The Sun.
London, England, 1862-11-04 00:00:00

ROYAL ENGLISH OPERA.

MR. WALLACE'S NEW OPERA,

Mr. Wallace achieved last evening another un-
questionable success in his new opera called ‘. Love's
Triumph," which met with the warmest reception
possible, and was honoured with numerous en-
cores. As far as a first night can be called a cri-
terion nothing certainly could be more decisive.
Nevertheless, while we readily admit that its recep-
tion was for the most part justified by the able and
graceful character of its writing, and its consider-
able melodiousness, we are bound to state that its
merits are not of an order to place it on a level
with such a work as " Maritana," or even as " Lur-
line." We think this is chiefly owing to the sub-
ject. Mr. Wallace in the present instance has
been tempted to abandon his old arena of romance
and enter the less ideal but more spirited field
of comedy. He has quitted the illustration of ad-
venturous and legendary life, as exhibited in Spanish
stteets or in the sides of German hills and rivers,
for the calmer excitement and graceful perplexities
of the Court of the Regent Orleans. Mr. Planche,
who has furnished his libretto, has adapted it from
a little comedy produced some twenty years ago at
the Theatre Francaise, in Paris, and we have not
the least doubt with considerable improvement on
the original. Now, we think this was a mistake.
The genius of Mr. Wallace is not adapted to comic
opera. He is not merely deficient in humour—the
great distinction of Mr. Balfe—but even in its as-
sociate, that positive exuberant gaiety which can be
made so largely to supply its place. He wants, in
fact, the comic sympathy which is equally essential
to interpret character and to sustain or heighten
situation. His distinction is his sensibility, which
extends at times even to passion, and his airy and
graceful imagination, which can frame his
emotion in so much beauty the whole
resting on a basis of thorough musical
accomplishment, which provides him with
the utmost resource for the exhibition of either
quality. Romantic and pathetic subjects are his true
source of inspiration, and not the dilemmas and
perplexities which belong to comic opera. But a
further difficulty has been imposed on him by the
story of the piece itself. This turns entirely upon
an extraordinary resemblance between a young
Dutch girl and a Princess, which attracts the lover
of the former into the service of the latter, in which
capacity being enabled to save the life of the Royal
Lady—his bravery as well as devotion—awaken the
latter's regard in return, till the presence of her
rival, who comes to Court to be united to a dissolute
noble, reveals the true feeling of her preserver, and
her own hallucination.

Now such a subject is not to be called in the
truest sense dramatic, because it presents to the
sympathies two persons instead of one—whose
claims are so nearly balanced that they neutralize
each other. Nor is the difficulty at all got
over by Mr. Planches expedient, of assigning
their representation to one and the same per-
son—a melodramatic resource which, as he states,
had never before been employed in opera.
This expedient if it explains the mistake, and
thereby supports the illusion, tends in no way to
sustain the interest, since it is made to divert the
attention in the latter scenes from the essential
distinctions of the two women to their mere per-
sonal identity—Theresa and the Princess alter-
nately passing in and out in the same apartment,
and bewildering their beholders with their extra-
ordinary resemblance. Now as it it is not the
likeness of the rivals but the claims .of either to be
made happy, that constitutes the true excitement of
the audience and therefore of the composer—all
these transitions and bewilderments amount to a
mere trick, which engages the senses of an audience
but certainly not their sympathies.
All these drawbacks must be considered, if we
would do justice to Mr. Wallace, and see what was
the amount of inspiration he could get out of his
materials. Wanting the only power which could
really deal with them—positive humour or buoyant
gaiety, his own peculiar and admirable qualities
could find no excitement in such a subject for their
adequate expansion. He could only bestow on it
his grace and taste, his thorough musical knowledge,
and his genuine feeling wherever permitted ; and
this he has done to an extent which not only ex-
plains the opera's success, but is certain to render
it attractive for several nights to come.
With this general eatimate of its merits, we must
content ourselves at present, briefly referring to
some of the more striking features of the work, and
reserving for a future period its more exact exami-
nation. It opens very happily with an overture
brilliantly written, and (with the exception of one
movement, a reminiscence of " Les Diamans de la
Couronne") which has great originality. This was
admirably played by the band, and very deservedly
encored. The first impression of the first act was the
air of Adolph, "Though all too poor the painter's art,"
which is written with great feeling, was very well
sung by Mr. G. Perren, and was very properly rede-
mewled. In the trio that succeeds, and also the
quartette and chorus, both of which were charac-
teristic, the ensembles were very charming ; and
the description by the Princess of her rescue from
toe wolf by Adolph in the finale, has great vigour
and reality. The opening air of the second act was
also a great success ; the playful ballad, " I'm a
Model Page," which was excellently sung by
Mde. Laura Baxter, and in the medium it afforded
for her superb tones and arch expression,
serving to demonstrate the value of her accession
to the company. This was also a loud encore.
A bacchanalian trio followed, which obtained a
a like distinction ; and then ensued the gem of the
opera, the scena of the Princess, " No, 'tis not vision
merely," which, alike in the plaintive beauty of its
opening movement, and the genuine spirit of its
allegro, made a deep and deserved impression, and
won its share in the honours of the night. Miss
Pyne was never heard to more advantage than in
this effort, every phase of which she interpreted
with the most consummate taste and feeling. The
ensemble of the ensuing duet is also very pleasing ;
and the finale of this act—which introduces a
choral part-song that is very agreeably writ-
ten, but is entirely out of place was
distinguished by no little dramatic spirit
in the consternation of the Burgomaster on en-
countering the Princess. In the 3d act Adolph is
furnished with another effective ballad, " These
withered flowers," which was sung so well by Mr.
Perren as to procure him again the honour of a re-
demand, and is followed by a sestett, which is ex-
cellent in every sense, being as full of dramatic
spirit as of gracefulness and skill. A third ballad
by Adolph ensues, which has a very charming me
lody—" Night, love, is creeping"—and which, done
every justice to by Mr. Perren, won him the honour
of a third encore. The finale of the opera was not
particularly distinguished, save by the rondo at its
close, which afforded Miss Pyne—a medium for one
of her most brilliant and perfect instances of voca-
lisation.

The execution of this opera as we have partly
indicated was admirable in the extreme. Though
it afforded but little scope for the dramatic capacity
of Miss I'vne—in the faint distinctions it presented
of the princess and her rival—the room afforded
her she filled with all her usual skill and feeling,
and in the music assigned her especially she amply
maintained her acknowledged eminence as the first
of English sopranos. Madame Llurs. Baxter,
though new to the stage, and somewhat
hampered therefore by a character which
required no slight vivacity, gave every promise of
soon ripening into the needed ease and emphasis.
Mr. Harrison, who plays a roue Marquess at the
Court, is furnished with even less opportunity
for effort, whether in his music or his
positions—his one song—" Patience, Prudence,
Circumspection"--excellently written by Mr.
Planche in descr:ption of Court policy,
receiving by no means an adequate support by Mr.
Wallace. All that it was possible, however, to do
with his materials, Mr. Harrison accomplished with
his usual ease and pleaantry. Mr. Weiss, who
was allotted music that seemed intended for
a baritone, sung with great taste and feeling.
Mr. G. Perren, however, unadequate to the dra-
matic needs of the lover—in the music, as we have
already shown, was one of the features of the
night, whilst the various and clever Mr Com,
in his capital picture of the Burgomaster, sung