a, who vainly tries to
understand his strange behaviour. Determined to find out the truth
about Claudius' guilt, Hamlet has paid some actor, to play the old
tragedy of Gonzaga's murder. When the actor pours the poison into the
sleeping King's mouth Claudius sinks back half fainting, and Hamlet,
keenly observant, loudly accuses him of his father's death. But he is
unable to act and after the King's escape he seeks his mother's room to
ponder on his wrongs. Hidden behind a pillar he overhears from
Claudius' own lips that Ophelia's father, old Polonius is the King's
accomplice. This destroys the last spark of his belief in humanity.
Thrusting the weeping Ophelia from him, he advises her to shut herself
into convent and to bid farewell to all earthly joys. Left alone with
his mother he wildly reproaches her, and at last so far forgets
himself, that he is about to kill her, had not his father's ghost
appeared once more, exhorting him to take vengeance but to spare his
mother.

This scene is very powerful, the music of strange and weird beauty.--

In the fourth act poor demented Ophelia takes part in the plays of the
village-maidens. The Swedish song she sings to them is full of sweet
pathos. When her playmates leave her, she hides {116} among the
willows, enticed into the water by the "Neck" (Swedish for Sirens),
whose own song she has sung. Slowly floating out on the waves her
voice dies away softly. With her death the interest in the opera ends;
however a fifth act takes us to her grave, where the whole funeral
procession arrives. The ghost once more appeals to Hamlet for
vengeance, until he rouses himself and runs his sword through Claudius,
after which the ghost disappears, while Hamlet is elected King of
Denmark on the spot.

The audience in German theatres is spared this last piece of absurdity
and the play is brought to a more appropriate close by Hamlet's
stabbing himself on his bride's bier.

HANSEL AND GRETEL.

A Fairytale in three pictures by ADELHEID WETTE.

Music by ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK.

After a long period of "Sturm und Drang" we have an opera so fresh and
simple, that any child will delight in it! It not only captivates
children and people of simple tastes; but, the most blases must
acknowledge its charms. No thrilling drama, but a simple fairytale,
known in every nursery has achieved this wonder. It is a revelation.
True music finds its way to the hearts, and how wonderfully r