made tl _£ opera > we are content that " Medea" shall now rest in peace , with the seventy-six similar productions of its prolific composer . Of Sigm » Mioludi , the tenor , who made his dibut ; as Jason , we shall reserve a notice until he has appeared m some part less traditional . Verdi's two operas , " Nino '' and " Emani , " have been the two revivals ; the first for the debut of Signor Lorenzo , and the second for that of Mr . Sims Reeves . Signor Lorenzo has a good barytone voice , and appears to be very _S _^ _^ _gg _^^ _Ail _^^^^^^ _T _^ _to musical education with the liveliest satisfaction . The triumphant success of Mr . Sims Reeves in the part of Emani , will , we trust , nerve him to increased exertion . The unreal school of Verdi calls for unreal vocal exertion , and Mr . Reeves must not forget that he has yet to shew his power of correctly reading the workg of our gre | tesfc operalic c _\) mposer 6 _W Meantime , however , we are pleased to record that his singing in " Ernani " indicates careful study , and we are now not without hope that he will see the necessity of substituting natural P ° _wer for that strained and artificial method of vocalisation , which has latterly been so much applauded by unmusical audiences of Exeter-hall . The OTcheatr j _* energJtic _, and amongst the stringed instruments numbers SOme steady and experienced players ; but the wind instruments are coarse beyond even the power of Mr . Balfe to control . The new ballet , " Les Metamorphoses , '' was completely successful ; Carlotta Grisi dancing throughout with a grace and delicacy which called forth contmued applause . At the Royal Italian Opera , Weber ' s " Der _Freischutz" has been revived ; and repeated with increased effect , until Passion week . Anything more complete , either in the scenic or musical department of this great German poem , can scarcely be conceived . Ihe Caspar of Herr Formes is a finished personation of the bold reckles 8 huntsman ; and his voice , which lacks somewhat the " soave" quality necessary for modern Italian operas , is admirable in its rough energy for the music of " Der Freischutz . " Madame Castellan ' s Agata , but for her obtrusive cadences , would have been a perfect realisation of Weber ' s heroine , and Mademoiselle Vera , in the small part of Annetta , has evinced a marked improvement both in voice and style since her last appearance . Signor Maralti proved to be an excellent first appearance ; but the music of Giulio is somewhat below the best part of his voice , which is a pure high tenor . The recitations , which replace the dialogue , are written with so much skill , that no person who does not thoroughly know the opera could imagine them to be by another hand . To Siirnor Costa , we believe , the credit of these interpolations js due- . The choruses were sung with a precision which produced a marked impression , the soprani especially articulating the high notes with the utmost certainty and refinement . Ihe orchestra , as usual , sounded like one colossal instrument , so perfectly was it under control in its passion and its repose . We ar f _S lad , to , find , th _Ji _* influence of Signor Costa is now felt and duly acknowledged , and that audiences have educated themselves to know that conducting is something more than beating time with a stick . ¦ .
The Drama Before Easter. In The Eatly Pa...
THE DRAMA BEFORE EASTER . In the eatly part of the year the theatres have presented nothing of a very striking _^ iter . The event of the season was un doubtedly the reopening A Drury Lane : a bold venture thoroughly responded to by the public . Unhappily , Mr . Anderson went too much on tradition , and revived old plays instead of producing new plavs . Revivals succeed when they have some uliar attractions of scenery and getting up ( and then the cost is so enormous _r f _^ thing be adequately done , that the same money would produce a novelty ) , or when first-rate actors play in them . Mr . Anderson ' s company was only _^ p _tTbiefand the moun ? in _£ of his ; pieces was sometimes _shabby , _™< l at I time perfectly commensurate with the demands of audiences craving fresh marvels of scenic extravagance . ' Othello " was admirably got up ; but it was still short of the mark . It was not so splendid that people would go to see it for the show . " Fiesco " was a daring effort ; and , although unlucky as a choice it was an effort worthy of encouragement . The new comedy by Mr . Sullivan was withdrawn in consequence of Mrs . Nisbett ' s departure from the company . The opening of the Olympic was also a topic much discussed . Everything in the establishment bespoke magnificence . The company was v strong in comedy ; and in tragedy Brooke was the leading star . Probably , frOm vague apprehensions respecting the safety of this house , the public never cordially supported it . Yet , besides various revivals , the management produced Mrs . Mowatt ' s comedy of •? Fashion , " Oxenford's adaptation of Corneille's " Ariane , " and Lewes _' s tragedy of ? ' The Noble Heart . ' By the way , the vanity or ignorance , or both , of a writer in the Courrier de VEurope coolly declared this last to be nothing but " Le Comte Hermann" of Alexandra Dumas , with the names and a few scenes altered—the fact being that " The Noble Heart" was performed at Manchester and Liverpool nearly a year before «« Le Comte Hermann" was produced . The career of the theatre , however , wa 8 suddenly brought to a close , and the manager had to appear upon another scene , where a painful interest surrounds him . Jcrrold had a five-act play there in rehearsal , and Marston an historical tragedy accepted _, At the Haymarket we have to mention the return of the Keans , who set the excellent example of playing small parts ; but the only successful novelty was «< Leap Year , " and of Buckstone ' s that is one of the least _^ successful pieces . Macrcady will shortly make his final appearances . Jerrold's new comedy has been fitly prepared for by the revival of his admirable " Prisoners of War" and " Time Works Wonders . " Other theatres have also been suddenly smitten with a Jcrroldomania : one the moat favourable to their interests _, The Strand Theatre has flourished . Mrs . Glover , Mrs . Stirling , and Farren are always worth going to see ; and Tom Taylor has lent them the aid of his graceful and charming pen . " Diogenes" was a decided " hit . " The Lyceum has drawn crowds to see the unparalleled magnificence of its «< Island of Jewels ; " and the Adclphi has had ita Adclphi company , Adelphi pieces , and Adelphi success , 4
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), March 30, 1850, page 19, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/ldr_30031850/page/19/
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