The Press. — London, England, 1857-05-16 00:00:00

MAY 16, 1857. htsir. HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE. ONE of the greatest of living singers is Alboni. She possesses the most luscious quality of voice with which any artiste has ever been gifted, and super added to this most sympathising timbre is an execution almost unparalleled for its refinement, delicacy, and finish. Amateurs will never fcrget ber first, appear ance in England in 1847, as Arsace, in Rossini's Semiramide. She came without a single preliminary notice, and scarcely had half a dozen bars of her part been heard, when the whole house broke forth into an overwhelming exclamation of delight. She sustained her fame in subsequent delineations. Her Malcolm in La Donna del Layo, her Orsini in Lucrezia Borgia, her Peppo in La Gazza Ladra, her Cherubino in the Nozze di Figaro, were all signal triumphs. Rossini—her own master—for Alboni was a pupil of the great composer—and Donizetti and Meyerbeer, were all alike to Alboni. For her did Meyerbeer write the especial cavatina in the page's part in the Huguenots. Enboldened with her success, the contralto, desiring to be the prima donna assoluta, resolved to become a soprano. That which would have been death to any ordinary singer in the attempt to force the voice beyond or below the natural compass was in her hands only another opportunity to signalise herself. She added the first prima donna parts to her existing contralto repertGire ' and the result was not only increivied fortune but additional fame. To attain this end Alboni assuredly in some instances has sacrificed the scores of the composers, for in concerted pieces she quietly resigns the work to her colleagues, concentrating her strength and reserving her powers for the airs and for the duos. Of the justice and wisdom of this policy there may be enter tained a doubt; but then Alboni has contrived by its adoption to preserve her incomparable organ. Who can so completely command the sympathies of her auditories as she can ? And this is effected by voice and style only. No wonder the welcome to her last Tues day night was so hearty. It was a night for truly artistic enjoyment, and whether she revelled in the " Una voce poco fa," or in the variations of Rode, the enthusiasm of the connoisseurs was unbounded. The cast was not what it ought to have been. Why place a German tenor, with a German voice and a German method, as Count Almaviva I Herr Reichardt is an excellent artist in his own peculiar Teutonic way; but the sweet Tuscan is from him but a husky splutter. A Belgian basso did duty for the Basolio, who has one of the finest arias ever written ! and a very heavy tragedian was thrust into Bartolo, which Lablache has rendered so famous. Where is Signor Rossi, who, if he has not much vocal force, is still a good Italian buffo ? Where is Signor Corsi, the baritone ? Belletti's fun is not infectious as the barber; but then he sings so admirably, that his frigid acting can be passed over. A new ballet, Acalista, of which report speaks highly, is brought out to night. Perea Nena and Mlle. Rolla are the p i icipal dancers. The programme for the week is good. On Monday is Mrs. Anderson's annual morning concert, when Alboni, Giuglini, and Belletti, will sing. On Tuesday the Figlia will be given, on Thursday the Traviatu, and on Saturday the Trovatore, with Allioui cud Giuglini. MAY I ONE of the possesses which any added tot]. almost uni finish. Ar mice in E Sem ira mit notice, and part been into an ovc sustained I Malcolm 1 Lacrez ia 1 Cherubino triumphs. pupil of Meyerbeer Meyerbeer part in the the contra resolved to been death the voice in her han herself. S her existin not only in attain this has sacriti concerted colleagues, her powers justice and tained a dc adoption tc can so con auditories and style or day night Iv enjoyment, voce poco enthusiasm east was re a German method, a excellent but the s splutter. who has C very heave Lablache Rossi, wire, good Itali baritone ? barber; bt frigid actir Acalista, out to nigl i rcipal d 'The pro, is Mrs. A . Piccolomir On Tuestla Trariata, Alboui and VF,TiM'S Thursday Signor On we have th for we we hand then one of or formance versions o . Rosin are ache for first night Was then mesmerisr will enligl rious point Mlle. V day as An Tlr THE issue served ses the nortl announczt for each p doubtless on Monda, MR. WILLIAM RUSSELL. ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA. Vr.kni's Traviata was to have hem produced on Thursday night, but, owing to the indisposition of Signor Graziani, Rigoletto was substituted. At least we have the authority of some of the daily papers, for we were unavoidably absent. On the other hand there appeared a long and elaborate notice by one of our morning I contemporaries on the per formance of La Traviata, in which the respective versions of the piquant Piccolomini and the brilliant llosio are keenly criticised. But on looking at the affiche for this night (Saturday) we find that the first night of La Traviata is formally announced. Was then the criticism on the Traviata a case of mesmerism or of spirit-rapping? Monday's journals will enlighten the world no doubt on this myste rious point. Mlle. Vietoire Balfe will appear next Thurs day as Antina in the Sonnambula. TFIS gentleman, whose world-wide reputation as the Crimean correspondent of the Times during the Russian war leaves it unnecessary to do more than name him, has entered into an arrangement with the enterprising Mr. Beale, by which Mr. Russell's expe • riences are made available for a series of lectures. The first of these was delivered at Willis's-rooms on Monday, the second on Thursday, and the third, which concludes the course, will be given to-night. The material of the two lectures which have already been delivered is excellent ; the descriptions of the various scenes, tragic or humorous, witnessed by Mr. Russell, are very graphic ; and with the best taste he avoids, or lightly touches, debateable matter. His genial and pleasant manner is all in his favour; but before his lectures have justice done to them, he must either learn them by heart, or acquire a readi ness and fluency which will enable him to extempo rise, and so get over the ground at a more rapid pace. Such an audience—literary, artistic, and otherwise distinguished—as gathered to support Mr. Russell on Monday is certainly not often collected. There were present Thackeray, Douglas Jerrold, John Leech, Planche, Mark Lemon, Carter Hall, Mrs. Hall, T. P. Cooke, Clarkson Stanfield, John Oxenfoid, Charles Dickens, Shirley Brooks, Peter Cunningham, Sir Charles Taylor, Charles Mackay, Robert Bell, B. Lumley, Colonel Tulloch, Gruneisen, Ella, Colonel de Bathe, Charles Dance, Thomas Fraser, J. C. Deane, F. Fladgate, Hon. Mr. and Mrs. Wrottesley, cum multi. aliis. SIR H. RAWLINSON UPON MOHAMMERAH. SIR HENRY RAWLINSON last Monday delivered a most interesting lecture with reference to the recent operations of Sir Jaynes Outram up the Euphrates. Sir Henry first explained the geographical position of Mohammerah:— Although it was a place of considerable interest, he believed that at the present hour it was but little known. Its position was set forth in a very few maps, and there were not many persons, even among the best informed, who were acquainted with the actual position of the place which had been recently captured by the British troops. The question was constantly asked, " Where is Mohatn merah ; is it in Persia or is it in Turkey ? " The whole country from Ararat to the Persian Gulf had been scien tifically surveyed by the English and Russian Commis sioners for a distance of 1,000 miles, and the physical or geographical question at issue between Persia and Turkey was whether Mohammerah was on the Euphrates or on the Karoon. It was agreed that the country watered by the Euphrates belonged to Turkey, and the country watered by the Karoon belonged to 1 ersta ; but the ques tion was, as he had just stated, whether Mohammerah was on the one river or on the other. It was finally decided that Mohammerah should be considered as belonging to Persia, but there was reason to believe that that was con trary to geographical accuracy. He himself was of opinion that the place was situated on the Euphrates, and, if so, it belonged to Turkey. With respect to the navigation f the Euphrates, Sir Henry Rawlinson said : The only navigable mouth of the Euphrates was at Mohainmerah. It was not practicable in the ordinary acceptation of the term; it was not like the Thames; it never had more than three fathoms of water, and was generally only from twelve to fourteen feet. But very few vessels could cross the bar of the Euphrates without grounding. The distinguished lecturer then read some notes upon the ancient history of Mohammerah It had, as he had already stated, been ruled that Mo• hammerah was Persian, and the Persians had occupied the place for a certain period, but the Turkish Government was never satisfied with that adjudication, and within the last six weeks, when it was known that an expedition had gone forth with the intention of attacking Mohammerah, the Turkish Government entered a protest against it. They (lid not consider that they had lost their territorial claim to that place. it was not generally known that Mohammerah was formerly a city of a very famous Greek kingdom, and although it might not have been the capital, it formed part of the kingdom of Karaknia and Messime. It was a city of great importance, and there were extant coins which issued front its mint. Against the reported healthfulness of the situation, Sir Henry liawlinson protested energetically. The town stood upon alluvial deposits : It was the most "pestilential bole" in the world; and to prove that, it was only necessary for him to mention that on one occasion, when 500 Persian troops were sent in, only 100 came out—•4oo had died. That, however, was considered a bad season ; but the mortality was always about fifty per cent. The heat was extreme—so hot, indeed, that, according to an ancient author, a lizard could not cross the street, for he was burnt to death in his passage from one aide to the other. Then the most im portant question to consider was, what should be done with the British troops to prevent that great mortality during the time it was necessary for them to remain. Their stay would be prolonged until the articles in the Treaty of Peace were acted upon, which would not be until the expiration of three months after the ratification, which was not to take place before the 4th of June; and the unhealthiest months of all in the year were those the . Owl)* bad to remain, for the beat commenced in April • and continued until September. He hoped, therefore, General Outram would adopt every precaution to prevent, as far as possible, the troops falling victims to the climate. So unhealthy was it that none of the governors ever thought of residing there. He trusted Sir J. Outram would fix upon Shuster, which, for thirty miles, was a magnificent garden, where sugar, rice, nuts, opium, and other things grew in great luxuriance, and where, if proper precautions were taken, the mortality would not be greater than those to which troops were exposed in open field. In the course of a 'short discussion that followed the lecture, Mr. CRAUFORD expressed his surprise that Alexander the Great should have planted colonies where the thermometer marked 130 in the shad., and where it appeared almost impossible for any person to exist. _ _ _ Sir H. RAWLINSON replied that it was an historical fact; and not only did Alexander found a c Tony there, but ho named it Pellman, after his native place Pella, in Macedonia. THE EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH. A CRITIC in the Plymouth Mall reviewing an article upon the Emperor of the French, in the last number of the New Quarterly, gives the following sketch of the leading character in the review:— There have been but few men in relation to whom the " wisdom of the wise " has been so utterly at fault as the Emperor Napoleon 111. We all know what some of the leading politicians of a school that arrogates to itself no mean share of the perception and sagacity vouchsafed to mankind, were in the habit of saving of him. Lord Nor manhy, following the fashion of his friends, wrote in the most disparaging terms of Louis Napoleon, and even the sharp sighted Thiers, when he first heard him speak in public, ventured to hint that there was no dancer to be apprehended from one with such little brains. We will not inquire how far the opinions of such men have been publicly recanted. J togmatists are not accustomed to re examine their opinions, or they would cease to be dog matists. Of the splendid abilities of the Emperor of the French, Englishmen, not bound to be false to present con viction iu order to be true to past sentiment, have long since ceased to doubt. Napoleon has given the highest proof of genius for government. He has the individuality and, as it will be found, the perfect consistency of character which mark the great man. No creature for the operation of Ministries, no tool for the contrivances of flatterers, he has his own views, and pursues his own plans. If he seeks advice he does not get a mere iteration of his own c( n elusions, for those about him are not learned in his secrets; and adopting Bacon's precept for princes, in ascertaining the minds of others lie does not tincture their views by a previous unguarded declaration of his own. If a Minister has to be displaced, there is no weak or hypocritical Mani festation of an indiscreet attachment ; if he has work to be done he adopts the materials and chooses his opportunity for doing it. The thing necessary for him and for France is the thing resolved upon. The hour must have the man. But he is not without friendships, sympathies, or moral fixity of resolve. His loyalty to the cause in which France and England engaged will be one of the most conspicuous instances or disinterested fidelity recorded in history. There was enough in our bungling and breaks. down to induce an ally to pause; enough had been said of him by the very man who prayed for the continuation of his alliance, to make him distrust, but he stood true to his connection and his policy. He was the first to perceive and to seize the opportunity fur restoring peace. In this he served the interests and gave effect to the wishes of France; but the course was not less acceptable to this country, at least to the prudent and thoughtful portion of the people. Peace was the blessing we all wanted, but in addition to its ordinary fruits, of which poets have sung and moralists have discoursed, it gave us the chance of boasting of what we should have done had not the war ceased, It is much more pleasant to do that to any, than to fail in the slightest degree. We have faith in that indomitable courage, that irrepressible power which is above all Gc. vernments ; but we imagine perversity hail not been spent out, nor had incapacity been all used up at the date of the Paris Conferences. Napoleon is a Frenchman aver Frenchmen. If he is not better than his age, he is fur better than the best of his detractors ; perhaps superior to their idea of true greatness. He has succeeded in what appeared two impossible things. He has reduced to order the most discordant elements of French polity ; he has made Republicanism and Imperialism coalesce ; he has initiated a strong government amidst a universal clash of objects, theories, and anarchical propensities. That is something; but he has instituted what the first Napoleon ardently aspired after, but what was always thought impracticable—a solid union, in sentiment and aim as well as true interests, between the Governments, and, what is far more, the people, of England and France. It is easy for some petty malcontent to abuse, but it is agreeable for the intelligent observer of events to mark the high qualities of such a man. This has been done by the reviewer. He has set in contrast the recent and able exposition of Napoleon's character as exemplified by his life and policy, by " A British Officer ;" and the waspish criticisms by .lames Augustus St. John. The vie media of truth has been happily hit. The essay is just what an honest Englishman would be proul to present to a Frenchman, as a proof of' the justice and power of distin guished authorship in this country. THE DISCOVERY OF GOLD AT GREAT BUDWORTH, in Cheshire, is confirmed by all accounts of the local papers. Small nuggets are announced, and the whole neighbourhood is declared to be in a state of the greatest excitement. THE GREAT HANDEL FESTIVAL. THE issue of a limited number of tickets for unre served seats at each of the three performances in the north and south naves of the Palace, is announced at ten shillings and sixpence each ticket for each performance. This boon to the public will doubtless be gladly accepted. The issue commences on Monday next at Exeter-hall. THE PRESS.