The Press.
London, England, 1857-08-15 00:00:00

Pk:ItIODICALS.

Putnam's Monthly lie; ' ''''''''''' Low—United Sta tee
Magazine, Colt—The Journal of the United Service
Institution, No. 1.

The Right Word in Mc Right Place Shaw—Which is
Which? ditto—Elocution, ditto—Modern Schools, Groom-
bridge.

THE SIXTEENTH VOLUME of M. Thieve "History
of the Consulate and the Empire," which has just
made its appearance, shows in strong relief the ex-
traordinary infatuation of Napoleon, in refusing the
conditions of peace offered to him in 1813. These
conditions he carefully concealed, not only from the
country, but from his most confidential Ministers,
because he felt that no one but himself would be
capable of rejecting a general peace on the brilliant
terms offered to France. After the reverses in Spain,
and after the disaster of Moscow, Austria, according
to M. Thiers, said to France, " We will let you keep
Belgium, the Rhenish provinces, Holland, Piedmont,
Tuscany, the Roman States, Westphalia, and Lom-
bardy and Naples as vassal kingdoms; but the
Grand Duchy of Warsaw must be dissolved, the
Hanseatic Towns restored to Germany, the Con-
federation of the Rhine suppressed, and we (Austria)
will resume possession of Elyria. On these terms
you shall have a general peace on sea and land. We
guarantee you these conditions, and if any hesitation
is made about accepting them in any quarter we will be
on your side." But Napoleon was so confident in his mi-
litary genius that he could not believe in the possibility
of his being conquered as long as he made no concession.
All that he dreaded was the loss of prestige. He
could not endure the thought of any incomplete
victory, much less of a defeat, were it only a diplo-
matic defeat, and his idea was that he could not in
reality be master of France unless he appeared to be
master of Europe. These views were developed in
the celebrated and dramatic conference of June 13,
1813, which has never hitherto been fully reported.
When Metternich spoke of the sacrifices which a
continuance of the war must necessarily entail upon
France, Napoleon exclaimed in a passion, " What
signifies the loss of two hundred thousand men to
me ?" To the representations of M. Metternich that
the conditions offered were extremely advantageous
for France, and that as to the concessions asked from
him, he could not expect to pat a less price for the
reverses of 1 12, he replied, "Your sovereigns cannot
understand my sentiments. They may return to
their capitals after having been beaten, and find
themselves none the less powerful among their sub-
jects. But lam a soldier. Honour and glory are
to me necessities. I cannot face my people if lam
to be in any way humbled. I must continue to be
great, glorious, and admired." He terminated the
conference by saying, "Ah ! you persist. You will
try to dictate to me. War then let it be ; but our
next meeting will be at Vienna." M. Thiers recounts
the events of 1813, which resulted in the invasion of
Paris.

THE FIRST GRAND FETE on behalf of the funds
of the Early Closing Association will take place at
the Crystal Palace this day, when a concert by three
hundred members of the Vocal Society, with instru-
mental music by the Crystal Palace band and the
band of the Scots Fusilier Guards, besides the
playing of the upper fountains, and " a great cricket
match between eleven warehousemen and eleven
clerks of the city of London," promise to make up
an attractive entertainment.
KEW-GARDENS.—The Victoria Regis, or royal water
lily, is now flowering in the tropical aquarium, re-
cently erected for growing it at a cost of 3,000 guineas.
The gardens and lawn of one hundred acres are now
most delightful after the rain.

Itusir.

808

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA.
THE ELEVENTH SEASON.

IT was assumed, after the fatal conflagration in
18.)11, that Mr. Gye was the veritable possessor of
Aladdin's lamp, and that the director had the power
to erect a new temple of art in a single season
Such impatient spirits forget that this is a material
age—miracles are not likely to take place—and that
the building of a theatre involved many important
and serious considerations, not to mention the large
capital required for the purpose. That Mr. Gye
should have brought to a sueoeisful conclusion his
negotiations with the Enke o Bedford for the site,
and should have been able at such an early period to
have reached the foundation-stone of the ancient
theatre, in clearing the ruins, sufficiently prove that
no small amount of energy has been evinced, and
afford guarantees that the same determination will
eventually accomplish his object, in the erection of a
magnificent edifice worthy of the fame acquired by
the Royal Italian Opera, the twelfth season of which
will in all probability be inaugurated in the new
building in 1858. The director is prepared, however,
at all points. He has made his engagements and
arrangements for the ensuing year, even if he be
not in the position of restoring to the Royal Ttalian
Opera, as soon as he expects, " a home equal, if not
superior, to that of which it has been deprived "—to
cite the simple but significant words in his programme
of the past season.
The perversity of the renters of Drury-lane '1 heatre
forced Mr. Gye, at the eleventh hour, to occupy
again the Lyceum Theatre, and on Tuesday, the 14th
of April, he reopened with BelJini's Paritani, ter-
minating on Friday, the 31st of July, with Donizetti's
Favorita. The annexed returns are an index to the
doings of 1857 :

Puritani

Norma

If ELLIN T.

No. of
Tion!s.

POSIZETTI.
La Favorita
Lucia

No. of
Times.

Sonnambula

'MEM
in

MOZART.
Don Giovanni

Trovatore
T ravia ta
Rigoletto

DONIZETTL
Maria di Bohan 2

_
AUBEI2.
Fra Diavolo

Mr. Gye's subscription was for forty nights, and there
were only fifty-one operatic performances during the
entire season. To these may be added the Crystal
Palace Concerts, with the Royal Italian Opera
orchestra, chorus, and principals, which began on
May Ist, and with one exception (the Friday in the
Handel Festival week) were continued every Friday
until the 31st of July. The Ristori representations
commenced Monday, June Bth, and were given three
times a week, with four additional performances at
reduced prices, the last taking place on Saturday the
10th. It is therefore obvious that the Royal Italian
Opera per se could not have been carried on at such
a small theatre as the Lyceum, and it has been found
imperative, this and the last season, to have re-
course to extraneous entertainments. The report of
the Crystal Palace Company's special committee
would indicate that the concerts, however beneficial
for Mr. Gye's interests, were not productive to the
company itself. Whether this result is owing to
bad management we have no evidence before us to
prove, but one fact is pretty clear,—that it was an act
of insanity on the part of the company, having the
Royal Italian Opera engagement in liana, to embark
into the Handel Festival in the middle. of June,
during the very best period of the year for the
Italian concerts. No possible step could have been
more effectually taken by the Crystal Palace directors
to annihilate their regular season; and it is pretty
well known that the Monster Festival has accom-
plished this end. If the grand gatherings, therefore,
killed the ordinary attractions at the Palace, it also
must have affected more or less the Italian Opera
season, already compromised at its very outset by a
death in the Royal Family. Hence it is that we
observe—what has assuredly been before unusual in
Mr. Gye's annual programmes—a non-fulfilment of
the pledges contained iu the year's prospectus—a
document which once issued by a director ought to
be regarded as his solemn promissory note, payable
with commercial accuracy at the proper dates. The
works announced which were not produced were
Herold's Zampa, Cimarosa's Matrimonio Segreto,
Mozart's Nozze di Figaro, I)onizetti's Don Pasquale,
and Nlercadante's Il Giurameato. Now, as regards
the Matrimonio and Don Pasquale, the director has
a clear plea of "force majeure," Lablache's serious
illness having for the second time prevented his re-
turn to fulfil his engagement with Mr. Gye. We bear
that Tamberlik's return from the Brazils was looked
for to mount the Giuramento ; but Zampa and the
Nozze could have undoubtedly been presented with

I

the strong company at the Lyceum. Was the Handel
Festival, absorbing Mr. Costa's time, anxiety, and
energy, in the way ? Be this as it may, it is our duty i
to point out the gaps, and we regret them. How
Verdi's Traviata and Auber's Fra Diavolo were got
up—operas also promised in the prospectus—the
columns of THE PRESS have duly recorded. Both
works were admirably executed, not only as regards
principals, but with a perfection in the ensemble
which no other opera-house in the world has ap-
proached ; and Costa renewed in these productions
his triumphs of former years. The great mistake
was that Era Diavolo came too late, M. Auber having
delayed, it is stated, to send the new recitatives at an
earlier period. On glancing at the number of times
opens have been given, amateurs will be struck by
the fact that three works by Verdi had a run col-
lectively of twenty four eights ; so that, out of fifty one
performances, one composer's name occupied the
ache nearly half the setsAon. At the other opera-
house Verdi's works were given seventeen times; so
that the critics who have thundered away against
him for the last few years have only laboured to
increase his popularity. Those journalists who are
so fond of proclaiming their own infallibility, and who
preach about the omnipotence of the press, may take
a useful lesson from the advance in public opinion
made by Verdi, who owes little or nothing to jour•
nalism in this country. His works have been
attacked with unwonted asperity ; but, despite of
reiterated abuse, things have come to that pass that
Verdi for an operatic manager in London has become
what the French call " l'homrne de la situation."
Aud, with all due deference, there is no fault to be
found with the public verdict; nor can any imputa-
tion be fairly made on the public taste. In painting,
would the world rest satisfied always with the speci-
mens of the old masters ? Is there not a perpetual
craving for works of modern days? And although
we have Mozart and Rossini, Beethoven and DJni-
zetti, Gluck and Meyerbeer, Auber and Bellini, the
thirst for novelty still exists everywhere. Verdi came
at a moment when there was a musical blight over
Italy. He is no doubt the master of lyric art. He
is melodramatic and boisterous, but his colouring is
vivid and his feeling is intense. The musician who
conceived the last acts of Rigoletto and the Trovatore
is a genius who is at once recognised, despite of the
anathemas of purists and theorists.
In addition to the celebrated artistes of former
seasons, two débutantes have been brought out this
year—Mlle. Parepa and Mlle. Victoire Balfe. The
former had acquired some experience and fame in
Barcelona and elsewhere; the latter was entirely
new to the stage. As a general rule, experimental
debuts ought not to be encouraged at theatres where
the highest order of matured talent is naturally ex-
pected; and Mlle. Parepa seems to have suffered
more by comparisons than from any great deficiencies
on her part, for, although her Elvira in the Puritani
was given but once, she proved herself at the Crystal
Palace Concerts to be the possessor of no ordinary
vocal gifts. Mlle. Balfe's advent was a signal success—
more decided in Lucia than in Amina. The amateurs
were astonished to find such a thoroughly trained
vocalist in one so young ; and the whale question as
regards her future career resolves itself into one of phy-
sical strength. If she gains in volume of voice, she
bids fair to take the highest position on the lyric stage.
We do not deem it necessary to follow every artist in
his or her doings during the past season. The
great fact which struck the operatic world with
astonishment and delight was a sudden return of
the brilliancy of Grisi's magnificent voice. She has
been singing gloriously, and her final scenes in the
Trovatore and Favorita have been worthy of her
best days. Her Donna Anna was another " restora-
tion " which created a sensation. Mine. Bosio's
Traviata and her Zerlina were special events in her
brilliant career, her vocalisation being more
finished than ever—progress with her being the
rule, and not the exception. Didiee has sensibly
advanced, both in singing and acting. In the Maria
di Rohan she roused her listeners to animated ex-
pressions of delight; and in Azucena the character
assumed more original and decided proportions. In
the secondary female parts in operas Mr. Gye's
troupe requires strengthening. As a comprimaria
Mlle. Marai renders efficient services ; but she ought
to have played Lisa. Mario has had his uncertain
moments ; but, on the other hand, he has sung at
times as only Mario can sing. How he seconded
Orisi in the works we have cited all the world knows,
as well as his fine achievement in the tenor music
of the Traviata. Gardoni greatly raised his singing
fame by the Fra Diavolo. Neri-Baraldi, as a sub•
stitute for Mario on two occasions, besides his
Edgardo, showed how strong the Royal Italian
Opera was in tenors. Ronconi created a new part
in Fro Diavolo, which will be considered as one of
his best buffo delineations, and he was ably
imitated by Tagliafico and Zeiger in the two robbers,
forming a triad of comicalities rarely seen in one
work. Formes was only heard in Leporello, his
conception of which was essentially Spanish.
Of the orchestral and choral forces it is unnecessary
to write. The twelve operas which were given were as