The Sun.
London, England, 1864-04-11 00:00:00

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.

Giuglini and Varese in " Rigoletto,"

An entirely new cast, in all the principal cha-
racters, imparted an agreeable sense of freshness on
Saturday night, at Her Majesty's Theatre, to the
performance of Verdi's brilliant three-act opera of
" Rigoletto." It was the opening night of the
season, as all the Town knew—and knowing, as the
Town did, that it was so, we were surprised not to
see the house more completely occupied, at any rate
in the earlier part of the evening. Mr. Mapleson
has given such unusually large promise of enter-
prise at Her Majesty's Theatre during the course of
the season whichwas thus on Saturday commenced—
again under his able management—that he is cer-
tainly entitled to the most cordial support that
an Opera Director could by possibility receive.
To say nothing whatever of the new artates
secured by Mr. Mapleson's latest arrangements,
and of the very cmspicuous enhancement by him
of the general efficiency of the choral de-
partment, there are promised by his programme for
the now season—of Grand Operas, no less than three
great novelties, and as many as four noble revivals.
The novelties are—first of all, Verdi's latest (some
say his greatest) musical achievement, " La Forza
Del Destino"—another (this one peculiarly attractive
as a novelty in the present Shaksperian year, the
year of the Tercentenary Anniversary)o tto:Nicolai's
version of The Merry Wives of Windsor, "Le
Donne Allegre di Windsor," with the fat knight
masquerading as Sir Giovanni Falstaff!—and last,
and certainly not least attractive, as a novelty that
long-talked-of but, in England, never-yet-heard
" Tannhauser," by Herr Richard Wagner, the
attempted production of which, at the Grand Opera
at Paris, was the occasion, it may be remem-
bered, of so wild and frantic a eharivari.
As to the four revivals promised at Her
Majesty's, during this present season of 1861, by
Mr. Mapleson, who will gainsay their marvellous
attractiveness when they come to be simply enu-
merated, thus—as Weber's masterpiece of " Der
Freischntz ;" as Donizetti's " Anna Bolena" (not
played now for a whole score of years here in Eng-
land) ; as that world-famous "Robert le Diable,"
which was the earliest of the grand Romantic
Operas of Meyerbeer ; and, by way of climax, to put
now finally, what Her Majesty's Director has put
foremost in the list of revivais promised by his
programme, such a revival as the matchless " Fide-
lio" of Beethoven, that "Fidelio " which is among
lyrical dramas what " Othello" is among Acting
Tragedies.

Turning, however, from the general prospects of
the season at Her Majesty's to the particular per-
formance of Saturday evening, the performance by
which this season was very auspiciously inaugn-
rated—" Rigoletto" came before us, then and there,
in a manner, as it were, redivivus. Signor Giug-
lini as the„ profligate Duke appeared, it ehould
be said at once, to begin with, for the very first
time on Saturday, in that character. And, if lack-
ing somewhat of the airy lightness of bearing de-
sirable in any impersonator of that gay ducal liber-
tine, the great primo tenore assoluto at Her Majesty's
certainly lacked nothing whatever in his delicious
rendering of the music. Occasional indications
there were of just a slight suspicion of hoars-
eness, but otherwise Signor Giuglini was in
exquisite voice, and, being so, simply as a
matter of course, captivated his hearers at
every available opportunity. His first sprightly
love song, at the very commencement of the opera,
" Questa o q-aelia per me pari sono," won for him the
first cordial round of applause from his old throng of
admirers. Better still was his impassioned rendering
of the " Parmi veder le lagrime" in which he ex-
presses his distraction at the loss of Gilda. But
happiest of all, as we might only have anticipated, was
the joyous animation with which he gave the one
great melody of Rigoletto, "La Donna e Mabile,"
heard so often, never capable of being heard too
often, a melody inevitably commandins, an encore
sung as it was sung on Saturday by Signor
Giuglini. No less than four of the other principal
artistes who co-operated with Signor Giuglini in
this representation of Verdi's " Rigoletto," were
introduced on Saturday evening for the first time
to a London audience—a baritone,a basso,a soprano,
and a contralto. The " Xgoletto" of the night was
the very singer for whom the part was written by
Signor Verdi—and, therefore, it is needless to say
that this baritone, Signor Varese, is an artist en-
joying for years past the very highest reputation
on the Continent. Unhappily, he comes to us, here
in England, only when his voice has been worn over-
much by long service. As an artist, however, he fully
sustains to this day his continental reputation, hav-
ing, as an actor, according to our notion of it, but
one superior, among living baritones, meaning, of
course by that one exception the great and in many
respects incomparable Ronconi. The impersona-
tion of the serio-comic Pander-Jester, Rigoletto,
by Signor Varese was, in truth, admirable
throughout. It was, moreover, fatly enjoyed
by the audience, and obtained for the singer,
above all for the actor, the heartiest recog-
nition of his powers. Signor Gasperoni, the new
basso made no impression whatever to speak of--
probably by reason of his having but little
or no opportunity for so-doing, as the
bravo Sparafucile. Aladlle. Vitali and Madlie.
Bettelheim were the two dibutantes, the former ap-
pearing as Gilda, the latter as Maddalena. Possibly,
for a reason similar to that already applied by us in
extenuation to Sparafucile, the Maddalena of Satur-
day hardly equalled the general hopes, almost, it
might be said (from the reports current in regard to
Maddlle, Bettellaeim's capabilitiee), the general
expectations. We reserve any expression of
opinion, however, in regard to her capabilities,
until we have had some better opportunity for judg-
ing of them than that afforded by the character of
Maddalena. Her appearance at the least is very
greatly in her favour. As for the new soprano,
Madlles Vitali—the girlish look, and still more the
girlish shrillness, almost dispose us to regard her
advent to the lyrical stage in a chief part like that
of Gilds as an advent somewhat premature. Her
evident inexperience as an actress seemed to
confirm this impression though it is true that
a great deal of what is here hinted at may
very probably have been traceable to excessive
nervousness upon the occasion of the young de-
butante's first appearance. However this may be,
her capabilities in regard to the future are un-
doubtedly large: our only serious doubt being, as
but just now intimated, that her appearance in so
responsible a c spacity as a prima donna has been
rather precipitate. Yet, in justice to the new
soprano, and in simple justice also to the new con-
tralto and the new baritone, upon whose first appear-
ance in London we have already commented, it
should here be said that their participation with
Signor Giuglini in the delivery of that noble and
beautiftil quartett in the last act, " Bella figlia
dell' amore," was almost everything one could
possibly have desired ! That masterly quartett—
who does not remember it ? —in which,

" With many a winding bout
Of linked sweetness long drawn out,"
the Duke is so tenderly impassioned, Maddalena so
merrily derisive of his protestations, Gilda so
agonised in her love-torn wretchedness, Rigo-
letto so fierce and implacable in his muttered
threats of vengeance! An enthusiastic encore was
immediately given upon the close of the very
admirable delivery on Saturday night of this most
charming composition : proof positive of the admi-
ration with which it had been listened to. Before
closing our remarks upon the performance of " Rigo-
lotto" on Saturday •night at her Majesty's, it
should be observed that in the opening scene (the
ball-room scene, that is) a new danseuse, Madlle.
Aranyvary, hounded to view—somewhat of an
anachronism (one might almost say), there in the
ducal ball-room (certainly apropos to nothing)—and
not only bounded to view but bounded into popula-
rity, at once, as a marvellouslx graceful, a wonder-
fully agile, and an almost miraculously twink
ling-footed dancer of the very first quality !
Her pas de deux with Signor Ammaturo obtained
for both of them, as most accomplished dancers,
more than one cordial round of approbation. At
the close of the evening, after the opera was over,
before the anal dispersion of the audience who were
waiting there very patiently for the National
Anthem—the curtain rose, and " God Save the
Queen" was given with magnificent effect by the

whole strength of the company of singers aided by
Signor Arditi's noble orche3tra. The last verse of
the loyal hymn, it should be added, was delivered
by Mdlle. Titiens herself, that great prima donna's
unexpected appearance there for the very purpose
being a signal to the audience for a welcome being
accorded to her of the most enthusiastic character.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

[REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.]

FLENSBURG, APRIL 10.

The discharges of cannon heard during the
night, and which had alarmed the allied troops,
were merely salutes fired in Fredericia in honour
of the King of Denmark's birthday.

THE CALCUTTA AND CHINA MAILS.
MARSEILLES, APRIL 11.
The Manilla with the above mails reached Mar-
seilles at 6.30 a.m. this morning.
The mails leave for London by the 11.30 a.m.
train.

SUEZ, APRIL 10.
The Benares with the Bombay mail of the 29th
March arrived at 5 a.m. this day, one day early.
The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation
Company's steamship Golconda, from England,
reached Point de Galle on the 24th, and left on the
26th March for Calcutta.