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

THE ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA,

On Saturday Donizetti's lovely opera of "La
Favorita " was given with superb effect at the
Royal Italian—the new Prima Donna (in Opera
Serie) Mademoiselle Ligrua, sustaining the charac-
ter of Leonora, in such a manner as fully to con-
firm the reputation already secured to
to herself here in England by her magnificent im-
personation of Norma. Ferdinando, on Saturday,
reverted (after an interval, in his career, of no less
than eight years) to Signor Mario—that, still, in
many respects, incomparable artist vieing with
Madlle, Lagrua in, bringing all the subtlest beauties
of the exquisite love.music shared between them, to
view, or rather it should be said, to the hearing of
the audience cn Saturday. Our comments, how-
ever, upon the performance generally, must bo post•
poned to-day unavoidably: it being remarked, how-
ever, at once, that the house on Saturday was, as
usual, very fully attended.
To-morrow, the first extra night of the season—
'Mondays henceforth being continued thus systema-
tically, as the weekly extra night at the Royal
Italian—the great German Tenor, Herr Theodore
Wachtel, the hero of that sudden, and un-
premeditattd, and wholly unmistakeable, ova-
tion on Thursday, an ovation already
fully recorded in the columns of The Sun,
will again appear as and in "Il Trovatore." On
Tuesday "La Favorite" is to be repeated. On
R Thursday, Garibaldi's appearance in the Duke of
Sutherland's box will lead to "Norma" being fol-
lowed by the two great acts (the second and
third) of Auber's grand opera of " Masaniello."
A selection most appropriately made as a source of
entertainment to—the MODERN MASSANIELLO
Among others, the following have attended the perform-
ances at the Royal Italian Opera during this past week:—
His Excellency the Ambassador of France, the Duke of
Welling the Duke of Sutherland, the Marchioness of
Downshire and Lady Alica Hill, the Marquis of Hastings,
the Duchess of St. Albans, and Lady Diana Beauclerk, the
Marchioness of Ely, the Marchioness of Sligo, the Marquis
of Hartington, the Countess of Sefton and Lady Cecilia
Molyneux, the Earl of Uxbridge, the Earl of Coventry, the
Earl of Listowel, the Earl and Countess of Westmoreland,
the Earl of Annesley, the Countess of Charlemont, the Earl
of Sefton, the Countess of Courtown, Count Moerkerke,
Viscount Sydney, Viscountes Mountgarrett, Viscount Hin •
clainbroke, Viscount Sudley, Viscount Malden, Lord Truro,
Lady Soades and the Hon. Miss Mulles, Lord and Lady
Abinger, Lady Delamere, Lord A. Poulett, Lord Ernest
Bruce, Lord Cow tenay, Lord Rendlesham, Lord Colville,
Lady E. Repton, Lord and Lady Dufferin, Lady Annally
and the Hon. Miss White, Lady Emily feel, Lady Mary
Hope Vere, Lady Gooch and Miss Gooch, Lady Hamilton
Seymour and tne Misses Seymour (2), Lady Troubridge,
Colonel and Lady Emily Kineescote, Mr. and Lady Char-
lotte Russell, Lady
Sherson, Baron Ferdinand De Rothschild, Hon. Frederick
Wentworth, Captain and Lady Ann
J. Calthorp, Hon. Frederick Leveson Gower, Hon.
Lucy Derr, Hon. Miss Bethel!, Hon. Henry Phipps, Mr,
Phipps, and Mr. Albert Van de Weyer, Hon. Mr.
Butler and Miss Butler, Hon. Henry Eliot, Hon.
Mrs. Norton, Hon. Major Gage, General Sir William
Gomm, Sir Henry Cotterell, Admiral Ryder Burton, Colonel
,
Farquharson (of Invercauld) Colonel Napier Stoat, M.P.,
and Mr. Gerard Sturt, M.P, Captain
Tumour, Captain Fludyer, Captain Williams, Colonel
BMinchin, Colonel Grant, Captain O'Connell, Colonel
Baring, Colonel Martin, Colonel A.Wigram, Captain
Meyrick, Captain Ber-
keley, Mrs. Knollys and Miss Knollys, Mr. Leigh and Miss
Leigh, Mrs. Jones of Panteiass and Miss Jones and the
Hon. Miss Campbell, &c.

COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS.---At a meeting of the
council of this corporation, on the 9th inst., the
diploma of associate was granted to Mr W. 0. Chambers,
of Wrington, near Bristol. The following gentlemen were
elected members of the college
Wrington, near Bristol—Mr F. Farmer, 8.A., Devonshire-
terrace, Kensington—Mr
W. 0. Chambers,
G. Mason, Standish Grammar School, near Wigan—Mr C.
P Newcombe, Barnsbury-villas, Islington—Rev. A. Rigg,
J. W. Keiller, Tetbury--Mr W.
M.A., Training College, Chester—Mr C. Searles, Free
School, Calcutta—Mr T. Turner, Park-ilace, East Green-
wich—Mr C. M. Tylrr, M,A. , IMatnere.terrace, Bays•
water—Rev. Dr, Wrigley, Clapham Grammar School.
COLONIAL APPOINTMENTS. -- Lieut Governor
Eyre has been appointed lieut general, governor in chief,
and vice admiral of Jamaica. The Hon Manners Sutton,
formerly lieut governor of New Brunswick, has been ap-
pointed governor of 'Trinidad. Sir Richard G. M‘Dennell,
late governor of South Australia, has been appointed lieut.
govei nor of Nova Scotia, Anthony
Musgrave, Esq.,
vernor of Newfoundland, in the room of Sir A, Bannerman,
who retires, Mr R. Rawson, C. 8., colonial secretary at
the Capo of Good Hope, is appointed governor of the Baha-
mas. Lieut Governor Col. Maclean proceeds from British
Kaffraria to be governor of Natal. Geerge Berkeley, Esq,,
colonial secretary of British Honduras, is appointed lieut
governor of St, Vincent's, in the room of Mr Musgrave,
promoted to Newfoundland.—Observer'.
THE ILLUSTRIOUS CHEMIST LIEBIG has just ex-
pressed, on the subject of the oidium in vines and
the potato disease, the opinion that it is not in the atmos-
phere, as many people suppose, but in a want of vigour and
an exhausion of the soil, which defect may be remedied by
the use of bone powder and ashes.

MR. SPURGEON is said o be still Very ill, though
he writes and publishes,

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. Mapieson
has given such unusually large promise of enter-
prise at Her Majesty's Theatre during the course of
the season which was 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 artistes
secured by Mr. Mapleson's latest arrangements,
and of the very conspicuous enhancement by him
of the general efficiency of the choral de-
partment, there are promised by his programme for
the new 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
DelDestino"—another (this one peculiarly attractive
as a novelty in the present Shaksperian year, the
year of the Tercentenary Anniversary)OttoNicolai'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 charivari.
As to the four revivals promised at Her
Majesty's, during this present season of 1864, 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 revivals 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 inaugu-
rated—" Rigoletto" came before us, then and there,
in a manner, as it were, redivi tts. Signor Ging-
lini as the profligate Duke appeared, it should
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-
,the great primo tenor° essoluto at Her Majesty's
certainly lacked nothing whatever in his delicious
rendering of the music. Occasional isdications
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 qeella per me pari soon," 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" ire which ho 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 commandin4; 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 " Itigoletto," were
introduced on Saturday evening for the first time
to a London audience—a baritone,u basso,a soprano,
and a contralto. The "Rigoletto" 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, ho waver, 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, Rigolette,
by Signor Varese was, in truth, admirable
throughout. It was, moreover, fully erjoyed
by the audience, and obtained for the singer,
above all for the actor, the heartiest recog-
niticn 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
bra'o Sparafucile. Madlle. Vitali and Madlle.
Bettelheim were the two debutantes, the former ap-
pearing as Wile, 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, Bettelheim's capabilities), 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,
Madlle. 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 Gilda 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 capacity as a prince 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
beautiful 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 linki:d 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 hie 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-
letto" en Saturday night at her Majesty's, it
should be observed that in the opening scene (the
ball-room scene, that is) a now danseuse, Madlle.
Aranyvary, bounded 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 marvellously graceful, a wonder-
fully agile, and an almost miraculously twink
ling-footed dancer of the very first quality !
Her pas de deux with Signor Atnniaturo 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 final dispersion of the audience who sere
waiting there very patiently for the Nt.tionai
Anthem—the curtain rose, and " God Save the
Queen" WAB given with magnificent effect by the

whole strength of the company of singers aided by
Signor Arditi's noble orchestra. The last verse of
the loyal hymn, it should be added, was delivered
by Malle. 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 Massilia with the above mails reached Mar.
seiiles 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.