The Press.
London, England, 1854-02-25 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

etc puma.

187

of Mr. Hullah's upper singing school, and the vocal
forces were supported by a band containing some of
the best instrumentalists in London.
MR. ELLA'S MUSICAL EVENINGS.
WE shall next week give a report of the first of these
interesting performs:ices.

PRINCESS'S.
IT has seldom been our lot to attend a more dreary
performance than the revival of Cibber's Richard the
Third at this theatre on Monday last. During three
mortal hours and a half we wended our way through
murders, processions, and battles, to the final catas-
trophe ; and we honestly confess that the grim satis-
faction which we felt on witnessing the tyrant's death
was more owing to the relief thereby afforded to the
tedious splendour which had for so long a time op
pressed our senses than to the well-merited punish-
ment of heinous and appalling crimes. Yet for this
result we do not blame the manager. Having taken
upon himself the arduous task of always keeping in
stock what is termed a legitimate play, he has not
acted unwisely in reproducing Richard the Third,
which has been so popular with the English public;
and it would be unjust to hold him responsible
for defects which it is not in his power to cure.
True it is that he has presented us with Cibber's not
Shakspeare's version, and has apologised at some
length for doing so ; yet we much doubt, even if the
original text had been restored, whether the audience
would have returned from the fray one whit the
gainers. Cibber's hotchpotch is dull enough in all con-
science ; but in thes:e days, when a historical play of
this kind succeeds more by tradition than actual
merit, a pure Shaksperian version, denuded of " So
much for Buckingham !" "Richard's himself again !"
dm. &c., would fail to raise even a shadow of enthu-
siasm, no matter how great the talent of the
actors. Mr. Kean's Ricliard is quite on a level
with the rest of his Shalespearian impersonations.
In those parts of the tragedy where he spoke
quietly, and in his natural voice, he was at
times very effective; but his unmeaning violence and
incorrigible faults of emphasis prevail so greatly over
the unquestionable merits be possesses that his per-
formance could not be otherwise than painful to a
reflecting and well-instructed spectator. The audience
on Monday night, however, were by no means of this
opinion : they applauded tie play throughout, and
clamoured for the her at the close, after a fashion
which showed that old, honest., thoroughgoing rant
can be as well appreciated and relished ate Prin
ce • s's as in a suburban theaTe or a provirffal barn.
With the exception of King Henry the Sixth (very
indifferently performed by Mr. Graham), there is
scarcely another character in the tragedy of any inte-
rest. It is but justice, however, to say that Miss
Heath, who is a young lady of considerable ability,
performed Lady Anne in a highly-satisfactory manner.
The play is put upon the stage with an attention to
detail and a magnificence of spectacle which render
the acting quite of secondary importance. The ar-
mour, dresses, ttc. are as perfect as the records of
antiquity and the skill of artists can make them—the
scenery is a great improvement upon that painted
for the pantomime—and, generally speaking, the
stage arrangement is judicious and extremely effective.
While on this subject we would entreat Mr. Kean not
to allow the actors and actresses who address him on
the stage to turn their hacks to the audience. This
practice, so inveterate in all plays in which Mr. and
Mrs. Kean act, is not only meet injurious to the har-
mony of the general picture, but disposes the sterner
critics to suspect (unjustly, no doubt) that the ma-
nager thinks more of himself than his brother ac-
tors.

ortiga art, yiteraturt, &c.

Exhaustion of space and exergy obliges us to post-
pone our criticism upon Mr. Gustavus Brooke's per
formance, as a rival Richard, at DRURY LANE.

Usti.

THE FIRST OF THE IMPERIAL FANCY BALLS, so long
announced, came off on Saturday night at the Tui •
leries. It is described as having been very splendid.
Until the fetes given during past seasons at Buck-
ingham Palace, however, there was no particular
epoch selected for the costumes. The Emperor was
dressed iu the new uniform of the Imperial Guard
which he intends to create. The tunic was yellow,
with gold embroidery, and boots ala Suwaroff. The
Empress was dressed in a Greek costume, exceed-
ingly rich, but rather fanciful. She looked well,
anti was in high spirits. In the opening, all the
ladies were dressed as heathen goddesses, the leader
being the Princess Mathilde as Juno. One of the
ladies in this quadrille was the beautiful Countess
Putocka, to whom Louis Napoleon paid his addresses
many years ago, when a refugee in Switzerland. She
was splendidly attired as Diana, her corsage being of
silver scale armour, the quiver for the arrows also in
silver, and the belt by which the quiver was attached
to the shoulder of the wearer was studded with bril
liants estimated at upwards of three millions of
francs. Immediately after the quadrille, Marshal
Magnan, at the head of all the French generals pre-
sent, the whole of whom were dressed in the costume
of the Garde Francaise of the time of Louis XV.,
filed off before the Emperor and Empress. The se •
cond quadrille was led off by the Countess Maleret,
one of the dames d'honneur of the Empress. The
third quadrille was a military one, being called " De
la permission de dix heures," in reference to the well-
known engravings from which the costumes were
taken. The fourth quadrille was composed of Hun-
garian and Polish costumes, and was led off by the
Comtesse Tascher de la. I'agerie. The Ministers
were all dressed in the austere costume of Ministers
of the time of Henry IV. Lord Cowley was in a mag-
nificent dress of white satin, said to be the costume
of a Knight of the Bath. It was remarked that both
the Emperor and Empress were particular in their
attentions to M. Hubner, the Austrian Minister, and
that their Majesties continued for a considerable
time in earnest conversation with him. 'Vely Pacha,
the Ottoman Ambassador, wore the gorgeous and
imposing costume of a Turkish pacha of the olden
time. His turban of the richest cashmere, the tunic
covered all over with gold embroidery, the rich pe-
lisse lined with fur as delicate as the most delicate
down, and the diamond-hilted poniard and scimitar,
were truly characteristic. The Emperor spoke for
some thnc., with the Pacha, and said, among other
things, that he hoped he was satisfied with him, as
he was about to send 10,000 turbans to Turkey—al-
luding to the Zouaves. The Ambassador replied
that he was most gratified at the sympathy and co-
operation of France ; that the 10,000 his Majesty
spoke of would be received with enthusiasm by the
Turkish people and army, whether they appeared.
in turbans or not.
MEYEUBEFR'S NEW OPERA, L'Etoile du Nord, was
produced on Thursday week at the Opera Comique.
Great eclat attended the first performance, at which
the Emperor and Empress assisted, and the oFera
was crowned with the most triumphant success.
The hero and heroine of the libretto are Peter the
Great of Russia and the Empress Catherine L, the
story involving the historical fact that the Czar
elevated a peasant girl to the imperial throne. The
plot, however, works out this result through a most
apocryphal and complicated series of incidents, in-
HARMONIC UNION. , traduced for the purpose of affording opportunities,
MF.NDELSSOHN'S Midsummer Night's Dream *nu successively, to the composer, the conductor, the
Handers Acis and Galatea were performed at this singers, the scene-painters, the stage manager, and
concert on Wednesday last, in the presence of' a the " property"-man. As these opportunities are
crowded audience. The manner in which Handel's most industriously improved, the result was, as we
seren at a was given was very satisfactory, even to us who have stated, a full success. The critics of the Paris
well remember its production under Mr. Macready's press speak rapturously of the music, which they
management twelve or thirteen years ago at Drury. characterise a
zar n splendidly grand and oas riginal
Catherine
lane Theatre, Theatre, and who heard the music with every taile as the C and !Mlle. Dupree
species of accersory that could delight the senses.
some respect superior to that of Drury Lane. Mr.
digl in his best days, Signor Belletti is the most
effective Polyphemus we have ever heard. The
delighted with the entertainment provided for them. acted and sang exceedingly well, and were recalled
Musically speaking, the present performance is in
at the close of the performance. The composer also
received a tumultuous ovation.
Sims Reeves is a far better Acis than any that ap-
Lons /dowses, who is still in California, was re-
peered there. With the exception, perhaps, of Stau-
cently arrested for assault and battery, and heavily
fined. Becoming enraged at her Chinese servant,
she seized him by his long tail of hair, tied it to the
choruses were well sung, and all present seemed much
doorknob, and slapped his jaws most unmercifully.
She had the poor fellow tight, so that he could not
ST. MARTIN'S HALL.
jerk loose unless he scalped himself. After the per.•
ON Wednesday last Handel's oratorio, Judas Macca- petration of this feat the quondam countess still fur-
bets, Wan performed for the first time under Mr. ther " astonished the natives" by mining a whole day in
Hulle direction. The solo singers were Mrs. a corduroy Bloomer costume. To cap the climax of
En derssohn, Miss Dolby, Mr. Augustus Braham, her eccentricities, Lola has sued for a separation
Mrs. Torrington, Miss Freeman, and Mr. Bodda. from her husband, after only a few months, and
The chores was, as usual, composed of the members sought the protection of a handsome caballero.