The Press.
London, England, 1857-08-01 00:00:00

pig andrai," Cherubino, alla vittoria, alla gloria
militar, all the performers and instrumentalists, as
well as other persons present, vociferated " Bravo,
bravo, maestro! Viva ! viva! grande Mozart !" Well
may they have cheered the immortal composer. It
is believed that Haydn, Gluck, Parsielli, Storace,
Salieri, Righini, and Anfossi, all distinguished com-
posers in those days, were at the first representation.
Mozart's father, in his correspondence, states that
there were five encores the second night and seven
on the third, among them being a little duo which
was sung three times, the latter being doubtless the
" Sun' aria. Mozart throughout the year 1780 had a
strong notion of settling in England. It is a specu-
lation what turn lyric art would have taken in this
country had he carried out his resolution. Da
Ponte, as in Don Giovanni, was the librettist; and
the well-known comedy of Beaumarchais was the text.
The Nozze, however, has not been so often heard here
as the Don Giovanni; and the reason of this preference
is to be found principally in the popularity of Rossini's
Barbiere, the champagne quality of the music in the
Italian work being relished more than the glorious
Burgundy in the German opera, but in "elegance
of melody, in models of love songs, or rich concerti d
music and varied finales," as Mr. Holmes has justly
remarked, there can be no question that the Nozze
is a masterpiece, which has been of inestimable value
to the lyric drama. The Nozze appeals to the in-
tellect as well as to the heart. The Barbiire is
more sensual than intellectual. The contrasts in
the letter opera are more violent, by the employment
of additional instruments, and the vivacious Rossini
introduced his clever crescendo as a crash to the
climaxes. Mozart's beauties are more tranquil ; his
conceptions are lovely and elegant, and are still as
fresh as if composed yesterday; his harmonies ate
of the most captivating kind, developed with con-
surnate skill in the instrumentation. Rossini is
piquant, Mozart is profound ; the inspirations of the
former fascinate the hearers, and those of the latter,
whilst they excite the emotions of the most ignorant
listener, provoke the admiration and wonder of tl e
most erudite judges. One of the essential conditions
of a Mozartian rendering is a first-rate orchestra
and conductor. The score cannot bear coane
handling ; its florid accompaniments and delicate
and nervous counterpoint must be developed with
the utmost nicety; the light and shade must be
judiciously managed ; every player must be cor-
scientions in the discharge of his duty, as well fs
their chief. Accuracy and colouring are the facultit
exacted in the execution, and the singers tnu.t
abandon all their caprices in the use of meretricious
ornaments, to do full justice to the points of beauty
which present themselves at every bar. The stream
of enchanting melody is ever flowing, and the highly-
wrought and effective harmonies are perpetually
presenting themselves. Shame be to those singers
who, for individual ambition, seek for self-display
to distort the score of Mozart. _ _

When Mr. Mitchell had the management of the
Opera Buff* at the Lyceum, in 1837, Signor Puzzi
being the musical director, there was rather a nice
execution of the Norse under Benedict's direc-
tion. Not that the cast was so strong as it has beta
subsequently, but great care was bestowed on th e
ensemble; and the orchestra, although small, ir-
cluded the names of Dragonetti, Lindley, Mor,
Willman, Barret, Banmann, &c. Mme. H. Gian-
noni, Miss Fanny Wyndham (now Mme. F.
Lablache), Mlle. Blasi 9, Miss Bassano, Mis
Glossop; Signor S. Ronconi (brother of the Ror-
coni), Signor L. Bellini, Signor Catone, Sign( r
Torsi, were the chief singers. The really first gre• t
interpretation of the work was at the Royal Italica
Opera in 1847, with Grisi as Susanna, Mlle. Steffa-
noni as the Countess (in 1848 Mme. Persiani),
Alboni es the Page ; Tamburini, the Count ; Maria ,
Figaro ; Rovere, Dr. Bartolo ; Polonini, Antonio ;
and Salvi, Basilio. Costa took immense pains anti
trouble in the rehearsals, both public and private.
He trained every singer, in fact, for his or her part,
and the perfection of the ensemble in 1847 and
1848 will not easily pass from the memory of those
who saw the Norse in those years. At Her Ma-
jesty's Theatre in 1848 it was done with Mlle. Cru.
velli as the Countess; Coletti, the Count; Mile.
Jenny Lind, the Susanna ; Mlle. Schwartz, the Page ;
Belletti, Figaro ; and Lablache, Bartolo. Lind and
Lablache were the mainstays of the version, the
vocalisation of Lind in " vieni " being truly
superb. In 1851 Sontag was the Susanna;
Fiorentini, the Countess ; and Mlle. Cruvelli, the
Cherubino. On Thursday night the Haymarket
revival exhibited an entire new disposition of the
characters, with one exception—namely, Mlle. Picco-
lomini, Susanna ; Mme. Ortaloni, the Countess ;
Mlle. Spezia, the Page; Signor Beneventano, the
Count; Senor Belart, Basilio ; Corsi, Antonio;
Rossi, Bartolo; and Belletti, Figaro. One radical
defect will strike everybody at the mention of these
names. It is the Norre without a Count. just
as the Don Giovanni was without a hero. There
has, in fact, been as yet no successor to Tamburini
in Mozart's baritone parts. Only one artist at Her