The Express.
London, England, 1868-11-11 00:00:00

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA ROUSE.

Clonnod's Fatal wee given here hut night, when
Mdlle. Minnie Hawk appeared as ILugusite. Of the
first appearanos of this' young Atomics's lady, as Amine
in La binneemiele, we spoke a fortnight since; and at
her second assumption, that of Zetiina in Ina Oierema,
week ago. The third impersonation of Mdle. Hauck was
of a more ambitious kind than either of the two former,
since it involved the representation of a chars:tar of high
poetical and romantic inbred, developing phases of the
most stronglyoontrasted sentiment and putsiia Wa have
now seen nearly a memo! representatives of the heroine of
Gouned's opera, but few of whom have succeeded in
realising, with equal MOOS, the very different aspects of
the character in its earlier and later scenes. If the dove-
like gentleness and guileless simplicity of the innocent
oung girl are truly embodied, there will scarcely be
sufficient foreeand passion in the deeper em Rion' to be
ortrayed in the final some. of remotes and despair. A
perftetMargusrite, therefore, is seldom to he found, and
it speaks highly for the powers of Mdlle. Hauck, under
these difficulties, and with the inevitable co n ? s iKM with
many great artists, to have achieved the delves of 81.1CCESS
which attended her performance last night. Her
Zr.t ry, and the delivery of the single
phrases in which she declines the proffe.ed arm of
Fan t, a' once raked a prepossession in fay stir of the new
Marguerite by the gentle charm of style, and the tosciiag
tones of a voice whose middle notes are of ex tuisite
quality. Brief as is her appearance in this same, and
little as she has hare to sing, there was something so pare
and guileless in manner and expremion, that • highly
favourable impression was at once produced;
and this was strengthened by the delivery of
the legendary " King of .Thule" ballad, which
was given with great refinement, and that dreamy
abstraction of manner proper to the situation. The
bravura jewel-song was sang with mach buoyancy,
although somewhat more of impulse might have been
desired in the climax of the allegro. In the love
music of the garden scene the expressive quality
of Mdlle. Hauck's voice was heard to great
advantage, especially is that touching passage
in which Marguerite relates her deielala condition to
Faust. The imprewion made at the doe of this scene
was to strong as to produce a recall of the singer after the
fall of, the curtain. In the following scenes Mdlle. Hauck
displayed much pathos, especially at the death of Valentin,
and in her remorseful supplications in the cathedral ; a
little more intensity in the expression of despair at her
blether's fate, and horror at the mockery of the pursuing
tend, being all that was left to de•ire. By the general
charm of this performance, Mdlle. Hauck hat improved
on the *heady highly favourable impression made by her
previens appearances. The Faust of !set night was Signor
Bultertni, who appeared for the first time lure since his
/Ail as the Duke in Rigoletta et Her Majesty's Operskin
July last. This gentleman has a tenor voice ui re-
sonant quality, and of ample power even with less
effort than he sometimes employe. In the opening duet
with Methistopheles, in his air •• Salve! dituera," sal in
tome portions of the quartet in th • bructln NM!, he pro-
duced considerable effect, and pined m wh appl.tiee by
Lis I Lias:ng of certain passages—his delivery of others
being somewhat marred by an exec?* of intention. Mr.
Bentley's Valentin has long been a opezi.el feature in the
rfoimance of this opera by Mr. Maple ott's company,
and it had lost none of its impressiveness List night. The
gum ful song in the second act (borrowe I from the instru-
mental introduction to the opera, and added by M.
Gounod t xpressly for Mr. Santley), and Valentin's share
in the duel trio, being again made conspicuous by this
artist's excel ent singing. Signor Foli, whose Mephisto-
'helot is one of these creditable performances by which this
painstaking singer proves his general efficiency and value,
received considerable applause for his energetic de-
livery of the song, '•Dio delt'or," and the us eking
selcuade. Mdlle. S.andrina was a graceful Siebel, and
sang the rowan's, ••Tarlatele tremor," with much ex-
pression. The cast included, as on former taxation., Mdlle.
Eaueimeister as Martha, and Signor Tagliafico as Wag-
ner. 'lhe Emmert/ and Cathedral teases were presented
with all that effective stage arrangement and grouping
peculiar to this theatre; and the choruses were given
with excellent effect, that of the soldiers in the foul ;la act
having been encored.