The Express.
London, England, 1863-04-09 00:00:00

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA.

We have yet a few remarks to make, in addi-
tion to those we have made already, on the performance of
Alseenidlo, d Covent-gezdea, on Tuesday night. Awl, in
the first place, we must observe that the exemerre length of
that performance, and the lanes of the hour at which it
ended, had the injuriouseffect of detractiog from the plea-
sure derived from it by the andiron. This is not a matter
of opinion ; it is simply". feet, proved by the circumstame
that daring the lane, part of the performers*
the house kept gradually thinning, and that by
the time the curtain fell the boxes and stalls were
MOM than half empty, and everybody hurried away with.
out taking time to bestow • hand to approbation of a really
I splendid performance. This is to unusual case • sonte-
, thing like it occurs at every mgeseatation of the ;rapid*
lyriram constructed upon the modern French mode], which
artier intermisably nog that, however the habitats of the
Theikre Imperial de Moira may be inured to them, they
wear out the patient* of an English audienoe ; sad
people who have underpin the purgatory of
sitting out an *opts of four homy' duration will
net* agnit banned to repeat the mama We do not
ineepOra which *llse* se uniekt been this eases
Jimardffilb. Tarns* diem Osten various moms have bees
ham te aim pokomme• Is • less lamooderele
I. Ai Idle Mrprenatry fee instance, the original five
sob nee ranegresmed into four. Bat in dlaewsiello we have
I the ' itw sib, with the four dreary intervals between them,
thine areado being so ruthlessly prolonged as to annarsi,
la the temple, to a whole hoar. Maassitife im a
efmktfersers, patented at this theatre with • nogg-
ilemee *paralleled even on its mine bonnie; *ad yet it
maim *Mato more that three at four regmentatime in
a mama : ls than say difficulty in *ding the reason why f
Abridge the loop deems sad the exhibitions of mere spec-
tra. ; mdse* ft by a skilful oompression—a difficult bat sot
hepraetitahle teak--to four, or better still to three acts, and
* hime litde delft as to site *anat.

The rieformaesof Teemley night preseatod lathe that
was bow. This opera depends mach less upon the acting
or singing of twitch i i parts than upon the penal effect
of the whole. We know of no opera of sash megnitado
that is so poor in characters. Indeed, there are only three
of any importance, and one of them, is the thumb girl
Tonal* who is really the heroine of the piles, though
die slither speaks aor sign The only other per-
sum who excite any interest are llimmiello
sad his fellow", Pietro, by whom he is be.
'grayed sad murdered. Elvin and Lorenzo are as
mawkish • pair as ever were produced oo the siege. They
do not create a spark of interest, and their ultimate fate is
• thing which nobody knows, and about which nobody cares.
In writing the music of these parts Amber's genius seems
tole,. deserted him, or be did not thiak it worth while to
suet it. The lady has bet one air, • more ariag of ma-
lodor sad flourishes; and the geatiemea's music I very
latis haler. The whole interest of the drams is centred
iu the olisracter of ifamniello himself and his hapless sister.
The charade, of the oslainarod baliermsais besutifullY drawn,

and his tender affection for the poor girl clothes him with a
deep and pathetic litenest. Pieties too, is a character
drawn with much power, and the composer has assigned to
him some Of the mat sterikist music in the opera. The
celebrated duet. in the sassed act, "Sent it morir," snag
with remarkable energy by Naudis and AO" is full of
musical beauty as well as dramatic power. But it is upon
the chorines and ooseerted music that the peat effects
of this opera will always depend. The famous
chorus of fishermen, and the equally famous market
chorus, have become household words through-
out the world of music. In graphic and picturesque
effect they have never been surpassed; nor has Meyerbeer
himself ever produced anything more exciting than the
finale to the sexed act—the same in which the insurgents,
after their deep and eolems payer to Reeves, rush with
wild arise to encounter their enemies.

Tim charaeter of Mamasielle was performd for the first
time, by M. Nandi°, to whom the part had been asmigned is
consequence of the non-arrival of Mario, detained in Spain,
where be has been reaping a crop of lanreda. Nandin, not-
withstanding his French name, is an Italian, an accent-

pludied singer, and an energetic (perhaps somewhat too
energetic) actor. His performance was entirely successfuL
In soft and tender expression he was peculiarly happy; and
the beautiful air sung by Maseniello as he watches by the
I couch of his sleeping sister drew acclamations from all
parts of the house. Faure, who *applied the place
of Graziani (absent, we believe, from the earns tame
as Mario). was, as may well be believe#, a thoroughly
efficient substitute ; for this gentleman is one of the beat
dramatic singer of the day. Mae. Marie Batts made the
moat of an ungrateful part. She was graceful sod ladylike,
and meg her one air very prettily ; but we hope to have an
early opportunity of seeing her in a better character.