The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-06-15 00:00:00

H;iTMARKET THEATRE.

This elegant place of Summer amusement was opened
last night for the season. The interior of the Theatre has
undergone a course of improvement, pad now appears to
considerable advantage. The audience was lirllhant and
crowded. Before the curtain rose scarcely a seat could be
obtained in the boxes. The performances cononenced
with a farcical interlude, called Come if you Can. We
suppose it was intended only for a few nights; but we fear
it will never see the length of days to which its author
hoped to extend its duration. It was interrupted several
times with no equivocal marks of the unfavourable opinion
of the audience. The Lord of the Manor. followed, in
which Liston and Madame Vestriv made their appearance,
and were welcomed most cordially. Fish Out td Water
concluded the entertainments. Among the performers
who made their delmi at this Theatre were Messrs. Wilkin-
son, Melrose, and Hocken, who were severally received as
their previous merits entitled them to expect. A prosperous
season, we think, may be anticipated.

KING'S C'O.VCERT ROOMS,
lIANOVER-IMUARE.

Last night, that musical phenominon, Master Aspull, had
his benefit concert at these rooms. Exclusive of his own
singular efforts .on the piano-forte, he enlisted into his
service the first vocal talent in this country, foreign as well
as native : Madame Ronal de Begnis, Madame Pasta,
Miss Paton, Miss Melville, and Miss Stephens, exhibited
in their most prominent songs; and Garcia, Curioni,
and Kellner, contributed their powerful exertions to aid
the general effect. Mr. Chatterton played a fantasia
on the harp, and displayed a delicacy of touch and
power of execution, which proves to us, that however
high we must value the powers of a Boclisa, we arc still
convinced of the opinion we have so often expressed—that
we need not yield in native talent to any thing which our
foreign friends can introduce amongst us. Within the last
week we were enabled to inform our readers of the peculiar
improvisitdre power of Master Aspull on the piano-forte,
and we can 119 w add nothing to the praise which we then
bestowed on his astonishing performance. We were happy
to find that Madame Ronal de Begnis had recovered from
the indisposition which deprived the public of her per-
formance on Saturday evening, at the Opera House; and
we must say, it is highly creditable to the medicinal art in
this country, that it can so speedily produce such desirable
results. Signor Benelli would do well to engage some
eminent practitioner in the healing art, in order to secure
the frequenters of the Opera with the healthy appearance
of the artists whom he engages at so prodigal an ex-
pense, before the title and other patrons of his Theatre.
Rossini 's music was tastefully selected on the occa-
sion of this benefit, and associated with choice Mur-
ceaux of Bishop, the treat was really intellectual.—
The King's concert-room has think assetiations in music
which were not forgotten ; and altogether we had " a feast
of reason and a flow of soul" The auditory were, as they
ever are and have been at the King's Concert-room, highly
respectable, and we have to regret that they were not so
numerous as our wishes led us to anticipate. We have a
very strong objection to the mode of receiving the foreign
and English singers ; but by-and-bye, we hope, the thing
will right itself. This taste is altogether capricious, and
directed by fashion. Fashion, however, only confers an
' ephemeral fame—a fame not to be cavesed by those whose
merits really deserve preserving. Our English artists, we
mean Miss Stephens, Miss Melville, and Miss l'aton can
afford to suffer, u they have done on this occasion, but
their talents must place them where they ought to be. Be-
nefit nights are not the o:rasions on which criticism can, or
ought fairly to interfere ; but while we pay a deserved tri-
bute of applause to imported talent, it would be unmanly,
un-English, superior
not to pay to such artists (for so we
must phrase it), as Miss Stephens, Miss Melville, and Miss
Paton, the feeble requital of our humble approval. Ma-
dame Pasta was deservedly encored in Di (anti paljuili,
which she executed with a power peculiarly her own. Kele-
ner was in fine voice, and gave the 11Ianiac with the most
felicitous effect. The combination of vocal and instru-
mental music is gratifying in the extreme, and as we have
just remarked, the only drawback to our enjoyment was,
that the rooms were not se entirely filled as Master Aspull,
with the aid of his friendi, justified us in expecting.