The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1820-05-15 00:00:00

KING'S THRATRE. •

The opna of Tonere& win repeated on Saturday
might. The +abject being heroic, and in some
measure historical, is the most lofty theme upon
• which the ingenious composer, Rossi/sit has cza
vivified ins powers of invention. It is hard to de.
*ermine whether the excarsive wildfire@ of the plot,
its its deviation from historical currecenes% be or be
DM. in favour of its racial effect. The poet,
Rossi, is not, however, answerable for thit deem-
lion, in whatever way it may be determined. Ile
has obeye:l long•established casitoins mud modest
which have, by adoption and successinii, become as
binding on writers in that litre, as the Oreciau modes
are in respect to the form of any other kind of poeti-
cal composition ; he his done more. Within the
prescriptive minims of plot and character, he Ives
an-overt the incidents with great skill and seeming-
tress; his sentiment is generally powerful,) et natural
to the incidents which awaken it ; sod his language,
For vigour sod simplicity. would bear • companion
with Murasessio. The composer bas caught
the ardour of the poet; and here we are furnished
with another instance of the effects of good music
and good language in conjunction; how much sen-
sible nowt* folly be sublimated by a skilful multi-
ciao; and,on the other hand, how much more hap-
pily his labours progress, wilco lie has, as it were.. a
good Pegasms to bear hint through. Thud is not
said so much in sympathy fur tlw good poets erh•
have suffered from one of the opposite defects; they
Call surtain but link injury from the fault. of mu-
sical compositiou. But bow much excellent
music, English us well as Italian. has souk into
notlittiguess from the inanity or extravagance of had
poets, it were latiimtable to coussd-r. The opts,-
log chorus of the first act of Tuneredi is very
powerful and imagiustive, awl the Choruses
generally are arranged in a manner which secures
the fullest effect ; the thoro' parts (if we may so
rill them), winch sire left to the voices, comprising
intervals of easy execution, while the orchestra parts
keep up a splendid revelry of composition little
short of MOZART'S excellence. There is less of the
abstruse quaintness of operatic music, and more of
feeling sod impassioned genius that' iu any piece
composed within the last few years. We would
particularly instance the mita between Tastered
and Amenaide, when he first discovers himself
to her on his return, which, to say nothing of
its ingenious combinations, is very psthetic and
original. Still it is not to be dewed to those
who are very incredulous of Hossisi's excel-
lence, that lie very frequently s, repeat. himself,"
and is too opt to relapse into mere habitu,fes of in-
vention, like the mannerism of persouui character, or
the prevailing singularities of itterividual converse-
, tion ; neither is be scrupulous enough 'boa
adopting the inventive property of leis immediate
predecessors and cto;tempumries. The works of the
older masters, as FIELDING says of the ancients,
are COMMQ.: hoods, where every wilier may batten his
regasm or steed of interior dignity, as it may be,
Bus there should always be au avoidance of ordinary
and modern spoliation. This makes it little agree-
able to witness the appropriation of continued bars
of MOZART, or, what it perhaps equally oljection-
able, the repetition of long strains, which are taken
without qualification from his own work. The Bar-
ber of Seville, or were lent to it, for we worts• not
to know the order of time in the production a,f his
pieces. Twacredi is, notwithstanding. a very con.
skb:ruble work. amid exhibits great powers of corn-
position, and unusual fancy and taste in the au-
thor. It peculiarly suits the powers of Madame
BELLOCHI, to whose excellent taste the public are
indebted for the bringing it forth. us it was the
piece which she chose for her benefit, and was per-
formed for the first time on that occasion. The
similarity of taste which she manifests towards the
works of this composer is equally creditable to her-
self and him.

Another very expressive and interesting steno pre-
cedes the tirade of the Ent act, which, though of
the ordinary character of bustle end consternation,
which, by operatic device, terminates this act in
every peace, displayed much novelty and intricacy
in its modifications and changes. And again,
the theme of the lust flack is very touching
and primitive, and produced a great seussition
of delight among the audience. Madame Bet.-
Loctif's performance of Taneredi was one of
those efforts, the excellence of which it would
be difficult to characterize. It had the full
energy of masculine feeling, softened by the sensi-
tiveness of the kinder sex. Even the enornity of a
young warrior, ringing in a powerful treble voice,
was overcome by volume of tone, and expression
pointed by the nicest discrimination. However re-
marksble it may pound, she makes • very interest-
ing hero. She was very loudly encored in a charm-
ing song in the first act, in which she blended
brilliancy of execution and expressiveness of the
rarest kind. Indeed the love scenes, which are
very various in their character, and which fell to her
and Miss Coaat.as the paramour of the piece, were
splendidly executed throughout. Miss MORI was
missed, some cause having prevented her appeer-
mice, and her substitute being wholly unequal to the
duty. Signor Butroit has great power, and
though it is not exercised with the must graceful
end pleasing facility, it is under the direc.
tion of a judgment which 'reser errs essentially.
Indeed. his execution an the exercise of the mbar°,
and the interpnlation of inflexions and gracee, was '
frequently surprising, and called forth considerable
applause. ASIKKISSNI need not be mentioned on
this occasion, as he has so frequently prpved him.
self excellent on much more difficult ones. In the
barertisrusew, MILANIK Sad QICAIL BYKN C danced
their favourite pas do deux. to a Scotch movement,
which would lie considered by a Highlander as the
beatification of one of his uwo reels. Their per.
format.ce was very delicate and spirited. and their
figures mid features taken into the recount. give no
very defective Wee of the mewl and jilayfuliirsa of
Loveand Psyche, when they first met, according to
the poet's imagination. 'the pit was inconveniently
crosinfed, even to the doors, and the boxes displayed
a thronged scree of loveliness and fashions, alischire-
minded one of the parterres or mohomineti's pers.
dime. The season will inevitably be as profitehle as
the present judicious end spirited management
seems to chrism Ism the ,discernsueut of the public.
Among the distinguished frirl.iunablies present we
noticed—
The Dike aid pubes@ of Gleactdor, the tort of 'florist-
toe, the *fey* sae bismooat•staleielerb Psdi

SO, Aire. Pitgiserisart, Cowl, St. Stitnnina Lend Draw*kw"
Sir Thosnms Faroahar, Sir William and Led, Codeine**,
Dodgem of Argyll soil the Ladies Paget, Earl of Wioarlulaca,
Ea►l and omit,* n( Scarborough, Duchess of Doseleach,
Lady Alwyn', Mrs. Balfour, 311arehnowas of VslaaJbaah
earners' Slagle. C.auot►r t:raren, Earl of Clare, lady Fits.
gibbon. Earl Tlomet, Lord Lake. Airs. 0. by Hank', Lord
and Lady Shafiesbary, Sir Jahn anal Lady Murray,
Sir Charles Ascii!, J. Fuller, Esq. Sir Carnahy Haggeraton,
Lumley St George Skeffistietvii, Lady Petre, Lady Latakia
lard Tanaworak, AI. Ure, Esq. M.P. Lady Ann Beck-
ett, Sir W. W. Wynn, Earl of Dip, Lady Onto, Lotds
Darnley, Dararnouila, relrC, Clifton, Lonsdale, Palmerston,•
Earl and Cuwasaess Morley, Lord Lowther, sad Sir C. sanJ
Lady Cockerel'.