The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-04-24 00:00:00

KING'S THEATRE.

The sometime-rending negotiation between Mr. Elves
and Madame Pasta having been concluded by the high
contracting ranks a few days since, announcement was
made that that lady would appear in the course of the
month of April. On Thursday she arrived in this country
from l'aris, a rehearsal took place on Friday, and in the
eve ii.ng of that day a special bulletin was issued front the
pa!sce of the muses, stating, that on the following even-
ing Madame Pasta would appear. In times of greater ex-
citement than the present, scarcely more pains could have
been taken to announce that a victory had been attained
which decided the fate of nations.

The Opera chosen for the occasion was Otlin, and it is
a great favourite with Madame Pasta. The bold attempt
of adapting this tragedy of our immortal bard as an
opera was undertaken by the Marquis Berio, a much-re-
spected Neapolitan. It became a great favourite in Italy,
was introduced by Madame Pasta to the Parisians about
five years since, and was first produced in England in
1823, for Curionrs Benefit, Garcia playing the Moor.—
As a composition, it has all the beauties and defects of Ros-
sini. The most striking originll composition in this Opera
is the finale to the first Act. The finale to the second Act
is also very beautiful, but entirely out of character with
the subject, the short 'remand° °lithe instrumental ac-
companiments being the only indication of the nature of
the scene; in other respects it would imply anything ra-
ther than that of sorrow, to which it is composed. With
these, and one or two other brilliant exceptions, the music of
Ofe/to may he heard in Tancredi or any other of Rossini's
Operas. The Overture is most inefficient ; indeed Rossini
seems always to have considered this branch of his subject
as superfluous.
Madame Pasta, as Desdemona, on her entrance was most
rapturously greeted, and her first aria, " I'alpita in certo
!'anima and Finor versa'," at once proved her powers have
not diminished in the short period that she has been absent
from this country. In the duet with I. nailig, " Vorrei che
it tuo pensiero,' which is one of the beauties of Rossini,
she was very successful, and was ably seconded by Madame
Castelli. The trio, " Nel cot d'un padre amanto," was
very ably given by those ladies and Porto. We cannot
pass over the beautiful conclusion to the highly-wrought
scene between Desdemona, (Mello, and the other characters,
at the end of the first act, " Cite giorno oime d'orror," and
the quintetto, " In certo !'anima vacilla ezeme," forming
the finale, without expressing our highest admiration. The
conclusion of the recitative of Madame Pasta, at the com-
mencement of the third act, " I sospiri d'lsaura el it tnio
piante," drew down thunders of. applause. There was a
delightful display of Madame Pastas taste in " Assisa a
pie d'un salice," where she describes the sorrows of her de-
ceased friend harts, and the concluding verse, " Ma stance
elfin di spargere," was most affecting. Her prayer previous
to retiring to rest, however, was her happiest effigt. At
the conclusion of the air, Desdemona passes behind the
curtains of a recess where the conch is placed ; and after
Madame Pasta had an done, the applause was loud and
deep. After a short thine she re-appeared through the
curtains, as we supposed for the purpose of an encore ; she,
however, only expressed her acknowledgments very elegant-
ly,and betook herself a second time to bed. In the last scene,
where she discovers Mello in her chamber, her " aime che
veggo," and in all the remaining part up to her death, she
was transcendently successful. Her acting is certainly supe-
rior to that of any female who has appeared on these boards
since the days of Grassini ; her form is beautiful, and her
attitudes finely imagined. There always was a little harsh-
ness in the lower notes of her voice, but then her upper
ones are so clear, and her cadences so exquisitely correct
and chaste, as to leave us little else to wish for. Curioni
we have seldom seen to more advantage; it is quite unne-
cessary to particularise where all lie had to do was done
so ably. Porto, in Elmiro, has but little, except in the har-
monized parts, and there his voice is always heard to the
greatest advantage. Madame Castelli and Signor Deville
did their best, but they are both wanting in power, parti-
cularly the latter, for the character he had to represent on
this occasion, that of linderiggo, is somewhat important
in the perfect representation of this opera. The attention to
dramatic effect, at the termination of the opera, by the
sudden death of Desdemona and Mello, is indeed fatal, as
far as regards the music, for Rossini has not allowed even a
single bar to accompany the falling of the curtain.
This abrupt termination is even more distressing
than the catastrophe. Opera poets are very seldom in the
habit of attending strictly to the rules of' consistency ; we
could, however, have wished, if Rossini despised the
composition of a few bars as a requiem, that the poet had
transported Desdemona and the Moor to the Elysian
fields (and we think her intercession would have carried
him there), in ordet that we might have had a suitable
finale and chorus.

We congratulate the public on the re-engagement of
Madame Pasta, as prima donna, both on account of the
pleasure they will derive from her individual exertions, as
well as from the novelty of the production of six different
Operas, which are to be performed under her selection,
during the remainder of the season; Ote//o, of course,
forming one of that number.
'1 he House was attended by the Duchess of Kent,
Prince Leopold, and a long list of fashionable,. At the
conclusion of the Opera, in *consequence of the calls of
the house, Madame Pasta was conducted across the stage
by Curioni, amidst the cheers of the audience. Le Nois-
sance de Venus followed, and does not appear as yet to
have lost any of its attraction.