The Express.
London, England, 1859-12-20 00:00:00

(Stamped ld. Additional.) [TWOPENCE.

MUSIC.

ROYAL ENGLISH OPERA, COVENT GARDEN:
The subject of Mr. Mellon'i new open, Victoria.,
produced last eight at this theatre, le the sense with that of
the old Adeiphi drama of the same title, which was rendered
so popular by the fine acting of Mrs. Yates, This open,
however, is not taken from the Adeiphi piece. but is a ver-
sion of the original French piece, on which the English
dame is founded. But the leading Mee is the mine In all
of them. A young girl, • poor hard-working asepeness,
bas • lover of her own clams, whom she loves
in return, and the pair are engaged to be married, though
•ba teams her fitter with complaints of the life of penury
and toil which seems before her. Her ambitious notions are
fostered by her companion, a dermal who prefer§ novel-reed-
ing to work, and by the attentions of • young gentleman,
who promises, if she will linen to him, to •rte her rich and
happy. After a little tiff one evening with her humble lover,
she goes to bed, full of conflicting thoughts and feelings;
and in this frame of mind faas •sleep. She next appears
surrounded by wealth and splendour; she has yielded to her
seducer, and is revelling in luxury and extravagance. The
usual ocemequenom ensue; she treed' the downward path of
vice till she sinks in the lowest depth of disgrace and misery.
In despair abs swallows poison, and suddenly wakes from
a dream, roused by the cheerful voices of her lover and her
friends, come to oanduct her to the altar.
The overture is exceedingly effective. A eLort slow move-
ment, of • melancholy character, in which there is a fine solo
purge foe the oboe, leads into a vigorous allegro, of superior
onsiructionto the imeen44l of =paws opera,rolugr.
The opeN•g tonal plea fs. clever dust between Tibleefli
and ha compinka Louisa Mies Pareps and Misa
in which the ohmmeters of the two damsels newel' developed.
It is followed by. sweet and simple ballad, "Of too much
pleasure be afraid," which must blooms popular. We may
mention, once for ell, that Mies Peeps, during the
whole piece, reaped • plentiful harvest of laurels, not only se
• singer, but as an actress; and that Miss Thirlwall showed
remarkable talent in both capacities. There is alai a pretty
ballad, " This flower, deer Maid," sung by Mr. Haigh in
theeharsoter of Michel, Vktorinit's humble lover. Thefiesk
to the first act contains an excellent quartet, "To-day *m-
auling," and terminates with a scene, or monologue, In
which the heroine, as she retiree to rest, expense
the various feelings which agitate bee mind—a most
masterly and dramatic passage. The strain of so-
lemn music, as the girl sinks to deep, is exquisitely beautiful.
In the second act, Vietorine is ir. the height of her guilty
splendour, and In the midst of the acquaintances of her
humble days, though their circumstances are changed as
much as her own. Louise is mill the companion, become,
like herself, a flee lady, and H. Griffon, • foolish mechanic,
has become the Baron de I. Oriffoniere, a fashion-
able swindler. Julien, Victorine's seducer, Laving
squandered on her all his means, is out of,
and Michel mappers, unchanged, but only in
order to cast her off as unworthy. These situations give
room for much striking music. A amain', meg by Victorian
" Oh, bright were my visions," has evidently been writer to
tax highly the vocal powers of the singer; and Mies Psrepa'a
execution of it was brilliant in the extreme. Her close
on the key-note, D in alt, was a tour de force, which we have
rarely heard surpassed. Mr. Bentley appeared in this act in a*
character of Julien ; • slight part, but it contains • beautiful
ballad, "I never can forget," which he long exquisitely. The
finals to this second act is long, highly wrought, full of
striking situations and incidents, which are treated with great
constructive skill and dramatic power. The principal vocal
piece in the third act is the scene, for Victorine, with which
it commences—a superb plea of accompanied recitative,
followed by an air full of pathos. This scene displays Him
Parepes power of expresedon as much as the final rondo ex-
hibited her brilliant execution.

There were two informers who deserve more notice than
we can at present give them. Mr. Honey, who, in the cam-
ratter of Griffon, already mentioned, showed humour of
the most genuine kind; and Mr. Corri, who played a ruffianly
&nand° with great and tragic power. Indeed the whole
opera was admirably cast, end got up with a completeness
worthy of high praise.
As we have said, the piece was triumphantly aucteashil.
The principal performer were called for at the end of each
act; and at the conclusion the composer was loudly called
for, end received, when he came forward, with acclamations
from every part of the house.