The Express.
London, England, 1866-04-23 00:00:00

Oluoic.
__._

THEATRE.

There was, on Saturday evening, a performance
of Beethoven's Fidelio ; the finest, on the whole, that we
have ever witnessed in this country. Leonora—the most
interesting of heroines—was personated by Titiens ;
restan by Gardoni, Pizarro by Bentley, Rocco by Rossi;
Marcellina by Mdlle. Sinico, and Jacquino by Stagno—
a cast of rare completeness, every character being in com-
petent hands. Since Schroeder Devrient, the original
Leonora of the London stage, the part has never had
such a representative as Titiens, who not only gives a
picture of the faithful devoted wife full of dramatic truth
and nature, but in singing the music blends the beauties
of the German and the Italian styles as she alone, of all
the vocal artists now on the stage, is able to do. Her in-
comparable delivery of the famous monologue, " 0 tu,
cui doloe possenes," has often been the theme of glowing
eulogy, and never dae•rved it more than on this occasion.
Her zeptarens a:preemie* of lie word.,

La speme in cot ml seem*
No, non ho pie thu.r,
seemed absolute inspiration, exciting a burst of sympa.
thetic feeling ; and the duet of the re-united pair, " Destin
ormai felice," roused similar emotions, if possible with
still greater intensity. Titieus was admirably supported
by Gardoni, to whom the character of Florestan is per
fectly suited in every respect. Throughout the whole of
the terrible scene in the dungeon his acting and singing
were equally beautiful and pathetic. The part of
Pizarro is in souse respects an ungrateful one ; but
it demands a performer of the highest powers,
and such a representative it had in Santley, whose
delivery of the grand air, " Revenge," was full of tragic
force and passion. As the kind-hearted gaoler, Rocco,
Bossi was everything that could be desired. hhllle.
Sinico's pretty acting and singing as Marcellina, and
Stagno's light and comic performance of the little part of
Jaequino, relieved very agreeably the sombre colouring of
the subject. llcethoven's difficult music had been well-
studied. The fine concerted pieces, in which the action of
the principal scenes is carried on, were sung with
dramatic freedom and musical precision, and the
excellence of the orchestra and chorus en-
hanced the effect of the whole. We may mention
that, instead of the overture in E major, generally used,
the overture in C, known as the " overture in Leonora,"
was performed. There is no doubt that this is the finer of
the two ; but we must remember that it was laid aside ty
Beethoirn ?dwell, and the overture in E put in its place,
as being more fitted for the theatre. It certainly is so ;
and therefore, in compliance with the composer's own
desire, it ought to be used in the theatre, reserving for
the concert-room the longer and more elaborate work,
which has almost the magnitude and grandeur of a sym-
phony.

Drama.

LYCEUM.

Mr. Fcchter revived Hamlet at this house on
Saturday night with the same complete and poetical
stage accessories and scenery that distinguished its
production in May, 1864. Several changes have been
made in the cant of character, Miss Carlotta Leclercq taking
the place of Miss Kate Terry in Ophelia, and Mr. Addison
replacing Mr. Brougham in Polonius. Mr. Addison's read-
ing of Polonius is the comic Munden reading, and Miss
Leclercq's Ophelia has more of the power first exhibited in
Lucy Ashton. Mr. Fechter's Hamlet has mellowed and
improved, his pronunciation and intonation are now per-
fect, even in the most passionate scenes, and the whole
performance is refined, thoughtful, and unconventional.
Liertes was well represented by Mr. Hermann Vezin, Miss
Elsworthy played the Queen, Mr. G. Jordan the Ghost,
Mr. Emery the King, and Mr. H. Widdicombe the first
gravedigger. The house was crowded, and the revival
may cause the postponement of the Corsican BrotAers.

gins Art's.

THE INSTITUTE OF PAINTERS IN WATER

COLOURS.

This Society open their annual exhibition to-day
with a collection not quite so numerous as last year, but
on the whole, perhaps a more interesting one as regards
the contributions of the younger members. Mr. Warren
has a large and important work, "The Judgment of De.
borah," and Mr. Louis Haghe two good figure sub-
jects as well as some admirable examples of his interiors
with figures. Mr. Carl Werner has several very minute
studios of the Egyptian temples and views upon the Nile.
Mr. Vecher also contributes several large drawings of the
scenery of the desert and one of the Memnon colossi. Mr.
Hine, Mr. Mogford, Mr. D'Egville and Mr. Whymper,
amongst the younger members, have all contributed works
that show great freshness and originality in landscape,
while Mr. W. W. Deane takes a high position as a painter
of interiors in a drawing of great excellence of the Sala di
Scuds at Venice, showing the famous Tintoretto picture of
the Crucifixion. These and other interesting works we
leave for the present, with the intention of taking an early
opportunity of returning to them.

CRYSTAL PALACI.—HALT-A-CROWN DAY, SATUR-
DAY, APRIL 21.—Admissions oa payment, 2,1i9; ditto by
Hamm tickets, 5,839; total viaiton, 7,998.