The Press.
London, England, 1858-07-10 00:00:00

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THE PRESS, JULY 10, 1858.
659 i
v.
Such would, no doubt, be the judgment ; and the world twltflif. his daughter to death ; and then, when he learns
would remark upon it, that it was " devilish sensible, too ; the truth, finds himself impotent to save her.
sad ths woman would be entirely to blame if, after such a
HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE. Frostrati
warning as that, she made things unpleasant, or forgot
0 achieve, al me signor!
herself in any way. And this settled, we will go on with ON Tuesday Verdi's opera Nino was brought out for
imperatively exclaims the fallen monarch to the
bet story. the first time this season in consequence of the
proud and fortunate Abigail, who replies—
In Davenport Dunn Mr Lever is rapidly re return to London of Mlle. Spezia. With the excep-
gat • ing all his former popularity, which it must be ,
It Seining non of this lady as Abigail and Sig. Vialetti as Stolto!
schiav qui volli attenderti !
a?
confessed some of his recent works had a little im-
pair •ed The sketch of the Rev. Paul Classon, in Orastaphe, the cast of this year is entirely different "Apprendi R ver !" returns Nino, searching in his
the present number, is admirable, and as good as from that of last, and, we may also say, very superior vest for the document which is in her possession,
,a.ußd to which. she alluded in the words before quoted,
anything in the earlier Irish tales. to it. There are few operas in which Sig. Vialetti en io t'invenni, 0 fatal seritto !" to which the
finds better opportunities of displaying his fine voice slave replies, in words which, for extraordinary con-
PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED.—Jimv 8. than in this. His " Come notte a sol fulgenti" (act centration of histrionic powers, form the master-
BOOKS. i. scene 3) and "Tu sal labbro" (act ii. scene 3) were passage of Mlle. Spezia's representation—
The Reigning Beauty. Georgians Lady Ch, atterten, Author
on Tuesday given in his best voice and style. Mlle. Tale ti rendo, 0 misero
et " Life and its Reality." Three Nola. Hurst and
Blacken. Spezia was heartily welcomed, but by a thinly- 11 foglio meoacigner,
a
as she draws the paper from her bosom, and, tearing
,411 English Girl's Account of a Moravian Settlement in the attended house—one of the worst of this season. it in pieces, throws it scornfully at his feet. We
Black Forest. Edited by the Author of " Mary Powell."
Hall and Virtue. We know not to what to attribute the failure of this cannot omit to notice another and similar specimen
The Chaplain's Narrative of the Siege of Delhi. John E. opera to draw a good house. The music is far from of the dramatic ability of this young artist ;it occurs
W. Rotten, M.A. Smith and Elder. in the last lines of the scene from which we have just
belonging to Verdi's worst works—in fact, we should
fee Moines de Kilerl. Poems. Ballade Traduit. De been quoting, where Nino, fancying himself still
L'Anglaise. Pickering. be inclined to slam it amongst his best. Then the possessed of power, calls for his guards. The
The Way of Holiness in Married Life. A Course of Ser- libretto is classic and semi-historical, though some- guards appear, but the deposed king is informed by
mons Preached in Lent. H. J. Ellison, M.A. what improbable, and not sufficiently romantic ; but Abigail that their duty is to keep him prisoner.
Rtvingtons. the worst of it is that, although Idaspe is beloved by " Prizioner ? " cries the once powerful potentate,
Salmon• Casts and Stray Shots. Being Fly-leaves from the two maidens, he marries neither, nor does either one with natural amazement; to which Abigail replies—
Note-book of John Colquhon. Black woods. of the rivals succeed in killing the other, albeit Abi. her contemptuous countenance and defiant attitude,
Philip Paternoster. A Tramarian Love Story. An Ex-
gail makes a serious attempt on Fenena ; and then
PUSeyit43. Two Vols. R. Bentley. as represented by Mlle. Spezia, evincing with won-
there is no catastrophe, properly so called, in which
A New Dictionary of Questions from the Greek, Latin, and earful truth a sense of complete security and a
Modern Languages. J. F. Thaiu. one or two of the lions of the story should be seen to scornful disregard of her sovereign's imperial but
figure in a marriage, a death by violence, or other powerless will--.
PAMPHLETS.
such interesting event. Idaspe disappears altogether
Story without a Tail. W. Black- Si !—d'una achiava
Layard's Legacy : a
and unaccountably after the filth scene of the second
wood and Sons.—Faustus and Queen Elizabeth. W.
mot, and Abigail after the third scene of the third act. Che disprezza it too poser.
Blackwood and Sone.—Progressive Agriculture. J. Ridge Our remarks have been chiefly directed to the
way.—The Religious Difficulty in National Education. The myth is that the latter poisoned herself, and
acting of Mlle. Spezia; but we should wrong her if
this would be a satisfactory reason enough for our
Simpkin.—The Purgatory of Prisoners. J. Masters.— we allowed it to be supposed that we undervalue her
Universal Currenoy. E. W.lson —Church Leaseholds. J. not seeing her after she had done so; but a death
vocalization, which, from first to last, left no room
Ridgway.—Workhouses and Women's Work. Longman by poison is very much in vogue just now (histrioni-
for any but commendatory criticism. They who
and Co. tally speaking), and it needs not a very imaginative
were alive to some small defects in it last season,
PERIODICALS. mind to suggest circumstances arising out, of the will, we think, discover them with greater difficulty
Tait's Magazine. Partridge. Irish Metropolitan previous part of the story that are capable of forming
Simpkin and Marshall.—Seine and the Puttjaub. helmet
a highly attractive climax to Nino. The opera, such now • and they who were charmed with it in 1857 ,
and Co.—The Lady's Treasury. Ward and Lock.—Rout- as it stands, was, on the whole, done justice to by will be yet more charmed in 1858.
ledge's Shakespeare—Henry VI. Rounedge.—The Na- those who sustained the chief parts, excepting Sig. ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA-HOUSE.
tional Magazine. Kent and Co.—Quarterly Journal of Mecuriali, whose voice was, as usual, not always in
Denial Science. Walton and Maberley. Furrow's opera, Marta, has been twice repeated since
perfect unison with the orchestra. We should not be
sorry to see him resume his former part of Abdallah our last impression, with undiminished success. At
if it were possible. His "Misera! oh come" (acti.sc..l) first, one might be disposed to attribute the popn-
MR. ALBERT SMITH'S FAREWELL. wassa painful failure, both musically and histrionically. larity that this opera seems likely to obtain amonsst
My lords, ladies, and gentlemen,—The period having Mme. Ghioni, who participates in the sin (so cone us to the frequent and clever repetition of one of the
arrived, when you require some relaxation from the inces- mon on Opera boards) of coldness in action, though most cherished of all our patens ballads. But it
sant labour and fatigue you must have undergone during very truthful in her musical rendering of Fenena, happens that the same degree of partiality has at-
the last seven years, from hearing me tell the same long lost many easy opportunities of gaining applause by tended it at Vienna, Berlin, and last season at Paris,
story over and over again, I feel a few words are due to reason of this failing. Signor Beneventano gave as it seems to have secured here. This circumstance
you from me, not only respecting the present but the
good grounds for praise in his impersonation of cannot be due to " The Last Rose of Summer,"
future. The time has come—l can scarcely believe it— -
Nino ; but unfortunately he commonly sins in the which has no extrinsic attraction out of the United
for me to say" God bye" to Mont Blanc ; and there are so
many old friends connected with it, that to me it is rather opposite direction to Mme. Ghioni, and was found on Kingdom. Neither is it due to the music generally,
like taking leave of a neighbourhood than a subject. For Tuesday, as usual, several times on the borders of for that has no pretence either to the soundness of
since you were first convened, in the spring of 1852, the exaggeration. In scene Bof act ii., and especially in Mozart or the sweetness of Verdi—nor to airs which it
numerous tourists I have presented to you have come to " Chiral toglie it regio scettro ?" he would, but for contains ; for there is scarcely an original one worthy
lie so entirely a part and parcel of my own existence, that this defect, have been nearly perfect. Throughout of being committed to memory—nor to the libretto ;
at last I have actually believed in them myself as realities. act iii., which contaius much that is trying to the for that is old and hackneyed—nor to the name of
It would not in the least astonish me, on my approaching actor and the vocalist, he was also very good. We the composer; for, until introduced by Marta, last
voyage,oa toed my old friend Mrs. Seymour at Suez, in may point particularly to his delivery of "Oh! di week, it was hardly known to us. How, then, shall
d because the transit camels had left her
unfortunate black box behind at Cairo; or to meet the quaronta," and the aria, " Deli ! perdona," in we accouct for the fact? Twenty possible and
three Simmons girls, still unmarried, going to India in the scene 3, and of scene 6, wherein Nino recovers his equally probable ways of doing so are at hand. We
hopes of finding and catching that confiding heart, reason; but everywhere the tendency was to exagge- may select two—(1), the love of novelty inherent in
believing in tea, shirt buttons, and partaken sorrows, whom rate. Last, hut not least, we have to notice Mlle. us all, and which has just caused the pleasure-hunt-
they sought in vain in England -not simply nailing, but Spezia, who is all in all in this opera. We think ing portion of our nobility to forsake more brilliant
clenching, that sympathetic nabob, with whom they might her voice much improved since we last heard her. It and suitable enjoyment for the resoit of the of froXXot
shake the pagoda tree, and, collecting its golden fruit, seems to have acquired firmness and richness to a at a shilling a head—the same love of novelty which
retire to enjoy it in the lively circles of Leamington, Bath, considerable extent. Her mannet, too, like her led Lady Henrietta to Richmond Statute Fair, in the
and Cheltenham. One thing I have been told in cone- voice, betrays a great increase of confidence and disguise of a peasant-girl—the same that has led,
deuce. Brown started from Southampton last Sunday in
self-reliance. Perfect mistress of her part., she was does lead, and will lead thousands and thousands of
the Pera, and I shall meet him at Malta, and so on; and
never at fault for one instant throughout the per- us to do very foolish things, and, frequently, to sacri-
I only received the information yesterday that my old
formance. Her style of declamation, her gestures, fine the substance for its shadow; (2), Musical
friend Edwards had been appointed engineer to H.M.'s
steam-tug Cracker, on the Canton river. So I may, per• her varied expressions of feature, all combined to mental lassitude. For some years past, fashion—we
haps, once more come across him. show a thorough comprebensiou of her task and the believe no stronger motive power—has encouraged
My lords, ladies, and gentlemen,—Having had the most consummate ability to perform it. Almost the music ala Beethoven, to such an extent, that even
honour of telling you the same story in this same room two
only thing we can
point to in which she is open t.,a young lady in her teens feels herself obliged to
thousand times up to this evening, I will not venture to
unfavourable criticism is the duet in scene 5 of ignore almost the existence of good but light music,
refer to it, for you must know it almost as well as I do. act i. between Abigail and Idaspe ; in this she which, indeed, scarcely pays the cost of publication.
But you lutist permit me to add, that I now release you showed herself more nu fait in the fortiter than the But music of this severe school, all perfect and
from your flattering attention until December. As near as suaviter. The masterpiece of her part is certainly beautiful as it is, cannot fail, if listened to uninter-
I can calculate, leaving Marseilles on Saturday, in the in scene 1, act ii., where she appears with the record ruptedly, to fatigue the mind, especially that mind
Panther, I shall meet the Pera from Southampton at of her low origin in her hand. From the first words which belongs to the very large majority of concert
Malta to-morrow week, and go on in her to Alexandria, she utters, "Ben io t'invenni, 0 fatal seritto," until and opera audiences—the unscientific one. When
which 1 shall reach on the 17th. Two days is now enough
the last in this scene, every aid which Art can lend the body is wearied by any given exercise, it, natu-
for crossing the desert to Suez. I start from that place
to the musical drama is manifestly employed, and rally and invariably, seeks repose in some opposite
on the 19th; and after six days of the most intense heat
in the world in the tropic of Cancer, on the Red Sea, with unqualified success. " Auchns dischiuso " was exercise. The tailor's rest is in standing up—the
,
I shall arrive at Aden on the 25th Or. the sth of August sung with such delicacy, tenderness, and finish as horseman's
I touch at Point de Gale, Ceylon; and I hope to land could not fail to elicit a rapturous encore, of which it lying down. In like manner the mind of him who
at Hong Kong, and pass my first night in China on the was unsuccessfully attempted to get a repetition. In is engrossed with abstruse science, revels in the en.
21th. Whilst thus able to fix those dates with such corn- the next scene, too, where Abigail learns that the joyment of the most trashy novel—thel more trashy
partitive certainty, from the admirable management of the people have proclaimed her queen, Mlle. Spezia is the better. Even so, the musical mind, worn out
service, let me publicly express any warm thanks to the magnificent. Nothing can be conceived more by incessant contact with serious, classical music,
Peninsular and Oriental Company for the exceeding kind- powerful than her delivery of the words beginning throws itself, with avidity, into wish-wash such as
ness, liberality, and attention they have already shown me.
" Son teco ! Va," and ending, Fiotow'a music. It should, however, be borne in
My return may almost be calculated inversely, leaving Regie 6glie qui verranno mind that foreign connoisseurs do not look upon
China early in October. It is impossible to fix it pre- L'uniel achiava a suppliar. Marta as, by any means, the best work of this
cisely, but I hope to be with you all again, with the cattle
show and the pantomimes. And until tbat time, wishing Equally good is her performance in scene 3of act iii., composer.-11 Trovatore was brought out on Monday
you every possible enjoyment end happiness, that you most where Nino, bereft of reason, is, first, compelled to (an extra night) ;we reserve our remarks until a
desire yourselves, I bid you, very gratefully, good bye. sign :he warrant which, unknown to him, condemns future occasion.
•
Alig