The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-08-15 00:00:00

V AUXXAI,I, GI4RDE NS.

His Majesty's birth-day we' celebrated at these Gsrilen
last night with great brilliancy, and Mr. Green made his
third nocturnal ascent at ten tninures before ten o'clock, in
honour of the occasion. The balloon took an easterly di.
reci ion, after ascending from the Gardens most majestiodiy.
Mr. Green was aerompanied by two gentlemen of the names
of Clarke and Ritchie. A new Ballet, produced expressly
for his Majesty's Birth-day, was performe', lithich pis
ext. calingly pretty, and so the company thought, for it tea
highly applauded. Amongst the various illuminations of
the evening was • very beautiful one, with the following
inscription—" Long live our gracious Patron." The fire-
works were Fplemlid, as usual, and the whole of the ,nte„,,
taintrients went off admirably. Mr. Green deacend, el at
Foot's Cray, in Kent, and arrived in the Gardens at No
o'clock. _ _

There were upwar&of eight thousand persons partaking
of the amusements of the reettfrllf

KING'S THEiI

It was generally understood, among frequenters ()li-
the Opera, that its hat performance for the seteeye sari toe
take pine on Saturday, though the bills did not ord.:tune?
any such intention. Aarelinno in Palniira yen reptirtedi
on the occasion, much against the wish expressed by the
majority, who have taste and judgment enough to profess
no sort of admiration for S'gtior Velluti's vocal and dra-
matic acquirements; and the national anthem sung at the
close of it was the only decisive circumstance from which
we were left to infer ilia final close of this theatre. We

shall paaa over the subject of the performance, which has
been hitherto more than sufficiently noticed, merely re.
marking that it afforded nothing of a novel description;
but, on the contrary, served for a faithful exhibition of tit:
characteristic shrugs, the systematic shakes of the head and
extension of arms, and the similarity anti stiffness of orna-
ment, which are known to be the exclusive property of
Signor Velluti's style ; and we will proceed to a brief retro-
spective view of the Opera proceedings of the season. as
well as to a few remarks applicable to its future means.
The theatre was opened last winter under auspices by
no means cheering. Signor Velluti seemed to be distinct'
as its principal support ; and for a long time we were con-
demned to two perfotmances, with which the public had
been mote than saturated. 11 Crucial() in Fa N (in ova
opinion, a very unmeaning ptocluetion), and e
holina (still more inferior), were, it appears, found sui:a-
blo to the limited capacities of Signor Velluti's voice, and
consequently resorted to, as if a decree was in force which
banished taste, variety, and jed.;ment, from this stage.
The prima donna, Signora Bonini, may continue to re-
ceive encomiums from Signor Velluti, as the first female
vocalist in Europe; but it unfortunately happened that the
Signor found no one who would coincide in Iris opitii n of
her excellence. At last, an engagement was concludiit
with Madame Pasta, and her appearance, which followed
in April, threw into merited darkness arid obliv on those
who, till then, le-ded it on this stage with an uncentrollol
sway. Madame Pasta had, however, to undertake singly
the task of' giving new attraction to it ; and although,
alone, she is " a tower of strength," yet she had to contend
against difficulties which she barely was able to overcorce
so as to form any thing like a necessary ensemlde. At thls
theatre some people seem to think they are engaged with
an en 'oubted understanding that each has liberty enough
allowed him to do as the fancies or caprices of the moment
may chance to suggest; and the getting up of appropriate
scenery and dress a, the laborious task of training the
choristers, were additional obstacles thrown into Madame
Pasta's way. Still the frequenters of the Opera semi
awake to nothing but the isolated perfections of the accom-
plished lyrico-tragedian of the day. In consequence, how-
ever, of the spirit of anarchy which was, soon after Ma-
dame Pasta's arrival, manifested by some of the leaders of
the corps dranudique, and Mr. Ebcrs's unaccountable ie.
difference, we were deprived of two splendid Operas con-
tained in the list of performances in which that lady hail
been engaged to appear, viz. Mcyt r's Rosa bi.inca and
lion: rossa, and Rossini's Sendramide.
The crowds regularly attracted by the eminent reputa-
tion of one performer have sufficiently attested the value
which the British public attaches to Italian vocal music.
What would it then be if, by the side of Madame Pasta,
we were to see such singers as David, Galli, Rubini, and
others equal to them ? We might indeed then boast of
the pre-eminence of our Italian Opera over the rest of
Europe ; and the prosperity of an establishment so consti-
tuted would soon show to Mr. Ebers, or any other hires-
, :win in his place, that it is not from the number, but from
the qualifications alone of performers, that success is to be
' expected. Let two-thirds of the idle and unnecessary
singers usually engaged at this theatre be set aside, and
their exorbitant salaries be offered, and subsequently re-
gularly paid to, eminent performers, and we will engage
that none of the innumerable complaints which have till
I now invariably attended the administration of the affairs of
this t'reatre will any more be heard of. But the reform
must not be confined to the vocal department—that of the
ballet very loudly calls for amelioration. During the
whole of this season it has been most shamefully, and, in
`appearance, wilfully neglected; we do not, indeed, recollect
ever to have seen it in so deplorable a condition. Most of the
principal femaledancers were taken at a trifling expense from
the figurantes Surnunieraires, that is, the unpaid aspirants
of the Opera at Paris—the rest from the melodramatic the.
etre of the Porte St. Martin ; and as to the English ladies
who compose the distinguished corps of figurontes here,
really a more graceless and ridiculous exhioition of danc-
ing automatons was never seen. Coulon, among the male
dancers, is the only one who came from the Academie
Royale; but he always appeared as if he was dancing
under an impression that on these boards all extraordinary
exertion is perfectly superfluous.
We have equal reason to complain of the want of va-
riety to which those who were intrusted with the manage-
ment of the ballots have condemned us this season. It was
encroaching tro much upon the share of patience and for.
bearauce usually exhibited by John Bull, respecting the
deficiencies of this theatre, to give us nothing but three
insignificant and tiresome ballets. Venus was a poor speci-
men of Messrs. trEgville's and Bochsa's savoirfitire ; and
we hope that when another time they announce them-
selves with an equal pomp as the "principal directors
of the ballet department," we shall find more earnestness
of purpose than quackery in their proceedings.
Signor Velluti has arranged his differences with Mr.
Ebers, from which we may conclude that he is engaged
for next season. As to Madame Pasta, we' ave been since
several days authorized to announce the positive fact, that
two days before her departure she signed a contract with
Mr. Ebers' in which she engages to return to London next
April, and become again the great ornament of our Italian
Opera.

Mr. correspondent, alluding to the oft*
mation in which Mr. Sinclair's vocal powers are now held,
as evinced by his agreement with one of the London Mana-
gers, to receive 10001. for singing a certain number of nights
during one season, reverts to the time when his talents were
first known and appreciated in this city. He was then
admired for his singularly good taste and execution in
church music. Whilst in the band of a corps of militia,
Sinclair, after assisting in playing the regiment to the East
Church, where they usually attended between the fore-
noon and afternoon sermons, mounted, in -his military
dress of course, the precentor's desk, and officiated every
Sunday during their stay here, in a peculiarly delightful
manner. It la said by some of the professional singers with
whom he at that time associated, that Mr. Sinclair re-
ceived at the rate of one shilling for each of these perform-
ances! His discharge from the regiment being procured,
he settled here as a teacher of singing, from whence the
fame of his talents speedily called him to the roArepoiis.—
Aberdeen Journal.
A DRUNKEN Ass.—On Monday laet we saw in reality
" a drunken ass." Poor old Neddy had strayed up the
Horse and Rainbow yard, Kendal, and had a mind to
taste James Harker's home brewed, which was set out in
the coolers. After a hearty pull or two he staggered out
there he lay like a drunken beast as he was, lielp!ess.
of the yard, and fell like *natty another drunken ass, and
stu-
pitted, and incapable of any exertion. His Felhille TURF:*
ter, on coining to look at him, said with an oath, " The ass
is none drunk, but only acting the old soldier."--Wesitrip-
land Gazette.