The Press. — London, England, 1854-12-30 00:00:00

1252 rising taste of the public. But this is in all respects the most arduous undertaking in which he has yet embarked. Unluckily the work appears when the mind of the country is almost exclusively occupied with the war, and the arts are the first to suffer in any partial depression of prosperity arising from such cause. But, as the claims of this really noble and most attractive work to public favour become known, we do not doubt that it will receive the sup port it so largely merits. When complete this " gallery " will certainly possess sterling and per manent value. Of the six engravings issued three &no from Osborne-house, two 'rota Windsor, and one from Buckingham Palace. We quite concur iu the truth of the statement made in Mr. Hall's pro spectus, that the work "is the most perfect, and at the same time the cheapest, collection of tine line engravings that has ever been issued in any countxy." tilt pram. Daum LANE.—Jack and Gill ; or, Harlequin King Mustard and the Four-and-Twenty Blackbirds Baked in a Pie, is the title of the pantomime at this theatre, and the plot of the story which precedes the trans formation is almost as long as its title. We have no space to enter into a description of the plot of this part of the pantomime, but in the harlequinade we have more feats of agility, and acrobatic effects from Clown and Pantaloon (Messrs. Boleno and Cole), than we have been accustomed to see upon the stage. Add to this, the flying Italian Brothers, with their miraculous feats and preposterous agility, and it will be seen that the true spirit of pantomime is scarcely to be found here. HoWeyer, the scenes are very good hroughout, the concluding tableau very effective, and the pantomime, on the whole, successful. On Thursday evening an accident occurred, which might have been attended with fatal effect to one of the Italian Brothers, in his flying leap from the gal lery to the stage ; by the breaking of the wire or belt which held him in the leap, he was precipitated with greatforce upon the stage, though, providentially, without sustaining any severe injury. HAYMARKET. •-•-• At this theatre is produced a thorough good old pantomime, Little 80-Peep, in which Clown and Pantaloon (Mr. Appleby and Mr. Barnes) keep you in a roar of laughter with their practical jokes, their absurd tricks, and their capital hits at the follies of the day. The scenes and transformations are also very good and original. The " Fairy Conservatory" in particular is very beautiful. The pantomime was received with good applause, though the house was by no means fully attended. LYCEUM.—The fairy extravaganza of Prince Pretty pet and the Butterfly, by Mr. Brough, is, as we should expect, a very beautiful show piece, full of splendid scenery and brilliant effect, though only as an acces sory to, not a substitute for ; a witty dialogue, full of capital hits, puns, and parodies. The acting through out was excellent, and the success of the piece unde niable. PRINCESS'B.—The pantomime of the Princess's, . . Harlequin and Blue Beard, though a very old subject, has been well worked up into a brilliant and gorgeous spectacle. The dialogue is rather tedious in the first part, but after the transformation the tricks and jokes of the Clown and Pantaloon, and the innumerable variety of tableaux, and their beautiful effects, especially in the "Enchanted Gardens" and the "Temple of Concord," fully sustain the interest, and decide the success, of the piece. ADELPHI.-A most unintelligible piece is the Zig zag Travels of Messrs. Danube and Prude, without plot or merit, full of bad puns and worse slang, and, though favourably received by the audience on the first night, is not, we think, calculated to gain any decided success. OLYMPIC.-Mr. Planche has provided the fairy tale for this theatre, and the Yellow Dwarf will rank as one of his most successful pieces. The dwarf himself, who is impersonated by Mr. Robson, is a decidedly tragic character, in love, as such dwarfs always are, with a beautiful princess, who is, of course, attached to a lianAsome prince. The dwarf enchains her by his magic arts, and seeks, by every effort of which his power is capable, to gain her love. But the princess is constant, and her constancy gives occa sion to some of the finest tragic acting on the part of Mr. Robson. The intense passion of his love, the exultation of hope, and the fiendish malignity of his revenge, are given with a change of tone and manner and with such exquisite feeling as to be well worthy of the deepest tragedy. The courtship scene in par ticular, a parody of Cilo'ster and Anne, was very finely acted. The Yellow Dwarf is decidedly successful, and without being a grand spectacle, yet contains some beautiful and picturesque scenery, and a very gor geous concluding tableau, at which Mr. Robson sings a moral to the tale, to the tune of " Villikins and his Dinah." Miss Julia St. George, Miss Marston, Mrs. Fitzallan, and Miss Ormonde sustain the several characters. Sr. sliMEl3 . B.—The fairy extravaganza, ..4 bon Has san ; or, the Runt after Happiness, is taken from the THE PRESS. tale of the Arabian Nights, and adapted to the stage by Mr. Frank Talfourd. We have only space to remark, that the scenery, dresses, and decorations are most brilliant and effective, and that the pun's, jokes, and capital hits of the dialogue are as feli citous and fresh as we could wish. SiDLERS Wm...Lg.—Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves is a thoroughly good, practical pantomime, with plenty of political hits and satirical allusions to the affairs of the day. Mr. Dsulin was an efficient Clown, and besides practising some clever and new ticks, introduced a couple of poodle dogs, whose remarkable sagacity amused the audience cun sideraoly. . . ASTLE - Y'S gives an equestrian pantomime, in which the adventures of Gulliver in the Horse Islands are related in rather a dull manner, as if everybody was waiting for the transformation to take place iu order to become lively. Thon certainly the performance, still equestrian' became as amusing and boisterous as one could wish, and concluded with an allegorical finale full of Britannia and her car, which called forth loud applause from the delighted audience. THE SURREY produces a most patriotic pantomime, intending to represent the adventures and fate of the Czar of Muscovy. The piece is of the usual Surrey quality, and ,eminently delighted the audi ence, who applauded vociferously, and appeared thoroughly to appreciate the jokes and hits both before and after the transformation. THE CRYSTAL PALACE. Duals°, the last three days upwards of 30,000 people have visited this. Palm/ of Sydenham, awl cousidar ing the rivalry of the thousand and une places of aniusement in town, the inclemency of the weather, and the unfinished character of the works anji grounds, we may certainly congratulate the proprie tors upon this great proof of the estimation in which this attractive place of amusement is held by the people. The Christmas Tree still flourishes, and with a never•failing supply of bonbons and delicious fruits; but it is not to remain on view beyond the oth of January. . . The live military bands have also daily attended, and are to attend during the following week. The progress of the - works yet required to com plete the palace and grounds is satisfactory. The whole of the water displays will be completed and ready for exhibition for the first time on the 10th of June next, the anniversary of the opening of the palace. The smaller fountains on the terraces are finished, although not at present worked, and how ever great may be the expectations which are in dulged in with respect to these promised water dis• plays, we have no hesitation in saying that they will fall very considerably short of the spectacle which will be presented on the 10th of next June. In the geological depriAtment, also, great progress is made; the water has now nearly filled the lake, and many of the largest of the antediluvian monsters, painted au naturel, now enjoy their amphibious existence. There is every reason to believe that by the lOth of June next all the representations of extinct species will be completed, and that there will not be an extinct animal nor monstrous brute known to geologists but will find a representative of his kind re•constructed and occupying his appropriate place in this unique assembly of the great pre-Adamites. It has been proposed to carry a line of railway, solely devoted to the Crystal Palace, across the Thames, by Hungerford Suspension-bridge, into Hungeribrd-market; and if this plan were carried out, there is no doubt that it would insure a vast ac cession to the number of daily visitors to the palace. The situation for a station would be so central, that no one would feel the inconvenience they do now 6e fore they can reach the station of the line that carries them to Sydenhana. M. JULLIEN'S CONCERTS.—COVENT-GAIWEN OPERA HOUSE.—On Friday evening M. Jullieu gave his opening concert at the Italian Opera-house. The house was crowded upon the occasion, and the enthusiasm very general, especially at the concittsion of the " Allied Armies Quadrille." An 'addition has been made here with a view to scenic effect, the success of which is questionable. We allude to the sailor-boys who, lining the sides of the croliestra, wave the tri-colour and Union Jacks during " Par taut pour is Syrie," and " God Save the Queen." The effect would, we think, be more picturesque if the flags were kept in repose, and only waved with the concluding cheers. The house is handsomely fitted up upon the same principle as Drury Lane; ' but the dark crimson fittings pf the private boxes do not harmonise with the white and gold hangings. The effect is decidedly heavy. With the orchestra and the house as a concert-room, we can only ex press our regret that M. Jullien has not always bad the same opportunity as be has at present. The house is infinitely preferable to Drury Lane ; not a note of the music is lost, and the credit to the per formers materially enhanced. We wish 111. Jullieu every success ; and, if we might judge from the SATURDA T , crowded house of last night, there is little doubt that neither pantomimes, panoramas, Panopticons, nor Polytechnics, will have much effect upon his popularity. tortign Art, Xiittabxtr, ft. VERDI'S much-talked-of opera of If Troeaterf was produced at the Italian theatre in hide on Saturday last, in presence of a crowded and distin guished audience, and with triumphant success. The opera has been got up with great care, Verdi him. self having come from Italy to superintend the re bearsals. The piece is described as a deep tragedy, filled with beautiful choruses, solos, and concerted pieces, in the peculiar style of which Verdi has se cured to himself the monopoly. Judges pronounce the music of It Trovatore finer even than that of Ernani, the opera upon which the reputation of this maestro on this side of the Alps has hitherto rested. In the course of the evening several of the pieces were encored. M. Verdi was called forward to receive the congratulations of the company no less than three times, and at the end of the play was almost suffocated with bouquets. The principal parts were supported by Mine. Frezzolini, MM. Graziani, Baucardi, and Gassier. M. Baucardi is a new tenor, who on this occasion made his debtit be. fore a Parisian audience. He has acquired a high reputation in Italy, which he supported well on Saturday, notwithstanding some symptoms of weak ness, produced, it is said, by the fatigues of travel ling, and of an unusual number of rehearsals since his arrival. His success was very great, and he was not only loudly applauded and encored, but several times called forward. His voice is rich and melo dious, and he showed himself to have a perfect coin. mend of it, and to be a complete musician. The Emperor and Empress were present, and remained to the last. The Empress was among the most enthuSiastic of 'the applauders, and threw her bouquet to M. Verdi, when he was called forward with the performers at the end of the opera. There is no doubt that /I Trovators will have a long run. The manner in which it has been produced does immense credit to M. Alary's direction. " THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT," the new oratorio by M. Berlioz, was produced some days since in Paris with much success, and a second performance took place on Christmas-eve. AMONG the curiosities which will be sent from Aus tralia to the Paris Exhibition is part of the trunk of a gum tree, now growing at Botany Bay, on which the great navigator La Perouse carved his name when he anchored off that part of the coast. The governor-general has given permission for its removal. The French will be delighted with a memorial of their great countryman in all probability carved by his own hand. Wortituzu are employed' it the Jardines des Plantes of Paris in making the necessary prepara tions for accommodating a female hippopotamus which has already arrived at Cairo, en route for Fratioe. THIS FRENCH AwnsTs are working hard for the exhibition of next year. M. Jerome has en " Apoth eosis of Augustus" in hand; Yvon, a " Retreat i4•om Moscow;" Couture, a "Carnival Sapper Scene ;" Scheirer, a " Cbrist tempted by Satan." AT the sale of the late Baron de Meilemburg's collection of pictures, in l'aris, the crowd of amateurs was so great after the first five minutes that it WAS impossible to enter the room. A landscape by Hob berna fetched 80,000 f.; " The Horse Market," by Wouvermans, 72,000 f.; and a landscape, bt Both, 28,500 f. THZ VARIETIES THEATRE AT Nrw ORLEANS Was totally destroyed by fire on the morning of the 21st nit. The loss was estimated at 90,000 dollars. MR. RANDOLPH ROOERS the young American sculptor, has lately returned from Rome, where he has his studio, and expects to go back in a few weeks. He was employed in a New York goods store foi several years. Mr. Steward, the proprietor, discover ing his talent, gave him the mgana to go to Italy, where he has been for the last six years. He proves on his return to the United States that his patron was not rokitaken. industry and perseverance have developed his talents, as his worics now on exhibition fully show. His pieces are—" Rutb," full life size, for Mr. John Steward, jun.; "Truant Schoolboy Skating," for a gentleman in Philadelphia; Cupid Breaking his Bow ;" bas-relief of "Jacob and Rachel at the . Well," the property of Miss Pratt, of this city; and a bust of a young lady of this city—a most truthful likeness, and greatly appreciated by her friends,--Nebo York Journal of Cowunercc. THE following is the daily circulation of the prin cipal political journals of Paris :—The Presse, 41,000 copies ; Si2cie, 38,000; Constitutionnel, 90,000; Pays, 10,000; Patrie, 15,000; Journal des J:libats, 9,000; Univers, 6,000; Assenalie Nationale, 5,04)0 ; Union, 1,,000; Gazette de France, 3,000. The principal journals, therefore, alone circulate 152,000 a day.