PUNCH,
OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
VOLUME 93.
July 9, 1887.
OPERATIC CONFUSION.
I went on Saturday to hear the three operatic novelties so liberallyprovided for us on the same night by Messrs. Mapleson, Lago and Harris.I do not mix my liquors, and I endeavour, as a rule, to keep to the samelyrical drama throughout the evening; nor is it my fault if a good doseof strong Beethoven, sweetened with Gounod and flavoured with Meyerbeerhad, on the occasion in question, a somewhat confusing effect on mybrain. At Her Majesty's, Lilli Lehmann was all right as Leonora: notLeonora of La Favorita, but Leonora the favourite wife ofManrico—no, not of Manrico, but of another personage who, like theunfortunate Trovatore, has to be rescued by his loving spouse from thetyranny of a powerful baritone; whether Verdi's Count di Luna orSheridan's Pizarro, I cannot just now call to mind. Mlle. Lehmann isnot only a fine singer, but also a serious dramatic artist; and thepublic was deeply impressed by her performance. She is a Lehmann withall the earnestness of a good clergyman; not that she had taken ordersas I (Box No. 70) had done.
From Her Majesty's Theatre, I drove in a rapid Hansom to Drury Lane. Ihad told the cabman to take me to the Royal Italian Opera, and I wasabout to remonstrate with him for conveying me to the wrong house, whenhe promptly explained that there were now two Royal Italian Operas, oneat Covent Garden, the other at Drury Lane. New source of confusion!"Confusion worse confounded!" as Milton observes.
"How far have they got?" I inquired as I entered the theatre.
"Valentine's death scene," replied my friend.
"Valentine does not die, my dear fellow; Valentine only faints," Ianswered, I was thinking of course, of the new dramatic soprano, Mlle.Sandra, in Les Huguenots.
"You are evidently not an Opera-goer," I continued, "or you would knowthat no one dies in this work, except, of course, in the last Act. Butthat is always left out."
"Wrong again!" exclaimed Jones, with an amused look. "Augustus Harrisrestores the last Act. See his prospectus."
"Well, never mind that. Is Ella Russell singing the part of QueenMargaret as well as ever?"
"I did not know that Margaret was a Queen. I always thought she was ofhumble origin. The part in any case is being played by Mlle. Nordica."
Determined to be no longer the victim of mystification, I wished Jonesgood-bye, and hurrying in, found the curtain down. Afraid now to askwhat was being played, I waited patiently for the next Act, and when atlast the curtain went up, I found to my astonishment that somerepresentation entirely new to me was taking place. Will-o'-the-Wisps ona dark back-ground. That was all I saw. I asked myself whether I hadgone mad, or whether the Drury Lane Pantomime was being played a littlee