The Express.
London, England, 1865-07-10 00:00:00

ROYAL ITALIAN OPF,RA.

After the display and din of the grand operas, the
" tragedies lyriques," to which imitate been so mach seem.
tensed at both our Dollen OpereAmses this seems, the re-
vival of Donirettes charming Don Pasquak on Saturday
was an agreeable change. The vein of light, simple, spark-
ling melody which rum through the piece, and is which the
composer approaches nearer to Rossini sod Auber than
in any of hie other operas except the Elias.
&Amore, together with the gay and sprightly style
of the little comedy, gave the performance a relish
all the greater for its oontreet with the splendid and impo-
sing, though somewhat ponderosa, productions at present so
much in vogue Don Pasquale, shelved for these three
years, has now been reproduced under most favourable sir-
aumetanees. When last performed at Coyest Garden,
Adelina Patti was, as now, the Norina, but otherwise the
characters are differently and far mere efficiently sustained;
iteneoni, who formerly played Doctor Malaise*
now appearing foe the first time as Dan Pasquale,
while the part of the Doctor was intrusted
to Gassier ; sod Mario *gala had his old part
of the young lover, Ernesto, instead of Hindi% Is
the hands of this distinguished quartet the opera oeuld sot
fail to be admirably performed ; more especially as they all
seemed to play eon motor; entering into their parts with
the utmost spirit, and apparently enjoying the amentatest
they created as mach se the audience themselves. ildlle.
Patti's rendering of the part of N orina eau most delightful,
both la • magical sod dramatic point of view. Her
amuloption, first, el the bashlul school-girl, la which
she fasoiestes the amorous old geatlemao, and seat,
of the termagant, in which she terrifies him,
were equally happy ; sod her singing was perfeetioe. Mario',
voice was &Woes. His impesiioned Diming of the " Sop*
soave castes" in the first sot, brought d urn a bent of sp.
please ; while the familiar bet never tisekoeyed "Corn' e
gentil" was entered with the Mined mathusiams. To
lawn to him was almost t r listen to the Mario of tweety
years ago. The most remarkable circumstance of the even-
ing wee the assumption by Hameln of the part of Don
Pasquale—a character intended by the dramatist sod eons.
pease a:Drawly for Lablacbe, and in which he was without
• rival. Roamoi, in this as in other ports, is the
only legitimate successor of the greatest of buffos. On Saler-
Clhissirpaseed himself, and kept the audience in roars of
laughter. Somewhat broader in some particulars than that
of Lablache, Itonoosi's readies of the character is the only
one since the lac• of that nsver.to-be•foegottes artist that
eon in any way be compared to it. The old maa's maw
meat and terror when hie/week suddenly breaks out as •
domineering vixen, and the burst of teen with which, after
sulfating the iodigaity ri • slap cm the face, he exclaims :

"Ala,

E finito, Don Pasqnsk !"

would be positively pathetic but for being so exquisitely
ludicrous. Y. Gassier was excellest'as Doctor IG,lstesta ;
and the whole performance, probably, has never been oo
complete since the days when this opera used to bring to-
gether Orisi, Mario, Tambnrini, sod Lablache.