The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-05 00:00:00

ROYAL ENGLISH OPERA.

Last night a new operetta, entitled " Fanchette,''
the music by Mr. W. C. Levy, was produced with
complete success.
Toe action is supposed to take place in Douai
(La Vendee) during the reactionary political die
turbances of 1794. The Marquis de Beaupre,
Royalist leader (Mr. W. Harrison), is forced to
take refuge in the house of the Republican mayor
of Douay (Mr. H. Corri), whose niece, Fanchette
(Miss Louisa Pyne), a young lady of very decided
Royalist principles, is the marquis's foster-sister'
Beaupre is betrothed to Hortense de Layal (MO
Thirtwali), but Fanchette, to rescue him from
minent danger, passes the nobleman off as her owe
lover, Pierre (M. Rouse). This occasions all sorts
of mystifications and ludicrous contretemps, and
matters are pushed so far by the impatient major
that Beaupze and Fanchette are compelled to go
through the preliminary ceremonies of marriage,
and the real Pierre is about to be consigned to pri-
son as the supposed marquis, when the dea,h of
Robespierre is announced, and Douay, besieged 14
Royalist troops, declares for the monarchy. Beau.'
pie, thus master of the situation, proclaims a
general pardon, and the happy lovers return
.to
their allegiance. The music, as tile production of. °
young composer, contains much that promises well
for his future. There is a vivacity of style, sod
an occasional feeling for dramatic effect, that waif
with continued culture, develop into some'
thing more important than the present effort;
Among the most remarkable pieces in the operetta
are a highly spirited trio for soprano, tenor, and
bass, "My uncle here !" a fresh and gracefel
chorus, " May many years of wedded bliss ; " two
melodious duets, for tenor and soprano, " Home of
our youth," and " The good old time ;" the song!
"How sad all nature " (soprano) and " The true
love-knot " (tenor), the last-named being most
likely, we believe, to achieve extensive populariti'
Miss Louisa Pyne was in the best possible voice,
and sang her very best throughout. Mr. W. Raz'
rison's part is every way suited to his voice, and
Mr. H. Corri threw all requisite humour into the
character of the mayor. The other characters were
ably sustained by Miss Thirlwall, Mr. Rouse, and
Mr. Aynsley Cook. The band, conducted by Mr'
Alfred Mellon, who was loudly applauded on enter
ing the orchestra, fully maintained its well woe,
reputation, and the one chorus which ''Fanchette'
contains was sung irreproachably.
At the fall of the curtain Mr. W. C. Levy W 0
led on by Mr. W. Harrison to receive the coo'
gratulations of his admirers.

Mr. Thackeray's daughters hAve left Landoll',
and are now staying with attached friends at the Isle 63
Wight, close to Farneyford, the residence of the POO
Laureate.

LISZT AislD THALBERG.—Mendelsootin's opinion
of the two great pianists of his day is thus expressed
in a letter to his mother, dated Leipzig, 1840 :—Liszt Wa°
here for a fortnight, and caused quite a paroxysm of excite'
ment among us, both in a good and evil sense. I consider
him to be in reality an amiable warm-hearted man, and 0
admirable artist. That he plays with wore execution ill°
all the others, does not admit of a doubt , yet Thalberg'
with his composure, and within his more restricted WI
is more perfect, taken as a virtuoso ; and this is the stanch%
which must also be applied to Liszt, for his composition.,
are inferior to his playing, and, in tact are only calculated
for virtuosos, A fantasia by Thalberg (especially that, on tho
"Donna del Lago") is an accumulation of the most exquisite'
ana delicate effects, and a -continued succession of dilW
culties and embellishments that excite our astonishatent;
all is so well devised and so finishea, carried out with btlu',,
security and skill, and pervaded by the most refined taste'
On the other hand, Liszt possesses a degree of velocity andcomplete independence of finger and a thoroughly music':
feeling which can scarcely be equalled. In a word, I 1:161,
heard no performer whose musical percepti ns, like aloe
of Liszt, extended to the very tips of his fingers, emanating
directly from them. With this power, and his exiorn3olld
technicality and practice, he must have tar surpassed 51l
others, if a man's own ideas were not after all the chi,
point, and these, hitherto at least, seemed denied to b ita;
so that in this phase of art, most of the great viittioe°
equal, and indeed excel him. But that he, along W'
Thalberg, alone represents the highest class of pianiatO °
the present day, is, I think, undeniable.
A SUBMARINE SHIP.—A correspondent of tb°
Times writes to that journal:—" I have ha °i
attention called to an article which appeared in the PO°,s
about three weeks ago in reference to the Russian Goefer3::,
went, who you state are now building a submarine 01'11
which is made to float between the water and to rim) 0
sink when required. It is to bo worked by a comprosee;
air engine, and is fitted with apparatus for fixing torped
on the bottoms of ships it purposes to sink. No doubt .01013.1
of your readers will recollecthavingeeen plans of such a $llll
which I exhibited at the Society of Arts, 1848, and also °I
the compressed-air engine, a small model of whiell ld
made, from which model I demonstrated that I Wilte
obtain as great a pressure by air as by steam. I wr°
to the Aomiralty, and submitted my plans to thell:;
which were returned about three months afterwards by Si'
Baldwin Walter, who stated that the Lords of the Adtce
ralty were not then in a position to undertake them. I Is
not since then adopted any fur matter
taken steps to get the r
taken up, but no doubt the Russian Government, who
more in the habit of encouraging invention than our ois;
have taken copies of my plans and are now working tile
out with the greatest secrecy. I may add one advanOg
AO
which my Fubraarine ship has over that which the 1016.-11 d,
Government is building. It is provided with a round
uouse (or cupola) on deck, from which, when the vee,°.;ci,
raised to the level of the water, observations can be W 5
of surrounding objects and country."