The Express.
London, England, 1858-05-17 00:00:00

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA.

OPENING OF THE NSW COVENT GARDEN
THEATRE.
_

Covent Oman hes sprung, lids the phoenix,
Eros its Ness snore bright and beautiful than ever.
When we remember, only a few months back, the
deollato-kmking piece of waste ground on which the
stately pile now stands we may liken it, without
very violent exaggeration, to Aladdin's palms,
which nee in a single night. Mr. Gye has shown
himself a mighty enchanter : the magic of his enter-
prise and energy has surrounded him with troops of
slaves of the lamp," bound to obey his behests by
the great spell which quickens modern exertion.
With unheard-of efforts, and in the face of the most
formidable obstacles, he has achieved what may
almost be called the miracle of erecting his new
=of the Muses on the site of the old ; and has
his pledge to the public by opening its doors
on the very day he had promised from the beginning.
To the last, the possibility of accomplishing this
Herculean labour seemed problematical. People
parsing along Bow-street, picking their steps among
Yaps of bricks and rubbish, and gazing at walls and
pillars covered with sesidding and swarming with
workmen, could sat osoaliss" the idea of sitting,
within a few dem a einsoent theatre, com-
plete in all its maftifteiss iatatls, and witnessing
case move ens of tie spinal ontortaintnents of the
Royal Italian Opera. " Open or not open " was the
question raised and debated among all sorts of
sl.e—discussed, too, alter a fashion peculiarly
Bah. It was taken up by the betting men, who
Saturday a sort of Derby day. Numberless
wagers, great and small, were taken on the event;
and when, in the evening, the door were thrown
open, a hundred thousand pounds were lost and
won.

Before the doors were opened, a great crowd had
sasembled, and was every instant increasing. The
adjoining streets were full of advancing carriages
and groups of carious people. But though there
was plenty of bustle and excitement, all ap
of confusion had vanished. The approach.. were
completely cleared, and everything was regular and
orderly. It was nearly halt-past eight when the
doors were thrown open ; but, thanks to the good
arrangements and the convenience of the entrances,
the visitors to every part of the house found their
places with perfect quietness, and in a few minutes
the whole theatre was full of people sitting at their
ease, and gazing with curiosity at the scene around
them.

Ths
interior
of the building presented a more
Wetted aspect than the exterior. The staircases,
pimps, &c., were still in a rough state ; but the
salle itself was completed, and decorated down to the
most minute particulars. Outside there is still •
good deal to be done. The architecture is of a OM*.
poote kind—more Italian than Cheek. The front in
Bow-street consists of a portico and two wings, end
has a character of grandeur and solidity. The
bottom of the portico forms a covered way for car-
riages as well as persons on foot ; so that the visitors
can enter any of the doors under the portico with-
out being exposed to the weather. There are no
steps to the doors, and people walk into a spacious
entatnes-hall on the same level, from which the
ways to the different parts of the house branch off.
The columns, five in number, of beautiful Portland
stone, are thirty-six feet high and of proportionate
diameter. These pillars are of the Corinthian order,
and are to be surmounted by a richly sculptured
frieze, which (to judge from the pictorial represents-
tim
e we have seen) will be classical and imposing.
The trout, when completed, will exhibit many floe
pisess of sculpture. Flaxinan's celebrated figures
of the Tragic and Comic Muse are already on each
side of the portico; and • number of others, con-
nected with the ancient and modern drama, are in
mires of being placed in niches provided for them.

The theatre—, inside, is larger than its predecessor,
though at first sight this does not seem to be the
ease. Its proportions are exquisite. The area,
which includes the stalls and pit (and of which the
stalls occupy at least two-thirds), is much broader
than the corresponding part of the old house, but
does not extend to so great a distance backwards, so
that no portion of the audience appears to be so far
removed from the stage. There are only' three tiers
of boxes ; but the theatre, nevertheli= is more
lofty than the former, the boxes in each tier
being high-roofed, and consequently spacious
and aaitrryy. The circles of boxes are richly
ieeorated, the colours (and generally through the
theatre) being whits and gold. The lower tier (or
pit boxes) have a sort of lattice-work of gold, sup-
pwted by figures; the grand tier has a profusion of
foliage, winged figure., and other pretty devices;
and the second tier is similarly adorned. The boxes
(as in the old house) have draperies of dark crimson,
a colour which is found to relieve admirably the gay
toilettes and blooming faces within. The extraordi-
' vary breadth, as well as depth, of the stage, is calcu-
lated to give greater effect than ever to the grand
sonic spectacles for which the Royal Italian Opera
has always been renowned. The proscenium is sin-
, gularly magnificent. On each aide are richly gilt
and carved pillars; and over the centre there IS a
medallion of the Queen, with figures representing
the fine arts and music. The ceiling is very lofty,
slightly eoncave, of a sky blue colour, and without
any figures or elaborate decorations; but the eye
rests upon it with great pleasure, from its simpli-
city and effect of refreshing coolness. The great
entre chandelier is gorgeous in the extreme. It is said
to be eighteen feet high, to contain three tons of
cut glass, and to have seven hundred. gas barters.
The seating in every part of the house is roomy and
comfortable ; and, from the freshness of the air on
Saturday night, notwithstanding the crowd, it ap-
pears that the building is excellently ventilated. It
gannet be doubted that the whole theatre is most
skilfully and ecientifically constructed. Its form is
such as to bring all the spectators as near as possible
to the stage, and to afford to every one the fullest
possible view of it; while in another reqaisits, of
even greater importance is a musical theatre, the
architect has been entirely successful. The =ma-
fiosi properties of the building are admirable.
Every seined uttered—every syllable articulated—
= the stage is distinctly heard. The voices of the
perfonews are soeceous and emitted with apparent
ease; sod the fullest =ash of Costa's mighty or-
chestra, while it fills the ear with its volume of tone,
is entirely free from =rabies.. Such was the effect
produced on ourselves, seated in the stalls ; and we
learn that the same satisfaction was felt in other
puts of the house.

The opera of Saturday night was The Huguenots,
performed exactly se it mad to be before the deetruo.
tion of the old house. Orisi was Valentina; Mario,
Raoul ; Zelger, Marcel ; Mani, Marguerite of Navarre;
Didiee, the Page; Tighe/leo, the Count de Meyers;
and Polonini, t. Brie. Formes was announced in
the part of Marcel, but in consequence of his non-
arrival, Zelger took the put, which he had often
taken before. The opera, us thus represented, is
exceedingly well known to musical people, yet there
was a freshness about this performance which gave
it an appearance of novelty, though the novelty lay
in the accessories and adventitious eirmunstances
rather than in the performance itself. It lay in the
nemeses of the theatre, and the interest and
exeitement attending the opening; it lay in the
novel 'sped of the stage, with its scenery, decora-
tions, and every object belonging to the epee.
tack, which was more beautiful and Milli-
&wit than anything ever witnessed en the
boards of the old theatre ; and it lay in the length
of time which had elapsed sines the opts had been '
whelped by this oompany, it having been laid
aside during their exile to the Lyceum. But it lay
ales in the splendid efforts of Grad and Mario, who
asted sad sang se they had not done for yeah before.
While we saw and beard the great prima donna, we
remembered that live years ago she had taken a Anal
and meting leave of the stage, and that, however
auk her law was lamented, the step was considered
natant sad proper. At present, neither herself nor