The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-26 00:00:00

OYAL I TALIAN OPERA,
COVENT GARDEN.
Mr. GYE has the honour to announce to the Nobility,
Gentry, Subscribers, and the Public, that the Opera Season
of 1864 will commence on
TUESDAY NEXT, MARCH 29TH.
The forthcoming Season will be the Eighteenth of The
Royal Italian Opera, seventeen years having now elapsed
since its original establishment.
It cannot but be a source of pride and gratification to the
Director to reflect that he is again enabled to place before
his Subscribers some account of the arrangements which
he has wade for theft entertainment, well calculated to
sustain the pre-eminent position held by the Royal Italian
Opera among the greatest Lyrical Establishments of
Europe.
It will be seen by the following slight outline that the
company of Artistes is of unprecedented strength. It in.
eludes, each in their particular emploi, the three greatest
Prima Donne, the four most renowned Tenors, and the
three most celebrated Barytonea in Europe; while the
Basses have been reinforced by the two most esteemed
Artistes in Italy and Germany.
Mademoiselle ADELINA PATTI.
Maine. ADELINA PATTI will return with fresh laurels
gathered during the recess. This young Artiste has,
during the past winter, visited her native city of Madrid, in
which capital she was born on March 19th, 1843, and where,
ne it well be imagined, the display of her wonderful talents
-wag received with the most unbounded enthusiasm by her
compatriotes.
Madlle. PATTI was honoured by several personal inter-
views with her Majesty the Queen of Spain, she received
many distinguished marks of favour from the Nobility and
Oentry,while the Public, notwithstanding that the prices of
admission to the Opera were raised beyond all former pre-
cedent in Madrid, filled the theatre to overflowing on every
night of representation.
On the 19th of August last, when thaCongress of Ger-
man Potentates met in the City etwFrankfort-on-the-
Maine, Madlle, Patti received the distinguishedhonour of
being specially summoned to perform on the occasion of the
Grand Gala Fete given by the Authorities of that city to
the assembled Sovereigns. As expressed in the journals
orrinces." the day, Madlle. Patti literally sang to a "Parterre de
P
From Madrid Madlle. Patti proceeded to Paris, and is
there fulfilling her second engagement to the satisfaction
and delight of the abonnees of the Theatre Italien.
The Repertoire of Madlle. PATTI, of unusual extent for
Re young an Artiste, now includes the Operas of " La Son-
nambula," " Luci di Lammermoor," t, La Traviata,"
"Martha," "Don Pasquale," " Dirorah," " Il Barbiere."
Don Giovanni," "La Gazza Ladra," &c. In addition to
these, Madlle. PATTI Mill appear in the characters of
Adina in "L'Eliair d'Amore," and in that of Maria in "La
P.iglia del Reggimento," which she performed, for the first
time, at the close of last season ' • she will also appear, and
for the first time, in the part of Susannah in " Le Nozze di
Figaro," and in Margherita in Gounod's Opera of "Faust."
Mademoiselle PAULINE LUCCA.
It is indeed a rare event in the annals of the lyric stage
that two young Artistes of extraordinary and commanding
talents should appear for the first time almost simulta-
neously as candidates for public favour.
About the same period that Madlle. PATTI made her first
appearance at the Royal Italian Open, Covent Garden, the
musical world of Germany was sounding the praises of a
young Artiste who just then had made her debut at the
Royal Opera at Berlin. This debutante was Mdlle. PAU.-
Lucck—her youth, her beauty. and her wonderful
-voice, soon placed her securely in public favour, and in a
very short time the Prussim Government presented her
with an engagement for ten years. The Director of the
Royal Italian Opera was naturally anxious to afford an
opportunity to his subscribers to hear so interesting an
Artiste, and towards the end of last Season, was enabled
to procure (by special favour) of the Royal Hof-Theater-
llirection of Berlin, permission for Madlle. LUCCA. to give
three representations in London. The success which at-
tended the young Artiste on the occasion of these three
performances will not easily be forgotten by thc.e who
witnessed them. Madlle LUCCA returned to Berlin full
of honours and succeeded in obtaining, by Royal favour,
1.1,..te annual conge of three months ; and it is thus that Mr.
.-11'e has been able to secure her services for the greater
-portion of his coming season.
_Madlle. Lucca. will make her debut in Meyerbeer's
Opera " Lea Huguenots." She will then perform the cha-
ractert of Margherita Gounod's Opera of " Faust ;" then
Figaro;
of Cherubino in Mozart's Open., " Le Nome di
, afterward.; that of Mrs. Ford in Nicolay's Opera,
_ ,Lthe Merry Wives of Windsor • and lastly the great
IN of Catarina in Meyerbeer's Grand Historical Opera,
L'Etoile du Nord."
Mademoiselle EMILIA LAGRUA.
It has never been the habit of the Director of the Royal
Italian Opera to herald forth the praises of Artistes about
to make their first appearance at his Theatre, however great
their continental reputations may have been ; and in the
!..13.58 intention
Lof the engagement of Mademoiselle Lagrua it is not
i to depart from this custom any farther than
tai express a ve y confident hope that this Artiste will sus-
s in London the reputation which she now enjoys
abroad, viz.—that of being, in the Opera Serie, by far the
greatest dramatic singer of the period.
_Mademoiselle Lagrua will arrive early in the Season,
make her first appearance in the character of Norma.
"She will also sustain the character of Leonora in tOLa
Favorite " Donna Anna in "Don Giovanni," Leonora in
Fidel!c;,
," Desdemona in " Otello," Leonora in ' Tro-
vatore, ' and the principal role in Verdi's new Opera " La
Forza del Destino," which was originally composed for
peteruring her engagement at the Imperial Theatre of St.
sburg.
Among
those who, this Season, will solicit for the first
ante theapprobation of an English audience are—
Mademoiselle DESTINN
(From the Imperial Opera of Vienna)
Mademoiselle GIUSE PPINA TATI.
(Front the Royal Opera at Lisbon)
Mademoiselle GARULLI
(Frew. La Scala, et Milan)
signor SCAL ESE
(From the Theatre Italien, at Paris)
Signor ATTRI
(From La Pergola, at Florence)
and
Herr SCIIMID
(From the Imperial Opera, at Vienna).
"The appearance of Signor WACHTEL may also be con-
sidered as a debut, unavoidable circumstances having ob-
Iliged him to return to Germany after having appeared but
three times at the EA yal Italian Opera in the Season of
1862. Since that time Signor Wachtel has become at-
tached to the Imperial Opera, at Vienna, under an en-
gagement of six years duration, interrupted only by a short
annual conge,
Signor WACHTEL will make his debut in the character
of Mantic°, in " It Trovatore •" he will;thentperform that
'of Arnold() in " Gugliehno Teil ;" and attorwards the role
cf dean de Leyden in Meyerbeer's Grand Opera, " La
Plnaete."
Notwithstanding these new engagements, it will be eb•
it,)rved that the many favourite Artistes, whose talents have
'so long supported the Royal Italian Opera, have been re-
tained, and that the Director is thereby enabled to recast
'Pally of the Operas, and to impart to them an unprece-
merited strength and completeness.
Mademoiselle MARIE BATTU, now holding the high
'position of chief Prima Donna at the Academie Imperiale
de Musique, in Paris, will perform for the first time, the
character of La Contessa, in Mozart's Opera of " Le Nozze
di Figaro." Mademoiselle BATTU has kindly offered to
atug also the part of Adalgisa, in "Norma," on the occa-
sion of the debut of Mademoiselle LAGRUA.
Mademoiselle ANTONIETTA FRICCI will sing, for the
.6rat time, the part of Bertha, in " Le Prophete," and that
of t)onna Elvira, in " Don Giovanni."
Madame DIDIEE will sing her original part of Pregiosilla
111 " La Forza del Destine."
Signor Roiecom will appear, for the first time, in the
character of Pasquale and in that of Fra Melitone in " La
Forza del Destino.,, '
Signor TAMBERLIK will appear, for the first time in
-"gland, in his original part of Don Alvaro, in Verdi's
new Opera, " La Forza del Destine, and, for the first time
these six years, that of " Otello."
Monsieur FAURE will perform, for the first time, the
'character of Nevers, in " Les Huguenots ; that of Figaro,
i,n, " Le Nozze di Figaro ;" and also his great role of Peter
the Great, which he performed upwards of 100 nights in
Paris, in Meyerbeer's Opera, " L' Etoile du Nord."
Signor GRAZIANI will perform, for the first time, the
character of Guglielmo Tell ; that of " Il Conte in "Le
Nozze di Figaro ;" and his original part in Verdi's new
Opera, " La Forza del Destine.
Signor NAUDIN, who so firmly established himself in the
good opinion of the Subscribers last year. will, in addition
,to his other parts, perform, for the first time, that of Elvino
in " La Sonnambula," and that of Roberto in " Robert le
Diable."
Signor MARIO will perform, for the first time these
eight years, the part of Nemorino, in" L'Eiisir d'Amore ;"
also, for the first time these seven years, his celebrated
character of Fernando in " La Favorite ;" and, for the first
time, that of Faust.
Mr. GYE feels assured that the subscribers will be gra-
tified to know that he retains the invaluable assistance
of Mr. COSTA.

ENGAGEMENTS.
Mademoiselle ADELINA PATTI,
Madame DIDIEE.
Mademoiselle ANTONIETTA FRICCI,
Mademoiselle MARIE BATTU,
Madame RUDERSDORFF,
Mademoiselle ANESE,
Madame TAGLIAFICO, and
Mademoiselle PAULINE LUCCA.

Mademoiselle DESTINN,
Her First Appearance in England.
Madero iselle GIUSEPPI I TATI,
Her First Appearance in England.
Mademoiselle GARULL
Her First Appearance in England, and
Mademoiselle EMILIA LAGRUA,
Her First Appearance in England.

Signor MARIO,
Signor TAMBERLIK,
Signor N UDIN,
Signor LUCCEIESI,
Signor ROSSI,
Signor NERI-BARALDI, ant
Signor WACHTEL.

Signor RONCONI,
Signor GRAZ TANI,
Signor COLoNESE, and

`Monsieur PAUSE.

Signor ATTRI,
His First Appearanc? in England.
Signor SCALESE,
Ills First Appearance in England.
Signor TAGLIAFICO,
Signor FALLA
Signor POLON IN I,
Signor CAPPONI,
Signor CIA NIPT, and
Herr SCH NI 111,
His First Appearance in England.

Director of the Music, Composer, and Conductor, Mr. COSTA.

PRINCIPAL DAWSRUSEg.
Mademoise le sAINIONI,
Mademoiselle ZINA RICHARD,
Mademoiselle RAFFAELLI,
Mademoiselle ASS' NTA,
Mademoisse'le CARMINE,
Her lint Appearance in England,
&e. ac.

Maestro al Piano Signor LI CALSI.
Leader of the Military Band 1 Mr. GODFREY.
(Coldstream)
Leader of the Ballet
Uri flist
Yr. ARTHUR SULLIVAN.
. •
Mr. SMY I'HSON.
Chorus Master
Poet
Maiter de
Signor .MONTERAst
Ballet
Prompter
Mons. DHSPLACES.
Machinists ........... ....... Mr. SLOMAN.

Th
e unriTallecl Orchestra and Chorus Of the Royal Italian

Opera.