The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-01-23 00:00:00

KING'S THE4TRE.

The proprietors of the winter theatres, within the at
two years, have made great exertions to impart rent-sled
and augmented splendor to the interior of their resperme
establishments. I.)uring the recess, corresponding exertaes
have been made on behalf of the King's theatre, on a eak
the most liberal and extensive. We have noticed from gat
to time the progress of the improvements that have ha
made, and we were gratified lest evening with a
opportunity of seeing those improvements compleed,
and exhibited to the utmost advantage. The Ire
embellishments arc all brilliant, chute, and doable
The ceiling is particularly beautiful ; it is divided jee
nine compartments, and in the centre of each is a Andy-
painted figure of one of the Muses. This is a most hippy
device, and one that is as becoming as it is approprate.
Of the other ornaments and decorative devices we lane
already spoken ; and it only remains for us to add, that
the very numerous and elegant company which was he
evening invited to inspect them, bore the highest tied-
mon, to. their beauty, brilliancy, and propriety. Hoe
gratifying this appearance must have been to then
who remember the dull and worn-out aspect tibia
the house presented last season ! An accident hap-
pened to the centre chandelier, by its falling, through
the negligence of some of the persons engaged is
the machinery for placing it in its present dishpans's.
This circumstance, we understand, occasioned the delay
of a week in opening the theatre. The chandelier was sat
entirely destroyed by the fall • it has been sin* quint!,
and additional lustres have been added to it, ho that it is
now one of the most costly ornaments introduced into any
of our theatres. It remains for us to say little of the per-
formance of last night, which was not, indeeet a regular
performance, but a preparatory exercise for theeopening of
the house on Saturday next. The performers sisere to me
dress, and went through their respective parts with ea
ease and familiarity which bespoke a consciousneu of their
appearing rather before an assembly of friends than the
tribunal of public criticism. The entertainments of the
evening commencer! with a divertisement. The principal
performers were Mr. C. Vistas; Madame Ventriei and Is-
demoiselle Legros. The two former arc well-known oh
justly-admired favourites of the public. The Ishii- require'
only to be known to become so. She has danced; we under-
stand, with great eclat at Naples, and iv engaged after the •
present season here to perform at Vienna. Her encellenee is
in her grace, her perfect eased execution, and her tankful 1,
variety of attitude. She could, we think, however, hare .4
made greater exertions in the way of display and saecutUe p
but we will postpone our judgement of her pierits until 4
she comes regularly before us at the opening of the house.
Maelethoiselle Grows also appeared in the divertisement,
which consisted of rai de trine and /we de d ear alternately. '
The ballet followed, but • partial rehearsal of ig only took
place. It is entitled "La fries de soled." It opens with a
very gay and enlivening scene of Peruvian maids dancing
round an altar, and contributing to it wreaths of votive
roses, and baskets of flowers. The touter of the balk
(Monsieur :tuner) ascends and descends, but again we
repeat that we must wait for the adventitious aid of air •
peopriate dresses, and of the whole scenery, io catch s
correct notion of the subject of this ballet, which, from
being a Peruvian one, will give great scope for splendor.
The opera to be played is Zehniers, which has not been
acted before in this country. Great expectadons have bees
formed of it, not only from the reputation of its author
(Itordni), but from the very flattering circumstance of the
audience interrupting the opera, the first tune it was per
formal at Vienna, and not permitting it to proceed until
histeeslf made his appearance on the stage to receive
the enthusiastic applause of the homes. Three new pieta
will be performed on Saturday--an instance of novelty awl I
a proof of meritorious exertion which has not, Me believe,
before occurred at the opening of any season at the King's
Thy/lire. Such efforts merit encouragement and suers,
and that success we. anticipate, will reward the enterprise
and spirit by which the King's Theatre has been letelersel
every way worthy the patronage of that high clamor mere ty
of whichit has long been the place of peculiar aid fastest-
rite resort.

Mist CAr. PRO DIG It .—Oa WetinCiday, Master Gauge
of whom so much has lately been mid as a mu-
sical prodigy, ptrformed on one of Clementiars imlerisl
patent grassed pmna-fortes, at Clemeuti and Co.'s large ware-
room. its.Cheapside, diefose.an assemblage of pwalessors sale- '
lected for that purpose. The child commencol his per-
formance with I falkbranner's celebrated variations to Rid..
' lir itan lila, the inert difficult pasimges of which 1r executed
with the plates' ease, and with the great,st *ding, ex-
pritution, S:c. in the most rapid movements as well as the
adagios. He continued playing some of the same com-
poser's music, Clementini a, Mozart's, ot and hile composi-
tions, for upwards of two hours, with the greatest seal and
enioVinent, without any disposition to leave oft as is ge-
ncrally the case with those of his tender age of sight years.
Although his fingers are not of sufficient length for ID
octave, yet be contrives to give a slight touch to the key.
so that the defect is not diseovered, which nu adm!ticd
by the professors and amateurs present, who all joined i
frequent exclau.s.ims of " Wonderful !" " Aa mishing
" Hmvissimo !" and appeared at a loss for weds toexpress
their ar:o. is!ituent and admitation, but agramlin admitting
that be was a prodigy and pl cn.m coon in ever! sense of the
word. Most of' time prowt.t rppi grad in great exstacy and
delight in I aving the pleasure of shaking blunts and coo-
versing with such an infant wonder. He ;s an t sumach
well-bohrivid child ; be is ender the care of Its father and
an mate. r of the highest respectability. The leaves of
the music-book front which be played were turned aver fur
him by an t iii i l sent organist and piana-forte player, who
looked at the music as he played it, and highly rompli-
*vented him, and also expressed his astemishmett. The
attention of Ws eyes, ellieh was required, to the tousle, wets
also as astonishing as the residuum/ and execution with which
he plays the most difficult passages; and he is even wide
at this early age, to be what is called a siAtit player;
raid
as a proof of it, he played music for three hews, a leo
evemugs since, which he hail hot seen before, scemoraniei
by other instruments. A professor who heard Nlesso
piny when he was fourteen years of :ore, says his 001*
,v:,' not to be compared then to yotwg Aspull's now, t•
eiLthr y‘ ars or age.