The Express.
London, England, 1859-06-13 00:00:00

MUBIC.

CRYSTAL PALACE.
The Pi coed experiment of • lifetropolitna
&heals' Choral /Nativel wee tried at the Crystal Felice, Oa
Saturday, and, ee might naturally hays been expected, was
even more successful than the experiment of last year. •
performance orgenired on so veal a scale must have Imper-
fections which thus al ine will remove; and am the
other hand its meritorious festers* are of a character to pin
effect by repetition. Nearly 160 schools of singles boys and
girls lest their aid, in conjunction with SOON 800 adult
vocalist•, in giVicg unwonted grandeur to the harmonies of
Handel, hlendeissolin, Dr. Arne, and various other com-
poser., both sacred and secular. The aggregate number of
this bemoan choir was, we believe, conelderably more has
6,000. Mr. G. W. Mania led the whole, having previously
drilled in divisionr, each of an eighth or twelfth part,
the body which now completely tilled the great Handel
twebestra. Leas than two months have bees thus occupied
le fawning this particular programme ; though, as we have
&reedy reglad, the experience of a previous occasion must
be taken into account as a material assistant. Oa Saturday
morning, ter, there bad been a full rehearsal—a precau-
tionary pressure redacting great credit on the judgment el
Mr. Martin, who no doubt felt himself well repaid in the
ease with which he was enabled to wield sad away that mass
emend. The floor of the transept, the surrormding gal-
lerlsaand the adjacent portions of the save, were crowded by
the ondiesco, there being present above 17,000 visible..
Tbe juvenile band of the Royal Military Asylum edged,
la Nagle line, the carved front of the orchestra, with
en effect similar to that of o row of settle' geranium.
bordering a flowery elope; and high upon ens side
the red jackets of the same school funnel a equate
grasp in strong relief amid the submit garb of the vast
vocal body. A white awning wet spread above the singers,
end indeed over nearly the whole interior of the Palace, le
anticipation of a blaze of mushier, which did not, however,
beret firrh more than once or tw ICI dazing the day, sad then
but for n very phut period.

The Crystal Palace is sow at the hey-day of its inidwaro-
mer attractimm Within and without ail foliage and flowers
mingle delightfully with objects of .re ; and the Whitsuntide
holiday-makers will nowhere !id a more agreeable spot is
which to enjoy those recreatiom, and %imam thom epoch,
sad revels which they demand at them periods, aad which
thsCrystal Palace managers have of late you. found t►em-
selves obliged to supply,

DRAMA.

ST. JAMES'S.

Thin theatre has been opened by an English Opera
Nara? loader the management of Mr. Augur/tor threes
wigglier with a p.ty of Spanish &morns. As its arcs'
ressthai to the announcement, is to be a very brief was, i;
Is sot le be expected that Mr. BrIlh&Ol'd entrepries should
peewee the mare •ed appliances of • regular mural
there; but the first night's performance, cm Saturday, la
weeper to the e.reogth of the company, as well as the sc.
Cetherile of orchestra. chorus, watery, ite., was as satisfac-
tory r meld have been antioipated undtr the
eiroarremer. Mr. Brahma had the edvantage of
berg able to produce, for the first time, an
entirely sew errs from Ile pen of one of our most diens.
'united soarer*, lidtrani Loden, the author of many ads
wrath. worth, rd of MO m pertiouler, The Night Drawers,
which hes never ter arp•esed by any English inwsicrias.

The sew opera, however, which Is called Raymond and
/fess, is not by any mewls equal to TAI Night Amara
nevi its inferiority is owing to the weakness of the sublet;
and its dramatic treatment. Is The Night Deheere, which
le borrowed from tbe French Awe, a most admirable use is
made of s wild sod fanciful popular superstition, end the
aemposer ham been isepirid by his theme. Is this new opera,
the plot and incidents are so stale, dot, and insiptd,
se to be enough to paralyse the moat active imegiostion, sad
we are en), ourpriesd that the music of Raymond and Agues
is so good as it is. From the title we were led to suppose
that It was founded on the celebrated episode of the
Bleediag Nun," is LOWieill once famosia but now forgotten
tale, "The which has already been dramatised Is
more thou one form. But we were disappointed—the piece
seems to be as emanation from the neassis.ed genius of Mr.
Fitzbell, and is a farrago of the merest coneeatiouslitiee of
_ _

the Open stage ° There lean atrocious Baron, +tole the lord
of • banana, castle, and singsbeas —there le an unhappy dammed
wham by way of courtship be imprisons in • d••geot, and
who stage soprano; there is her coondaate, • comic person-
age, who says lively things sod tinge memo-soprano; and
there is • youthful realise, who rune all mita of hazards to
mese the damsel. end gags tenor. There are, moreover, •
salleisacy of banditti, soldiers, pelmets, and eo forth, for the
paepsees of churns and spectacle. In dein it is
• mere parlay recoda, without • single new Ides.
Oa the other hand, there are many trod and some
ellernalag things In the music. The scenes of
esnorted sumac especially are adm;rable , Madly
essetratted, animated, full of fine melodic Omen, and ea-
hmscod in effect by rich and pidoresque orchestral encamps-
alments. Some of the aim, too, aqi good ; but they have
too much the appearance of having bees written with ea eye
M the music-shop rather Shea the •legs. On the soh Is, the
work show* mush of Mr. Leder'e talent, though we cannot
►alp within the taleat bad been better bestowed.
The p-rform•aoe wee respectable. Madame Rudersdorff,
• complete artist, in the part of the heroine, lift amble, to
be desired. Mr. Hamilton Braham, with his stalwart per-
son and powerful base voite was as truculent • Baron se c add
be wished for. Mr. Perten's voice ie not remarkably rich,
but it le sweet and tunable, and be sang like • muskies.
Mies Soma l'yee, by her naturslly unaffected vivacity, and
W esoallent part she took is the concerted Eerie, did •
pest deal to lighten the heaviness of the piece. We have M
add that there wee a very full hone., and that the perfume.
mos was received with great applause. Several of the elm
eceg ►y Modem. Rwleutl ire and Mr. Perna were ascend;
ead thins wan one little atereetu. • quartet la the lest SCOW,
or lovely that, la consequence of aedaa•time from all ports
of the house, it war gang three times.

The Bvanish dancer. .ere very eueeep*ful. A complete
idea of Iheir perfortnawn may be obtained by remembering
the Spiutiah denten—Seance Peres Nene, and h.r tom-
patriotes—who were each favourites at thnHeytuarket.