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Seas with the means of accurately knowing all the externals of Egyptian life , such as no libraries of descriptions could rival , and fixing them indelibly upon the mind . When we read the very best description we are still at the mercy of our own ignorance , which puts false interpretations upon words ; but in pictures so large as these we see the thing as in reality . Apart from its utility , which is undeniable , this work has a beauty little less striking . The whole round of Egyptian life is presented in various types ; and each of these pictures demands more than a passing glance for the boldness , freedom , and vitality of
the figures . M . Prisse , a French artist , has thoroughly imbued himself with the spirit of oriental life , as competent witnesses aver ; and the veriest cockney , who never saw an Egyptian off the stage of the Italian Opera , will recognize a life-like truth in the figures which assures him they are human beings . Here we have none of those conventional faces and academic forms — libelling nature by their insipid uniformity—no straight noses , accurate brows , meaningless eyes , and lifeless lay figures . The women are often beautiful , but with the beauty of eastern physiognomy . The compositions , too , are often exquisite . The men , women , and children impress you with a sense of their capacity for motion ; and the draperies fall naturally as swayed
by the forms . Enough of the atmosphere and the architecture—public and domestic—is given to indicate the true locality , while the ample size of the drawings enables even the minutest details of costume to be distinctly appreciated . As compositions they are of unequal merit , some of the later being scarcely up to the standard of the earlier parts ; but one and . all have the same fidelity and the same interest as types . The letterpress which accompanies the plates is by Mr . J . A . St . John , already known by various works on Egypt . It is brief , yet luminous ; telling all that is requisite for a full understanding of the illustrations , and not wandering into discussion or dissertation . The plates themselves are drawn on stone and tinted : the effect is brilliant and harmonious . Altogether the work stands alone in completeness of plan and felicity of execution .
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MUSIC AND THE DRAMA . I may or may not be infallible . You think I am , sir ? I bow to your superior judgment , and waive the affectation of modesty , But if infallible , certainly not tibiquitous . One poor pair of eyes , one pair of ears , one graceful pair of legs—I boast no more . This being the case you will understand how , having my evenings occupied by attendance on the Reverend \ V . Blazes , whose energies are called forth to resist the malignant forms of Popery in our parish ( lighted candles being there set up to facilitate our already facile descent into Avernus )—having , I say , to listen to his Christian eloquence , it cannot be expected that I should at the same time listen to Jullien , Jetty Treffz , or the Berlin Choir . Of two entertainments
I naturally choose the most exciting . I prefer good acting to bad , and the lteverend \ V . Blazes is the Kcan of the day . Some think he rants . All I know is that he ' moves" his audience , makes them shudder , makes them gasp , makes them perspire . He is the man for my money . I run after him , and neglect the feebler efforts of the stage . But as I am not paid five guineas a week for criticising sermons and exhortations , but for cruelty to actors , authors , and managers , I must furnish some account of theatrical novelties . Ex nihilo nihil fit ; which means that you cannot make a silk purse out of a satin waistcoat—in other words , you cannot write an accurate account of what you have not seen ; so that to get out of my difficulty I shall draw upon the Times , and abridge the criticisms I find therein : —
Grand National Concerts . —Mr . Macfarren ' s serenata , entitled The Sleeper Awakened , is the first of the original works by native composers , the announcement of which was hailed as the most gratifying feature of the prospectus issued by the committee of the Grand National Concerts . The author of the libretto of The Sleeper Awakened has chosen an incident in the same story from The Thousand and One Nights which furnished Weber with the book of his comic opera , Abon Hassan . He has treated it with consummate skill , making it subservient to a pleasant moral , without pedantry and affectation , while it foriBS the basis of four amusing and
well-contrasted scenes . ... It is much to say of a composition which occupied no less than two hours and a half in execution , without " entr ' actes " or intervals of repose , that in no one place is there evidence of weakness , and that the interest never censes . That every part of the work should be equally striking and beautiful was , of course , out of the question , or that every part should be equally now ; but though here and there a want of true inspiration mny be felt , and occasionally a resemblance to something heard before , the musician ' s art has been and the
used to such advantage , that the ear judgment are satisfied , even when the former may be neither surprised not delighted . But , without attempting an analysis of the music , let us mention some of the pieces from which we received the most pleasure , and which appeared to us most worthy of Mr . Macfarren ' s talent and reputation . The overture , a showy and brilliant orchestral movement in E flat , is full of clever writing , spirited , and characteristic of the subject it precedes . One or two of the vocal melodies are happily employed as # themes . Bustling , effervescent , and never obtruding sentiment for
the sake of contrast , it is precisely what the overture to a comic opera should be . As a piece of instrumentation , it must also be praised for ingenuity , variety of colour , and power of combination . The opening chorus of Hassan s friends , " Applaud him ! applaud him ! " is a lively and well-marked tune , subsequently employed more than once in the serenata , and always to good purpose . The duettino for Hassan and Zuleika , "Oh , when the weary heart is bless'd ! " , is a flowing allegretto , the chief characteristic of which , however , is extreme OlWtnltrtilir t'i * V * y % rx « anwr ««* f I A ^? r ») 'k + < r A 110 ll 1 * 111 /» O *¦!¦» n 1 ? not *'
is striking and dramatic , the announcement in unison being well opposed to the elaborate orchestral treatment of the latter part . The march in the Caliph ' s procession in C major , commencing softly , and leading , by means of an effective crescendo , to a pompous and animated fortissimo , is also an imposing piece of instrumentation . The trio , or second theme in F , for the cornet , though less original than the first , by skilfully-managed contrast adds to the general effect . " Beautiful night , " a barytone song for the Caliph , is a pretty sentimental ballad in A flat , with an obligato accompaniment for the clarionet . The trio , " Open , open , " for Zuleika , Hassan , and the Caliph , is a long and admirably written piece of concerted music , in which a quaint arietta , ** Should joy with smiling face invite , " forms an agreeable episode . A canone for the three voices , in E flat , ' Good
night , " periect only the practised musician can accomplish ; as a specimen of vocal part-writing it may be accepted for a model , while the leading theme is exceedingly graceful . Hassan ' s song " The Caliph sits in a hall of gold , " in C , is one of the newest and most genuine of the vocal solos , a bold and strongly marked melody being set off by a spirited and peculiar orchestral treatment . We are much mistaken if this fails to become a general favourite with our tenor singers . " Gone , he ' s gone , " a cavatina in D flat , is one of the most brilliant and effective bravuras ever written for the contralto , which , since Rossini abandoned composition , is not over rich in pieces for display . The present morceau will be a welcome addition to the repertoire of those vocalists who are not happy enough to be born with soprano voices . The second scene , although a pretty ballad for Hassan , " A vision most gorgeous , " is introduced , must be regarded as a single piece of music , and , indeed , as the grand finale of the opera , or serenata , whichever it may be designated . The action shows Hassan awaking in the palace , supposing himself Caliph , abolishing the restrictions against wine , and indulging in a boisterous revelry . The actors are Hassan , the Caliph , and his attendants , who wait upon Hassan . This scene , in our opinion , is not only the most exciting , but the most
ingenious and . musician-like in the whole work . The interest accumulates as the scene progresses , and the Bacchanalian chorus for Hassan and the attendants , " Fill , ye pious Moslems , " is worked up with surprising power , and makes a brilliant climax . This scene would be very effective on the stage , since it possesses the dramatic element in the highest perfection . The incidental ballet-music noted , in the book has been judiciously omitted , with the exception of one piece— " 13 allabile , " so called — a kind of galop , which , not being at all original , [ might also be rejected without damage to the rest of this vigorous and ably-constructed scene . In the third scene there is a baritone song for the Caliph— " Oh listen , sweetest , listen ! "—a ballad , well enough in its way ; and a duet for the Caliph and Zuleika , in which
the most remarkable passage a E flat , 9-8 measure— " Would that my heart . " But , whether musically or dramatically regarded , this scene , although essential to the development of the story , is by far the least interesting of the four . In the last scene there is a fine duet in D for Zuleika and Hassan , the longest and perhaps the best in the serenata . Here , also , is interwoven an episodic ballad for the lady , in A— " The
hour when first my glance met thine , " which is quite a gem , and cannot fail to become popular . In the finale some repetitions of the earlier parts of the serenata occur . Though short , it is clever , and in excellent keeping ; while the chorus , "Applaud them ! applaud them !" makes just as joyous a conclusion as it formed a spirited opening to the serenata . On the whole , the Sleeper Awakened must be regarded as a work of very high character and pretensions , and likely to add to Mr . Macfarrcn s already distinguished reputation .
M . Jullien ' s Concerts . — On Monday night M . Jullien produced his Great Exhibition Quadrille with a pomp and parade that put all his previous essays into the shade . Besides his own band , strengthened by those of her Majesty ' s Royal Artillery , Second Life Guards , and Coldstream Guards ( under the respective directions of Messrs . Collins , Grattan Cooke , and Godfrey ) , a corps of French tambours , in the costume of the National Guard , headed by M . Barbier , the accredited tambour major , with his huge canne a pomme d ' or , to enforce obedience and ensure precision , swelled out the ranks of the executants to such a degree that the orchestra was obliged to be raiRed nearly on a level with the highest row of boxes to accommodate them . The coup d ' ccil was imposing and picturesque , and when M . Jullien appeared upon the platform in the centre , to complete the picture , a shout of applause arose , from every part of the house . The first four figures of M . Jullien ' s Great Exhibition du'idrillaura composed of melodies from foreign sources , which are made the bases of variations for some of his most popular solo performers . After a mysterious introduction , in which the llussian National Hymn forms a prominent feature , and is made subservient to some striking instrumental combinations , the corps of French tambours commence the first figure with a pas aacelore , introducing the •« Chamade , " the " Chant u'ilonneur , " and other familiar performances . A pas redouble is then taken up by the three military bands , and the figure concludes with the " Marseillaise , " given out with overwhelming loudncss by the united body of executants The success of the quadrille was pretty well assured
by this first figure . The tambours made a prodigious effect . Their precision , and the skilful manner in which they graduated from the loudest fortissimo to an absolute pianissimo , preserving all the delicacy and crispness of their beat , created quite a novel impression . The applause was unanimous in honour of the French drummers , and was renewed at the end of the " Marseillaise , " which was immediately encored . The second figure is composed of a quaint Spanish tune , entitled " Sapatieodo , " with variations for oboe , flute , and flageolet , admirably played by MM . Larigne , Pratten , and Collinet , and received with the greatest favour . Nor must the guitar accompaniments , allotted to the Messrs . Ciebra , which heightened the
national colour of the melody , be passed over without a word of acknowledgment . Figure No . 3 is preceded by a graceful Sicilian serenade , the subject of which , appropriately given to the coma musa , was played by M . Soualle , accompanied by Mr . Streather on the harp . The figure itself , composed of a Piedmontese " Monferina " and a Neopolitan " Tarantella , " in which the castagnettes were cleverly handled by Signor Baldacci , was full of life and vigour . The fourth figure is founded upon the popular French air , " Partant pour la Syrie , " which M . Jullien , without furnishing an authority ,
declares to be borrowed from " an old Eastern melody . " The melody , however , is too eminently French in character to admit of any such supposition . Nevertheless , it served very well for three effective variations , on the " Bombardon " ( a somewhat incongruous title for one of the finest of the instruments invented by M . Saxe ) , the trombone , and the cornet-a-piston , which were rendered with great taste and facility by MM . Sommers , Cioffi , and Ivoonig . In the fifth and last figure M . Jullien has brought all his resources into play , and concentrated the dramatic marrow of his narrative . The
theme is " The march of all nations to London , lhe morning of the " all-absorbing event" is supposed to have arrived , and the chimes of London , " echoed far and wide , " announce the glad occurrence . Fragments of the preceding themes are here intermingled in curious disarray , and . when the ear has been sufficiently excited by this motley coincidence of national tunes , the subject of the English national anthem is heard to steal in softly , and after some intervals of interruption , ingeniously contrived ( one of which is appropriately filled up by •* Rule Britannia" ) , the combined mass of instrumentalists , military bands , tambours , and all , join in the one familiar theme , which forms a climax as irresistible as it is ob streperous .
Adei . piii Theatre . —A very good specimen of the Adelphi school of drama was brought out on Monday . The authors are Mr . Robert Brough , one of the " brothers " hitherto known only in the comic line , and Mr . Bridgemau , a novice in the honourable profession of playbuilding . The piece is entitled Jessie Gray , and the young lady ( Madame Celeste ) from whom it takes its name is the supposed niece of an old gentleman , who , though called Dr . Gray ( Mr . O . Smith ) , is only an apothecary . The nephew ( Mr . Boyce ) of a haughty baronet ( Mr . Hughes ) courts her in the disguise of an artist , and when his uncle , who has higher views for him , exposes his real character , ho defies his relative , and
declares that he will marry the humble object of his love . The baronet , who is as unscrupulous as he is haughty , now determines to break ofF the match by destroying Jessie ' s character , and he employs precisely the same means as those adopted by lion John in Much Ado about Nothing . Tho agents he employs are one of Gray ' s assistants ( Mr . Honey ) who has poisoned a footman by mistake ; a military gamester ( Mr . C . J . Smith ) , whom he can denounce for the use of loaded dice ; and Gray ' s housekeeper ( Mrs . Lawes ) . Jessie is sent to sleep by an opiate , her lover is made to behold two figures at her window , who are , in fact , the housekeeper and the assistant , and the Captain assumes to
be the Lothario out of doors , lhe lover is , of course , driven to distraction , but the baronet perceiving that love is not quite extinct in him , projects a plan for carrying off Jessie Gray in a yacht . All of a sudden his views are changed by the discovery that Jessie is his own child , and he is but too happy to unite her to his nephew . Most of the actors in this drama are so well known that we may content ourselves with saying they displayed their usual talent . A special word may , however , bo given to Mr . Hughes and Mr . Honey . The former of these gentlemen has an important career before him ; ho may , if he chooses , take up the serious line so long filled by tho lamented Mr . Yates , and find no one to contest his laurels . He is a melodramatist of great intelligence ; there is not a movmeent in his countenance which is not the result of careful deliberation . What he should aim
at is the power of elevating the parts he undertakes . If we forget that the villain of the piece is a baronet , Mr , Hughcs ' s acting was most admirable ; it was the cool , designing , bad man throughout ; but , on the other hnmi , when we remember that ho is a man of high family , plotting to secure the honour of that family nt any expense , we feel that the aristocratic bearing is wanting . Mr . Honey , who played the assistant , tormented by the conglomerated miseries of a poisoned footman , the destruction of Jessie ' s fame , and a prospective college examination , came out with an exhibition of grotcsquo humour , and delivered his words with a quaintnras , that quite took tho audience by surprise . Such a sucofss is enough to make an epoch in an actor ' s career , and ho may even turn to account his hardness of manner as au original qualification .
There , now you have hoard what the " Thunderer " says , and I will wind up -with saying thnt the success of The Templar encreases—vires acqutrit cundo , and so docs that of Philip of Franco and Marie do Alurnnie ; as to tho Duchess of Malfy , which It . II . llorno has adapted for Sudlcr ' s Weils , I must bo grave and critical on that next week , VivrAy .
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Nov . 23 , 1850 . ] ® t ) t ILtaKtt . 835
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 23, 1850, page 835, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1860/page/19/
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