The Sun.
London, England, 1837-12-02 00:00:00

PRICE sd.

DRURY-LANE THEATRE.

Again most cordially do we congratulate Mr. Balfe.
The extraordinary success which has attended the repre-
sentations of his new opera, Joan of Arc, must be gall
and wormwood to his contemptible calumniators. It is, how-
ever, an invariable attendant upon true genius to be assailed by
every species of detractors ; and oftentimes has rising talent
been discouraged, if not destroyed, by the venomous efforts of
such reptiles. We were satisfied, from Mr. Balfe's first intro-
duction to the public as an author, that he possessed not only
true genius, but that with it. he combined a thorough know-
ledge of the science of his divine art, and a most devoted at-
tachment to it. These combinations seldom centre in one per-
son—more rarely still have they been exhibited by our native
composers; but we hope for, and expect, much better things
from our countrymen in this department of the arts. The co-
lumns of this Journal shall ever be open to render them every
assistance, when we can conscientiously do so, in promot-
ing the advancement of the British school of music. It
is just two short years since Mr. Balfe presented himself
before the tribunal of a British public as an operatic writer;
and in that brief period his genius has produced, and that
tribunal has received with loud acclamations of favour, four
most decidedly successful operas. " Industry and persever-
ance," says the old adage, " overcome all difficulties," and we
have the most convincing evidence that Mr. Balfe not only
knows, but that he apereciates the moral it contains. His con-
temporaries may rely upon it as the only Royal path to emi-
nence, and by which alone the summit, or even a distinguished
position, can be attained. The story chosen as the vehicle for
exhibiting " the charming concord of sweet sounds" is the ro-
mance of Joan of Arc, principally founded on Southey's po-
pular poem. The overture is an exceedingly spirited compo-
sition, and well does it deserve the encore with which it was
honoured : the opening martial movement of the overture is
subsequently heard in the second act to much advantage in the
trio, by

Theodore, Renaud, and Badet.
Hark 1 'tis the soul exciting drum !
The martial trumpet sounding !
With glory wreathed, the conquerors come,
Each heart with triumph bounding !
Hark ! &c.
Peace to the souls of the brave !
In brighter spheres rewarded—
Sweet pity's tear bedew their grave !
Their deeds by fame recorded 1 •
Hark 1 with the fluttering wings of joy,
On air, bow silver lilies dance 1 •
The trumpet sounds ; the drum exclaims 1 -
Vive, vive, la France I vive, &c.
The second movement of the overture is an allegretto vivace,
heard also in the second act as a chorus of peasants. The
third movement is an andante cantabile, so exquisitely sung by
Miss Romer in the first act, to the following words :

SOLO-MISS ROMER.
Joan.

Ere the purple cornflower,
Faded, in our valleys lie ;
There must many a gallant heart,
Stain the earth with deeper dye
Ere the autumn poppy leaves
Clothe with gore-like spots the plain,
There the patriot's bre3st must shed
Blood, that yields a holier stain.

The fourth movement is an allegro, the subject of which
was also given by Miss Romer in a manner which not only
charmed the audience, but at once established the rapidpro-
gress she is making in her profession ;
SoLo. —Joan.
But the trumpet shall sound on the tower,
The village dance move o'er the green,
The flute breathe again in the bower,
• And liberty's smie be seen.
The maid with her plume of snow—
Heaven's lightning in her eye.
From France shall chase the foreign foe,
Or for her country die,
And bring home victory 1
The concluding movement of the overture is an allegro vivace,
the subject of which forms the chorus of English sotdiers—
Draw, soldiers, draw, arm quickly arm 1
In the air pale lilies dance 1
Our lion soon shall tsar them down,
Soldiers, arm ! advance ! advance !
Bend, bend, the bow—haste, haste—pm-at.:
England's watchful eyes upon us glance,
Boldly, the foe strides o'er the
On soldiers, on—advance I advance
Conquest be ours, or glorious death !
We, for England ! they, for France 1
Now, man to man, and blood for blood 1
Arm I soldiers, on I advance ! advance 1
In our second notice of this opera we have been thus particu-
lar in pointing oat the various materials upon which Mr. Balfe
combines his overture : and as it is impossible for the audience
to be aware of his design in the composition upon the first re-
presentation, we feel assured that our readers will, upon sub-
sequent representations, be, as we are, more delighted with the
composition as a whole, knowing that through the progress of
the opera they will hear every subject of that overture when
allied to the " human voice divine," eliciting the most raptu-
rous applause of a delighted audience. These charming subjects
would establish the fame of any writer, evep if no others were
produced. But when the recollection dwells upon the many
beauties which successive representations will more clearly de-
velope, we think the fame of Mr. Balfe will be extended much
more by this one opera than by any which has proceeded from
his pen. It is not upon the instrumentation of this opera that we
would base our opinion—it is not upon isolated and detached
portions of this opera that we hazard this opinion—it is not upon
a single ballad, nor upon a single concerted piece, that we rely on
the public to affirm our proposition—but it is upon the whole
opera, as a work of art, from the first opening of the overture
to the finale of that opera, that our opinion has its foundation.
Qur readers must not imagine that because we anticipate a
large advancement to the fame of Mr. Balfe by this opera,
taken as a whole, that we are fearful of hazarding our opinion
upon the component parts of it. On the contrary, who, as an
admirer of music, can listen without the highest gratification
not to one, we say, but to the whole accompaniments of this
opera? Other opportunities will be afforded us to point out
these beauties, but in the meantime, in confirmation of this opi-
nion, we should direct the attention of our readers to the ex-
quisite accompaniments to the air which Templeton sings so
well, and the violin portion of which Eliason plays so well, to
the words

" Dear maid, when thou art sleeping
Where saints are vigils keeping,
And angels round thee weeping,"
Again, are there no single portions of this opera which
would advance the frame of an established composer ? Then
let those who think so listen to that gem of composition, the
prison duet, by Miss Romer, in the dungeon, and Balfe on the
outside of it :
DUET.—Theodore (outside),
Forsaken ! no thou art not I •
From thee I'll never part :
My love, my life 1 my dearest I •
Till burst this breaking heart.
Joan.
That voice 1 'tis he! Oh, Heaven!
He wanders 'ueath these walls :
And, on my name, despairing 1
In frantic anguish calls.
Stern Fate, respect the brave;
There bid thy lightningt move.
But, oh, in mercy save
My Theodore, my love. .
Theodore.
Ye stars, that watch to night,
In pity beam above,
And, with your friendly light,
Conduct me to my love.
Oh, Echo 1 be thou silent I
Send, sleep, thy magic pow'r,
To seal each eye inquiring, _
• That watcheth love, this hour.
Joan.
Be hushed, ye murmuring zephyrs ;
Veil, moon, thy silv'ry light,
Oh, Theodore what danger
Defiest thou, then, to-night !
( Theodore goes through the window, they rush into each
others arms. )
Are there no gems among the concerted pieces by which a
fame might be established ? Not to particularize at too great
a length, we would instance the

GRAND CHORUS IN THE FINALE TO ACT 11.
Exult, the super-human foe,
To whom our ev'ry loss we owe,
Is captive made, from hill to deli,
Let echo's voice our triumph tell.
Exult ! exult I
Echo! exult ! exult
Jual,
Oh, France ! thy daf truth are o'er :
Bctray'd, I lose the field ;
But there 'tis writ,
And I submit I
Resign, but never yield I
Chorus.
Exult exult 1 &c. &c.
We should alto have selected a service in the Convent of St.
Catherine, but that its effects were lost by the substitution of
a retched seraphine for an organ, a defect so injurious to the
whole of a fine scene, that we have no doubt it will be re-
medied. Our space prevents us from continuing a subject
which we think will not only aed to the enjoyments of the
public, but, by adding to the fame of the author, give addi-
tional encouragement to our native artists.

EXPORTATION OF THE PRECIOUS METALS.--
The exportation of gold and silver coin from the port of Lon-
don to foreign parts, during the past week, ending the 28th
inst., is as under :—Gold coin to the Mauritius, 23 oz. ; Rot-
terdam, 220 oz. ; Silver, 30,000 oz, ; Canton, 50,000 oz.