The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-02-27 00:00:00

ICING'S THEATRE.

On Saturday evening was produced, for the first time in
this country, Morlacelli s heroic opera of Teohaldo e
This opera was originally produced at the 'I heatre Fenice
in Venice, in 1822, and has since been performed at the
principal theatres in Italy, particularly at Florence, where
Signor Velluti and Madame Bonini sustained the cha-
racters allotted to them on the present occasion. lkfor-
lacchi is one of the most indefatigable composers of the
day, he having began his operations when five or six years
o!d, and continued them up to the present period, and the
number of his works would alone form a tolerable cata-
logue for a musical circulating library. His master for
composition was Zingarelli of Loretto. Morlacchi has
particularly distinguished himself in his Oratorios of
hewn and La Mork d'Ahele, by composing a species of
rhythmical declamation instead of recitative, in wrier to
preserve the entire poetry of the immortal Tasso ; it was
a great unfit rtsking, but he was eminently successful.
We shall cndeavo ur to state the plot of Teobaldo e laoliwa
as shortly as possible:—
The two houses of Altermburge and Tromberga enjoyed h turns
the favour of the Marchese dial isnia ; and the birth of Isolina, of
the house of Tromberga, united the two houses t but Corrado,
brother Ermanno, of Tromberga, cherished the bitterest hatred
against Boemondn, the father of Teobaldo, of the house of Alterm-
burge, in consequence of Beomondo having been his successful
rival in the affections of the beautiful Sigiberta, of IVeisaenfeld.
Conado, determined on revenge, murdered the beautiful Sigeberta,
and subtaned waffles:tea to lay the crime to her husband lioeniondo.
Boeniondo was tried, and eventually banished, his property was
sequestrated, anti Corrado came into possession of the Altermburge
estates. Boemondo and his son Teobaldo took up their residence
In Franconia, where the former being charged with a conspiracy,
was arrested, and Teobaldn, in defending his father, was severely
wouaded and left fur dead. From that time Teobaldo became an
adventurer, and in consequence of the odium thrown upon hit fa-
mily, changed his name to that of brgeto, and acquired great re.
nown by his "deeds of arms." At length he returned to
where a war was raging, thinking he might be of service to his
country, and also to revenge himself on the house of 'front.
Iserga. In the interim Corrado had perished by an unknown
hand, having left Isolina heiress to the Altermburge pos.
sessions. Teobaldo at length becama enamoured of a lady.
who proved to be no other than Inolitia, the daughter of
Ermanno. of Tromberga, against whom he had pronounced
the deadliest hatred ; the consequence was that lie left her for :he
tented held, where finding Ermanno her father in a situation
of the greatest danger, he saved his life, and, without disclosing his
name, disappeared. At this period the opera cnnottences and in
the hall of the palace of Altermburge are :rumbled Ermanno and
his daughter Isolina, surrounded by " knights and maidens fair,"
about to repair to the lists, in order to bestow rewards on the sue-
' cessful conquerors at the tournament which has just concluded.
Tenbaldo, under the assumed manic of Segerto, appears, and re-
ceives from Isolina a sword and a crown of laurel, as the rewards of
his valour in the tournay. Boemondo now returns to the neigh-
bourhood, in order to visit the tomb of his wife and daughter;
hither also Segerto repairs, and lioemando discovers in the person
of Segerto his long lost MM. Boemondo calls upon Tenbaldo to re-
venge the murder of his mother in the house of Tromherga,
Teobaldo confesses his lore for Isolina, but at length accepts
the dagger offered him by his father, and vows revenge. Roe-
mondo. assisted by certain black knights, his followers, ap-
pears in arms against Ermanno, but is taken prisoner, when
Teobaldo throws off his assumed panic of Segerto, and declare
himself us the heir to the possessions of Ateraiburge. In consi.
derat ion, however, of Teobaldo having saved the life of Ermanno,
the latter consents to the pardon of Boemondo, and the piece con-
cludes by the reconciliation of all parties, and the union of Teo-
baldo and Isolina, the dramatis persona forming what is termed in
the book of the opera a grnppa anaiogo, or analogous group! The
characters were thus represented :
Boemondo D'Atermeturge . Signor Curioni
Teobaldo, his son, under the name of
Segertoi . Signor Velluti
Ermanno di Tromberga . Signor Porto
Nana . itladame Bonini
fleroldo - Signor Deville
Clemenza, a relative of Ermanno Signora Castelli

Bills were distributes through the house, stating that the
indulgence of the audience was tequested for Signor Velluti,
who laboured under considerable indisposition ; but we
were glad to find very little trace of it, except in one in-
stance, in the duet with Iso Che abisso funesto," in
the second act, in which he broke down. His " Quel
ciglio amoroso," where he received die rewards at the tour-
nament from the hands of Isolina, was highly effective, as
was the whole scene with his father at the tomb of Sigi-
het ta; and the duet of "Ombreterribili"wasadmirably done.
His chef iteuvre however was" Notte tretnenda," in the so..
gond act,•where he hears, from without, the harp of Isolina
in the hall of the palace of Alternihurqe: it surpassed every-
thing we have beard from this extraordinary individual.
Of Signor Curioni it is impossible to speak too highly; his
singing and acting were admirable; throughout the whole
scene at the tomb, when he discovered his son in the per-
son of Segerto, as well as afterwards, when he took the
family banner from the same depository, was perfection.
His " Questo acciaro," at the former period, and his " Ecco
it premier momenta" at the latter, were rapturously encored.
Signor Porto, in Ermanno, was respectable, as was Devine in
Grroldo. Madame &mini displayed considerable power
in Isolina. Her "Oh ! come lieto it cor" was very effec-
tive, as was " In yid soggiorno," a trio in the first act,
by her, Porto, and N'elluti, which was rapturously en-
cored. Madame Castelli displayed more power in "Ma
della aorta" than we have heard from her before.

As a composition, this opera has nothing very particular
to recommend it; it is pleasing, but nothing more. The
overture hid little of novelty, except. indeed that it kept
up a sort of flying correspondence with a band of wind in-
struments behind the scenes ; it is needless to say that it
was carried on by miles. If the opera is curtailed, the
good acting of Curioni and Velluti, and the selections we
have mentioned, are likely to be sufficient attractions to
give it a tun, fur a time at least. There were two new
scenes, very effectively painted; one a grove, where the
tomb Of. Sigiberta is erected, and the other the exterior of
the illuminated palace of Altermburge by moonlight. The
dresses were good, always excepting the Black Knights
Companions of. Boemondo. Tile audience, or at least
that part of it that we presume were ignorant of
Vellutis indisposition, called for an encore of " Notte
tremendo." Velluti appeared, but upon loud cries of
" No" he retired. Signor Porto, whose business it was to
come on, was encouraged to do so by cries of " Go on" mid
applause ; but after advancing a yard or so, and the ap-
plause continuing, he again retired, and this was rep%ati d
for at least ten minutes ; tell minutes, too, on a Saturday
' night, when a new ballet was to he produced ! Boer/rondo
also, in the last scene, ought to have appeared in a tower,
from which lie should have been liberated by Isolina ; but
the tower was dispensed with, we suppose in consequence
of its being so near Sunday morning.
Many of the audience retired at the conclusion of the opera,
it being five minutes past twelve when the curtain dropped,
hut a sufficient number remained to show a disposition for
the ballet to procaed. It was called I.e Bal Claimpetre,.
the music composed and arranged by Bocbsa. The Inci-
dent appeared to be merely that of an officer entertaining
his friends, as described in the title of the pei, e. There
was a band of wind instruments on the stage, amounting to
about twenty, all dressed in black, and, as there was a
Russian pas de (Lux, we imagined that the band might be
in mourning for the Emperor Alexander, but that the Rus-
sian officer was withont crape, which disproved the suppo-
sition. There were two quadrilles, MIC Of whicb, by twelve
females, to use air of Isabelle, was delightfully executed,
and the curtain dropped.

Wiwi/son, Fin. 26.-.-His Majesty's attack of the pput
is greatly diminished. The Rev. 1)r. Stunner performed
divine service this morMag at the Royal Lodge. The
Princes!! 'Augusta; accompanied by her Lady in \Faking,
attended divine service at the parish church. The sermon
was pitachod by the Rev. J. Gosset, from the Pith chapter
of St. Luke and the 6Val,,verse—" And Peter went out and
wept bitterly." At so early Pour yesterday morning
the Coldstream Guards Marched from their barracks here
for London. A battalion of the 3d Guards arrived here in
the afternoon, and will remain fur the Windsor duty.
Prince Leopold arrived in town on Saturday from his
residence at Claremont. His Royal Highness (tined with
the Duchess of Kent, at her apartments at the King's
Palace, Kensington, and afterwards accompanied his
Royal Sister to the Italian Opera House.
A monument to John Knox, the famous Scots reformer,
has !nen erected in the Merchants' Park, Glasgow, and
is spoken of as a great, ornament to that city. A similar
testimony of respect to the memory of the late General
Pieton,•designed by M. Nash, has also recently been
erected not-far from Carmarthen. The plan is extremely
simple, but produces a fine effect; and the erection hide
fair to be tong•ati ornamtpt' to the laud which Gave birth
to this gallant soldier.