The National Register.
London, England, 1819-02-01 00:00:00

;17 •

TEIE DRAMA.

KING's THEATRE.

The entertui 'intents at this place of ainitsement, lave
colones:T(1 with a new opera, called l' Bulimia in Al
'area. It is not usual to indulge the author at this
class of literary productions with a critical notice ; the
materials are generally so slight, and the cement that
'Satins, them of so fragile a nature, that their shmmunt
10iiiiin, the chief ambition 4,1 this self-called class of
poets, is to slumber unnoticed. We confess, however,
ate .ittle at the outset towards the writer of this
er.aeta, for lieving contrived in this instancy to spill and
to mutilate the beautiful story of Roxalana, fr m the
tales of Meemoserat —a subject that has frec uently
been dramatised, but never till now. perhaps, 1 as ex-
perienced such ill treatment. For the slake of intro-
ducing a lover to the fair slave, he has wholly pirvertcd
the original design ; but this might perhaps be f rgiven,
as a lover is en these useasions deemed indispeesable :
we can find no excuse Jim his treatment of her royal
inamorato, the Bey of Algiers, who is here the repre-
seutative of the haughty .Nolynan in MANSIoNII t., who
in order h bring about a union between tl tse two
lovers, is made to undergo indienitici which neither
Tuck, ( liristian, nor Fagan, could possibly st knit to.
The whole of the story is in wretched bad taste, is
neither underetood, n'r excites the least dramatic
inter The music is by Rosman, who has already
furnished two operas to 0.. r Italian theatre, and ace
quired numerous almirers and partisans ascoog the
musical portion c f the public. " Il Barbiere di "
• is perhaps his best comic opera, and created a very high
ilea o: the talents of this young composer, which has
hardly :mint:tined itself by the subsequent specimens
with which we have beeime acquainted, The new
piece of last night miming some beautiful airs, and
many original and happy 'reneges; but as a whole, it
is extremely unequal; and us the composer approaches
the end of the second act, becomes feeble and languid
to a thegree which only those who know the indolence
as well es the talent of 1101i6INI can account fur.
Atnahg the best pieces is the opera is the Cavatina,
sung by Sig. GARCIA, in the first act ; there is a repose
and tcrulermas in the first muveinent, udrairably adapted
to the situ alion ; the quick movement eilded to leis,
however, out of keeping, us the sentiment in fact re-
mains unchanged. The duet -that succeeds it, is an
usually tine specimen of comic style and of dramatic
contrast. The airs allotted to Madame 131 I.Loi;itt, the
new performer, who represented the heroine of the
piece, also possess great beauty ; to these we may add
the whole of the finale of the first act, (selecting as
the must soil:leg passage in • it, the trio beginning
" Psia di dividerci di sad ; and we have pointed out
all that is werthy of notice. It must be admitted,
however, that an opera containing so many beauties as
above enumerated, meet haves a show of hands in its
favour, and such indeed was the reception it expe.
rienced: a judicious certailmert is, however, much
required: the piece, by lasting too long, and ending in
imbecility, weakens, if it does not destroy, the im
pression of its prominent beauties. The new singer,
Mad. BELLoctii, is an acquisition to our Italian stage,
and to the musical world in general : her talents are
of an order that place her in the first rank of her pro-
fession ; nature has gifted her with an agreeable and
flexible voice, and its cultivation has been carried to
the highest perfection ; it is of the clams called mezzo
soprano, but combines in a remarkable degree many of
the peculiar qualities and facilities of the common
sopreno or treble. Signor PLAt CI, a bass singer, also
appeared for the first time In this country : he has
some execution, bet possesses neither a just intonation
nor a voice of much strength or clearness. AMBRoGETTI
las a part in the opera, and supportrd the comic pas-
seges in the style which has made him a favorite among
us ; and Signer GAICIA, as the lover, sung in the
manner of his former efforts, which as music are quite
perfect. The new daggers, who form part of the
novelties of the evening, do not claim more than a
st:ght notice, as they do not exhibit abilities above
neeilocrity ; and that quality in dancers, as in poets,
nude but little quarter.

THE N TT ON AT, IVEGISTIM.

•itate to exclaim, !" Bradbury ()failure." There at-
soThe•Tlendid scones, avid one very cleverly managed
trick, thpugh by no means a new one, we mean that of
ramming the Clown into a cannon, and firing him
DonGlornani's statue. The Oratorios com-
menced at this Theatre ye terday evening.