Friday.—Home Secretary in the Dock; Sir William Harcourt, Q.C., instructed by Mr. Henry Fowler (Messrs. Corser, Fowler, & Langley, Wolverhampton), prosecuted. Prisoner, who was accommodated with a seat, conducted his own defence. After long consultation, Jury could not agree, and were discharged without a verdict.
Business done.—Metropolitan Police Vote agreed to.
THE OPERA-GOER'S DIARY.
Monday.—Carmen. Zélie is the accepted Carmen this season—no better; and Maggie Macintyre as Michaela, which, being an awkward name to pronounce, might be abbreviated to Mickie. Dan Drady the Dramatic, excellent as Escamillo. One singer in a season plays many parts, and one part is played by several singers. How would a theatre succeed conducted on this plan, so that the same play should be produced on certain nights with a different cast? Here is Dan Drady, for example; he plays Escamillo, tragi-comedy, one night; another time he is the noble San Bris in Les Huguenots; another, he is Figaro the loquacious Barber of Seville; another, he is the devil-may-care gallant Don Giovanni; and, though best in serious parts, he is good in all of them. On other occasions, when Carmen is given, the cast will be changed; some other singer will represent Escamillo, or someone will replace Maggie as Mickie; Ravelli the Reliable will have been Don José once, and then Montariol or Ybos (why Boss? Can't yet make this out), or even Jean de Reszké may represent the nincompoop soldier. Suppose A Pair of Spectacles, with a change of cast, Mr. Hare out of it occasionally, and Mr. ... Ah! there's the difficulty, Mr. Who, taking his part. Imagine Faust without Irving as Mephistopheles. What a big Company it would require! No; better leave well alone.
Tuesday.—Faust. Always a safe draw. Same cast as before. Worth noting, that Gounod has given Wagner very little to do in this Opera, and that little not of his best. Evidently Gounod does not possess a strong sense of humour, or he wouldn't have lost such a chance as this. In the Kermesse Scene Wagner should have commenced one of his own Wagnerian strains, in the Wagnerian style, and been immediately stopped by the student's applause.
Wednesday.—Le Nozze di Figaro. Always charming. Should like to see examination paper on the plot of Le Nozze, questions to be answered without any reference to book.
1. Give succinct and clear account of the plot.
2. What connection with plot have Figaro's father and mother?
3. What social position among the Count's guests are the ladies of the ballet supposed to hold?
4. Having stated this, account for their costumes.
5. Why does Mlle. Palladino, the chief dancing guest, take no sort of notice of Il Conte and La Contessa? Are they not on speaking terms? If not, why not?
6. Why is Don Bartolo always made up and costumed as a superior Pantaloon?
Delighted again to see Ella Russell as Susanna. To think that only the other evening she was the graceful and stately Queen Marguerite in Les Huguenots, and now she is a soubrette très piquante. There are other pages in Madame Scalchi's history—the page in the Huguenots, for example, and his twin brother in Lucrezia Borgia—which like me more than her Cherubino. Vocally Dan Drady the Dramatic is all right; but he is too severe for Figaro the barber. Good house considering it is Ascot week, and on this night when such sad rumours are in the air, everyone sincerely delighted at seeing the Marchioness of Lorne in the Royal Box.