The Express.
London, England, 1855-05-29 00:00:00

SURREY.

Miss Romer commenced her operatic campaiga
yesterday evening with • bold innovation, nu less than a
new grand opera written, expressly fur the occasion. The
computer is Herr Meyer Lutz, • gentleman well known in
the musical profession, and who has acquire d much desirved
popularity, by the skilful manner in which be, during the
few past seasons, has conducted the operatic business of this
theatre. The subject chosen being, like Don Juan, one
which has often done duty " in play and pantomime," has
the advantage of being sufficiently familiar to everybody
to render any lengthened detail of the plot
unnecessary. Toe adventures of the renowned Dr. Faustus
have so frequently been said or sung by poet and composer,
that the only novelty which Herr Lots could have been
expected to introduce was tne musics in which the mysterious
and melancholy story was to be once more told. In tits
present case the learned doctor is introduced to us in his
laboratory, regretting, like many other elderly gentlemen,
the days gone by, while a chorus of students aggravate his
regrets by singing • sort of " We won't go home till morn-
ing" under his window. F.ust vainly endeavours to
recall his boyish days in • plaintive cavattna , and
failing in that praiseworthy endeavour, calls open
the gentleman in black to get him out ett the difficulty. The
appeal is answered by the sudden arrival of Mephistopheles
through a window, and things are made satanically plea-
sant in chorus and recitative through the rest of the piece,
after the orthodox manner. He makes love to Marguerite
under the improved circumstances created by his recent

draught of the elixir vita ; and so matters go on through
ballad and chorus, drinking song and invocation, until the
hat scans in the cathedral, when good angels take
Marguerite up to h and Mephistopheles his
protr:qe on a somewhat dilfertnt journey. Tee music,
upon the composition of which great cars has
evidently been bestowed, is more noticeable for taste and
propriety than for any great strength of invention or novelty.
I The earlier portions ring strongly reminiscent of Belle, and
the latter of the lighter Italian composers. Two of the sin
were encored, and one of the concerted pieces, which would
have had a much more decided success hod the eneemok
been more perfectly p ed. Oa the whole, the opera
was a very respectable effort, showing cut meltable skill in
musical gemeot, and a correct cease of the beat
modes of producing the proper effects in the lyrical
drama. Of the performers, the chief was Mr. Drayton,
on whom, as Mephistopheles, the great weight of the piece
lay. We have before bad occasion to notice the care and
judgment with which this gentleman not only sings his
music. but acts his par), and "sets up" his costume, and
his performanesiofyiiterday evening was a notable instance
of his enema ih lathe» particulate. The character of the
mocking demon was mat sblj sustained, the dress was most
exquisitely diabolic, and the singing. sound, sore, and dra-
matic, ail throne . Ia any theatre Mr. Drayton's per-
formance would be considered highly respectable and
meritoriona. The " doctor" was »presented by Mr.O. Pee.
tin, a popular concert singer, who has recestly turned to the
stage. lie has a sweet voice, and sings ballads pleasingly ;
but we fear he has not force, or dramatic int tiect studlcient
to wake his success in opera lees than problematical. Mrs•
Drayton (late Miss Lowe) sang the music of Marguerite
carefully, and often pleasingly ; and the minor parts of Sie-
bert and Martha were made respectively very "strong" by
the comic powers of Mr. Yarnuld and Mrs. Selby. The
bead has been much strengthened, although still weak in

the stringed instruments ; and the molicting of the piece
has been attended to with great labors:icy. A• the dose of
the performance the principal performers were honoured
with the now n -failing call before the curtain, and the
general impression seemed to be that the piece would have
a reaeonahle run. The evening's entertainments concluded
with the popular burlesque of &asap and lA. Bait, in
which our old Drury-lane favourite, Miss Peatbantent, was
introduced to a Surrey audience.

England and France in the Days of Chivalry, or the
Brothers is Arms, the novelty with which the proprietors
of the National Amphitheatre usher in the Whimun holi-
days, is the most brilliant spectacle they have hitherto pre-
sented to their patrons. The aim of the author is to exhibit
in as vivid reality o the dimensions of a thestrical stage
will allow the meeting of our own Bluff King Hal acd
Francis of France at the Field of the Cloth of Gold. A
better subject for an equestrian drama could not probably
be found, and it has been made the must of.
From the beginning to the end it is one
gorgeous pageant, to give fell effect to which the
stage is united with the 'quest:lien ring, forming
an semis in which *cores of knights armed cap.wpie and
almost hundreds of men-at-arms god ample space to repre-
sent those feats of prowess and of danger which were wont
' to telettatif the meetings of monarchs in days gone by.
There is a story told of en warping baron—cold, truths"-
ass, and grasping as such persons always are—two bravo,
eltivslrous knights—" brothers in arms "—who win their
epic lit 'the 'same Held, worship the same goddess,
Vosear, add unfortunately the same mortal, in which
litter - meakmalis they have a rival is the baron,
wbo, being •scoMewhat older and more experienced in
vil-
luy, contrives to embroil then in numerous dificultlea by
degostlignittein'te the King as having been convected,
Yon by themselves or their immediate aseestors, with
Firkin Werbeck's Waits to the throws. Of wane the di-
milomment is jetties to all pulite in the meet poetical sense,
Ifemehdletsionetsoffriel mismainagemeliteidths-nscrewity
illthetonsfinee with a lout, response from the audience.
I The dresses and the appointments thrmaghout were in per.