The Express.
London, England, 1864-07-25 00:00:00

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA.

The last novelty of the season at this theatre—
Meyerbeer's celebrated Mode du Nord (ander the Italian
title of La Mello del Nord)—was produced on Saturday
night. We all this opera • novelty, though it is far from
being new, even to the English public, because its Bret pro-
&skim, when it was really • novelty, was marred by a
disastrous event, the destruction of Covent Garden Theatre
by firs in 1855. Meyerbeer's opera bad been brought out
under the personal direction of the author, sod had entered
on • splendid career of meioses, when that calamity
not only stopped its run, bat prevented its revival,
the cosily and magnificent scenery, deooratioer, costumes,
and all other "properties" employed in its peeformenes,
having been consumed. It might have been expected that •
chef Xieurre of the greatest musician of the age—a work
popular throughout Europe—would have been reproduced
after a shorter interval than nine years. But this wu a
task of extraordinary magnitude, and those who have
observed Mr. Oyes opeastions during this period are well
aware bow many other objects of importance have filled his
hands and warmed hie attention. At length, however, he
has accomplished this object ; be has revived the EMU(
dv Nord in a manner anal surpeasing the coat
and splendour of its original production. He be■ done this,
indeed, cm the eve of the close et the semen, when the piece
cannot he,. move than tor mikes represestatioas, and
when the town is already beaming deserted by the hobitult
of the opera. But we have often area great works produced
is this manner ; and we presume that Mr. GTO re.:lons (as
11 be may do with reason) on the Etoik du Nurd as a pro-
, MiDellt feature of the next sermon.

The character of the heroine was sustained by Madame
Miolan-Carvalho, the original Catherine of the Mariam
stage. Her performance wee in every respect admirable
sad completely successful. The music of the part abounds
in passages of the most florid description, often demandiog
• clearness, lightness, and rapidity more akin, it would
seem, to the warbling of • bird than the utter-
ance of • human voice. In such execution Madame
Carvalho in inimitable, while He excellence doe" not dero-
gate from the charms of her more simple, cantabile, (apne-
a's singing. If the famous trio, in the last some, between
the voice sad two flutes (in which she was exquisitely sup-
ported by Mr. Pratte° and M. de Folly), was • thing to be
listened to with wonder, Catherine's beautiful prayer is the
gnale to the first act, " Veglia dal ciel," must bare in-
spired every hearer with sympathetic 'maim. Her acting,
too, particularly in the scene of inanity, was full
of intelligence and feeling. The former representative
of the Czar was Formes, and he was very good ;
but Faure, we think, is better. He throws dignity, and
eves grandeur into the character, and his singing excels
that of his predecessor in refinement and finish. The gay
and sparkling music in the part of Dsniloff was pleasantly
mug by Natidin ; and, though not quite a Lableche, Ciampi
gave very good effect to-the part of Gellman. The cha-
racter of the country girl, Prasoovie, wee agreeably sus-
tained by Mdlle. Brunetti ; and Madame Rudendarlf and
Mdlle. Jenny Bauer, the original rioandi2ra, obtained
their former meow. •u rusk, the magnificent orchestra
was as magnificent as ever, sad, in the exquisite scenery,
Mr. Beverley's magic pencil has even outdone its previous
outdoing'.

DRAMA.