The Press. — London, England, 1854-04-29 00:00:00

tionp which Mr. Richardson has introduced we attri bute simply to his not possessing the necessary details, and not to a wish to embellish what needs no embellishment. In the rocky foreground he has introduced scattered and torn stone pines. No doubt in painting a wild mountain scene in Scotland a blasted Scotch fir or two would have proved a ready resource ; but those fa miliar with Italy know that the stone pine is to be found only on the plains, and on the lower slope , of the mountains. In the region of oak and chesnut it never appears. This to many will appear hypercriticism, but it is only by attention to these congruities that the truth of nature can be rendered. In portrait-painting a strong likeness approves itself at once to those who have never seen the original ; and, by a similar process of thought, an unlike landscape is at once detected by an observer of nature. giusit. ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA. THE appearance of Mlle. Cruvelli on Thursday completes the accession to this establishment of Mr. Lumley's notorieties. While the members of the late corps of her Majesty's Theatre drop in one by one, the old strength of Covent Garden drops out. Mario, Grisi, Viardot, are almost in abeyance; Alboni sulks in the Champs Elysees ; and Formes is singing Der Preischutz in German at Drury Lane. Cruvelli arrives covered with fresh laurels from Paris, and, with the concomitant consciousness of greatness, she •` only appears for a limited number of nights"—the usual mischief of the star system. Whether she really deserves the credit of the vast improvement in her singing awarded by the Parisian critics, the opera Otello, in which she appeared, gave us no opportunity of judging. We are not about to repeat the cuckoo cry of the weakness of the libretto of this opera, and its sins against Shakspeare. We really do not see what Shakspeare is to the purpose ; and for the libretto, it is every inch as good as the Sonnambula and Anna Bole na. If Rossini had been well inspired when he wrote the opera, we should have heard nothing about the libretto ; but he was not in a good humour. The endless instrumental introductions to every scene are a proof of his poverty in melody at the moment ; and two choruses, a single duet, and a couple of airs, will not make up an opera. The public received Cruvelli kindly, but not warmly : they would not take the Parisian verdict on trust, and the curtain fell on the first act almost with out applause. At the end of the second, when people had been already warmed by the single grand movement of the opera, the duet between Otello and lago, Cruvelli excited the house by her acting in the scene where she is rebuffed at once by father and husband—a scene thoroughly conven tional, but which always has its effect. She was re called amid great applause. In the last act lie her only vocal opportunities, but her version of the wil low song is so thoroughly out of character—an elaborate melody when a simple ballad is wanted — that she failed to make much impression. On the other hand, she sang the beautiful prayer, " Deh calma," with exquisite sweetness, sufficient to atone for the preposterous claptrap of the concluding scene. Tamberlik was the Otello, and as usual excited thunders of applause in the outburts in alto of his wonderful voice, although he is forced to spoil the general keeping of the music in making them. Ron coni, as lago, did admirably the duty of doing nothing, in which difficult task he was assisted by Tagliafico and Polonini. L'Elisir was given on Tuesday, for the purpose of contrasting the lively, whimsical, buffooning addition of Roneoni in Dulcamara with the pompous pa tronising humour which Lablache is wont to throw into the part. Mlle. Bosi , as Adi,,a, deserves spe cial commendation : there are all the elements of improvement in her graceful coquetry and correct tasteful vocalisation. DRURY LANE. TEE German opera company commenced its opera tions here on Thursday, and commenced them, as a German company always will, with Der Freischutz. The opera has become almost nationalised, and Formes, who played Caspar, is almost nationalised too, so that there was a heartiness both about the per formance and the audience which was worthy of the old days of Drury. Caradori was the Agatha; Reichardt, the Max. The characteristic excellence of German musicians, the completeness and unity of their whole performance, was so well preserved that we would not spoil it by selecting any special feature for commendation. Lucresi... Borgia, on Monday, introduced Mr. Hamilton Brabam to the operatic stage, and Mlle. Yestale, wherein a new acquisition took the contralto part of Orsini, respect ing which we have so many pleasant reminiscences. The lady, in the present dearth of contraltos, will make her way. Mr. H. Brahma we must hear again era w. d.eide• 11111 m• THE PRESS. Miss ISABELLA Moss, a pupil of the Academy, gave, on Thursday, an agreeeble concert at Sussex hall. THE FEATURE OF THE PHILHARMONIC CONCERT On Monday was a MS. symphony by M. Rosenhaim. It is the duty of the institution to discover and foster talent ; therefore we applaud with all our hearts a venture of this kind, even though it turn out a failure. Correct and classical, the symphony offers little scope to the critic. The longer pieces that follow atford no more : there was Beethoven's symphony in B Hat, and Mendelssohn's " Isles of Fingal." Who is igno rant of a Philharmonic performance of these master pieces? Molique, in his concerto in A minor, gained at once the applause due to the composer and the executant. The vocal part comprised, besides two of Mozart's best-known compositions, an aria of Gluck's, " Nein-in den Tod." lortign art, Pagan, &r. THE arrangement and classification of the articles which are to be included in the great Paris Industrial Exhibition next year are now settled, and the terms are puldi,hed officially in Paris and London. There are eight groups, the eighth forming the divi ; sion devoted to works of art., the other seven the di vision which comprehends the products of industry. The first group includes the result of the elementary operations of industry on matter, the production of which may . be considered as raw material. It is sub divided into three classes—one, embracing mining and metallurgic products ; one, the produce of forests, the chase, and fisheries ; and one, agricultural produce. The second group embraces machinery of all kinds, and is subdivided into four classes—gene• red machinery; machinery applicable to locomotion by railroad or otherwise ; special machinery and ap paratus for shops ; special machinery and apparatus for textile manufactures. The third group contains, in four classes or subdivisions, manufactures based on the employment of physical and chemical agents, or relating to the sciences and instruction ; arts auxiliary to the promotion of science and instruction manufactures bearing on the production of light, heat, and electricity; chemical manufactures ; the preparation of food. The fourth group contains illustrations—let, of surgical instruments, articles used in pharmacy, &c.; 2nd, oojects of naval and military art; 3rd, illustrations of civil engineering and building. The fifth group embraces, in four classes, steel and its products, general metal works ; goldsmiths' works, jewellery and bronzes ; glass and pottery. The sixth group is devoted to textile manu factures, in five classes, cotton, woollen, silk, flax, and hemp manufactures, and hosiery, hats, laces, dec. The seventh group is subdivided into four classes, articles of furniture, articles of clothing; drawing and modelling as auxiliary to manufactures ; and musical instruments. The eighth group, the solitary group of the second division, is devoted to the fine arts, and consists of three classes-1. painting, en graving, and lithography; 2. sculpture and die sinking ; 8. architecture. AT THE ITALIAN OPERA IN ST. PETERSBURG, Mme. Lagrange took her benefit, which was brilliantly at tended. The Czar presented her with a diamond pin worth 10,000 f., and some nobles subscribed for a bracelet valued at 10,000 f. Mme. Lagrange has signed a reongagement for the season 1854-5 at a salary of 100,000 f. and a benefit. The other artists engaged for the ensuing season in St. Petersburg are Laolache, Ronconi, Calzolari, Tagliafico, and Mme. Maray and Mine. de Merit. MLLE. JOHANNA WAGNER has taken her tem porary leave of the Berlin public, at the Grand Opera, in Lindpaintner's opera Caterina Cornaro. It is said that she is about to appear in London next, and afterwards in other European capitals. SPONTINI'S Vestale, which has not been performed for many years, has been put in rehearsal at the Berlin Opera-house. THE Trenton True American is pained to learn that Mr. Edwin Forrest, the American tragedian, has become a convert to the belief in spiritual manifesta tions. This gentleman is a constant visitor upon the Foxes, and most credulously insists upon the correctness of the developments communicated by the tappers from " t'other side of Jordan." Here. after it is to be presumed that an improvement will be introduced into Mr. Forrest's personation of Ham let : the ghost of that prince's father will be required to rap out communications instead of delivering them in person. T HE SWEDISH GOVERNMENT have just presented to the Diet a bill for the adoption of the decimal system in money, weights, and measures. This has given great satisfaction to all parties engagedin com merce, but as the Diet only meets every two years, and as at its last plenary sitting it fixed the opening of its next session for the 10th October, 1856, the measure cannot be discussed until that period. THE first volume of Signor Farini's new work, en titled " Storia d'ltalia dal 1814 sino ai Giorni Nostri," has just been published, The work, which is soon to SATURDAY, appear in English, contains a mass of most interest ing matter derived from sources hitherto unavailable. Great light is thrown in it upon the efforts made in 1814 and 1815 by the Austrian Government to es tablish a paramount influence over the whole Italian peninsula, and on the persevering resistance it met with from the Sardinian Court of that day. ORIENTAL COINS have lately been found in great abundance in Russia and the Scandinavian countries bordering upon the Baltic, thus affording strong evidence of former extensive commerce between Asia and these northern countries. In Sweden, and more especially in the island of Gothland, so great was the quantity of these Arabian coins found at different times that upwards of twenty thousand divers pieces of money have been preserved in the Museum of Stockholm, all of which had been coined in different cities or towns subject to the authority of the Mahometan caliphs. With these coins there have been found numerous rich ornaments, consisting of rings and other silver articles, distinguished by a peculiar oriental workmanship. SOME WORKMEN, white recently digging in afield on the domain of Svinninge, near Hulbeck , in Den mark, found, about a mile f rom the Gulf of Isefiord, a piece of yellow amber, which is said to be the largest ever yet discovered. It is two feet long, one foot and a half broad, and one foot thick. It is of a clear yellow colour, and very pure. The Govern ment proposes to purchase it for the Royal Mu seum of Natural History at Copenhagen, which already possesses a piece of extraordinary size, esti mated in value at 450 f., and which was found near the same spot in 1680. The old chronicles of the Island of Seeland state that a part of the lands of Svinninge was formerly covered by the waters of the Isefiord. M. JAY, the founder of the Constitutionnel, one of the projectors of the once celebrated journal Minerur, and member of the Academy of Sciences, died on the 9th, at the age of 84. Until nearly 80 he had lived in Paris, plunged into a vortex of political and lite rary controversies, in which he displayed great vigour, and took for many years a leading part. For about five years past, however, M. Jay, experiencing the need of repose, lived in comparative retirement at a beautiful château at Chaberville, in the Gironde, where he died after a very brief illness. He has left voluminous manuscripts, some, it is said, of a highly-interesting character, and which will no doubt be published by his heirs. DIORAMA OF CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES. — This is the most beautiful of the many beautiful exhibitions of this description which we have lately visited. All the most remarkable scenes in a tour of nearly three thousand miles through the most in teresting portion of North America pass before us within a period of two hours, and are most agree ably described by Mr. Friend in a conversational lec ture, which he enlivens with appropriate songs and jokes. In the pictorial department Mr. Friend was assisted by Messrs. Henry and E. G. Warren, and Mr. Weigall, of the Society of Painters in Water Co lours. Starting from New York, we proceed up the Hudson towards Niagara, and this stupendous won der of nature is depicted with an illusive truthfulness which is almost equally wonderful in art. Many other scenes are equally well represented. The calm and majestic river gliding through the peaceful valley in which the unhappy Andre was captured was espe cially beautiful. The gorgeous foliage and the glow ing sunsets of the Indian summer, with the green gloom and the solemn hush of that primeval forest, which was the red man's home, are rendered with astonishing fidelity. All who can may visit this dio rama with a certainty of not being disappointed. dttitsiastital. PREFERMENTS AND APPOINTMENTS. The Rev. Francis John Kitson, 8.D., to the Rectory of Hcm• yock, near Collumpton, Devonshire. The Rev. Henry Godfrey Fauaeett, MA., to the Perpetual Curacy of South and Middle Littleton, Evesham. The Rev. George Renaud, M.A., to the Ministry of the new church at Woodhill, 'Hertfordshire. The Rev. George Harris Cooke, 8.A., to the Curacy of Tolles hunt Knights, near Maldon, Essex. The Rev. Charles Hill, M.A., to the Rectory and 'Vicarage of Culworth, Northamptonshire. The Rev. R. Giles, M.A., to the Rectory of Partney, Lin colnshire. The Rev. Evan Morgan, to the Incumbency of Llanychirn, near Aberystwith. The Rev. Alfred Barry, 8.A., to the Head Mastership of Leeds Grammar School. The Rev. Thomas Robson, M.A., to the Vicarage of Kirk leatham, near Redcar, Yorkshire. The Rev. Wrn. Arthurs. M.A.. to Dr. Downe'e Lectureship in the Cathearal Church of Waterford. The Rev. Bull, to the Ministry of the new church at Bus lingthorpe, Leeds. The Rev. Septimus Rolleston, 8.A., to be Chaplain of the Oak ham union workhouse. The Rev. Charles Alexander Hunter, M.A., to the Vicarage of Tanworth. The Rev. Alexander M'Laughlin, M.A., to the Prebend of Fennor, Cashel. The Rev. Henry Llewellyn Hussey, M.A., to be Domestic Chaplain to Lady Rolle. The Rev. Henry Abud, M.A., to the Vicarage of Uttoxeter Staffordidlire• witl3 Btreinahall annexed. I