The Press. — London, England, 1855-08-04 00:00:00

AUG. 4, 1855. pusit. ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA. ON Saturday night last Grisi's positive engagement for " seven nights only " came to a close. She has performed, in all, nineteen times this season, out of which Norma carries off the palm with five repre sentations against four of Valentine in The Hugue nots. four of Leonora in the Favorita, four of Lucrezia, arid two of Norina in Don Pasquale. This is a fair repertoire for a singer with failing powers ; for, despite all that kind critics say and friends would ignore, Grisi is not the singer now that she was even a few years ago. Her acting is as fine and as impas eioned as ever, but her voice is failing, becoming thin and sharp, and rapidly losing that volume and richness of quality for which it was always so remark able. Great singers must, like the rest of us, sub ject themselves to the inexorable rules of mortality ; and though, like the Roman emperor, " they may play their parts well," they must not forget to "go off the stage decently." Nothing has been said this year about Grisi's retiring—we have had no farewell benefits and ovations. Perhaps after last season's display the affair might have proved tame upon repetition, and enthusiasm have been found wanting. Nevertheless, we should like to know whether the last appearance on Saturday was in bond fide, or only the prelude to a reappearance next May, theugh either way it was good taste and better sense to avoid a second " Farewell." To say that this season she has ex cited the old furore which used to greet her appear ance upon the stage, would be rather an exaggeration. The house, in general, was cold, frequently indif ferent, and—unless warmed into something like enthusiasm by a flash here and there of her old spirit, which recalled the traditionary glories and triumphs of Giulia Grisi—seldom vouschafed any very forcible demonstration of its pleasure. Leonora and Valentine were certainly the two favorite imper sonations of the public, though Grisi herself, true to her instinctive genius, far preferred the majestic character of Norma. Perhaps she was right : her acting has never lost the stamp which her genius, in addition to, has won, and rivetted upon, her reputation as a singer. Yet on Saturday last few who witnessed that burst of passion and pathos in the great scene of The Huguenots would allow that Grisi could produce a greater impression in any character. The whole audience, fairly carried away for once in the season, rose en masse, and cheered vociferously, while showers of bouquets were thrown upon the stage to the fair prima donna. If this had been her last appearance on the stage, Grisi could not have received for the time a more enthusiastic ovation, nor was it ever more deservedly won. Of Mario, whose name is always coupled with Grisi, we need say little but that be has achieved one uninter rupted triumph throughout the season. His voice, so far from failing, has been fresher, sweeter, and more vigorous than ever. Never before has he sang " Angiol d'amore," " Nobil donna," " Mio Tesoro," and his other world famous songs, with such suc cess. His health appears thoroughly re-established ; and we trust he will next season resume his place oace more on the boards of the Italian Opera. On Tuesday evening the Prophite was given, for the first time this year. It is rather late in the sea son to bring forward so great a work, but since Grisi's reappearance and performances we have not seen much of Mme. Viardot, except occasionally upon long nights in the Barbiere, while Signor Tamberlik has also appeared less frequently this season than usual probably from the same cause, and hence the per, formance of Tuesday excited more than ordinar interest. The cast differed in no material respecy from that of last year, the three prominent charact !rs being allotted to the same performers—Mme.- Viardot (Fides), Mlle. Marai (Berta), and Signor Tamberlik (the Prophet). The Fides of Mine. Viardot is too well known to need description. It is the same in every respect as we have been accus tomed to : exaggerated in points, it is manifestly too much overdone, too studied a character, for a plain, peasant mother, yet it is a performance full of the highest traits of dramatic genius and intellectual conception. Every point told : the scene where Fides intercedes with Oberthal for Berta's mar riage, the air, " 0 Figlio mio, the diro ?" a most plaintive piece of singing, the scene of the coro nation, where she recognises her own son in the impostor, and lastly, in the prison scene, every effort was admired and applauded. The Jean of Leyden of Signor Tamberlik was admirable throughout. The grandest singing of the night was in that splendid declamatory outburst, "Re del cielo e de' beati," in which his famous chest notes, B and C natural, were again given with amazing force, and the drinking song in the last scene, " Beviam e interno giri, ' excited as usual the most enthusiastic applause, the house recalling Signor Tamberlik before the curtain. Of Mlle. Marai's Berta, nothing could be better; it was thoroughly effective in every point, and in each scene where Fides and Berta come together Mlle. Marai fairly divided the applause with her more ex- THE PRESS. perienced companion. Signor Tagliatico's Oberthal was as good as usual ; and the Anabaptists were carefully represented by MM. Zelger, Polinini, and Mei. The divertissement in the skating scene was highly effective, which was chiefly owing to the co operation of Mme. Cerito, who, dressed as a West phalian peasant in an extremely characteristic and pretty costume, danced the principal pas with such exquisite grace and spirit as raised the enthusiasm of the house to a very high pitch, that being, more over, her last appearance this season. The other principals in the divertissement were Mlles. Bsttalini and Esper, who are both deservedly favorites. At the end of the opera, as at the conclusion of the scene in the cathedral, Mme. Viardot and Signor Tamberlik were unanimously summoned. L'Etoile du Nord was performed on Thursday, when the Duchess of Cambridge and suite honoured the house with their presence; and the Prophite will be repeated to-night. ate puma. ST. JAMES'S THEATRE. THE success of Ristori in Paris has restored Rachel to life. A year ago her powers were undeniably failing; her energies appeared to be fading away, her voice was weak, her declamation indifferent, her attitudes list less, and her whole mental and physical constitution becoming rapidly enfeebled and prematurely decayed. Every one deplored what was patent to all—but Rachel was not yet dead. Rivalry is a powerful restorative to failing powers, and to the sensitive mind of a woman a most effective incentive to exer tion at all times. Ristori suddenly appeared at Paris, and in a night carried the world with her and away from Rachel. Rouaed from her listless apathy, the great tragedienne in an incredibly short time regained health and energy, voice and power, and once more claimed and won the applause and homage of the fickle Parisians. Whether she has taken her final " farewell " of Paris or not it is impossible to say—be cause, with the weakness of her sex, she has taken so many already that it is impossible to speak positively on the subject—but at present—en route to America, that refuge for the destitute—she has consented to give (for, it is said, the consideration of two hundred pounds sterling a night !) a few farewell performances at the old scene of all her triumphs in London. Four performances at first were only to be given, Les Horace., Phedre, Adrienne Lecouvreur, and An dromaque, but two more next week have been pro mised by Mr. Mitchell. Her interpretation of Camille in the Horace', nor indeed of Pltedre, needs not now to be closely ana lysed. Which of us that has seen her in either of these characters can forget her eloquent expressions of love, her bursts of intense scorn and hatred, or that terrible storm of ungovernable passion which sweeps across her in appalling force, and stimulates her final curse in the Horace. ; or the intensity of her passion as Phidre, when gradually revealing her secret to tEnone ; or when, in the next act, she confesses her infatuated love to Ilyppolittis himself, and at his cold reply utters, in such an exquisite agony of mind, Ab, cruel! to m'as trop entendue! Je t'en ai dit assez pour to tirer d'erreur ; or, the horror which seizes her when she learns that her husband is yet alive ; or the remorseless jealousy and hatred she throws into her expression as she utters, on discovering Hyppolitus's love for Aricia, Enone, qui feat cru! J'avais une rivale ! It were useless almost to quote special passages when the acting of the character throughout was marked by such singular genius, by such intense dramatic power, and by the perfect deline ation of such a variety of exquisite emotions as would agitate the heart of such a woman as Phitlre. Her intense, uncontrollable passion wearing her very life away, coldly repulsed by the man she so inces tuously adores—her fear and dismay at her husband's return—her ungovernable hatred and burst of wither ing rage upon (Enone, who counsels her to forget Hyppolittu—her plaintive remorse—her utter deso lation of mind—her prayers to the gods—her frantic jealousy of Aricia—and last, her repentance and miserable death—were embodied by Rachel with such force and impressiveness, such touching, elo• quent grief, as electrified the audience. Her acting, her exquisite by-play, her varied expression, her plaintive tenderness or terrible earnestness of voice, were one and all a study throughout. With her it is not mere declamation and attitude—it is a common and easy stage-trick to make the " points " tell; but Rachel so truthfully conceives a character as not only to make the points tell, but to make every look and gesture subservient to the leading idea. There is a unity about her elaborate attention to detail which takes from it all vulgar claptrap, and convinces us that in those delicate and expressive changes of feature and attitude we have Nature before us—the highest effort Art can attain. The delight and applause of the audience has been no bounded; never has Rachel appeared in greater .•.' . .• force than now. Her health is fully restored, she looks infinitely well, and her acting creates more admiration than ever. What the Americans will say it is difficult to surmise. French is not gene rally spoken in America, but, as our cousins are so fond of being en rigle, they will no doubt welcome the actress without being able to understand the play, and accord her a most tremendous triumph. We have forgotten to mention a lively little prefatory piece, Les Droita de VHomme, in which the jealousy of a husband is amusingly played upon by a young wife of that peculiar demimonde tendency so common in French comedy. The three sisters of Rachel fill the female characters, and bear high testimony to the histrionic talent of the family. Last night she per formed Adrienne Lecouvreur to a house as usual crowded to overflowing with a brilliant and distin guished audience. Rachael sails for America on Thursday next, previous to which on Monday evening she will play as Virginie de Blossac in Tartuffe, and on Wednesday as Adrienne Lecouvreur. HAYNARIET.—The Stranger was performed on Monday night for the purpose of introducing Miss Heraud in the character of Wm Haller. Of the play there is little to be said now-a-days. In the time of Siddons and O'Neill the whole audience were wont to dissolve into tears at the tender reconcilia tion of the penitent adulteress and her forgiving husband. But its day of popularity is past. It is seldom now brought upon the stage ; and yet, with the ridiculous compromise to morality which is now devised, and the most pathetic passage in the whole play omitted, we could well afford to dispense with the piece altogether. Miss Heraud performed the part of Mrs. Haller with sweetness and grace, but it is not a favorable part for a young actress ; it is a character which requires more passion and dramatic power than Miss Heraud possesses. She has intel ligence and feeling, but she cannot rise to the in tensity of passion which these scenes demand. OLYMPIC.—The regular season at this theatre ter minates this week, after which the whole company reappears at Sadler's Wells. ADELPUL—Mr. Wright during the week has been giving a series of representations in his favorite ohs• racter of Paul Pry. CAIIPDEN-HOUSE THE/al/E.—A second performance of private theatricals took place on Thursday even ing at Colonel Waugh's mansion, Kensington. The pieces chosen for the occasion were, M. Planehe's one-act vaudeville, The Loan of a Lover. Grrtnide, the Hon. Mrs. George Wrottesley ; Ernestine, Miss Louisa Carew; Captain Ansersfort, Sir George Bisshopp, Bart. ; Peter Spyk, Mr. Ashe ; and Seise s Mr. Bontine. After which another one-sot piece, written by Mr. Charles Dance, entitled, Delicate Ground ; or, Paris in 1793, was performed. Pasting, the Hon. Mrs. George Wrottesley ; Citizen Sangfroid, Captain Disney Roebuck ; and Alphonse de Grandier s Sir George Bisshopp. This also went off very well s But the last was the piece de resistance, being no less than the fairy extravaganza of Beauty and the Beast, with a corps de ballet of amateur fairies and zephyrs. The cast was—Beauty, Miss Louisa Carew ; The Beast, Mr. Bontine ; Sir Aldgate Pimp (Beauty's fond papa), Mr. Ashe ; John Quill, Mr. Alderson; Dressallinda and Marygolda (Beauty's naughty sisters), Miss Maxwell and the Hon. Mrs. George Wrottesley ; Queen of the Roses, Miss Disney Roe buck ; and Cupid, Master Disney Roebuck. The whole performance was a decided improvement on that we had the pleasure of seeing on a former occa sion. The Hon. Mrs. George Wrottesley displayed great talent and much E• iuine feeling in her acting. Miss Carew was also very successful in both her characters. Miss Maxwell played with consider. able ease ; and Miss Disney Roebuck, as the Queen of the Roses, delivered her royal speech with great spirit. The gentlemen all acquitted themselves well, and Mr. Ashe obtained a well-deverved encore in one of his songs; a similar honour was offered to Miss Carew, but declined. Master Disney Roebuck, as well as the very juvenile corps de ballet, also merited the highest approbation for the professional style in which they went through their labours. Thedressas were appropriate and very elegant. The orchestra was good, the audience in the best of humour, and very liberal in their applause throughout the evening, and at the conclusion of each piece the performers were complimented with a recal. Among the com pany present were the Duchess of St. Albans and the Duke of St. Albans and Lady Diana Beau clerk, the Marchioness of Ely, the Countess of Tankerville, the Countess (Dowager) of Carni., warte, Lady Georgians Fane, Lady Theresa Lewis and Miss Lister, Lady Thesiger and Miss Thesiger, Lady Louisa Cator, Sir John Burgoyne and Miss Burgoyne, Sir James Drummond, Colonel the Right Hon. Cecil W. Forester, M.P., Mr. J. Cator, Mr. F. Cator, and Mr. Albert Smith. The performances were succeeded by a ball, for which Coote and Tinney's band was retained. The festivities were ' prolonged to an early hour on. Friday moping.