The Express.
London, England, 1861-06-04 00:00:00

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA.

List night Mario made his first appearance this
'Neon in Count Alinaviva, a character in which he has
always been, and still is, unrivalled. We have not for years ,
seen him looking so well as he is doing at present, nor beard
him in such full possession of his beautiful voice. We need
scarcely say that he received, on his entrance, the cordial
welcome so justly his due ; and during the whole evening
he delighted the audience by the ease, grace, warmth, and
gaiety of his acting, and still more by the ex-
quiaite sweetness and finish of his singing. His
style, nowu-days, is seldom ;heard, and is be-
coming rarer arid rarer every day. He is one of the
171iNtt Ronianorx in—the singers of the pure Italian school—
the few, yet remaining, who know bow to sing the music of
the last great master of that school as it ought to be sung ;
who do not depend for producing effect upon the emission ~f
some loud and piercing notes at the extreme altitudes of the
mile, but upon purity and equality of tone, the round and
finished utterance of every vocal phrase, refinement of em-
bellishment, and truth of expression. In all these qualities
Mario still leaves the most distinguished of his rivals far
behind ; and from the strength and vigour be displayed last
night, he seems likely to do so fora long time to come.
Roomed is another of those singers, nurtured in the pure
Italian school, who suffers much dleadvantage in singing
the music of the present day. About his transcendent '
qualities as an actor, both in tragedy and comedy, there cep ,
be but one opinion ; but he is too often compelled to force
his voice till it becomes harsh and untunable ; and people
who hear him do so forma mistaken estimate of his vocal
powers. Hear him sing Moat's Ifasetto, as be did • few
evenings ago, and Rossini 's Figaro as he did lest night, and
then you discover what lie really is. Not only is
his Figaro the most truly comic picture of the inimitable
Spanish barber now on the stage, but it is equally remark-
able for the perfect execution of the music. The Rosina of
last night was Madame Miolan Carvalho. It was a very
pleasing and successful performance. Her acting was lively,
intelligent, and graceful, and she sang with great brilliancy i
committing the fault, however—a very common one in this
part—of sometimes loading the music with redundant erne-
meut. This was especially the case in the duet between
Rosin& aod Figaro, " Dunque io sow)," to which it is
impossible to add a note in the way of embellish.
ment without spoiling the composer's design. Ciaapi's
Bsrtholo was clever and laughable, but his humour
occasionally savoured of buffoonery ; and the constant en-
deavour to be fuuny made him take too many liberties with
the music. Tagliafico—always intelligent and judicious—
gave excellent effect to the part of Baulk,. His singing of
Ithe famous air, "La calunnia" was admirable. On the
whole this opera—the best work of its class in existence—was
a delightful entertainment, and received the applause it de-
served.

MR. HOWARD °LOYND'S CONCERT.—This concert
is to take plass at St. James'ehall to-morrow. It preesats
a great aad nausea varisty of attraction. The programme
contains the Dames of a bast of the mast eminent vocal and
instrumental performers, sad the masts is selected with the
judgmeat that my be expected from so abbe a masician.