The Express.
London, England, 1859-04-26 00:00:00

MUSIC.

ROYAL ITALIAN OPJRA, DRURY-LANS.
Dressy-lane Theatre, sa another " Royal Italian
Opera, opened for the season Jut night. The lessee
hes certainly commenced hie campaign with eclat.
In its transformation into an Italian theatre the 1
house is much altered and embellished. The
changes are chiefly in the boxes and stalls. The
first circle is converted into private boxes all round ;
in the other circles the number of private boxes is
increased; and the area of the pit is almost wholly
turned into stalls, the "pit proper" being reduced
to very narrow dimensions. Mr. Smith has
restored the old Drury-lane " playhouse prices,"
namely, seven shillings for the dress boxes, second
circle and amphitheatre five shillings, pit three
shillings and sixpenee, with the old two shilling and
one shilling galleries. The stalls—there were no
stalls in the days of the old playhouse prices—are
half-a-guinea. By the adoption of these rates the
Italian Opera, the most splendid of all theatrical
Illtertainments, is rendered much more accessible to
the great body of the public than it has ever yet
been in England. The theatre has been newly
painted and decorated, and the whole appearance of
the house is elegant and brilliant.
The Sonsambula was the opera chosen for the
opening night, and two state wade their appearance ;
Vicioireßalfe,in the character of Amina,and

Wirer Mengini, as Elrino.
Victors Belle, it will be remembered, first ap-
pearedbefore the public two years ago at the Royal
Italian
Open, Covent-garden, and was received
with great favoar. She was very young, and her
voice had not gained its fall strength, so that a
course of continued exertion in so vest a theatre
might have been very injurious to it. She wisely ab-
stained from such a trial, and continued to
inning
eeitathree
study and practice of her art till this inniag
of this year, when she appeared at the Royal
of Tarim with the most complete and brilliant sac-'
teen The Sonitombela, in which she made her ,
Most, was repeated above twenty. nights; and she
wee equally successful as Zerlins, in Doe Grouter.
Mach, therefore, was expected from her performance
last night, and every expectation has been realised.
The lapes.of two years has made little perceptible
change in her appearance. She has all her 1
youthful 'eyeliner, together with that native grace I
and ingenuous simplicity of look and man-1
ner which make her the very beau idlal
of the heroine of Bellines pretty opera.
Bat in other respects she is greatly changed, Inli
for the better. Being a little older, she is mush
stranger than she was. Her voice, retaining all its
freshness, has acquired body, firmness, sod the evi-
dent capacity of enduring fatigue : and that she has
been spending two of the most precious years of her
life to good purpose is apparent from her improve-
ment as an artist—from the exquisite refinement of
her style, the purity of her taste, and the finish of
her execution. She laboured at first under con-
siderable timidity and agitation, but she won re-
esessed her self-possessioe, and her whole per-
Ilsrmantr, from first to last, rose in energy and effect;
bee swirling effort, the famous " A h, non giunge,"
befall a display of power and brilliancy which re-
vs of the best days of Persiani. It is scarcely
to add that her SIBOXIII was triemphant,
and marked by thunders of applause, repeated calls
before the curtain, showers of bonqeste—in short,
all the elements of an "ovation."
Signor Mongini has brought with him a high con-
tinental reputation, and is worthy of it. He stands
among the great tenors of the day. There is nothing
romantic about his figure, which is rather stout
and ileisk-set. Bat his face is expressive, and
be seas with intelligence and feeling. His voice is
$ ciMrh
. sipabeerea,oloffgrl,meeforeet, ileasnidblien,tensiand intensity.
bpugr:btsapsot
ilimelimes evertasks it in this respect; but of
laisive sold sot well judge, as he was labouring
steam lesessaal, from which, when be exerted Wis-
ed& his anise Infused.
Signor Badiali was a most agreeable representa-
tive of the good-natured, gentlemanly Count Rodolfo,
sad his singing wee that of an accomplished artist.
We have rarely heard the " Vi mere* sung with
more sweetness and feeling.
The chorus was of racket strength, and the
voices were good, but they wen evidently rot
always at home in the music. In the bed-chamber
acme, when the chorus is exceedingly dramatic, the