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Royal English Opera , Covent Garden . — Though a Cynic might fairly remark that the opening . of the winter season of the Royal English Opera , after the florid pretensions of the managerial programmes , with a work by Meyerbeer , smacks something of Hibernicism , we are ourselves too sensible of the attractions of the " Pardon de Plocirmel" to pretend that the entrepreneurs should have resisted the temptations offered by a friendly arrangement with Mr . Gye ( who , we presume , rules the rights of representation in England ); and we accordingly welcomed , without cavil on that head , the elegant pastoral , " Dinorah , " in its neat English dress , by Mr . Chorley , A few . words , now , for the
libretto . Mr . Chorley has , we believe , adopted as the basis of his operations the original French words , and , in conformity with the judicious arrangement of the managers , lias secured for the dialogue a good deal more of dramatic effect than was . conveyed by the recitatives composed for the Italian stage . Of the music and the story we said enough in the ample notice given on the occasion of its production under Mr . Gye . . Suffice it to say , that the latter has been preserved by the librettist with all its simplicity and nealry all its slightnes-, while the splendid band is led with unerring precision through the unaltered beauties and intricacies of the score by the popular and modest Mr . Alfred
Mellon , who , whether he will or no , an admiring public insist upon ranking beside the great Signor Costa himself . The success of Miss Pyne , in the part of Dinorah , is now complete . Suffering , on Monday night , from indisposition , which , though it took nothing from her vocalisation or purity of tone , yet robbed her of much physical energy , she was observed to be unequal to the restlessness with ¦ which Madame Carvalho invested the fitful Dinorah . But now that restored vigour , and the confidence gained by frequent repetitions have been added to her unsurpassed vocal ability , her performance—we are proud for our English opera to say—leaves nothing for the most exigeant of critics to desire . That revival
we missed in the stalwart Corentino of the that timorousness- that distinguished the performance of the slighter Italian representative of the part , may be imagined when the physique of the artists is contrasted . To require it of Mr . Harrison would perhaps be , in fact , asking top much of nature , who- —will and talent notwithstanding—insists upon drawing her inexorable line somewhere ; but in the broader comic passages—the ** M . e . nsa regale " Act I ., and the concerted pieces throughout the opera—Mr . Harrison was entirely at home , and his valuable aid' fully recognised . Of the acquisition the operatic stage has gained in Mr . Santley ( the HOeV ) it is hardly possible to speak too warmly . artistwhose the boards
This young , appearance on on Monday night was his second-: —if not his firstmust not yet be spoken of as an actor at all ; but as a vocalist we feel sure he must have realised all and more than was expected of him by the composer ( who himself designated him for the part ) and by the enterprising directors , who took the bold step of drawing him from the ease of the concert-room to the labour of the stage , at no inconsiderable risk and cost . There are few , we believe , of our contemporaries who are not of our opinion that the wayward Graziani is , as far as regards voice and vocalisation , fully equalled , and here and there surpussed , by his young English compeur . It was noticeable , moreover , that while in considerable
Mr , Santloy was most naturally a state of norvous excitement , ' hid organ betrayed BindU truces of it , and ho was fully hoard and admired in the romotest parts of the house , though often singing at little more than half power . The " reaper " and the " hunter" of the Italian version have come , in the English one to bo the personagos Louis aud Claude . Their representatives are Messrs . II . Corri and St . Albyn , both painstaking and well-qualified artiste , whoso intelligence } and practice on the stage materially helped to lighten the drama for the benefit of the miscellaneous uublic , drawn together by tho English Opera , prices . On the subject , of thonowaontralto , Miss Pilling , we istic strainThis
must again adopt the oulog . young lady , to bo as brief as possible , is gifted with youth , a prepossessing appearance , a beautiful voice , and a marvellously good enunciation . In the air at the beginning of the second act , "Fanciullo die il core , " written expressly for Madame Nantior Didioo ( which Miss Pilling hardly improved by taking somewhat slower than that lady ) , she won the most enthusiastic encore of the evening from nil ing enuous amatours . and so charmed the house again in the duo of Act III . with Miss S . TUirlwall ( who must not bo named without praise ) , that after the Usual and deserved compliment to the principals , her appearance before the curtain after its fall and the performance of the National anthem , was demanded by
the masses , at first with warmth , and then—injudicious reluctance being exhibited—with threatening pertinacity . Ultimately , however , the favourite of the ' evening made her appearance , and the town was . satisfied . A more promising debut is rarely reported , and if Miss Pilling , not falling a victim to the frequent and pernicious results of earl y success , will but cultivate loyally her excellent natural endowments , she has , if we mistake not , a bright and prosperous future before her . In conclusion , we must notice that the opera is produced under the able direction of Messrs . Stirling and Edward
Murray , with all the completeness that distinguished the Pyne and Harrison enterprise last year . The beautiful scenery and complete appointments ( goat and all ) used during Mr . Gye ' s Italian season remain of Course much as they were , and the mechanism of the grand effect at the eiid of Act II . works even more perfectly than it did then . The considerate arrangements for the comfort of the audience , in which this management took the lead , we rejoice to see continued , and without more than ordinary boldness we may venture to augur from the data before us , that many thousands will appreciate during a long and prosperous season this year .
Crystal Palace . — The directors of this company and their able managers do their best to keep the interest in musical entertainments from flagging On Saturday Mine . Catherine Hayes ^ with the Madrigal Choir , drew a more than ordinary number to Sydenham . The fair vocalist reaped her usual honours in . " Qui la voce , " and the magnificent aria from " Guillaume Tell . " The instrumental portions of the programme were unexceptionable . On Wednesday a grand choral concert took place , at which Mme . lludersdorf , and the "Vocal Association , under the direction of M . Benedict , performed selections
from great as well as little masters . Mr . Coward interspersed the vocalisms with choice gems for the organ . A part-song , entitled " Take thy Banner , " composed by the organist , was very effectively rendered , and the production loudly applauded . Mme . Rudersdorf sang a beautiful aria of Mendelssohn ' s . A very large meeting was convened to hear the glees , motetts , trios , choruses , and songs of this great vocal band . Royal Surrey Garden ^ . —In bur impression of last Saturday it was inadvertently stated that Mr . Paul Standish ' s voice consisted of qualities of a " deep-toned" voice . Our reporter intended to have described this gentleman ' s voice as a pure tenor . ¦ ''¦•'
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MUSIC AND THE DRAMA .
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Surrey . t—This theatre re-opened on Saturday , and presented a re-decorated interior which excited unanimous admiration . Elegant . and costly in design and execution , the front of the boxes and the ceiling charmed the eyes of the spectators with the lightness and richness of the embellishments , which are at once chaste and brilliant in tone . The performance commenced with a new " tragic play , " entitled ' The Bridal of Beatriz , " in three acts . This we find to be an adaptation of the worldcelebrated tragedy of " Emilia Galott . i , " which has been reduced from its original five acts to its present number . Much abridgement has , of course ,
been necessary , particularly since addition has been also made of comic and brigand scenes , the hitter of which are accompanied with pictorial and mechanical accessories . The original tragedy , which is by Lessiug , is dwelt upon largely in his " Dramaturgic , " as constituting' a niodel of dramatic construction . To a certain extent this is the fact , inasmuch as , throughout , the motives for the action are given , and tho leading springs of it are distinctly stated in tho first scene . The chain of events is linked well together ; oven to tho production and transference of a dagger all is accounted for . The present adapter has changed tho scene of the play from Italy to Spain , and
thrown a Spanish colouring over the incidents . The part of a brigand , performed by Mr . Fernandez , thus receives groat expansion , and we must confess was most effectively supported by the actor . AU who know the original play will reoollect tho magnificent part of the Chamberlain , here named Tortosa . and who found a capital representative in Mr . Vollaeri . Tho part of the father , Novarro , was most ably enacted by Mr , Creswick , who had manifestly rosolvcd , and rightly , on establishing a reputation in it . The heroine ,
Beatriz NOvarro , was supported by Miss Sarah Thorno , who made her reappearance on this stage after four years , and looked and road the character with much propriety and grace . Tho very difficult part of the discarded countess , Osurio , was confided to Miss Edith Heraud , who made her deb At on this stage in tho character . It was well that this important , though brief . rCle , was allotted to an actress of experience and acknowledged power j for tho audience had begun to show impatience at the slow progress of the second act , but after her entrance the tide entirely turned in
favour of the piece , and the act concluded triumphantly . Her scene with Tortosa andDfovarro was full of intelligence and point ; her scorn arid revenge were alike most effectively expressed . In this scene also Mr . Creswick was aroused to the first demonstration of power i and' that gentleman , with Miss Heraud , was called for at the end of the act , but the former alone appeared . The third act is much altered from Lessing ' s draught , in order to give an effective death to Nov'arfo ; and in this purpose thoroughly succeeded . The play , at the conclusion ; was an unquestionable success . The slight hesitaof
tion which occurred in the introductory scenes the second act , was more due to the original author than to the adapter ; for we recollect that at the St . James ' s Theatre , the same weight was felt until the entrance of the countess , then performed by the celebrated Frau Flindt ; and that the interest was then , as on the present occasion , thereby restored . The fact is , that Lessing ' s play is not so perfect in structure as he thought , and that the German process of dramatic development is rather too slow for the English mind . However , such is the force of the last act and a half of this drama , that no fear of" its permanent retention of the stage need be entertained . made their
After the play , a new Ethiopian troupe debut in this country , under the name of " Campbell ' s American Minstrels . " Fourteen chairs were set for them , and their songs and Actions were of that extravagant kind that ensures popularity . The house was convulsed with laughter and enthusiasm attheir absurdity and talent . But it is not alone in song , but in dance that they transcend competitors . The concluding scene represented an explosion on board of an American steamer . The entertainments terminated with " The Three Dummies , " the part of Bob being performed by Mr . E . Marshall , the newlow comedian of the establishment . The house was inconveniently crowded .
St . Jajiies ' s Theatre . —Mr . F . B . Chatterton , who is soniewhatrof a favourite with the literary as well as play going public , and was for years identified with the Lyceum Theatre , has resolved on trying his fortune at the St . James ' s . The enterprise is no mean one , for the house has acquired such a renown for pertinacious resistance to all attempts to keep it open , that , among those best acquainted with such matters , a St . James ' s season is a by-word . The knowing ones have in favour of their prophecies the fact that the theatre is isolated ; distant from the centre of the metropolis ; on the road to " nowhere in particular , " and inaccessible by omnibuses : and the results certainl y justify tho
reasoning and the predictions . We are not , however , without hope that Mr . Chatterton , by Ids provision of attractive metal may create at length a public , not select * but general , for this pretty theatre : his proceedings show at least symptoms of vigour and intention . He has engaged a strong company , comprising that versatile and strongly-perceptive actor , Mr . Emery ; Mr . Charles Young , who may be fairly termed clever and energetic ; a bevy of fair ladies of real tulent ; and an adequate and satisfactory complement of those generally useful people who , though unobtrusive and often undistinguished , are ever indispensable . Would that wo could add he had engaged a corps of dramatists . With Mr .
Leicester Buckingham , a young offender of the irreverent , school , who at least gains the little ho at present aims at—a laugh—wo have sonic sympathy , and , hoping better things , will content ourselves with the mere record that liis Viryiniu * travesties wus as good us painstaking stage-management , vivacious , acting , excellent singing , and an occasional jeu d ' esprit of lair quality could mak , o it , and that the plobiculn ul tin .- pit ana gallery enjoyed it amazingly . But we liuvo little hope for tho unfortunate author , comluinnou to witness his own melodrama—or " comedy , " Ih .-Ijl-vo and that
they call it—" Tho Widow ' s Wedding ; ' little is diminished when wo call to mind that tno poor soul was hindered by neither grief iior shnino from bowing thanks for the applaufc ^ oi a few witless spectators . Thy reader will hardly seek to inquire for plot or cast : but lot-us say that Mr . Emory scowled ami started in a manner that must have boon painful to his own taste , as n hall gipsy , half aristocratic hero ; and with ' Mr . Charles Young , who made something of a Yorkshire squire « part , and Missos Ardon , Murray , and Hicjcson , did tho little that could , to our fancy , bo dono for the piece But what mattorod the vapid rubbish of tho dialogue , factt
tho anachronisms , tho solecisms—in , no ausence of all that ccmstitues a comedy—to pit and gallery , who seomod as if they had followed tho fortunes of " Tho Widow ' s Wgdding " from their common , homo noar tho Now-cut ? There wpro pretty women , silk and satin drosses , a mysterious ' „" ¦ party , a moonlit bridal in a ruined abboy , and an umbrella courtship between tho first comic gentleman and his supposed lady-lovo ¦ , so at tho end of all , though stalls sighed and tho boxes smiled , tho real public applauded to tho echo—and the author bowed his acknowledgments . We must not conclude without allueion to
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No . 498 , Oct . 1859-1 T H E L E A D E R . IU 7
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 8, 1859, page 1127, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2315/page/11/
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