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    has not only very pleasingly arranged his subject for stage and musical purposes , but his libretto , free from the abominable superfluity that makes weeping critics shout for - ""the knife ''— -not , good reader , to truncate the author , but his verse ^ -if not equal to that of Mr , ' Leslie ' s late operetta , is oh the whole at far above libretto mediocrity as his accomplished collabbrateur ' s music is above the average of musical excellence . — Premising that a superb overture preludes the opera , let us now give pur reader a review of theaction . The first scene is laid in acavern on the Rhine , where , in common with Rhineberg ( Mr . Santley ) , spirit-king , baritone , and a sort of subaqueous ProsperO , who also keeps a Caliban and an Ariel of his own , we are apprised that Lurline ( Miss Louisa Pyne ) hii fair daughter , has conceived a passion for a superjacent mortal , Count Rudolph ( Mr . Harrison ) . The light . thrown upon spirit life by both authoT and musician throughout their joint-work is pleasing enough . The Lorelei , though gifted with the power of a Circe , is a lovelorn maiden ; and the Rhine-king is no tyrant fiend , but a particularly respectable , mild , and thoughtful " heavy father , " disturbed in liis watery ways by the dissipated habits of his familiar , the Gnome ( Mr . H . Corri ) , but otherwise so wrapt in paternal affection as to resign his wayward daughter , without reserve or soul-conipact , to mortality and the love of the fast young Rudolph . Rhineberg ' s first recitative and the air , "Idle spirit wildly dreaming , " ii excellently and characteristically accompanied . Its melody is fluent as the stream ; and Mr . Santley sings this , as every piece allotted to him , to perfection . The Gnome having been duly chastened , Lurline is called forth by her parent . Her first song , " The Spell , " in which she avows her love , is ,. as intended ; the gem of the work . In the ensuing romance , * ' When the night winds sweep the wave , " with its unearthly acc 6 mpani r meat , Lurline describes her mystic power to lure and to destroy , and again refers to her subjugation by the master spirit of Rudolph . Here is a specimen of both the composer ' s arid the artist ' s genius j and Rhineberg ' a answer , " How can a son of earth ensnare ? " superbly declaimed by Mr . Santley , is no less remarkable . The pretty chorus , " Sail , sail on the midnight gale , " closes the first scene , and ^ brings us to the bower of the lady Ghiva ( Miss . Pilling ) , a- mortal with whom the penniless Mudolph is supposed to have been flirting before the spell of . Lurline took possession of his soul . This scene , which is comic throughout , possesses few passages of interest , if we except portions" of the duo , " Haughty Rxdolph , " arid the Count ' s part in the trio , " I think there ' s a saying of yore * " which , was very well delivered by Mr . Harrison . In Scene 3 we have a revel Of Rudolph and his free companions . Their chorus , j ^ Drain the cup of pleasure , " makes a popular sensation : The wind instruments in the succeeding dialogue are admirably effective . Mr . Harrison has the labour and the honours of a grand scena , within , his range , and leading up to an elegant romance , Our bark in moonlight beaming / ' which he sings . so feelingly , as to merit the redemand that nightly attends if . While he describes his sensations at the voice of Lnrline , that voice is , suddenly heard . She . rises from the wave , places on his finger a ring , which confers " undrownability , " and compels hini , in the midst of a storm-rent finqle , to seek , a lover ' s grave in the whirl of waters . Act II . takes place in the crystal dwelling of Lurline , whereunto Rudolph has descended . The opening is grand and mysterious ; passage after passage of great and varied , beauty bring us to the ad yiopulum cavatina , which Mr . Harrison well knows how to sing * " Sweet form , that on my dreamy gaze : " Then follows a drinking ; song for Lurline , in which we cannot see the same beauties as do the all-powerful public , who encore it for Miss Pyne ' s vocalization ^ when they should dismiss it as far short of the composer ' s general mark of originality . An excellent buffo song , "As in this cup , " which Mr . Corri , as the drunken Gnome , sings not only effectively but well ,. concludes this scene , and we . again seek upper , air and the fair Ghiva ' s toilette table . The song " Trobadour Enchanting , " which Miss Pilling sings with pure simplicity that better fits the strain than her supposed character , is the most strikingly tuneful morpeau of the opera . Its first division insists upon being remembered , and its piquant refrain , as well as its easiness , will make it , we are bound to say , tfAe favourite . . But of this the music sellers will presently be the best judges . After thus prettily invoking Rudolph , Miss Ghiva . is informed that he is drowned ; but being requested { sic in orig . ) to " share the sports , " stifles ' her sorrow to the sound of a brisk and noisy chorus , and with plume and javelin seeks a distraction she hardly needed in the hunting ^ field . And now down we go . again to R / iineberff '/ i mysterious halls , where , in a very conventional , shoppy ballad , Mr . Santley discourses eloquent music about ^ A . father ' early lavo , " and then , by vroy of change , attacks his Topsy of a Onome . The latter reveals the presence of Rudolph in . the cavern ' s recesses , where Lurline has bestowed him ; and the puzzled father , to rid himself of the mortal , invokes * . ' earth ' sfond memories to enthral him . " Here we . must observe that to lay an opera scene beneath the waves is well enough ; but to show a portion of the , company singing in , the Rhine-bed as easily as larks and as dry as bonea , and , at the ' same time , another party in a boat on the water level , i . e ., in , mid air across the stage , is an undue wrench of the imaginative facility . . But , the smile once passed , how we are soothed and charmed by the effective medieval corah of Biirschen in the boat aloft , who mourn their comrade ' s loss , and , as Rhinobcrrj intended , attract his attention . He enters despondingly . Lurline , unselfish ever , urges him earthward . Paterfamilias Rhineberg is indignant ; but the maiden lias her way . Thoir argument , which ends in the departure of the Count once more to his palace , with a boat load of treasures , is the basis of a superb finale , in which principals , band , and chorus , arc taxed to the utmost , and produce a truly noble result . This flntile , which , though ninny are struck with ita Verdiesqno character , was , we believe , written before the flower of that maestro ' e fame , demands again and again our remembrance and all hoxiour as a ( specimen of the English School of Opera . The opening scene of Act III . is a most beautifully painted view from Rudolph ' t Cfrstie . The Count ' s address to " My home \ my henrt'e , first home , " a , rogujatipn pattern ballad , 'demands notice only for the information of the nmsic-buying world . Its sentiment and rt » e situation are alike convoyed by % )\ o little wo have quoted . Rudolph is welcomed by Ghiva with considerable coldness , Ills drowning , as qUo thought , for love of her , had boon genteel ; but his reappearance m a poor lover dispels the charm . His bachelor friends , however , . nhow better feeling , and lie noon makes thorn acquainted wWh the treasures of the deep . 3 ? hcir joyful and original chorus is co . nclu . acft by a beautiful teno * wlo . Oo't froin this hojwt its

    message bear , " in which Rudolph conveys by the return Gnome his kind remembrances to Lurline ' ere he settles down to enjoy his old home and his old associations . A grand orchestral symphony succeeds , enveloping : * as it were , sundry vocal pieces of immense merit and varied character , and concluding with a grand scena , in three movements for JLurline . Here Miss Pyne , seized by . an extent of dramatic energy we have , hot been used to mark in her , rises beyond herself and produces , especially in the socalled prayer , " Oh , Thou , to whom , " a thorough sensation . The poor perturbed sprite has once more sought her Rudolph ' s side , but not iinwatched by her parent . Rhineberg appears ; declaims ( per Santley ) very nobly against her penchant for a mixed marriage ; then joins her , Liha ( an attendant sprite , Miss Cruise ) and the Gnome , in a beautiful unaccompanied part song , " Though . the world , " and dismisses her , if not with a blessing , still without such an awful curse as might have been expected from a more ardent spirit . The climax now comes on apace ; Rudolph and Lurline meet once more . Their union has been decreed by . fate . Nor earthly joys on the one side , nor father ' s will oh the other , may defer it . In a long scene , displaying all the composer ' s mastery of instrumentation , and the bes * points of both the principal artists , the nymph and her lover complete their betrothal . The life of' the former , threatened for a rrioinent by a troop of thievish assassins , is preserved by his supernatural connections ; and ol&Mhineberg , before the last grand repetition of the dominant air , " Flow on ! Flow on ! " gives his blessing and his daughter amidst a burst of drums , symbols , and full horns . We have not space to descant , as is perhaps due , upon the obligations of the composer to Mr . Mellon and his admirable band , nor upon the lavishness with which all possible scenic appliances have been brought in aid of his work by the energetic and liberal management of this now well-accredited . English Opera House . But enough has at least been said to show our conviction that th « production of " Lurline" is a fine-art event of the first order , and that the work itBelf must far extend the already great reputation of the coinposer of " Maritana . " The Vocal Association will repeat Mendelssohn ' s ; Psalm , "Hear my Prayer , O God 1 " on Thursday evening , March 8 th , at St . James ' s Hall , with Madlle . Parepa and choir of 200 voices . Miss Arabella Goddard will perform "The Harmonious Blacksmith , " and " Where the Bee sucksJ " These attractive performances terminate at a quarter past ten o ' clock . - A new , and this time admittedly original work by Mr . Tom Taylor , entitled " The Overland-Route , " has been played at the Haymarket fox the last week with immense success . As being less a work of fiction than a drarnatised journal it reiHiiids us of the author ' s hippodrome of ^ Garibaldi ; " but this must by no means be received in any depreciatory sense . The dialogue is smart and the characters numerous . The scene is laid on board the Peninsular and Oriental . steamer , between Aden aud Suez . The leading personage is Tom Dexter , a steerage passenger enlisted , Bice the ship ' s doctor indisposed , to attend to the ailmenta of the cuddy passengers . Torn Dexter ( Mr . Charles Matliews ) is no third class passenger pur Hang , but a gentlemanly " Bob Sawyer , " who has rolled his stone round the world without gathering that moss which the proverb deems so ornamental and indispensable to stones proper . He recognises in the crowd about him a number of old faces . Mrs . Sebright . ( . Mrs ; Charles Mathews ) is the wife of an old friend , and her he saves from indiscretion , if not worse . He serves every one at some pinch or other , and is at every one ' s elbow in time of . doubt or trouble . He is first fiddle and first favourite in the saloon , arid when the " Siirioom" gets upon the " Mazaffa reef" he comes out a hero , supplies the disabled skipper ' s place as handily as he did that of the doctor , and keeps the company in order until the arrival of assistance . The guerdon of liis services is the heart and hand of Miss Colepepper ( Miss M . Ternan ) , daughter to Mr . Colepepper , Commissioner of Badgeripore ( Mr . Chippendale . ) The last-named gentleman , with Mr . Buckstone and Mr , Compton , are admirable in the characters they assume j and the same should , in fact , be said of all the artists concerned , who ; are , however , too numerous to catalogue here . The scenery is remarkably excellent , and adds not a little to the completeness of the ensemble . .

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    216 The Leader and Saturday Analyst . [ March 3 , 1860 .

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    We should observe that the season promises no lack of novelties in the guise of vocal and character entertainments . We shall take note , in our next number , of several who must this week give way before the surpassing importance of " JLurline , " The Christy Minstkejls have reappeared at the Polygraphic Hall , under the able management of Mr , Montagu , after a long and successful provincial tour . Their repertory includes a new and most pleasing song , by Mr- ltaynor , to words by one whose song words ore always graceful ana inspiring , Mr . John Oxenford . As good wine needs no bush , these minstrels seem to need no herald to convene their admirers , for all the ^ Ethiophiles of London rally round them with a will that is intense , and in numhers that seem to stretch the little hall to bursting , It is hut natural that Englishmen should manifest some interest in ft country which has been 80 long dosed to o \\ v trade , arid with which we now expect to open , extensive arid important commercial relations , ! Hence the announcement of some illustrated lectures on Japan , by a scientific gentleman who has resided so many years in the East as Dr . Maogownn , drew together at ) Willis ' s Rooms on Thursday afternoon an audience eager to acquire correct and recent information on so populous and important a 6 ountry . Having only just returned from Japan laden with specimens of the skill : and ingenuity of this curious people , and of the varied products of the country , besides being thoroughly conversant . with their language , Dr . Macgowan wns enabled to communicate a great deal of . useful aud general information , which ho proposes to follow up m a second lecture this day . At * Madame Tussavd ' s all who are curiousito know anything abpiit the personal appearance of colobrotod men will have an opportunity ot gratifying their curipsifcy , by seeing a full length - figure of the late Lord Mfocftalay , and which , within the last few days , has been placed in tno gallery af iho BaUer Street JBa&nftr . It is inferior to none of Jts ^ pro - dacoBsars , «» i ( her ( or , et >» v © ctnoaa of outline , or truth of character ¦ ana au wUo bud the advw » 0 f » ge of bit } lordsWp ' s acquaintance will ftAmit tne likeness .

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), March 3, 1860, page 216, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2336/page/20/