The Press.
London, England, 1856-06-28 00:00:00


620
reading which is found in many editions, in which
the word " hate " iA introduced after " Antipholus,"
to rhyme with "ruinate." It should, however, be
noticed that this addition nukes the line too long.
After all, we may be allowed to doubt whether
Shakespeare would use " ruinate " as an adjective.
In The Two Gentlemen of Verona, act v. se. 4, we
find this passage :

Leave not the mansion so long tenantless,
Lest growing ruinous, the building fall.

Much controversy has arisen on a passage in The
Comedy of Errors, where the Abbess addresses her
'twin sons. Malone, followed by Theobald, gives the
following reading :

Twenty-five years have I but gone in travail
Of you, my sons; until this present hour
My heavy burden not delivered.—Act. r. ac. 1.

The old corrector alters the term of years to " thirty-
three," but it is clear from the context that the
twin brothers were only twenty-five years old, for, in
the opening scene, their father, /Egeon, relates that
at eighteen years of age one brother left his home
in search of the other, and in the closing scene he
states that it, was seven years since they parted.
In his fondness for thrusting in rhyme, the " old
corrector" alters a reading usually accepted, in The
First Part of King Henry VI., iu a way which the
poet refutes.
Margaret, in reply to Suffolk, says, act. v. sc. 3 :
To be a queen in bondage, is more vile,
Than is a :drive in base servility;
For princes should be free.
Suffolk answers, as found in most editions:—

And so shall you,
If happy England's royal King be free.

And Margaret rejoins :

Why what concerns his freedom unto me ?

But the old corrector would have us read :

If happy England's royal King be true.
Thus, in his love for a jingle, entirely losing sight of
the real meaning of the argument. From these
specimens we may judge of the value that is to be
attached to the "old corrector's" alterations. I may
perhaps be allowed to send you some more notes on
this interesting subject, and remain, your obedient
servant,
GEORGE RUSSELL FRENCH.
18, Sussex-gardens, Hyde-park.

usit.

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.

THE prediction in THE PRESS that Piccolomini
would prove a prize to the Haymarket direction has
been fully confirmed by the attendance at the eight
performanc.s of Verdi's trashy Traviata, with its
abominable libretto. There is a very generous dis-
position on the part of opera frequenters to encourage
the youngest talent in the field, although it is not
altogether reasonable that high-priced lyric estab-
lishments should be made the resort of the rawest
recruits picked up on continental stages. The sub-
scribers have certainly the right to expect the exhibi-
tion of finished vocalisation, and ought not to be
satisfied with the assurance that the veriest novice
may, perhaps, in a few years, turn out a first-rate
artiste. Piccolomini's Maria, in Donizetti's racy
opera La Figlia del Reggimento, if it be judged by
Thursday's reception, was an infinitely greater
triumph than that achieved by Jenny Lind and by
Sontag, and, if the eulogistic notices of our daily
contemporaries be accepted as genuine criticisms,
THE PRESS might just as well not venture upon an
before the piquant Piccolomini
luccess had been resolved upon
3 before a curtain, and the
after a novelty, cannot change
f the paying portion of the
insist upon having the true
the investment in boxes and
fined at once a position here,
(eats in the delineation of the
displayed remarkable in
something to find in one so
of experience, and, as her
been crowned with glory, she
:taracter by way of contrast.
tone of our contemporaries.
Bung, and indifferently acted.
18 to have no control over her
sing very softly, or very loudly.
she cannot manage, and the
which the upper notes are
intolerable to the eat. There
voice is signally deficient in
and lower notes. It has been
.tidying under Alhoni, and she
instructress, for the style of the
of the pure Italian school.
It time, "Convien partir," in
was ruined by Piccolomini's
'hich was often at fault. The
the attempt to trust too much

THE PRESS.

to facial expression ; if the eye does not speak in an
actress, no distortion of the visage will convey the
meaning of the situation to the beholder, with charm.
The action was short, abrupt, and angular, and she
utterly failed to invest the vivaudiere with the lady-
like piquancy of Lind, and the proud deportment of
Sontag. The best indications in Piccolomini'a version
are, in a certain degree, of spontaneity, which quality
is her strongest guarantee for the future. It' the
public do not endorse these opinions this year, and
will pronounce the Maria of Piccolomini to be as
acceptable as her Traviata, it will in no way change
the real state of things as regards her singing and
acting. To obtain a permanent hold on the sym-
pathies of operatic amateurs is not such an easy task,
and artistes of infinitely greater pretensions than
Piccolomini have broken down, even afterbiumphs
equal to those which saluted Jenny Lind. It is to be
hoped that a really promising debutante will not be
spoiled by injudicious partisanship. Calsolori's
admirable singing must not be passed over without
special commendation. This was really the truly
attractive feature in the cast.

Signor Puzzi takes his benefit on Monday, when
the Frylia will be performed.

CONCERTS OF THE
.IVEEK.

THE sixth and final Philharmonic concert was by
command, her Majesty, Prince Albert, and Prince
Frederick of Prussia honouring the performance
with their presence. Dr. Schumann's cantata,
" Paradise and the Peri," for solo voices, chorus,
and orchestra, was produced for the first time in this
country, Mme. Goldschmidt-Lind, Mrs. Weiss, Mrs,
Lockey, Messrs. Benson, Montem Smith, and Lawler.
being the chief singers. If, in Dusseldorf, at the
thirty-third Whitsuntide Lower Rhine Festival, in
1855, Dr. Schumann's work found no favour,
although the "Peri " was Lind, and the Lind mania
was at its climax at the meting, how could the
Philharmonic directors expect such a wearisome and
monotonous composition would please here, especially
as Schumann and Wagner, clever musicians, and
much cleverer writers as they be, have not yet been
established as idols in England? Perhaps Monday
last was one of the dreariest Philharmonic nights
ever experienced; and yet there was a strong dis-
position amongst the amateurs to ha as aracious and
forbearing as possible, first on account of the sym •
pathy felt for a composer who as a critic has written
generously of English musicians; secondly, because
Schumann's reason has left him for ever ; and,
lastly, because his wife, the distinguished pianiste,
has been nobly struggling this season in London,
with a broken spirit, for her husband and children.
If Mme. Goldschmidt-Lind, in consenting to sing for
one night at these concerts, exacted as a condition
that the " Paradise and the Peri" was to be executed,
then was her boon to the society a positive act of
cruelty to the subscribers, who have thus been de-
prived of a night of good music for a speculative
triviality, which has brought the concerts to a dismal
ending. If the " Paradise and the Peri" be a speci
men of the modern composers of Germany, then
indeed have the giants been succeeded by dwarfs.
At the Musical Union, on Tuesday, was the
director's grand matinee, Willis's-rooms being crowded
with a fashionable array of amateurs, in compliment
to Mr. Ella's judicious management. Sivori re-
appeared as first violin, after a long absence, with
Mr. Cooper as second violin, Herr Goffrie for the
viola (in place of poor Piatti violoncello,
Howell contra-hasso, Baumann, Lazarus, and C.
Harper, bassoon, clarionet, and horn. The pianists
were the unrivalled Mme. Schumann, and a new
Italian pianist, Signor Andreoli, an admirable player.
Beethoven's septet in E flat, Op. 20 ; Haydn's quartet
in CI, No. 81 ; Mendelssohn's duet in D, Op. 58
( Mme. Schumann and Piatti); and Viardot's grand de
clamation in Schubert's "Erl King," accompanied by
Mlle. Schubert, and encored, were included in this
interesting programme.
Madame Oury is not only a classical pianoforte
performer, in the first rank of lady players, but she
is also an excellent interpreter of music of the
modern romantic school. She possesses manual
dexterity to conquer the most intricate works, and
also the grace and intelligence to give animation even
to the " fantasia " school of writing now so much in
vogue. Her matinee, which was givsn last Monday
in Devonshire-house, by the kind permission of the
ducal owner, was very fashionably attended. Mme.
Oury had the co-operation of Mr. John Thomas, the
harpist; Mr. Oury, violinist; M. Lefort, the French
singer; Herr Reichardt, the German tenor; Mme.
Ruaersdorff, and Mme. Viardot.
Mr. Francesco Berger. the pianist, gave a matinee
on. Wednesday at the Beethoven rooms, aided by
Herr Louis Ries, violinist; M. Louis Engel, piano-
organ ; Miss essent, Miss Palmer, and Herr
Reichardt. The last-mentioned tenor was encored
in Mr. Berger's song, "Nach Sevilla." Hatton's
clever song of " The Curfew," and Mr. E. T. Fitz-
william's song, "I wandered by the brook side,"
were well rendered by Miss Palmer, who, with a little
more decision of style, will take a higher position.

SATURDAY,

The Vocal Union which was noticed last week had
a second meeting last Wednesday; and on the same
morning the Orpheus Glee Union met at the Peetho.
ven-rooms, Mlle. Kral', Miss Fanny Rowland, Miss
Huddart, Mr. Fielding, and Mr. Frank Bodda, being
the singers. English music is, therefore, not totally
forgotten, (vet, amidst the rush of Herrs and Signors
now in London.

Mr. Boleyne Reeves, the harpist and composer,
gathered his friends anti patrons at the house of
Mrs. Warner last Tuesday.
Haydn's Creation was performed on Wednesday
night at Exeter-hall, conducted by Benedict., with
Mme. Goldschmidt-Lind, Mr. Lockey, and Mr. Weiss
for the principal singers. For the 30th inst., Mme.
Lind's final appearance in this country is announced.
Herr Deiehmann, the clever violinist, gave a coft-
cert ou Thursday, in which he was assisted by Mme.
Schumann.

LYCEUM THEATRE—RISTORI AS ROSMUNDA.
GREAT as the powers of this tragedienne had been
estimated, her Rosmunda must place her, if it be
possible, still higher in public estimation. She gave
vitality to the bald language of the poet; she raised
into importance trivial points of her perilous part,
—one tempting the representative to violence and
exaggeration which must draw down ridicule in the
most solemn situations. In the utterance of the
epithets which Rosmunda so freely bestows, Ristoti
displayed her wonderful tact. Ordinary actresses
would have stormed and raved, but the Italian
artiste got over the difficulty of the reite-
rated explosions of rage and abuse by delivering
the superlatives, as it were, within herself, with
the teeth closed and the lips compressed, but the e 3 e
unmistakeably telling the tale of the inner workings
of the soul. In the first act, the history of drinking
from the scull-cup (a la Byron) was narrated with a
loathing highly suggestive of the physical rejection
of the awful beverage, as well as of the mental agony
of the doomed daughter. How womanlike was the
passage in which she endeavours to persuade her-
self that Armachilde coald not love Romilda on
account of her beauty, however he might be en-
snared by her blandishments. Thedwakertlng of
Rosmunaa's first suspicions, when her husband
argues against the union with Marie, was highly
discriminative. No artist within our experience ever
listened on the stage better than Ristori. This was
marvellously shown in the scene in which Ros-
munda, in the third act, triumphantly follows every
word of Romilda as she declares her deep hatred
of her father's murderer, and where she boldly
avows her affection for Ildovaldo. Ristori's glance of
exultation at her foiled caro sposo was inimitable.
The subdued rage was finely depicted until she had
him safe for the domestic lecture. The succeeding
soliloquy, conning over the mode of vengeance, was
equally remarkable; and the exclamation of delight at
seeing Ildovaldo to employ him as her instrument,
created an immense sensation. Something like
human feeling appears to animate Rosmunda in the
fourth act. She contrasts piteously the strength of the
affection of Romilda and Ildoraldo with the ingratitude
of Armachilde for her ardent love, but ber pride will
not permit her to own her preservation, and she dis-
misses Romilda with haughty coldness. In the last
act it is with sneers and sarcasms she greets her
victorious Armachilde and the unfortunate Romilda.
One feels that the bitter irony must conceal a despe-
rate resolve, and, come what may, Romilda must be
the victim, especially when Ildovaldo retires without
having killed her husband. The grasp with which
Rosmunda holds Romilda is evidence that it will
never be released whilst the latter breathes. The
rush to the staircase, from the summit of which
Rosmunda taunts both husband and lover, and finally
sacrifices Romilda, was followed by attitudes of
mingled despair and defiance, in which the absurdi-
ties of the author were atoned in admiration of the
actress, and the excited audience broke out in loud
acclamations.

The Queen and Prince Albert honoured the per-
formance with their presence.

Poneg raft and eitg ]nitiligtatt.

FRIDAY EVENING.
THE return of the Bank of England for the week ending
June the 21st shows the following changes compared
with that fur the week preceding:—
Increase in Circulation ..
Increase in Public Deposits
Increase in Other Deposits
Increase in Government Securities 49,687
Increase in Other Securities
Increase in Bullion ..
Increase in Rest
Increase in Reserve

- .
Bullion iu Both Departments
Circulation, including Bank Post
Bills 20,062,109

opinion, seeing that, befot
had sung a note, a suce
But the demonstrations
records on the morning aft
the ultimate verdict of I
community, which will in
attraction in return for th
stalls. Piccolomini obtait
because, with many defect
• Traviata, her last scene
stinct in acting. It was st
young the earnestness (
.
i tragic endeavours had het
was placed in a comic ch:
Wo cannot chime in the to
• The Maria was badly sur
c Mlle. Picolomini seems t
4I
. organ. She can only sing
...
The gradation of sound s
discordant manner in w
screamed out becomes int
is no relief, for the voi
quality in the middle and
. r
slated that she is now stir
•
cannot have a better instr
latter is the perfection
The larghetto in six-eight
the finale of the first set,
• defective intonation, whit:.
• acting was marked by the
--..
-..-...
...
- •