The Express.
London, England, 1853-08-16 00:00:00

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA.

Monday is not usually anopera night, but the de-
parture of Grisi and Mario for Italy to-day rendered
it necessary that their farewell appearance should
take place last evening. The piece selected for this
purpose was Lucrezia Borgia, and a better choice
could not have been made, for there is no opera
which contains two characters so completely suited to
the powers of these great performers. In her other
parts—even in her Norma—Grisi has been ap-
proached, if she has not been equalled; but her
Lucrezia Borgia stands alone as a grand and terrible,
yet affecting, picture, compared to which every other
performance of the part has been nothing more than
a slight and teeble sketch. On its merits it would be
useless to dwell, as they are familiar to every one
who knows anything of the opera stage. The same
thing is the case with Mario's Gennaro. There is no
character more completely calculated to show his
fine qualities, both as an exquisite singer and a great
tragt 3 actor.
The house was crowded in the extreme, and,
during the whole perform:nee, presented a scene of
extraordinary excitement. At the end of the opera,
the curtain tell amid a storm of applause; and when
Grisi and Mario came forward, the whole audience
rose and received them with reiterated cheers, which
continued for several minutes. And when they re-
tired, they were brought back a second time to re-
spond to a renewed burst of euthusiasm. Indeed we
do not remember ever to have seen in any theatre a
stronger demonstration of public feeling.
We said yesterday—and gave our reasons for
thinking so—that these great performers are under-
stood to have made their last appearance on our
Opera stage; and it seemed evident last night that
such was the general impression of the audience.
No positive announcement, however, has been made
to this effect; and we are unwilling to resign alto-
gether the hope that they will return next season to
the scene of their long career of triumph.

The Grand Duchess Catherine of Russia, ac-
companied by her Consort, the Duke George ef Mecklen-
burg Strelits, honoured the performances at the Royal
Italian Opera with their presence last evening. The illus-
trious party occupied the Queen's box. The Duke of
Cambridge also honoured the theatre with his presence.
Among the fashionable company in the boxes am! stalls we
remarked the Prince Vagorides, the Duke and Duchess of
Hamilton (nee Princess Mary of Baden), the Duchess of
Montrose, the Duchess of Inverness and the Countess
Laoradio, the Duchess ~f Wellington and the Hon. Misses
S merset, the Marquis of Northampton, the Marebioness
of Hastings and Captain Yelvert.n, R.N., the Countess
Talbot and Lady Vittoria Talbot, the Countess Poulett and
Miss Dormer and Miss Doyles, the Earl Bruce, Viscount
and Viscountess Palmerston, Viscount and Via-
countess Jocelyn, Viscount Sydney, Viscount Enfield,
Lord Wodehouse, Lord Robert Pelham Clinton, M.P.,
Lord Burghersh, Lord Arthur Hay, Lord Holland, Lord
Milford, Lord Frederick Leveson Gower, Lord Ernest
Bruce, Lady Alice Peel, Lord Frederick Gordon Holly-
burton. and Lady Augusta Gordon and the Misses Erskine,
Lord Henry Gordon Lennox, M.P., Lord and Lady Paget,
Lord Charles Wellesley, Lady Burghersh, Lord Brough
ton and the lion. Miss Hobhouse, Lady Cranworth and the
Hon. Miss Vernon, the Ladies Ponsonby and the
lion. Gerald Ponsonby, Count D'Ernst, Baron
do Steinberg, Han. Spencer Cowper and Lady Har-
riet Cowper, Hon. Mrs. Dudley Ward, Hon. C. lianbury,
M.P., Hon. Mrs. A. Villiers, Hon. Mr. and Mrs. Strange
Jocelyn, Hon. Mr. and Mrs. W. Cowper, Hon. Mrs Dyce
Sombre. lion. Mrs. John Stourton, Hon. Misses Blake and
Hon. Misses Ellis, Hon. John Forums's, Hon. Augustus
Calthorpe, the Right lion. Sidney Herbert, Res, and Miss
Herbert, the Right Hon. C. P. Villiers, M.P., Lady Law-
ley and Miss Talbot, Sir Charles Douglas, S r George
Armytage, Sr Henry Webb, Sir Charles Marshall, Sir
Alexander Woodford, Sir Augustus and Lady Clif-
ford and Miss Clifford, Lady Jodrell, Colonel the
Hon. Dawson Darner, and the Misses Dawson Darner,
Lady Ashworth and Miss Ashworth; Colonel Col-
ville and Mrs. Colville, and Miss Vansittart ; Colonel
Ewen, Colonel Steele, Colonel Browolow Knox, Mrs.
Colonel Auguatein, Major Pope, Captain De Bathe, Captain
Meyrick, Captain Clifford, Captain Spearson, Captain
Buckley, Captain Ellison, Captain Newman, Mr. Bernal
Oaborne, M.P., Mr. and Mrs. John Stanley, Mr. W. Rosa,
Mr. Martineau, Mr. Vane, Mr. Streachey, Mr. Erskine,
Mr. ant. Mn.e Caghlan, Mr. sod Mrs. Newton Scott, Mr.
Woodford, Mr. Clifford, Mr. Leopold Redpath, Mr. Sey-
mour Darner, Mr. Walter Strickland. Re.