The Express.
London, England, 1856-05-26 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, MONDAY EVENING, MAY 26, 1856.

MUSIC.

SEE MAJESTY'S THEATRE.

There weiT;xtsitetil;iii atthis honsa on Saturday
night, created by the production of Verdi's new opera,
La Trariata, and by the first appearance of the
houng and high born prima donna who seems to
ave turned the heads of the Italian public by the
witchery of her acting and singing in that opera.
Signora ricoolomini, se msny of our readers are
aware. is of a noble family, the niece of a Roman car-
dinal, and a descendant of the ancient and illustrious
house which furnished Schiller with the hero of one
of his finest tragedies. From her earliest years this
young lady manifested extraordinary genius for
music, and her passion for the lyrical stage became
so invincible that her family found it necessary to
give way to it, and allow her to appear on the stage.
Her success was immediate, and at the age of one or
two and twenty all Italy is ringing with her name.
She has new been induced by Mr. Lumley to cross
the Alpe for the first time; and her reception on
Saturday by a iramontane audience could scarcely,
we should think, be exceeded in warmth by anything
she has met with in her native country.
It is said that it is chiefly to her that Verdi's new
opera owes its success, and this we believe ; for, low
as we estimate the prevailing musical taste of Italy,
we cannot suppose that, even there, such a work
could stand by its own intrinsic merits. When the
present excitement of novelty shall pass away, La
Trariata will be universally set down u the very
weakest of Verdi's operas, not worthy of comparison
with Ernani, or the Ferrari, or Rigotetto, or the Tro-
',afore, or indeed any one of them that may be men-
tioned, The Trariafa derives some adventi-
tious attraction from its subject, which, though
worthy of condemnation in a moral view
(a view too little regarded), is capable of
acting strongly on the feelings, even against the
better judgment of those who take the trouble to
judge at all on the matter. The libretto is a version
of the younger Dumas' play, La Dame ass Cam&
has, in which so striking an effect was produced at
the Thfitre dtt V,,udeville by the fine acting of
Madame Roche. The incidents are the same, though
their effect is weakened by the baldness of the Italian
dialogue, and the deficit is not made up by the addi-
tion of Verdi's music.

The fairptiona donna, the object of so much cu-
riosity, appeared when the cur sin roes on the scene
of revelry of which she is the queen. She wu
welcomed most warmly, and made an instant lope/.
sion by her engaging septet before she opened her
lips. Her small and slight Sgure and pretty features
made her like a girl scarcely arrived at her full
growth. She was gay, graceful, aid sparkling, look-
ing like a youthful Hobe as she poured out the wine
to her guests,

Hissing the cop to pus it to the rest,
and seasoning her courtesies with bright glances and
smiling words. An animated drinking song and
chorus first gave us an idea of her sweet and
brilliant voice. But its qualities, as well as her
powers of expression, were more fully deve-
loped in the subsequent force, in which, when
the guests are departed, she communes with her
owe heart on her condition and her growing pas-
sion. In this monologue the composer's talent ap-
pears to some advantage. Atter various fluctuations
of feeling, the damsel resolves to be merry and neat
away ears, in a joyous Gibsßetts, full of brilliant divi-
sions and reaching to D in alt, which closes the first
act. It was in this act, we cannot help thinking,
that her vocal powers, as well us her natural dispo-
sition as an entrees, were moat fully shown. Not-
withstanding her great command of the pathetic,
she seems to us the queen of smiles more than of tears-
During this act she reminded us of Milton's.

Einddess fair sad free,
Is" hess's yelspt Euphrosyne;
and, whatever may be the case at present, her
most permanent success will lie in the highest order
of light and elegant comedy—a judgment, however,
from which we expect to find many dissenting
opinions. In regard to her voice, it is an exquisite
organ—a pure soprano iforsto—clear, penetrating,
en diet extremely sweet. It hos, moreover, the cleri-
c outs freshness and bloom of youth—so fair, and, alas!
so tiding—while its every tone and inflexion seem to
flow from the spontaneous impulse of feeling. Her
taste is pure, and her style is natural and simple ; but
(as we' are nothing if cot critical") we must add
that she still has something to acquire in the
mechanism of her are. She does not yet
pones" that perfect execution—that clear, articulate
enunciation, of which Albooi, under the same roof,
has been giving us such exquisite specimens. She
has not yet gained the aplomb which enables that
most accomplished singer to strike every note of
the most complex passage with the certainty and
Aransas of the finest violin—a defect which is
s"weatily shoat by her habit of measuring a large
interval by means or a slide. She is very young, has
been brought up as an amateur, and, moreover, the
present Italian school does not subject its disciples to
the severe artistic training of an earlier day : so that
the only wonder is that her method of vocalisation is
so excellent as we find it to be.

In the second act—in the great scene in which
Violet's, yielding to the old man's remonstrances, re-
solve, to part from her lover—thevereatility of Mille.
Piceotomtit's powers began to appear. The tumult of
contending passions, under a thaw cruel, was finely
expressed; and the little air, " Non sepete quale
affetto," so full of anguish, was a beautiful piece of
singing. Bat it wee in the last act that her poser,
over the pathetic achieved their great triumph. lo
doing this she received little assistance from Verdi.
One little melody dwells in our memory—the air in
A minor, " Adcho del panto bei sogni ridenti,"
which she sang in a manner inexpressibly touching;
and the distant sound of the Bacchanalian shorn,
mingling with her song, is a trait on the part of the
composer which reminden us of Desdemona listening
to the client of the gondoliers in the closing scene of
Otello. With these exceptions, the long con-
certed piece which forms the finale of the Opera
is flat, feeble, and unskilful; while the tears which
flowed from many fair eyes, and even moistened the
eyelids of bearded men, were due to the actress, who
was irresistible In her truth, beauty, and pathos.
Piccolomiui'e reception was enthusiastic.
During the performance she was warmly applauded,
and several times called for. At the end she had an
"ovation" such as we have rarely witnessed. The
curtain fell amid rapturous cheers; the audience rose
when she NM forward; the house rang with ao
&smiting', and bate and handkerchiefs waved on
every side. The fair stranger's triumph, in short,
was complete.

Madame Medan, who is engaged for the Grand
Opera fa Fula, is popular to Vienna. Madams Bored-
Kane sad MM. Everardi Comas and Boni appear aho to
be great favourites. Madame Albania! and M. Bancudi
have left Flormies, on their way to London, to appear at
bet Majesty', Theatre. 1,11,0i1e du Nord " has bees
given at Milan, aid proved a decided failure.

DRAMA.

HAYMARKET.

Oa Saturday sight, a sew farce, by the author of
Rio sad Cog, ems produited, imbed The Rights mad W/011,1
of Wawa. The object of the pion is not, as might be
semen, to 'adobe one of the social mowanote of the dey,
but to ea►ibit ths peculiarities of one 81r Brisk de Brasil&
This "entlemsa, who is hianelf as " tbs last fella
of chivalry," has a missies, to redress the wimp of mom
who hen "bates of husbands." With what num his
efforts are usually ace =palsied may eaely be gamed ; and,
indeed, be coarsest. obit be his hese kicked oat of lamp
amtrablo hostage, the objects of his chivalric isterfersaes
generally assisting la hie ospuisioa. It seems that Sir
Brims, having la the struts aseidestally " splashed" a lady
awned blareboont, follows his home, fa order to offer hi.
apologies. Bit Brian, it 'Dodd be obosnid, Is played by
Backstoes, sad his appease* mid demeanour an sal
steady bloom. His indiscreet pertiewity aserly succeeds
I. improvable' lira Manhunt with her husband, who
discount him le tha hues; sad to pretreat • satiumplut,
skg " Nile of chivalry" hastily pulls of his eeat, puss es a
livery, and aanonaese himself to Kr. Karebactet at a es.-
Mate for the plan of a footsie., whisk has jut become
vacant is the family. He is sagged, mad his behaviour
I. his asw asthma is, to or she leaflet it, reasztablo. By
this tlaso he hat mods up his Wad that Mn. hiarchnnat is
a victim to dosentie tyrassy ; sad he peters tot to the
verge if temporary laoselty with if.,. of his protection.
lttn Moeibioat lee a Nag time does eat voultmle

mach as a reply; bat acmehow it comes out tint Sir
Briaa has in his possession a packet of letup which she
had written to a forme lover. This causes a change in her
tone, and Sir Brian, is the moat handsome saltier, offers to
give her the correepsadeoce. Unluckily, however, Mr.
Marchmont, ening Sir Brian's coat beogiog on • chair, and
thiokiog it one el his owe, putt it on. Of course the let-
we are in the pocket, and this Wade to much droll embar-
rassment ; but, eventually, the correspondence is secured,
and an appropriats "tag" finishes the piece. It was an-
nounced for repttition till further notice.

THE FLOWER 8110 W AT THE CRYSTAL
PALACE.

Encouraged by the success of last year's flower show,
which it will be recollected was unparalleled for the extent
of the collection exhibited end the beauty of the specimen',
the managere of the Crystal Palmas have this year again
summoned the priests of Fl tea to their aid, sod with what
success may be inferred, from the immense assemblage that
waisted" at last Saturday'. fete. Bo brilliant a company
was, we believe,
rent walls of the Crystal Palace. Airmen immediately after
twelve o'clock, the earliest possible moment et which admit-
eon could be obtained, the flower stands were surrounded
by dense masses of ernuoist ears, and every successive train
from that hour down to four o'cl.ck poured its gaily dressed
stream of visitors into the building. To judge from
the gaiety and taste of the ladies' toilettes, one would
hove imagined that the straggle lay between them
and the flowers, as to which the prises should be awarded,
for beauty of form and brilliancy of colour. The Cachets
of Batty-eland was an early arrival ; end shortly after, the
Duke de Nemours was recogni.ed, accompanied by a fashion•
able party ; bat the 'leiter who attracted most not ce WAS
his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, who, from his sue.
MI in another field, took that early opportunity of showing
with what meet he could enjoy bin holiday. Hie grace was
accompanied by the Bishop of Winchester, and one or two
other cheetah d igoi tar ies, and the ple mut glow of complexion
exhibited by the right reverend group afforded strong pr of
of the great advasteges resulting from a little occasioaal pure
air and innocent antasement, to persons of studious habits
or sedentary employments. In the resents of so
crowded and fashionable an assemblage, the Bowers, beau-
tiful as they were, seemed almost to form a secondary
object of attrs ction, still, they were pronounced, by
those moot competent to judge, to excel in quality, if they
did act equal in quantity, tie exhibition of the previous
year.