The Press.
London, England, 1855-04-07 00:00:00

THE MUSICAL SEASON.

The directors of the Royal Italian Opera have at
length issued their prospectus for the season. The
company will be of great strength. Its principal
members being—soprani, Mlle. Bosio, Mlle. Jenny
Ney, Mlle. Marai, Mlle. Albini, and Mme. Viardot,
the name of Grisi being absent the first time for
twenty years, and withdrawn, we understand, for ever.
Of tenors we are to have Mario, Tamberlik, Gardoni,
Luchesi, kc.; baritoni, Ronconi, and Graziani ;
bassi profondi, Lablache, Tagliafico, Formes, &c. ;
and the ballet is to be supported by Cerito and
Leblond. The great features of the season will be
the production of the Etoile du Nord, and of Verdi's
last and highly-successful opera, .11 Trovatore. The
Etoile du Nord will probably be brought out under
the personal superintendence of Meyerbeer himself,
who is at present occupied in preparing the opera for
the Italian stage, by turning the originally spoken
dialogue into recitative. The piece has been very
strongly cast, as follows :—Peter, Formes; Catherine,
Mlle. Bosio; Prascovia, Mlle. Marai; Danilowitz,
Gardoni ; and Gritzenko, Lablache. The English
public will thus be enabled to judge of the merits of
this celebrated work, which they could not possibly
do by means of its very lame performance at Drury
Lane—a performance which took place not only
without the sanction but in spite of the earnest re-
monstrances of the author. In the Trotatore, the
tine part of the Gipsy will be performed by Mme.
Viardot, who is engaged for that purpose. No men-
tion is now made of Mme. Borghi Mamo, the cele•
brated contralto, who was expected to appear in
London this season. The opening night is, we
believe, fixed at present for Tuesday next.
Drury Lane is to open on Easter Monday for
Italian and German opera. We learn that Mme.
Persiani, Tarnburini, and Salvi are to be members of
the Italian portion of the company. The Germans,
with some exceptions, will be the same as last year.
Balfe is mentioned as being engaged to officiate as
musical director. A new German opera, by Mr.
Aguilar, has been accepted, and is to be produced
early in the season.
Bottesini, the celebrated double•bass player, has
returned to London after a long absence. His mar-
vellous tours de force on his gigantic instrument
will, of course, form a prominent feature of the con-
certs of the season. We have already mentioned
that Alboni is about to visit this country. She is en-
gaged by Mr. Beale for a provincial tour during the
summer, in which she is to be accompanied by
several artists of reputation, including Herr Ernst,
Mlle. Jenny Banr, Signor Lorenzo, Mr. J. L. Hatton,
and Mr. Land, who is to act as conductor.

THE PRESS.

qt puma.

OLYMPIC TitEAmr.—An amateur performance,
projected by Mr. Albert Smith, for the benefit of
Mr. Angus B. lteach, a well-known member of the
London press, who has been for some time past
prevented by severe illness from pursuing his pro-
fessional avocations, took place on Saturday evening
last, at the above theatre, which was crowded on
the occasion in every part. The chief performers
were members of the Garrick and Fielding Clubs,
who, aided by those popular artists, Miss M. Oliver,
Miss Martindale, and Miss Roma Wright, succeeded
in producing an entertainment that, even apart from
the charitable purpose for which it was given, would
have proved highly attractive and acceptable to the
general public. 'The amateurs displayed their abili-
ties in the farce of My Neighbour's Wife, and a pan-
tomime called Harlequin Guy Fawkes; or, a Match
for a King, the latter of which was preceded by a
circumstantial prologue, very cleverly and feelingly
written by Mr. Tom Taylor, and gracefully delivered
by Miss M. Oliver. Criticism would, of course, be
out of place on such an occasion ; but we may state,
generally, that the performance was in every respect
so successful that we may look for a repetition very
shortly. We are happy in being able to record that
the pecuniary result was most satisfactory, and that
liberal contributions were received from various
members of the aristocracy and literary celebrities,
many of whom visited the Olympic Theatre on
Saturday evening :—The Duke and Duchess of Wel-
lington, the Marchioness of Ailesbury, the Marquis
d'Azeglio, the Marquis of Stafford, the Earl of
Mountcharles, the Earl of Longford, the Earl of
Shelburne, the Earl Granville, Mr. Sohn Forster,
Mr. W. T. Thackeray, Mr. Tom Taylor, Mr. Shirley
Brooks, ctre

HAYMARKET.—This theatre opens on Easter Mon-
day with The Secret Agent, and a new Easter ex•
travaganza by Planet* in which Mr. Buckstone
will appear ; but we believe that it is soon to
be partially transformed into an English Opera-
house, when a new English opera by Mr. Henry
Smart will be produced, supported by Mr. and Mrs.
Sims Reeves, and Mr. and Mrs. Weiss, as the prin.
cipal singers. For the " legitimate drama," which
will alternate with the " opera," Miss Cushman and
Miss Helen Faucit have been engaged.
PRINCESS'S.—The Corsican Brothers, and Living
too Fast, are to be succeeded by a new romance, as
the Easter piece, entitled the Muleteer of Toledo, in
which Messrs. Harley, and Lacy, and Vining, will
support the principal characters.
ADELNlL—Revives The Mysterious Stranger as
the first piece, and concludes with a new "spectacle,"
The Fairy Tales of Mother Goose.
OLYMPIC.—StiII retains The Yellow Dwarf, with
Law for Ladies, and Kill or Cure, as the opening
pieces.

THE GENERAL THEATRICAL FUND ANNUAL DINNER
took place on Monday at the London Tavern,
and was, as usual, very well attended. About 170
gentlemen assembled on the occasion, and there was
a large muster of ladies, who, without partaking in
the actual festivities, graced the hall with their pre-
sence. Mr. Buckstone occupied the chair, and, by
a succession of humorous speeches, contributed
much to the enjoyment of the evening. He was sup-
ported by Mr. Charles Dickens, Lord Ernest Bruce,
Mr. Mark Lemon, Mr. Bell, Mr. Webster, and
others connected more or less directly with the in-
terests of the drama. The fund appears to be in a
prosperous, healthy condition, and subscriptions
were anncaluced during the evening, amounting in
the aggregate to more than 3001.

AT THE PARIS UNIVERSAL EXHIBITION, the works
for completing the various buildings, and for pre-
paring the interior to receive goods, are being pro-
ceeded with most actively. The outside of the prin-
cipal building .nas been much improved since last
week, by the removal of several trees in front and by
the arrangement of the ground in gardens at each
side. Preparations are also making for the erection
of four ornamental fountains at each side towards
the Champs Elysees. During the last few days
workmen have been engaged in removing the stained
glass from nine of the lower compartments of the
large window at the bottom of Westminster-hall, for
the purpose of being transmitted to Paris as a speci-
men of Birmingham art in the manufacture of
stained glass, at the forthcoming Exhibition. The
vacated spaces in the window have been filled up
with timber.

A LARGE Annrrios has just been made to the public
park at Holyrood, by embracing within it a field of about
thirteen acres, situated north of the Duke's walk, and east
of the ground used for military exercise and parade. This
field wss purchased by the Board of Works some years
ago; but, the lease having just expired, it is only now
available for conjunction with the royal park. The addi-
tion will undoubtedly enhance the beauty as well as the
utility of this portion of the park.

SATURDAY,

LECTURE BY SIR R. PEEL, ➢i.P.

Tun Marylebone Literary Institution was visited on
Wednesday evening by a crowded and fashionable
audience, who assembled to hear a lecture delivered
by Sir R. Peel, his subject being "An Evening with
the Poets." The lecture comprised remarks and
notices upon the most celebrated poets of Eng.
land, interspersed with recitations, of some of
the finest passages in their writings. The hon.
baronet began by pointing out the connection
between the poetry and prosperity of a nation.
When the sense of independence was strong, the
poetic feeling was high, and there was nothing that
excited people to such daring deeds as a spirit-
stirring ode or war song. From poetry in general,
Sir Robert passed on to that of England in par-
ticular, starting from Shakspeare, of whom his
admiration was unbounded. The unaffected nature,
the creative power, and the peculiar beauty of lan-
guage of "Fancy's sweetest child,"—" the thousand-
minded Shakspeare"—were pointed out in a few
judicious observations, and several passages were
recited from his different plays. Hamlet's advice to
the players and Henry's soliloquy upon sleep brought
down loud applause ; and there were several
other quotations which were only less attractive.
Milton, who came next, was rapidly sketched, and
but few and meagre quotations were given from that
sublime work, " Paradise Lost," well named one of
the six epics written since the creation of the world.
The lecturer critically remarked that Milton was,
of all the poets, Christian or pagan, the only one who
represented God otherwise than as a tyrant. It
was the blind poet's beautiful peculiarity to paint
the Deity as a father, and a judge who tempered
justice with mercy. Addison, Sir Robert showed,
was the first critic who placed Milton on his proper
pedestal, and then taking leave of the subject of epis
poetry, the lecturer hurried to the poetic satirists.
Under this head Dryden's well-known sketch of
Buckingham was given with great liveliness and
expression, and loudly applauded. Pope and John-
son were then glanced at, with appropriate quota-
tions from each, and the audience were then intro-.
duced to the poets of their own time. Byron was
but slightly noticed, but the name of Campbell in-
troduced the subject of Poland, while Poland led to
Russia, and the name of Russia lured the lec-
turer into a semi•political episode on the war
and its causes. Sir Robert pointed out that this
was the first time an English army had invaded
the Russian territory, although it was 302 years
since our ships first visited the country for the pur•
poses of trade. We bad invaded Russia to avenge
the crimes of Catherine, who bad caused the Kban
of the Crimea to be assassinated, in order to obtain
possession of the country; and to put an end to the im-
posture of the last fifty years, by teaching that power
that she was about to receive at the hands of civilise-
tion the retribution her crimes deserved. With regard
to Poland, Sir Robert observed that he thought he
could perceive, beyond the crash of nations which
now threatened Europe, a glimmer of that light of
liberty which would free that unhappy country from
tyrannical oppression. An eulogium on the late Lord
Dudley Stuart closed this part of the lecture, when
a few appropriate recitations introduced the topic
of shipwrecks generally ; and the lecturer, amid pro-
found attention on the part of the audience, detailed,
with great feeling, his own escape from that calamity
in the spring of last year, on the voyage from
Genoa to Marseilles. Passing from this personal
theme, Sir Robert, referring briefly to the descriptions
of scenery to be found in English poetry, quoted
as an illustration Rogers's description of the road
over the Simplon, and Moore's capital lines upon
English travellers, which he delivered with great ani-
mation and mimicry ; and, in concluding his lecture,
expressed his desire to impress upon every one pre-
sent, more particularly upon the young men con-
nected with the institution, the necessity for not
gliding listlessly down the tide of life, nor allowing
the vices or fashions of the time to interfere with
their habits or intellectual pursuits.
As a lecturer Sir Robert Peel is decidedly popular.
He possesses ease of manner and a pleasant con-
versational delivery, the great secret of success in a
lecturer; but he trusts too much to his memory, at
times is at a loss, and, with not much power of
eloquence, he is afflicted with a sad poverty of
language. The same adjectives and adverbs are re-
peated several times in the same sentence; and,
moreover, in the course of speech, he intones his
voice to such a degree as to produce too much of a
melodramatic effect. In a word, he is more forcible
than fluent; at the same time we cannot fail to re-
mark that his recitations were throughout delivered
with remarkable accuracy of expression and beauty
of sentiment. His faults, however, were easily over •
looked by an audience who frequently and heartily
applauded, and at the conclusion unanimously
awarded him a vote of thanks. Syr

'1