The Express.
London, England, 1855-04-23 00:00:00

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA.

Fidolio was repeated 011 Saturday evening under
more favourable circumstances than on Thursday,

when the attention of the audience was so engrossed
by the presence of our Sovereign and her Imperial
guests, and their enthusiasm so strongly roused by
the exciting nature of the occasion, that neither atten-
tion nor interest remained for the performers on the
stage. On that night, people went to the theatre, not
for the sake of the opera, but to witness and take
a share in the ovation to the Emperor and Empress
of the French; and the remarkable circumstance of
the first appearance in England of one of
the most celebrated singers of the present time
Cralmost without notice. We remarked at
ime that it was rather unfortunate for Mdlle.
Jenny Ney that her debut should have taken
on such an occasion ; for it had the effect of taping
from her next appearance something of the gloss and
freshness of novelty. But her performance on Sa-
-1 turday evening was attended with triumphant sue-
cess, and was entirely worthy of her great reputation
and the very high position she holds oa the German
musical stage.
Mdlle.Ney has no pretensions to beauty. Her figure
is large and full, and her features are by no means
regularly handsome ; but yet her appearance is attrac-
tive, from the indications of mind it presents. Her
manner is graoed by a modest simplicity, and her
features have an open, pleasant cast, which imme-
diately produces a favourable impression. Her
whole aspect is unmistakeably German, and per-
fectly adapted to the personation of the
most thoroughly national character on the
German stage. In this, as in other respects, she
strongly resembles the) great actress, Madame Schro-
der Devrient, who first introduced Beethoven's
charming opera and its interesting heroine to the
acquaintance of the English public. In the character
of Leonora, Mdlle. Ney brings Madame Davrient
vividly to our remembrance. Her male attire, dis-
guised as the youthful domestic, is of the same sober,
unobtrusive kind ; and the same plain, quiet earnest •
noes marks her whole performance. It is full of deep
feeling, not indicated by violent spasmodic bursts, but
by the intense, concentrated, and carefully suppressed
emotion expressed in every tone, look, and gesture.
You are not startled by striking melodramatic points
which at once remind you that she is acting; but
there is a sustained impression of reality which is
never interrupted, and goes on increasing to the end
of the piece. We have seen some actresses—Mali-
bran for instance—make Leonora a more brilliant
personage than Mdlle. Ney does; but no one, except-
ing only Schroder Devrient, has made her more in-
Wetting and affecting.
Mdlle. Ney's vocal powers are of the highest order.
Her voice is a soprano, but of such compass that it
embraces the mezzo-soprano register, and even the
contralto. Its quality is admirable—clear, rich, and
mellow ; and her style and execution are those of a
finished artist. Her principal air—the beautiful in-
vocation to Hope—was as remarkable for its vocal
excellence as its strong and passionate expression.
The other principal characters were sustained as
on previous occasions. Tamberlik was the Florestan,
one of his finest efforts. Formes had his old part of
the kind-hearted gaoler. Tsgliafico was the daik
and haughty governor ; and the charming little part
of Marcelhna had an excellent representative in
Mdlle. Mani. We have heard the choruses better
sung. The chorus of prisoners failed to produce its
usual effect : the innovation of singing the tenor
solo by a number of voices in unison was anything
bat a happy one.

It is positively stated (say' Galignani) that
Madame Jenny Lind (Goldamid) will arrive in Paris in the
course of neat month. Whether she will sing In public or
not is yet unknown, but a strenuous effort is in oontempla•
Lion to obtain her aid for a charitable institution.
A few days before the departure of the King of
Portugal for Italy, a concert took plies at the Necossidades
Palace, In which his Majesty sal* a duet with Madame
Cutellao, an aria from " I Lombardi," and several other
moremietx with the artistes of the Italian Opera. His Ma-
jeaty's voice is a baritone, end he isoald to be en excellent
fYids•.