The Press. — London, England, 1858-06-05 00:00:00

sft. ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA. J,ucrezia Borgia was produced here for the first time this season on Thursday. Great disappoint ment, when it was known, was expressed, that Mario would not appear in the representation, and much c ariosity was excited by the announcement that Signor Neri-Baraldi, a tenor from the Opera at Lisbon, would make his debut on English boards in the character of Gennaro. The latter circumstance contributed, no doubt, its full share to the assem• blage of a large and brilliant audience. Of our old friend, Mme. Grisi, we need only say that, although she certainly is no longer the Lttcrezia of years gone by, she may still challenge comparison with any living prima donna in this highly-wrought part. She was heartily and deservedly applauded, and here and there was almost, if not quite, her former self. Time, which has made unmistakeable inroads on her voice, seems to have added fresh power to her acting. Mlle. N. Dicke, as Orsini, seemed to give uni versal satisfaction, and, in our opinion, did all that could be done to support the character by a woman, even when possessed of a sweet and well-cultivated voice. It is but seldom that a part which is cast for one sex can be successfully filled by the other, and Mlle. Didee's delicate frame and truly feminine voice are perhaps more than usually ill adapted to the impersonation of a man, especially, in this instance, of a fighting man. In the Bacchana lian squabble, in scene 3 of act ii., this defect was most unpleasantly impressed upon us. It is really quite ludicrous to hear, in would-be ferocious female accents," M'insulteresti tu," " Mturano di Castiglia," and then the rude and unmanly (for he is evidently addressing himself to a woman) reply of Gubetta, "Scheran Trasteverino." These remarks, however, are not at all directed to the matters over which any artiste, having the characteristics of the fair sex, could have control. The power of acting, particu larly as it is possessed by that sex, is unquestionably very great; but we have no recorded instance before us in which that power has enabled a woman to transform herself into a man. We have dwelt on this defect in the caste of Ltscre,zia, because we think it one of considerable magnitude ; but we con• fess that it has the advantage of relieving to some extent the heaviness with which this gem of the lyric drama is, nevertheless, oppressed by the very rich ness of its music. We repeat that all praise is due to Mlle. Didee for bet perfect mastery of the part assigned to her. Nothing could be more delicious than her delivery of " 11 segreto per esser felice," in scene 4of act ii. The second part of this aria di bravura, " Profitiamo (Ugh anni fiorenti," obtained a rapturous enoore. Of Signor Neri-Baraldi we may say that if his debut was not a great success, it was, at all events, one of very great promise. He was, evidently, over powered throughout—but especially on his first entry upon the stage—with an amount of nervous ness sufficient to cloud the most brilliant qualities. He found himself before an audience so different to that which he had left at Lisbon, that be, not un naturally, felt over-diffident of his powers to please. Nevertheless be sang the " Di pescatore ignobile," in scene 3of the Prologue, so as to merit and obtain general applause. Under circumstances so unfavour able to vocal intonation, it is difficult, and, therefore, nafair, to express a decided opinion on the qualities of a singer. So far, h'wever, as our opportunity allows as to judge, Mr. Gye has displayed his wonted ap preciation of artistic merit in the importation "of Signor Baraldi, who appears to be possessed of a fine Man and the feeling n.cessary to the successful use of it. When be has acquired in3re confidence and sangfroid, we doubt not that be will prove a most valuable member of the corps dramatique of the Covent.garden Opera-house. In furtherance of this Proud artistic eud, we would venture, in all kindness, to suggest that he should give himself up for a whi le to the otttntioo of 09 drill-wgesut of ;he THE PEE S, . <l E 5, 1658. establishMedt, for the improvement of his histrionic deportment. Of the accessories, the Min en seine, dm, we cannot speak too highly. It is quite painful to look on all the splendid paraphernalia of this most splendid temple of the drama, and reflect in how short a period the all destroying atmosphere of London will produce as pernicious an effect on it as ►he band of time alone wou:d scarcely accomplish in a couple of centuries. Amidst all the acknow ledged perfection of the scenery, however, we cannot, in conclusion, refrain from noticing the building in tended to represent the Palazzo Borgia. In our eyes, it resembles much more a country auberge than the dwelling of the powerful but wicked duchess. HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.—Verdi's Luisa Miller will be produced on Tuesday next, the Bth inst. This opera, founded on Schiller's " Cabala nod Liebe," affords the most telling situations for vocal and dramatic effect. Mlle. Piccolomini, who has sustained the part with great success in Italy, is the heroine. Beneventano, Vialetti, and Castelli have also parts in the opera. The opera will be repeated on Thursday next, June 10, for the benefit of Mlle. Piccolomini. On Monday, the 7th, a grand morning performance will be given, for which Don Giovanni is the appointed opera. In this opera almost every singer of note in the establishment finds a part. lIEaR RUBINSTEIN AND HERR JOACHIM will appear at the performance of the Vocal Association, at St. James's-hall, on Wednesday evening next, June 9. The Vocal Association, of 300 voices, will also per form some part songs, for the first time, com posed ' expressly for the Society. Sint Iris ROYAL ACADEMY. (Sixth Notice.) PORTRAIT-PAINTING is frequently spoken of as an art unjustly depreciated. The business of the portrait painter, it is said, i 4 not merely to copy the figure of a man with perfect accuracy of form and colour, just as one would paint a rock ; a true portrait should give the features of the mind as well as those of the body. Where, then, can a great artist find nobler employment than in studying the characters of those who come to be painted, and leaving behind him not mere pictures of bodies which have decayed and perished, but records of souls which are still living and acting—in oar own sphere, perhaps, for all we know? And who, then, has grander work to do than the popular and successful portrait-painter? All the famous men of his time and country come and sit to him, and he makes them known to men of other times and other countries. Is not this the truest historical painting ? All this is excellent theory, but how stands the case in reality ? Are the portraits which occupy so mush space in the exhibition of the Academy year by year—are even the best of them—monuments of such truth and value ? Is it possible that they should be—is it possible for portrait-painting, at least as practised at present, to occupy the position which is thus claimed for it? Can a popular artist be an honest one ? Can he say all he thinks ? Does he believe all he says ? We are not speaking of vulgar flatteries, of clarified complexions and falsified features, still less of the fopperies of dress and attitade,—these are the faults of vulgar men. But suppose a painter to belong to the highest order—to have the power of looking into peo ple, how often has he the courage to tell us what he sees there ? He finds in every one's cha racter, we cannot doubt, some vice or some passion sufficiently prominent; does he attempt honestly to express it, or dishonestly to contest it? Can he take man's guineas, and in return tell him—and the world, too—that he is silly, or brutal, or conceited ? It is true that if portraits could be painted on the sly, and published always as posthumous works, they might tell us something worth knowing. We have no better means of getting an insight into the real characters of public men than by comparing the remarks which their intimate friends have made upon them in their private journals; but we do not set stay great value upon the ooropliaten!s they reoeire at public meetings, or cherish an entire belief in the virtues ascribed to them in inscriptions and dedica tions. We ghoul,' pay no attention whatever to the judgment of any flatterer, least of all of a hired flatterer. Yet this is very much the position of the whole order of portrait-painters; while men remain what they are, artists must flatter them more or less if they care to be popular. And if they are not popular they have no opportunity of painting the great men of the time. Of course, the flattery of some is more refined than that of others : some are content w►th suppressing what is true, others with suggesting what is untrue ; but the boldest asser tion of falsehood is not too much for many. These last are generally clumsy flatterers, who, in trimming and paring people down to some fashiomble pattern, cut away real beauties as well as real deformities. They are the wretched tribe who fill the rooms of the Academy with those waxen ladies in white satin and lace, who seem to have about as much soul as a doll and much less than a dog. The better class of painters do not stoop to such arts as these, but they paint men only on their best sides, and obviously take no higher view of their duty than such a practice implies. To see the whole of a man's character and dexterously to bring forward all that is good, gracefully concealing all that is bad, and in doing so to preserve a likeness, to produce such a portrait as may pass for the truth, doubtless requires great talent; but whoever may choose to assert that such occupation should rank among the noblest, and such works among the most valuable, we must beg leave to hold another opinion. We do not propose to go through the list of por traits which fills so large a space in the catalogue : there seems to us to be so little that is satisfactory in the present condition of this branch of art that we shall offer very few remarks on the subject. The only attempt at novelty that we have been able to discover is in the portraits of Mrs. Nassau Senior and Miss Senior, exhibited by Mr. G. W. Watts under the assumed name of F. W. George. They are chiefly remarkable for the elaborate finish of the back • grounds, and the rather unusual attitudes of the figures. We are glad to welcome the slightest devia lion from the beaten track, but we cannot find much to commend in these two pictures beyond the care and patience which have been bestowed upon them. The garden shrubs, however laboriously painted, are not at all true ; and the action and expression of the figures, which have been much praised in some quar ters for simplicity, seem to us to be not a little tainted with affectation. Trade appears to have been as brisk as usual in the manufactories of Mr. Grant and Sir J. Watson Gordon, and the goods turned out are of average quality. The former still disfigures his productions with ill-drawn dogs and horses, and ridiculous bur lesques of landscapes ; and the works of the latter are as striking as ever at a distance, and as unsatis factory upon a closer examination. The Countess of Errol, the Viscountess Hardinge, Colonel Percy Her bert, Lord Campbell, and the Marquis of Dalhousie are some of the celebrities wbo have been operated upon by these two adepts. Mr. Knight sends four portraits in his usual bold, rough style, and Mr. Sant still paints none but the most genteel of chil dren. We are accustomed to look for feebleness in Mr. H. W. Pickersgill, but in No. 281, a portrait somewhat in the Rembrandt style, there is consider ably more power than he has laoly exhibited. Mr. Desanges contributes one of his ladies by moonlight and three pictures of children, none of which are likely to increase his reputation ; his paintings are this year hung very near the ceiling, and, as far as we can judge, deservedly so. Mr. Richmond and Mr. Thorburn have not done wisely in quitting their old styles. It is not easy for any one to begin all at once to paint on a largerscale than he has previously employed, and in a medium to which he is not accus tomed. We are not surprised at the weakness which Mr. Richmond displays when he works in oils ; but no one could be prepared for the crowd of mon. strosities with which Mr. Thorburn has astonished all who remember his beautiful miniatures. We can only hope that the universal dislike which has been pretty freely expressed may induce him to abandon his very enterprizing, but rather Quixotic attempt. Half a sentence is enough for Mr. Bnekner's two insipid ladies, and Mr. Boxall's one cateless half. length ; Mr. Hart's portrait of his Highness Tons soun Paths, General in the Turkish army, a dusky little boy of some seven years old, is rather clever and very curious. The whole length picture of Prince Albert in Highland costume, by Mr. Phillip, has all that artist's merits, and some of his defects ; it is rather inanimate in expression, but very rich in eolour, and solid in drawing. And so, with a word of half- praise ; WO Ore glad to escape OM portraits.