The Press.
London, England, 1857-09-26 00:00:00

948

better sung by Miss Louisa Pyne ; and then, as a
coup de grace, cane Rode'f variations to spoil the
epigrammatic point of the original spoken finale,
wherein Cutarina, pointing to the jewels, assures
her lover of the truth of her affection, " these" (the
diamonds) being "alone false." Now, every singer
who made these interpolations is equally deserving
of marked censure; it speaks little for their head
and heart to have consented to such profanation.
Auber's work is a veritable gem ; the music is as
precious as the pearls and as dazzling as the dia-
monds which form the subject of the plot. The
voice parts are exquisitely charming, the orchestra-
tion is most piquant and fascinating, and yet even
the masterly inspirations of the composer did not
suffice for the offensive egotism of the singers
whom we have named. Again, the general execu-
tion of the work was of really more than average
ability ; and as for the vocalisation of Miss Louisa
Pyne, there is nothing now in musical Europe to
surpass it in precision and brilliancy. She is the
veritable queen of the florid school, both in compass
and flexibility. Her style of echoing Pratten's flute
phrases was perfect ; her voice is as fresh as when
she left England, and the Americans have not been
able to spoil her elegant execution and graceful
phrasing. There was veritable enthusiasm. The
Crown Diamonds was originally brought out at the
Opera Cumique, in Paris, and the first English
adaptation was made for the Princess's Theatre,
under Mr. Maddox's management, May 2, 1844.
Mme. Thillon, Miss Grant, Weiss, Allen, Gardner,
Paul Bedford, S. Jones, were in the cast. At Drury
Lane, Miss Rainforth was the original Catarina, but
Mme. Thillon afterwards resumed the part she had
" created" in Paris ; Miss Poole being the Diana,
Weiss, Harrison, Donald King, Borrani, and S.
Jones enacting the other characters. Miss Poole,
in this version, bad also an introduced ballad by
Britiley Richards, " The harem of the heart is hope."
The cast of the Lyceum would have been stronger
with Wuiss in his old part as the Count de Campo
(mayor), Mr. G. honey not baying voice enough
for it. Miss Susan Pyne sang Diana with neatness,
and acted unaffectedly. In the nocturne and bolero,
the voices of the sisters blended beautifully. Mr.
A. SL Albyn has a ringing tenor voice for concerted
pieces ; bis Don Sebastian was therefore useful.
The roughness of Hamilton Braham's style accom-
modated itself to the coiner's music. It' the inter-
polated music was all left out, the performance of
The Crown Diamonds would satisfy the most fas-
tidious ; as it stands, it is an insult to Auber, and
derogatory to the artistic character of the singers
wbo introduce the airs.

For The Huguenots silence perhaps would be the
most charitable proceeding, wishing, as we sincerely
do, every success to the hazardous undertaking of
Miss Louisa Pyne and Mr. Harrison; but what can
be stated of the judgmer_t which prompted such a
selection, and of the awful massacre of Meyerheer's
music ? It may be remembered that Mr. Frank
Romer " adapted" the masterpiece for the Surrey
Theatre. Costa was permitted by the composer,
when The Huguenots was produced for the first time
in England, at the Royal Italian Opera in 1848, to
make the cuts ne:essary to reduce the performance
within the limits of the patience of an English
auditory. The opera was hurriedly brought out at
the eleventh hour by command of the Queen, and
some excisions were made which Costa will doubt-
less restore when the work is reproduced at the
new Royal Italian Opera-house, Covent-garden, now
in course of erection. Mr. Frank Romer adopted
Mr. Costa's cuts, and then began his own, first
changing nearly all the masterly recitatives into
spoken dialogue, and then remosing all portions of
the concerted pieces which the " Surrey " choralists
could not sing. As the orchestra was limited, the
original instrumentation was changed in divers ac-
companiments. What the result of all this was may
be imagined. At the Lyceum there is a most im-
portant advantage in the execution. In the first
place, Mr. Mellon, who under Costa's eye has ac-
quired such invaluable practice and experience, is
the conductor, and lie is by far the best English
wielder or a baton. He has the aid of Dando, Hill,
Carrodus, Thirwall, Watson, N. Mori, Trust, Glan-
ville, F. l'ratten, Barret, P. S. Prstten, Jarrett,
Horton, &c.—all members of Costa's band—besides
O. Collins, Kretitzer, Hutchins, (Lc., also able execu-
tors; so that Mr. Mellon is well armed. Secondly,
the chorus is entirely selected from the Royal Italian
Opera ; and as the chorus is such an important
elcment in The Huguenots, two most salient features
were liberally secured by the management. Mellon
and his orchestral and choral phalanx "pulled" the
opera through, leaving the field of battle with all
the honours of war. But the principal vocalists!
What a sad exhibition of incompetency ! What an
intolerable infliction was it to listen to every bar,
with a feeling that the intention of the com-
poser was utterly defeated ! NVe recall to mind the
original cast in Paris in 1836, with Mme. Dorus
Gras, Mlle. Flecheuk, Mlle. Falcon, Nourrit,
Levasseur, Wartel, Dupont, Massol,
_Prevost, Etc.