The Press.
London, England, 1856-04-26 00:00:00

404

In the class of subject pictures, Mr. L. Haghe's un.
doubtedly occupy the first place. His "Ante-
ebamber of the State Inquisition at Venice" (No.
50) is worthy of the highest praise for truth of ex-
pression, natural grouping, and full and harmonious
colouring. In " Venice—ll Melo" (No. 55), Mr.
Haghe presents a magnificent effect of sunset., most
exquisitely painted, while in " The Town-hall of
Oudenarde" (No. 04), the interior of an old Flemish
house is represented with wonderful accuracy of
detail, and the unromantic burghers with the
greatest life and humour. Mr. Warren's " Rebekah
and Isaac " (No. 77) is strikingly Eastern in the
character of soil and sky. An objection has been
taken by a contemporary to the convergence of the
shadows of the camels' legs, on the ground that a
luminary distant, like the sun, some millioas of
miles from the camels, would cast sensibly parallel
shadows of parallel legs. There is much plausibility
in this objection at first sight; but if Mr. Warren
were desirous of justifying his shadows he might
easily do so by reminding the critic that lines really
parallel in nature are not necessarily so in a picture,
the laws of perspective being duly observed; the
sides of a sheet may serve as a conclusive example
against Mr. Warren's opponents. The Eastern cha-
racter is admirably kept up in " Hagar and her Son "
(No. 191), though the picture wants sentiment. Our
kissing " days are, alas ! over; but, judging from
what we remember of the delightful operation in our
younger years, we imagine we should have been
sadly chilled if any of our " kisses " had received the
infliction as coolly as the lady in Mr. Absoion's (No.
16) ; she just raises her eyebrows as much as to say,
" What a bore !" In " Dorah " (No. 202) the same
artist has fully shown his power; the grace and
sweetness of the female figure, and the innocent sim-
plicity of the child, are worthy of all praise, while
the execution shows a combination of breadth and
finish in striking contrast to the weakness and sketchi-
ness of his other attempts. Mr. Corbould's "Ye
Lymnere hys Dreame " (No. 211) is full of odd
fancy ; the artist is supposed to have fallen asleep
after a very varied course of reading, he says : we
should have put down the effects displayed in his
dream to a still more delightful and profitable occu-
pation. Mr. Wehnert's scene from Don Giovanni
(No. 223) is, in spite of great depth of colour, a
positive caricature, the Commendatore a mere stage
tradition ; while Mr. Kearney's "Fulfilment" (No.
205) fulfils nothing, not even the most ordinary ex-
pectation. The angel is as little of an angel as can
be conceived, and as much like a fair-haired barber's
block with wide-opened eyes as possible, while the
colour is dirty beyond conception. We must post-
pone the landscapes to a future opportunity.

glusir.

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.

THE official programme for the ensuing season has
appeared. The theatre is to open, according to the
programme, on the 10th of May, with Mme. Alboni
in the Cenerentola, and a ballet divertissement enti-
tled Lea Quatre Saisons. Mlle. Piccolomini will
make her first appearance shortly after in Verdi's
Traviata, followed by Mine. Albertini, in the same
composer's Trovatore, with Mme. Alboni as the
gipsy. The debut of Mlle. Wagner will, we believe,
come off in Bellini's Capuletti e Montecchi, early in
June, the part of Romeo being, to all accounts, one
of that lady's most celebrated assumptions.
The troupe engaged for the season counts Mme.
Alboni, Mlle. Piecolornini, Mlle. Giudetta Ilizza and
Mlle. Finoli, Mme. Amedei and Mlle. Berti, and
Mine. Albertini. In addition to the above an en-
gagement has been effected with Mlle. Johanna
Wagner, Signor Salviani, of La Pergola, Florence;
Signor Boucarde (all first appearances), Signor
Mariani, and Signor Calzolari, Signor Beneventano,
Signors Vario, Fortini, and Baillou ; Signor Zucconi,
his first appearance ; and Signor Belletti as the
basso. The director of the music and conductor is
not to be Balfe, but Signor Bonetti, of the Italian
Opera, Paris. Leader of the orchestra, M. Tol.
Logue,: leader of the ballet, M. Na laud.
For the ballet we have Mlles. Rosati, Bellon, Bos-
chetti, Lisereau, Clara, Rosa, Katrine, and Marie
; N. Vandris, M. Charles, and N. Paul
Taglioni.
There are so many first appearances here that it
is delicate to predict the amount of success they may
attain, " the little house in the Haymarket " wrecking
many a continentat reputation. Mlle. Wagner's repu•
tation will, no doubt, bear the test triumphantly.

SACRED HARMONIC SOCIETY.
THE fourth performance of Costa's oratorio Eli,
introduced last night at Exeter-hall Madame Viar-
dot to the amateur society, to which music is so
much indebted in this country. This novel appear-
ance in the London cast of Eli restored the work to
the B►rmingham scale of grandeur and interest. It
was felt that no ordinary vocalist was singing the
simple and solemn strains of Same!. With fixed
and breathless attention, the