The Express.
London, England, 1867-04-11 00:00:00

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA.

L'Afeitaine was given here on numday night, with
Male. Pauline Lucca as Selice, and Signor Nandin as
Vasco di Gams (as last season), Signor Gnudani's part
of Nelusko being assigned to Signor Cotogni, who made
his first appearance in England.
Meyerbeer's posthumous opera, produced at Paris in
DM, and first beard in London at the Royal Italian Opera
in July of that year, continues to exercise that attraction
which must necessarily belong to the final work of the
great composer who produced Robert le Liable, Les
Huguenots, and Le Prophite. That L'Africaine is equal
to those works we would by no means assert, but
that it contains much masterly music, bearing the
distinct impress of Meyerbeer's individuality, cannot
be disputed. The opera has the disadvantage of a some-
what incongruous libretto, Scribe's co-operation in this
instance having produced a far less satisfactory result than
in the three masterpieces just cited. Still, L'Afrieaine
offers such excellent opportunities for the display of that
stage splendour and scenic beauty that are peculiar to the
Royal Italian Opera, that its performance here forms one
of those combinations of executive musical excellence with
elaborate dramatic accessories that are scarcely realised
at any other lyric establishment. Signor Cotes*, who ap-
peared Mee for the first time on Tuesday night as the stave
Nelusko, possesses a light and flexible barytone voice, both
sonorous and sympathetic in quality, extending up-
wards to G in the chest voice. He sings always with
refinement and frequently with great dramatic force ;
while, as an actor, he treads the stage with ease, grace,
and dignity, and his action is never exaggerated, even
when most impassioned. In the several scenes with
Selika, Signor Gotogni displayed high vocal accomplish-
ment and genuine dramatic power. Nelusko 's celebrated
song in the third act, " Adamastor," was given with great
effect, and Signor Cotogni's entire performance elicited an
amount of applause that quite established the success of
his first appearance—a success that will doubtless be im-
proved on further acquaintance, especially in the more im-
portant parts of Don Giovanni and Figaro (in Roesini's
Bariiierr)which are assigned to this artist in the prospectus
of the season. Of the admirable performances of Mdlle.
Pauline Lucca as Selika, of Madame Lemmens-Sherring-
ton as Inez, and of Signor Naudin as Vasco, it is needless
to speak, as they are no novelties. The cast of the opera
is altogether most efficient, including for the subordinate
parts such artists as Signori Attri, Tagliafico, Polonini,
and others, besides Signor Marino, who appeared for the
first time as Don Alvan The celebrated orchestral"unison"
passage in the last act—the scene of the deadly Man-
canine tree—produced the usual effect of an enthusiastic
encore, being one among many instances of the simple
materials from which great results are sometimes obtained.
The admirable stage effects, including the seizure of the
ship by the savages, the gorgeous pageantry and varied
costumes at the court of the Indian Queen, and the moon-
light desolation of the final scene of the Mancanilla tree,
are powerful auxiliaries to the many elaborate and highly-
wrought musical effects of bleverbeer'e last opera. which
should be heard by all who have felt any interest in his
previous works.

BLIND TOY.—This young negro pianist has re-
appeared at Bt. James's-hall, where he has been giving a
series of performances (terminating yesterday) previous to
his visiting Paris. The exhibition has been of the same
character as those which were notioed by us in August
last, being a combination of pianoforte playing, phonetic
spelling, nigger stories and imitations. In our former
notice we stated our belief that the extraordinary musical'
faculties which Blind Tom unquestionably possesses might
be turned to • higher ant worthier account than In the
mingled entertainment in which he is exhibited. In some
of the pianoforte pieces which he plays his execution is
brilliant and certain ; as, for instance, when we beard
him in Tlialberg'a " Home, sweet home," and • reverie of
Gottschalk, the difficulties of which are greater than
those of other pieces of which his performance was far
inferior. His power of reproducing long pieces of music
after • single hearing, although entirely unknown to him,
was tested by his playing a wilts of Chopin immediately
after it had been run through by a volunteer young lady
from among the audience ; the ,piece, as asserted by his
interpreter and guardian, being hitherto unknown to
Blind Tom, whose reproduction under such circumstances
was marvellously close to the text. Another of his extra-
ordinary, powers is exemplified by his playing on the piano
one melody with the right, another with the left hand,
and singing a third tune—all being different in time and
rhythm. Tom's voice is a barytone, of quality quite as
good as we sometimes hear from a professed public
singer, and he sings • ballad with much pathos.
The received opinion that he is idiotic we hold
to be entirely erroneous, notwithstanding his odd
antics and gestures ; the extraordinary coherence and
retentiveness of his memory being sufficient to dis-
prove that assertion. The opinions expressed by us in
_ . _ .

August last receive some confirmation from those since
recorded by Mr. Charles Halle and Mr. Moscheles, and
strengthen our impression that if Blind Tom's powers
were concentrated ou the systematic study of music, he
might take rank as an artist, instead of appealing merely
to the wonder of the crowd.

THE OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE BOAT-RACE.

Yesterday there wu again a raid auemblage of epectatois In
the afternoon at Putney, It having been anoonneed that tbvre
would be a Win between the Cantab. and the London Rowing
Club twelve-nand boat , but the Oxonians had stolen a march
upon the resit...re by having a turn In the rimming with an
eight, mainly manned by Kingston men of high reputation as

et lb

10 IS
1.2 0
12 0
12