The Sun.
London, England, 1855-06-04 00:00:00

1855.

HA YMARKET THEATRE.

The long-promised new opera, Bel to ; or the Gnome of
Hartzburg, by Mr. Henry Smart, was produced at this
theatre, on Saturday evening, with most sigcal success.
The libretto is from the pen of Fitzball, and the com-
poser has made good use of the materials furnished him.
The plot of the opera is simple. It is as follows :
Michael (Hr. S. Reeves), a young forest ranger, is
deeply in love with Berta, a village coquette, and, al-
though she loves him in return, she, acting on the
caprice of her sex, raises a quarrel with her betrothed,
rejects his company to the fair, and finally informs him
she will never marry him until he is Baron of Hartz-
burg. The real Baron (Mr. Weiss), who some years ago
left the place, after his life had been saved by Michael,
returns incognito, and determines to cure Berta of
her coquetry. He affects love for her himself, and
gets poor Michael into all manner of difficulties, which
create the desired effect on Berta. The Baron enters
int• a compact with Michael, who, in order to obtain the
hand of Berta, agrees to anything, and the Baron after
being the means of Michael being accused of robbery,
gives him a letter to free himself from the stigma which
declares him to be the rightful Ba7en of Hartzburg, but
the condition on which he receives the paper is, that be
is not to marry Berta. The trick of the letter having
been discovered by the Burgomaster, he arrives with
the villagers to unmask the imposture, and salute the
real person. Michael is arrested, and the Baron of
Hartzburg offers his hand to Berta, as a ransom for Mi-
wahni de h he Be
hererta
ofch athele.
oPeoeaosrißone.rtalcnonosrednetrs,toanedffeaeftehteieisegeeivaepne,injuhioenhoauelr
hhaass fito
:di) atsos t
ehereao upgeh
ftrhoemapartmentslh inng,
overhears her confess her love for him while
sleeping. She awakens, all is explained, and the
lovers fly to share each other's solitude in the Gnome
King's cavern. The baron follows them, and having
assumed the character of the Gnome King, compels
Berta to make a full eonfession of her love for Michael,
and then to give proof of his power changes the dreary
realms of the Gnome King to a brilliant baronial hall filled
with company this is effected by machinery which had
been constructed by a former baron, for the purpose of
(
ensnaring virtue, in the character of the Gnome King,
and wouri pays hishich Valouri, only by an accident discovers.
Val debt of gratitud
life—to Michael, and all ends happile —the saving of his
y. The opera of Berta is a composition of a very high
order, in it we.have expressive melody, skilful construc-
tion, and rich in varied instrumentation. The introduc-
tion, with the legend of the Gnome King, sang by Mr.
Sims Reeves cannd
Toedintermi with the chorus of villagers,
is exceedingffctive. rt in the third scene
is also a beautiful composition, and richly merited the
applause it received. The gems of the opera are Be
song, " Oh, is it not a pleasant thing," Michael's two
ballads, "In vain I would forget thee," and " Sad was
the hour."
The execution of the opera was in every respect ad-
mirable for its completeness. Mrs. Sims Reeves, no
doubt owing to her recent illness, was scarcely up to
" Philharmonic pitch," but Mr. Reeves and Mr. Weiss
sung splendidly. The opera has been put upon the stage
in a manner which reflects the highest credit upon the
management, and will no doubt fully repay the trouble
and expense occasioned in its production. It was an.
nounced for repetition amidst the loudest applause. The
house was crowded in every part long before the rising of
the curtain.