The Express.
London, England, 1848-05-25 00:00:00

iftusit.

liar[ MAJESTY'S TIiEATRE.—On Tuesday evening
the opera of " Linda di Chamouni" was repeated, but
without Mr. Sims Reeves. Previous to the opening of the
theatre the following announcement was posted on the
doors:
" Turs,lay evening, 5 o'clock.—Mr. Reeves having re-
fused to sustain his past in " L:nda di Chamouni," the in-
dulgence of the sulhcrioers end the public is respectfully
entreated in favour of Signor Gardoni, who, at the shortest
notice, has, to prevent disappointment, most obligingly
undertaken the part."
Gardoni supported the new soprano Tadolini efficiently,
despite the shortness of time it would appear f• om the pia.
card he had to prepare himself. We have since received
from Mr. Sims Reeves an explanation of his reasons for not
appearing, which, at his request, we publish.
Sir,—As the wording of Mr. Lumley's announcement
of last night is calculated to mislead the public u to
the real cause of my non appearance on that occasion, and
the date affixed to his placard, viz., "Tuesday evening, five
o'clock," is evidently intended to convey the impression that
my decision was not made known to the management until
within a few hours of the performance, I trust you will allow
me to offer a few words in explanation. The facts are these :
In my engagement with Mr. Lumley certain characters
were expressly stipulated for by me—viz., Edgard°, in the
" Lucia" (the nomination of which in the scrittura principally
induced me to accept the o6•r); Percy, in " Anna 130.
lens;" and Arturo, in the " Puritani ;" the small part in
e' Linda" having been undertaken by me at the request of
the rnanaaer, who seemed to think my performance of it
would strengthen the cut. Those who considered the
introduction of an English artist to the patrons
of her Majesty's Italian Opera a dangerous ex-
periment, and who witnessed my debut on Saturday
last, must be now convinced that no encouragement is want-
ing on the part of the public, whose kindness on the occasion

I shall not cease to remember with gratitude. My ifilnif I
being considered a success, and the op ra " Lucia" having ,
appeared in the play tells of Iler Moire y's Th. sire, I instil.
rally concluded that nip mat part would be lextyarda. But,
alas! fix the faith of managers and the inuolamlity of agree-
ments, the startling intelligence soon ruched me that
Signor °ardent wee to perform my part in " Lucia," no
reburial of which was called until after my dibui. The
intention of the manager was thus carefully kept from me
until after my appearance in " Linda ;" Mdlle, Linire tiatne
having been the only one mentioned in the announce bills of
"Lucia." As soon as I became acquainted with the
facts I immediately informed the manager that, in con•
sequence of this direct iiulation of our engagement, I
could not consent to apptar again unless my part were
restored to me, as 1 did nut wish to sacrifice my herd-
earned reputation by tamely submitting to a proceeding
calculated to lower me in the estimation of the public. My
decision was transmitted in writing to M. do la lielinue,
Mr. Lumley's acting malinger, yesterday (Monday), at ball-
past 2 o'clock, p.m. This can he proved by a:4moms. The
public will now be enabled to judge of the accuracy of the
date of Mr. Lumley's placard—vie, Tutoday evening,
5 o'clock. It is most distressing to me that the public should
have experienced any disappointment on my account, but I
trust I shall be held blunt lees when it is considered that
nadir the circumstances Mr. Lumley had no rieht whatever
to announce me for 'Tuesday evening. Trusting you will
pardon me for intruding on your valuable space, I am, your
obedient 'servant, J. Sims RP:meas.-109, Greet Russell-
sirs et, Tuesday evening, M ay 23.
We have also received the following letter from Mr. Mite,
the musical dinctor of her Majesty's Theatre ;
Hen bIx,EXTY'S Tit exTlOB, MAY 24.—Sir,—Ilaviug
signed that gentleman's engagement, I am compelled to aii.
ewer the statement made by Mr. Reeves. The nature of Mr.
Reeves engagement was simply that he was engaged fur list,
nights certain this season, one night at least ho each week,
with power of renewal at the option of the direction for on
additional number of nights on the same conditions this year,
and for twenty nights next season ;—nothing more was
stipulated. The part of Mouth), which Mr. greyes sud-
denly and imperatively demanded, had been in the hands of
that great public favourite, Signor Gardooi, six weeks before
• Mr. Reeves was engaged. But so far from any wish existing
to prevent Mr. Ruses having the fullest opportunities of
success, some of the bent parts in the ri'proliiit e, and those
deemed most suited to his talents, had been shunned to him.
When yesterday I made the last effort to persuade Mr.
Reeve', to whom 1 sincerely wished success, not to set
against his own interest and against the &del e of his real
friends, 1 once more stated that these parts were reserved
tor his immediate performance, although the direction was
only bound by his engagement to make him sing live nights,
which did not imply his performing several parts, but quite
the contrary.-1 have the honour, dc., M. W. Bahrx.
THE ANCIENT CONCEUTS.—The concert of last
evening was under the direction of the Bishop of Bath and
Well,. It being her Majesty's birthday, the performance
began with •• God save the Queen," sung with great effect.
A great improvement was made in the words; the doggrel
lines, "Confound thtir frustrate their knavish
tricks," &e, bring expunged, and their place tilled no with
lines, if not highly poetical, at bast unexceptionnhie in lan-
guage and sentiment.. Ilandel's " Dettingen Te Ileum," a
portion of which was performed, would be sublinio in
St. Paul's Cathedral, but it, merely noisy and boisterous
in a concert-room. Callcott's " Angel of life," sung by Mr.
11. Phillips, is a heavy, tedious composition, the merits of
which have been excessively overrated. The old air, " Ah,
rendimi quid core," feint the " Mitrene " of Franc. P4O ROSIO,
a composer of the lith century, is a perfect gum of melody
end expression, and was charmingly sung by Miss M. Wil-
liams : but its antique simplicity was sadly impaired by the
modern accompaniment, with which (according to Sir H.
Bishop's inveterate custom lit wan loaded. An air ("Sweet
rose and lily "I, from Haudel's "Theodora," was very
sweetly sung by Mr. Luckey ; and Madame Caredori All
gave Cimarosa's tetra from the " Sacritizio d'Aloramo,"
with her purity of style end truth of expression. Madame
Visrdot Garcia displayed the powers of a great artist,
in Cluck's famous air " Cho tea, sues Euridiee ; " and the
duet from the "Mitradate" of Nasolini, sung by her and
Mr. Sims Reeves, was found so nisi:nand and dramatic that
its repetition woe called for—a rare occurrence at these con-
certs. Handel's overture to " Samson" opened the second
part of the concert; the first movement was plsyed twice as
slow as it ought to have been—an astonishing blunder on
the put of the conductor, who ought, by this time, to he
well acquainted with Ilandel's music. The programme con.
tained, among other things, Beethoven'. "Adelaide," sung
by Reeves ; %immune' " Ombra adorata," eung by Ms,
dame Viardot Garcia, and Mozart's " blentre ti lascio,"
sung by Tamburini and a chorus from Beethoven's
" King Stephi n" concludes! a concert, on the whole, art
more than ordinary merit.

trbr Drama.
FRENCH PLAY& Sr. JAMES'S THEATRE. —M.
Scribe's comedy, " D'Aranda." produced here yesterday
evening, for the first time in t lis country. is one of the very
pleuantest things we ever saw even at this pleasant theatre,
and we like it all the better that the lesson it convey. is as
sound u the manner of the instruction is agreeable. The
plot turns upon the correction of a tendency for lea grander
passions, in a fair young bride, whose weakness in this
respect is all the more dangerous, that front the hour of her
marriage she has never seen her husband, who, a soldier of:
the empire, had been ordered off from the church to the
camp, and, taken prisoner in Spain, has been there separated
from his wife two years. On his way home he has written to
an old friend, Gabriel !Pineal, to prepare his wife for his
unexpected arrival. Gabriel, shown into an ante-room of
Madame de rolberg's house, is there the unintentional
auditor of a conversation, in which the fair Iforlenee con-
fuses to a couple of young friends the tendency already in-
ideated. To correct the weakness, Gabriel assumes the
character of an exalladiesinso lover from Spain, and, before
the husband arrives, has halt frightened Hortense out of her
life by the ferocious intensity of his affected flame, so that
she is all the more disposed to lend a willing ear to the
gentler and truer wooing of her handsome young husband.
Ths comedietta was capitally plated, Mademoiselle
Desiree affording us particular gratification by her
representation of • character not very customary
in French plays, that of a wife, young, fair, and lovely,
but wholly devoted to her husband and to her own
fireside. Mademoiselle Desiree played the part so natu-
rally, that we cannot but believe in her an ►ptitude by tem-
perament for the reality. Between the pieces, a Madame
Boulanger, of considerable Parisian celebrity, sang two Ger-
man songs of her own composition, with great swestnese and
pathos. Ached also smug in his best manner two most
agreeable romances, the one " Iroa viens to beau
nuane ?" by M. Abudie ; the other, " Jenny l'Ouvri;:re,"
by M. Arnaud.