The Express.
London, England, 1855-06-04 00:00:00

MUSIC.

HAYMARKET.

Atter several postponements, caused by the indis-
position of Mrs. Sims Rune, Mr. Hoary Smart's new
opera, Berta; or, TA. Gnome of Me Hartsberg, was pre•

ducal on Saturday evening, with great sums'. The
libretto is from the practised pen of Mr. Pashall, who, If he
cannot be called a dramatic poet, is at least a dexterous
playwright. From the title we were led to expect a nye-

iitiLn of the German diabkries with which the. public bus

been surfeited, but found to our relief that Bernsisa comic

opera, without any infusion of the supernatural or the
horrible, but with a good dial of romantic interest. The
plot, however, is excessively improbable, and overlaid with

s'aperfisons incidents, which cohfuas tl;s story and mks

the pita too long.

Batts, the heroine, is a vain. coquette, 'good-hearted of
course, and very charming, but vain and ambitious, who

torments her eagle loner, Michael, by her oapricions

'amours. The piste opertS with a lover.' quarrel of this

. . -
kind. They are going to a neighbouring fair, but Berta so
touts her swain by her " uppish" notions that he sets off in a

huff, without her:Sho penuades herself that she le delighted,

but rawly's along with a companion in a somewhat similar
predicament, to follow her lover to the fair. We ue now

introduced to Valouri, a young aoldier,returnedafter, a

loch abeam' to his native place, and from him we gain moms
knowledge of previous events. There is a neighbouring
ruined castle, said by popular tradition to be the abode of a
gnome•king, who made it his sport to entice maidens within
its walls. This pretended Gnome was a licentious Baron of
Hertzberg, who in this way gratified his licentious plosions.

This baron, however, was really married to the mother of
Valoutt, who, reputed the baron's illegitimate son, had gone
for a soldier ; big the baron baying, on his death-bed,

avowed his marriage, his eon, now the baron,

returns incognito to the scenes and companions
of his childhood, the dearest of whom are Mi.
chest and Ilutri. Accidentally overhsering • UM-
versati.fi, he learns the state of matters between his young
friends, and resolves, by means of their superstitious belief
in the legend of the Gnome, to cure Berta of her vanity
and ambition, and thus to make the lovers happy. His
proceedings in pursuance of this resolution are of a some-
what unintelligible kind, met with only in the scenes of an
opera or • melodrama. He mingles among the holiday.
makers at the fair ; introduces himself to Michas
as • mysterious personage who knows all about him
and Bata, and promises him • !spell to make Berta
love him. Next, the stranger gets Michael involved in a
charge of theft, and then extricates him by making the bur-
gomaster believe that he (Michael) is the heir of the Baron
of Hartsberg—a marvellous achievement certainly, seeing
that it is accomplished by exhibiting the late baron's,cleath-
bed letter, acknowledging himself (the stranger) to be his
heir. However, Michael is instantly dubbed by acclamation
Baron of Harteberg, and goes off at the head of a trium-
phant procession, leaving Berta overwhelmed with grief
and mortification. And so ends the first act.
The second act opens with a fete of welcome to the
young Baron of Hartsberg—fdichtzl, that is to se,.
He sea Berta's melanahaty face in the crowd, and is her/y-
-ips to scout her, 'when the mysterious stranger prevents
him. The Butgomaster enters abruptly, with officers, an-
Bouncing his discovery, just made in some unaccountable
way, that the stranger, and not Michael, is the true heir.
Hereupon Michael is committed to prison as a thief and an
impostor ; while the new baron declares his intention of
choosing a bride among the maidens of his native
mountains, and indicates his choice of Berta by
placing • wreath on her head. ;Berta implores
to Its allowed to speak to Michael, but is silenced
by the baron, and mournfully sees her lover carried away to
his prison. The baron then informs the burgennuter that
poor Michael is innocent, and arks the magistrate's assist-
ance in a scheme to try the truth of Berta's love for Michael
and bring about their happiness. Michael is then disco-
vered in his dungeon : the stranger enters mysteriously, tells
Michael that he is his friend and has come to rescue him,
and they leave the prises together. Berta is nest diaao-
vered, disconsolate, in a rich chamber in the Baron's
castle, her heart awakened to all her love to
Michael. She has sunk into miserable slumber, when
Michael enters, conducted by the Baron, who retires,
having instructed Michael to escape to the mountains. A
tender scene ensues betWeell the lovers, and they escape
together. The last scene is the interior of the Gnome's Ruin,
in the mountains. Valour{ (or the Baron) enters and con-
ceals himself. Then come the lovers, trembling at the
terrors of the place, any the baron, in gnome-like guise,
suddenly stands before them. in scene which follows
Berta's heart undergoes a searching trial ; and, when the
Boo: is ooniincedof the truth and firmness, of he: lore for
Michael, 1:,,e ruins are melodramatically transformed into
bonnie' hall filled with bridal guests, and amid joyous
choral songs the lovers are united. This story
is allied up with the fortunes of a comic pair of levers, who
are sometimes pleasant enough, though they increase the
confusion of a plot sufficiently perplexing already. This
confusion is a great fault in the construetion of the piece,
and will be an obstacle to its success. The utmost simplicity
and clearness are essential in a musical drama, and, without
these regularities, we do sot know of one that has become
popular.
As &musical composition, Berta is of a very high order.
Mr. Smart has long since, by many excellent compositions,
*mud the reputation of an accomplished musician,
whose genius has been nurtured in the pure classical
school. In this opera we have expressive melody,
skilful construction, and rich and varied instrumentation.
The libretto, faulty as it is in many respects, is the work of
one who understands what is requisite for musical effect,
and the composer has made good use of the means furnished
him. The introduction, with the legend of the gnome-king.
sang by Michael and intermixed with the chorus of vil-
lagers, is exceedingly effective, and prepares well for the
events which follow. The duet between Michael and
Berta, " When you are Baron of Hartsberg," which
ends in a lovers' quarrel, is animated and dramatic;
and Berta's song, " Oh, is it not a pleasant thing,"
is pretty, and calculated to become popular. The quintet
ie the third suns, " Ah, 'tie she," is • beautiful and ex-
pressive piece of ooneerted music; and the subsequent
ballad, sung by Michael, "Is vain I would forget thee,"
is one of the gems of the opera. The long and highly
wrought finale to the first act, in which the action
is carried on with rapidity and spirit, is a masterpiece
of dramatis oonstrultion. la the second act there
is less contorted music : the dialogue is chiefly
spoken, end the principal vocal pieces are songs and dusts.
Among these, the most remarkable are, the expressive bal-
lad, " Sad was the hour," sung by Michael; the lively
Neff, " Mothiaki I hear the merry bells," in the second
wonaaa's part ; the dust between the lovers, "From juntas
lam eying," full of tenderness and passim ; and their
other dust, " 06, why should anguish wound the breast ?"
wag in the last seene. All these pieces are mot only appro-
priate is their places, but an well fitted for the Mout-roma
or the chamber.
In regard to the performance, we cannot coy that it did
justice to the work, but it was as good as could well be
expected at a theatre where opera is only a seeoadary object.
Mts. Sims Reeve', is the part of the heroine, toted with
intelligence and spirit, and sang like a good musician; but
her person and voice did sot " name " (tense an Americas
word) the character. Beeves is acknowledged to be the
best tenor, and Weise the beat !mallow, on the English
stage; so their parts mull not have been in better hands.
Miss Harriet Gordon, the second woman, woe sprightly, and
her singing was tolerable, but a little more refinement of
minnow would not have been amiss, even for a country
As loth, orchestra and chorus, we can say nothing in their
praise. An orchastatiead chorus causal be good wafts they '
are pert of the Regular satablishansat of • musical theatre.
The house was crowded, and the piece was reseteed with
mach applause. But it is by far too long, and very Goa-
'kissable curtailment is requisite for its permanent swam
the

ITALIAN PLATS IN PARIS.

"Madame Ristorrs anceiss; writes a Paris eor-
respeadeat, " has lass tremendous." Gaiignani, treating
of the Italies plays fa his weekly notice of theatricals,
speaks is **sane strain. Madame Biased hes appeared in
&Marrs noble tragedy of " Wray" "u. which," or tha
authority last quoted, " het ntagniAosat pales has full
mope, sad in which, sew after was, she sleet:Med the
satire auditory in a moan not easy to describe without
the appearance of suggestion. At the class of the
tragedy, the audience, who kid been In a state of oawouted
mottos and eseltemeet during all the later of of the
play, gave relit to their adenizatioa by a wrath of sulks-
stoma aldose hard within those walls, and the earada was
raised so less than three times in suooesdon, in obedieses to
mewed &Ma& of the public, to emit& then to exams
their sum of the gratideatios they Lad esperisassd, sad do
hewer *the genius of the great sews to whoa they were
so wash ladobted.".