The National Register. — London, England, 1809-09-17 00:00:00

.17. NA lONA NEW THEATRE, COVENT-GARDEN. ._ • : Architecture, is, perhaps, less correctly understood, as a fine art, than any other branch of taste. With respect to the skill- Qf the builder, we •are not inferior to the ancients ; bet - in the features of the building we possess 'neither the powers of expression or of eleg ance with which they raised their public edifices. It was the peculiar felicity of the Greeks to impart a portion of mind to whatever they exe cuted. Their works 'always spoke ; always appeared to he pervaded by some particular sentiment. The moderni, in almost nettling, display a sim;lar delicacy of discrimina tion. We talk much about sentiment, and our writers • run through volumes of umue:ming frivolities and fanciful feelings ; nub the simple and unartificial - manger of im parting ideas, which we may perceive in every production Of nature, is wholly lost; we imitate the external forms of Grecian art, without any reference to their internal mean ing ; we select and we combine the most prominent fea tures,of their astonishing designs; and we apply our hete rogeneous coinpileinents to any purpose promiscuously. We have . Athenian temples with the porticoes of Asiatic palaces, for various public erections; and an ancient bath with some fragments of an amphitheatre, very often serves us for aehureh. We have before us the principal parts, of the 'Acropolis, or elevated citadel and treasury of Atheni . united, so as to form the,exterior of a modern playhouse.-,-- . 1 The Acropolis of Athens was seated on a rock : it could be. seen from any part of the city ; and the temple attached to it was dedicated to Minerva, the tutelary divinity of the Athenians. Impressiee grandeur and awful soleuenity were its striking characteristics; the salt ty i the wealth, the su perstition of the people were contained in it; and its ap pearance combined, in one view, strength, magnificence,' and awe. . In a modern theatre, we do not require such exalted expre.4`sion ; and we cannot think that the model has been judiciously selected by Mr. Smirke. in a po . = , sitiort so confined as the site of Covent-Garden Theatre, the grandeur of the original must be totally lost, and in no station can the eye of the spectator grasp the whole front, so hat the magnificence of its simplicity is necessarily broken, aiul the parts lose. their dignity fur want of com bination. Position is, however, either the happiness or• the misfortune of the Architecture, who is not to be blamed for the crowded houses and narrow streets with which he is surrounded : if he.cati in any manner accom modate his design to the place allotted for ils,erection, lie has done all hi 4 power :we have therefore ti..) lament that Covent-Garden The!ttre will never be seen to ad, vantage : 'we 'can only regret that we possess so fine An imitation of the Athenian Acropolis which we' can never behold, 'and applied to a purpose so contrary to the ex pression of its exterior. The Order of Architecture is the grandest style of the Doric : the portico consists of four pillar 4 of this order supporting a pediment: the pillars are 'very large and fluted, without bases, and the portico i 4 elevated upon a flight of steps. It has a simple diernity, truly admirable : had it been the entrance of the Ilititish Senate, we could have felt all the sublimity which seems to 'belong to it, but the portico of a theatre required a magnificence of a less awful nature. Could we however ()Main a. view of the front at a sufficient distance, we should probably discover that the Architect has departed from the 'ancient plan vvilh considerable judgment,and rendered it more suitable to the appearance of a Theatre. This he seems to have done by breaking the bold simplicity structnre with two projecting wings, de entablature of the portico, which is •sust; I the close view which a spectator can the Apposite side of Bow-street, these pile abrupt, and the plain part between them nppears meagre. It would certainly h' have continued the entablature across ttr the„ front, unless the demolition of . coitkl.liavo afforded a more coFappebensite II I Is,. I - . 4 ..., . 'r ~~ REGISTER. 597 the Parts would have been compressed into one elegant. whole. The niches• in the . wings,_ and the basso-relievoo between :Ilse Asinp.. Ale: portieb, would tmdoubtedly soften. the severity of the general plan, could they be semi together. As it is, they takeaway from the simplicity with out adding to the beauty: the Agures.of the basso- relievos, in particular, when seen idliitihefly, have a littleness that is . very discordant with the massive grandeur 4f. the Doric pillars. . It is much to be regretted that the .1,51 w-relieve by Rossi, representing the Modern Drama; adds very much to this littleness by its want of unity. in the design, or proper combination of the figure's in the execution. As a distant point of sitaeonkfnot be obtairied, great atten tion should have been . paid to thegrotiping of petty orna ments.—The other-Sides Of the' building are certainly not. correct subjects of triticistil : they are plain;_ and that ih Hart•Slreet is - depint. Altogether, the Architect .meritS .great applause: be bas-displayed much grandeur of (lin- . ception, and 4,6 earnestly wish to sec Win engaged in seine other public edifice - which. may! afford his judgment more time to form its designs, end to execute them with•all the perfection of 'mature 4eliberation.. Few wen either in ail , - cient or modern times could have done what Mr. Sinirke has performel: in the course of six months he has adapted one of the most magnificent of the Athenian edifices to modern parposes, and reared a theatre more elegant and more majestic than any this nation has hitherto possessed. The interior is elegant, but is scarcely answerable to the magnificent idea with which the portico impresses any 0ne . .. : about to enter the theatre. The vestibule is gram!, and the . staircase ascending be.tween two tows of ionic,tolninag, between eat of which is suspended a beautiful. Grecian .- !alp, hat a splendid - 01feet. At the.head of the staircase it an anti-chamber surrounded vvith lonic pilasters, in which the statue of Shakespear meets the eye on a pedes:al of yellow marble. The figure of Shakespear is ht -Rossi, suit is in the,costume of his age: he holds a roll of paper in his hand, but his air k rather that of a barrister than a poet. We cannot account for this deficieacy4expression, - which we are sorry to. Aserve in-the weritirlettossi. From the antirchamber . you coat -lute thelehbrof the /ewer tier of boxes: it is in the same style °Maw architecture( and is divided with arched recesses, the semi-circular parts of • Which are filled 'with paintings (tom various scenes a Shakespear painted in Miff.. The fronts of the boxes . are elegant, though simple; a gold fretted flower,—of antique form, runs along each tier, upon a pale coloured ground abole and below the . floWers are'rows of stars. 'None of the boxes. project beyond the others,- in the manner of those usually termed stage boxes ; and the fronts are per pendicular, without any of that rotundity which rather hurt than enrich the coup d'ftil in the 'former theatre. Slender pillars, richly gilt, separate the boxes; and from a golden bracket, above each pillar, is suspended a chan delier of cut glass : these chandeliers are novel its their form. The seats of the 'boxes are covered with light blue cloth, and the seats are more in number than is the boxes of the former theatre. The pit is divided by • two piwages through the middle of it, and the seats! are much cle% ated above each othen. The twd-shilling r o:alleev is more ample than has been represented, and the slips are very wide and commodious. The most remarkable noes Nv consists in the construction of the shilling gallery : here.tha architect, to preserve the uniforrnily of his design, hits rested the piers of a row of arches which support the.root; . in such a manner that the gallery is divided into five . parts, loss to Surmise, SEPT. 17. THE NATIONAL REGISTER. 597 .. . NEW THEATRE, COVENT-GARDEN. the. parts would have been compressed into one elegaut. . . whole. The niches• in the wings, and the basso-relievoo Architecture, is, perhaps, less correctly understood, as a . .. ..... between :the Asiup..aid..the: pertico, would tmdoubtedly soften • the severity of the general front could they be seca fine art, than any other branch of taste. . With respect to the together. As it is, they takeaway the simplicity with- . skill- of the . builder, we •are not inferior to the ancients ; out adding to the beauty: the figures.of the basso- relievos, in bet - in the features of the building we pOSSCSI 'neither the particular, when seen adliittihcfly, have a littleness that is. powers of expression or of elegance with which they raised very discordant with the massise grandeur ' . -of. the Doric their public edifices. It was the peculiar felicity of the pillars.. It is much to be regretted that the .13:1;o-relieve Greeks to impart a portion of mind to whatever they exc. by Rossi, representing the Modern Drama; adds very much cuted. Their works 'always spoke ; always appeared to 'to this littleness by its want Of unity. in the design, or a• he pervaded by some particular sentiment. The moderni, proper combination of the fi g ure ' s in the execution . As a in almost nettling, display a sim;lar delicacy of discrimina- . distant point or silrbt.ioold• not he obtairied, great atten- tion. We talk much about sentiment, and our writers lion should hove been . paid to thegrouping of petty ()ma- rtin through volumes of moue:ming frivolities and fanciful mewls.—The other-Sides Of the' bUilding are certainly . not• feelings; nut- the simple and unartificial - manger of im- 'correct subjects of triticisid : they are plain,_ and that its. parting ideas, which we may perceive in every production Hart• Street is . .etebratitt. Altogether, the Architect .merits Of nature, is wholly lost ;we imitate the external forms of g reat applause: be ins-displayed much grandeur of cea- Grecian art, without any reference to their internal mean- . ception, e - W end . svd . earnest ly wish to see Win engaged in some ing ; we select and we combine the most prominent fea- oilier public edifichich. may afford his judgment more teres,of their astonishing designs; and we apply our hete- • time to form its designs, end to execute them with•all the rogeneous compilements to any purpose promiscuously. , perfection of 'mature 4eliberation. Few wen either in an , - • We have . Athentau temples with the porticoes of Asiatic dent or modern times could have done what Mr. Smirke palaces, for various public erections; and an ancient bath has performed: in the course of six Months he has adapted with some fragments of an amphitheatre, very often serves . one of the most magnificent of the Athenian edifices to us for weltureh. We have before us the principal parts modern - and rea red a ' theatre more elegant and ' purposes, .1* thn • Arransolie_ nr ninvntnii r;lnelni 0n 11 trnn•tircr of Atitanst .. i his he seems to have I res”mblittp,- boxes., parate baxes. We ate at loss to surmise, n it e y of the Athenian w h at light the Godhead:of the 314 will chuse to regard Ibis. strmounted with the division of As heaven; the'llfers; Bacehut, Itid . Apollo of sustained by pilasters. the theatrical upper regions have been so accustomed.to is can only obtain from consolidation of their divinity, and to coinbine the thimeer • projections ream too of their authority. that we are rather fearful Ibit these them and the portico intervening piers will be considered as molt ispiiimitiVec- y have been better to rupters of that cetestial.: turitrwhich - hbs 11 - 00tontfratio. y Id these plain parts of A Lanced very wonddrftitettects HI tI arathatlc *od& R r eer- . the opposite housei haps the deities. insYlbet themsetvc honoitietistitut ap- lensite view, in which '.' 1 • - - -:(e:VP.M.: G: - • •_ .... ' • ' 41.144 - • • . ' . .. . . . . • . •..- . . . . .;:_ .. : . ' - ' . . , ... . • .