The Press.
London, England, 1856-12-27 00:00:00

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA.

EVERY visitor to the great metropolis, be he a
foreigner or a provincial, loiters in Bow-street to
gaze upon a blackened mass of ruins of an edifice
which he is told was once the great temple of the
drama, and of lyric art. Since the fatal night when
Covent-garden Theatre was destroyed by a fire, the
origin of which cannot by any stretch of the imagi-
nation be ascribed to accident, speculation has been
rife as to the future disposal of the valuable site.
At one period it was given out that St. Paul's, Covent-
garden, was to be pulled down, and a new church
was to be erected on the foundations of the burnt
theatre. It was stated that Mr. Gye was in treaty
for Devonshire house, and that if he succeeded in
the purchase of that mansion an exchange was to be
effected with the Government for Burlington-house,
where the new Royal Italian Opera-house would be
built. The occupation of the Lyceum Theatre it was
palpable could not extend beyond a single season.
The renting of Drury lane Theatrci for the ensuing
campaign can clearly only be provisional. There
was then anxious speculation as to the future of a
lyric company which had been brought together and
perfected in the execution of the great lyric works,
so as completely to extinguish the rivality of the most
tamed continental opera houses. All doubts and mis•
givings are at an end. The indomitable energy of Mr.
Gye has overcome all obstacles. There will be a
new Royal Italian Opera-house, and it will be in the
same locality as that which was inaugurated by the
opening performance of 1847. The agreement with
the Duke of Bedford, who has acted with infinite
liberality, has been signed and sealed. The ground
rent has been materially reduced, and the materials
of the ald theatre have been placed at the disposal
of the new lessee. A magnificent temple of art will
be erected, one that in grandeur and extent cannot
be surpassed by any other European theatre. Ad-
vantage will be taken of the immense space occupied
by the existing ruins to enlarge and improve the
approaches. With the erection of the theatre itself it
is contemplated to combine other means of attrac-
tion and of con-equent profit. And the operatic sub-
scribers, and the general body of operatic frequenters,
are to be materially benefited, not only in a pecu-
niary point of view, but by novel arrangements for
their comfort and accommodation. One of the
original arrangements of the Royal Italian Opera-
house, in 18&h, was to break up a monopoly in the
disposal of boxes and stalls, which has proved one of
the greatest banes to musical undertakings in this
country. If Mr. Gye can insure a reduction of
prices by throwing himself on the support of the
public at large, he will in teed achieve an act, the
tendency of which will place Operatic art on a more
solid basis than it has hitherto enjoyed. In the
meanwhile Mr. Gya has concluded his negotiations
with the Crystal Palace Company for the next sea.
son, and has thus secured himself, having Risteri as
a grand resource for his forthcoming campaign at
Drury-lane Theatre. Whilst the season is progres-
sing the working for the new establishment will be
gradually going on.

THE

PRESS.

an entente cordiale anywhere. The Yankee compo-
sitions, " My Mary Ann " and "Bobbing Around,"
were infinitely more successful: Jullien's arrange-
ment of these airs was peculiarly piquant. Miss
Catherine Hayes's singing of the Irish ballads
pleased, but the engagement must have proved
onerous and unrernunerative. The two new singers,
Mme. Poma and Miss Juliana May (the latter from
America), were sorry successors to Miss Hayes. The
American tenor, Mr. Millard, alias Signor Millardi,
would have gratified his hearers more with his i out.
What's in a name? In this instance, the Italian
adaptation annoyed the sturdy auditories: There
were the Mendelssohn and Beethoven nights, and
pretty Miss Arabella Goddard with her nimble
angers; and the stately Miss Dolby and the
vigorous violinist M. Sainton ecstasied their
listeners. There have been the ordinary annual
pronunciamentos in respect to Jullien's concerts.
The masses are told how wonderfully classic are
their tastes, and how Jullien has been and is their
great instructor. Yet there are amateurs, who have
followed these promenade exhibitions from the com-
mencement, who persist that the status quo is un-
disturbed, and that public taste has been in no way
improved. The Alpha of the Jullien concerts is a
row, and the Omega is a Bal Masque. What varia-
tion has there been in the annual " imeute " and
the "orgie "?
The Sacred Harmonic Society inaugurated its
season with a noble performance of Handel's Solo •
mon, and has subsequently given two grand inter
pretations of The Messiah. In the Solomon, the fine
vocalisation of Mme. Rudersdorff and Miss Dolby
attracted special notice, and some promising quali-
ties in Mr. Montem Smith, a new tenor, were recog-
nised. Costa's delicate handling of Handel's score
found admirers amongst the connoisseurs. In The
Messiah, at the first performance, there was the
painful spectacle of a break down of a debutante,
who had been placed in a false position at a provin•
cial festival, a fact recorded at the time in THE
PRESS. The unfortunate vocalist left the orchestra
to be replaced by the once Infant Sappho, Miss
Louisa Vinning, who gained glory by her improvised
effort. In the second performance, Mme. Clara
Novello, the queen of sopranos, reappeared. Miss
Dolby and Mr. Sims Reeves, singing their best, were
included in the cast on both occasions. Herr Formes
was the basso on one occasion and Mr. Thomas at
the last performance. If the latter had a better
method he might take a higher position.
Mr. Hullah opened his campaign at St. Martin's
Lane with a bold effort in trying his raw recruits in
the gigantic Israel in Egypt, who, however, redeemed
their lost laurels in The Messiah. There is one
very praiseworthy policy pursued by Mr. Hullab.
He seems always ready to afford rising talent a
chance of being heard. Miss Palmer, the contralto,
:s decidedly making way; and Mr. G. Calkin, the new
tenor, if rather eccentric in style and quality of voice,
displayed declamatory powers, as regards distinct pro-
nunciation, worthy of eulogium. The London Sacred
Harmonic Society has also had its annual Christmas
rendering of The Messiah, under Mr. Surman's
direotion. What a wonderful work is this oratorio,
that it can outlive all kinds of performances—good,
bad, and indifferent—that it survives the screamings
of all singers, that with or without an orchestra,
and despite of all organic vicissitudes, the master-
mind's colossal conceptions are ever fresh and attrac-
tive. And what a new and exciting impetus has
been given to the interest in The Messiah by the
grand undertaking of the Sacred Harmonic Scciety
to give the public a festival at the Crystal Palace
next May, to be conducted by Costa, with an
executive of 2,300 performers. And to add to
the sensations already created by this gigantic
assemblage of vocalists and instrumentalists, to
interpret Handel's works, the discovery has been
made of the scores from which the immortal com-
poser conducted his works.
Amongst the recent musical meetings must he
recorded those of Miss Dolby, Mme. Oury's piano
forte sittings, Mr. Charles Salaman's amateur choral
performances, and those of Mr. Henry Leslie's well-
disciplined choir at the Hanover-square Rooms.
Lct a word be given for the subscriptions to the
monument of the late Sir Henry Bishop, before the
list is closed at Exeter-hall by Mr. R. Bowley, the
treasurer.

The Glee Club has accorded the prize of twenty
guineas to Mr. G. W. Martin, for his composition,
"All hail, lovely Queen of Night."
All lovers of rising lyric ability will be glad to
learn that the young and piquant Piccolomini has
had a real success at the Italian Opera in Paris in
the Travieta. The opera itself does not please,
although strengthened in the cast by Mario and
Graziani ; and the qualities recognised in the new
prima donna are precisely those which were awarded
to her in London—namely, freshness and sponta-
neity as an actress.

Belart, a Spanish tenor of note, is now in Paris,
engaged at the Italian Opera, where he is expected
shortly to make his debut.

SATURDAY,

Mr. Lumley has made a valuable addition to Her
Majesty's Theatre by the engagement of Mine. Penco,
who is now the prima donna in Madrid. An amateur
thus writes of her from that capital :
Nothing to my mind spoils one's judgment of singing
(pruprement dit) like hearing nothing but Verdi, only
Verdi, always Verdi; and perhaps that is the reason why
Fraschini has rather won on me as a tenor de force; but he
certainly sings the Trovatore with great energy. But the
nice artiste is Penco. Her debut was not as triumphant
as it might have been, because this public could not
understand her all at once. Her singing and acting are
too nuancies for them; but she gradually gained ground,
and her first representation in the Trovatore was a
triumph to satisfy anyone. She sings the fourth act as
well as you could wish ; and in that phrase of the
" Aliserere " which. I have always heard sung with sobs in,
stead of notes, she manages to give the sob between the
notes; also her rendering of the last phrase is amongst
the finest things I know on the stage.