The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1821-01-22 00:00:00

DRURY-LANE THEATRE.

Miss WILSON repeated the part of Mandane,
in Artaxerxes. on Saturday night, to • house
equally crowded and fashionable as on her first
appearance. As might have been expected, she
',hewed greater fortitude, and exerted a more
complete command over her powers than ou
Thursday evening. Some of her excellencies,
*which escaped observation at first from the splen-
dour of her performance, became more mani-
fest. She has that peculiar talent, which. were
we to judge by the profession generally, seems to
lie almost • magical secret with the vocalists, of
unremitting progression in tones as well as inter-
vals. Her strains have that character of vitality
which has rendered Mr. BRAMAN so famous among
his judges, and given him such unlimited sway over
the genres of his least expert auditors. Like
him, Mies Watscisi exercises no harsh detention
of the note or the passage to give striking effect in
a single instance to the ueglect of the whole strain
beside. Though her tones are petalled exquianely,.
they never drag or languish—they undulate, die-.
solve, mud form again with wonderful power and
animation. If we may point out one speck on such
bright excellence. it is, that some of her contrasts
or alterations between loud and soft are too sudden
and inapt. This defect lies been already glanced
at by a contemporary. It is to be ascribed to the
school from which Miss WILSON has come, which
thotigh nearly perfect in discipline, has been ob-
served.to impart a degree of unmeaning mannerism
to its most successful disciples. Miss Wthson's
taste and imagination will speedily shake this off
as she gains public experience. Her recitative is
rather too rich in execution. She will, no
doubt, learn to give it a snore familiar and
colloquial effect. Her success with the songs
was greater than on the first night. The ad-
miration of her audience rendered some of them
thoughtlessly cruel. She was compelled to re-
peat thosewhich were of the most difficult execu-
tion,lo the great eshaustion of her strength. After
she had repeated Tke Soldier tired," souther
cry of encore was set up, which was backed by
loud acclamations of applause and manifestations of
rapture and astonishment from every part of the
house. The more considerate, however, cried
" Shame, shame !"—" Too muck too mach !"
Miss WILSON stood in apparent perturbation at
this conflict of public feeling. She bowed submits.
sively and imploringly to the audience. The bu,i-
nese of the beetle was suspended for some minutes.
She was handed by Madame VISTRIs towards the
wing, and seemed to suffer from momentary debility.
At length Mr. RUSSELL came forward, and having
obtained silence, implored the audience, as the
whole part of Masticate was extremely difficult sod
laborious, no less thau the last song, that they would
kiudly condescend in forego their claim to another
teptiition of " 7hs Soldier tired." This was ,
cheerfully granted, and the piece went on without
further interruption. Mr. BRAHAN gave increased
effect to "Oh I too lovely, too unkind." He has
been frequently charged with a love of tawdry ein-
bellishment in his graces, and a want of taste for
the compositions of the great masters. Let any
who hold that opinion go and hear him sing the
song just named, and '• Water patted." Never
were the joint inspirations of poetry and music
snore chastely and powerfully blended iu living
bong than by Mr. MMUS' in these two
pieces. The latter especially was as plain-
tive, melodious, and passionate as the human
voice could express it ; sod with the pathetic
violoncello accompanitueet, which was finely exe-
cuted, led the audience through labyrinths of feel-
ing and fancy perhaps never before explored by the
greater part of them. This was, indeed, a sober and
genuine triumph of the art over the judgment, no
lessthan the other stases of those who heard it. Mr.
Holm was loudly applauded fur his performance
of "I Behold, ow Lease's dismal strand," aud he was
no kw loudly encored after Ins spirited execu-
lion of " Thy father! away." Miss POVEY
creased the degree of favour to which she had
been advanced by her first performance of
.emira. Madame VESTRIS was again loudly
smeared in " lie hefts" Mir hopes and fears."—
Vire donut like theilinhe of the tune on the seventh
line, and still leas I.e. •larmonious stoppage of it
tin the syllable so, in the word innocence, in the
same line. In other respects nothing could be
song better ; it was exceedingly touching, aud her
SUMO were of almost luscious sweetness. The
quartet, " Light as stoon-beants," was enthusius-
tically encored. 'the whole piece, in fact, holds
the attention of the audience nearly in a drudgery
of admiration ; as lung as it has been written, as
frequently aud perfectly as it hiss been per's:ruled,
it never Wore commanded such marked attention
and such loud and heartfelt applause. It wee given
ooh for repetition to-inorrow, Thursday,
Sa-
turday.

Yesterday divine verviee was performed at the
Palace in Pall-mall by the Rev. Dr. STANILR
CLARE.

The Prince's SOPHIA called at the KING'S Pa-
lace in Pall-will yesterday. to pay her tespects to
her Royal Brother the KING.
Ye.terday the Duke of Chaitexce aitrothd di.
tine service at the Chapel Royal, St. Pa-
lace.

I'riuce LEOPOLD and the Duchess of KEW? st.
feuded divsue service yesterday, at the German
Royal Chapel, St. Jllllltll'S Palace.

- -
Ytstetdsy the Princess SOPHIA visited the
Duchess ist CLARENC6.
Fridley the Prince's AUGUSTA strived nt het re-
siti"irce ut Froginure, Iruw her visit to the KING
at Iltigliton.
Saturday morning the Princess AUGUSTA left
Froginore for London on a riot to the Duchess of
CLAIIENC6 sod die Princess SOPHIA. in the
evening hit Royal Highness left town on her return
to Froginore.

tin Frid.i.y the Dmehess of KENT and the Prin-
cess FEODOII dined with the Duke and Duchess
ul ('sacks.