The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-06 00:00:00

ROY AL ITALIAN OPER,.

MA.DLLE. PATTI.

We live undoubtedly in an age of wonders.
The world has got electrified within the
last twenty or thirty years, and whether
in science, art, or politics—does nothing now
that is not extraordinary. Every day we have some
great discovery—some fresh surprise, or some strik-
ing change—some revolution in arts or systems
which re-inspires human energy, or re-arranges
the world's map! What is our great Exhibition,
which is both the evidence and triumph of our time,
but a congeries of wonders—industrial and practical
—anyone of which a century ago would have sufficed
to empty the inkstands of all the learned bodies of
Europe. It seems in harmony with such an age
that loves to set aside all precedents and perplex
us with fresh surprises—that we should have a
young songstress come from America—the land
of no song—not even with birds, and wholly un-
known to fame or Europe, win a reputation
instantly. One who was so young in look that
she seemed scarcely to have entered girlhood,
and yet so advanced in discipline that
she gave us the impression of maturity. One whose
gifts too, in voice and person, were just as extra-
ordinary as her culture, and who did not fear to
challenge our criticism, whilst she had the right to
demand oar sympathies. The result was accord-
ingly a marvel in perfect keeping with the power.
Whilst great singers for the most part have
required a season to win their fame in—a
series of great characters, or at least a night's
performance—Madlle. Patti asked ten minutes,
and the delivery of a single air. Those who wit-
nessed her debut will bear us out in this encomium.
An entire stranger to the audience when she entered
for the first time as Amine, and believed by many
to be a mere make-shift, caused by some mana-
gerial difficulty, the simple delivery of her first
aria, the " Come per me Sereno," settled the question
of her fame. The rapturous encore it elicited
was a decision that the triumph of the night only
variously confirmed. Byron has told us in reference
to Childe Harold, that he went to bed unknown,
and woke in the morning celebrated. Madlle.
Patti achieved her end in probably less time than
it t.ok Byron to pull off his boots ! The only
solution of such a mystery is the theory we set
out with. We live in an age of wonders,and Madlle.
Patti belongs to the age. Her first appearance,
therefore, for the season is necessarily one of its
great events. Though last evening was an off
night, and consequently the mass of the subscribers
were absent, the state of the theatre:was a sufficient
evidence of her popularity with the world at large,
and even more strikingly was this evinced by the
enthusiastic nature of her reception, which was one
loud and fervent welcome from all parts of the
house. Mr. Gye, with his usual skill, selected the
" Sonnambula" for her re-appearance, in order to
enable her to renew her labours with the great im-
pression they commenced with. We are happy to
say that that impression was rather ex-
panded than renewed. In the brief in-
terval that has elapsed since her last ap-
pearance in London, Mademoiselle Patti has
gained an increase of physical power, which stamps
a higher character both on her singing and her act-
ing. Her now agreeably rounded form shows she
is rapidly passing into womanhood, and the result
is not only a general improvement in her voice--a
greater richness in her higher tones, and a
greater depth in her lower, but a palpable
increase of feeling which communicates to all her
tones a double influence and significance. Thus,
whilst she retains all her characteristics of last sea-
son unimpaired, her singular brilliancy and truth,
resulting from a voice of the utmost compass, flexi-
bility, and sympathy, united to a discipline so perfect
that her facility was never for an instant at the
cost of her precision—her power of embellishment,
or that of unravelling the most intricate mazes of
sound, being always founded on the sense of the
individual value of each note, she now exhi-
bits, in addition, the higher dramatic ele-
ment of feeling, which will enable her
to interpret adequately the various demands of
character. The improvement in Madlle. Patti is
therefore to be summed up in a word. 3he is
altogether more passionate. Her brilliancy is pass-
ing into a union with an intensity that, as
her strength increases, must place her claims
in an entirely new light. This was indicated last
evening in her singing from first to last. The
" Come per me Sereno" had an increased fervour,
which showed the more v, omanly intuitions in its
outpouring of delight; the "Son geloso" was a
warmer acknowledgment of the ardour of her lover,
the whole of the dream music in the presence of
Ridolfo, when she pictures her union with Elvino
had a tenderer tone of ecstacy, and the arousing
to a sense of her position under the misconceptions
she has created had a corresponding depth of
anguish which gave a deeper pathos to the
exquisite appeal of the dun penseiro, d'unaccento,
and reached a truer climax in her final struggle to
retain her lover. And her acting was, of course,
in harmony with this marked improvement in
her singing. Whilst it retained all its
playful naturalness, which is so childlike
in its innocence—it rounded as the action
proceeded like her person and her voice to a true
depth of emotion, and at the close of the Second
Act, in the wild cry with which she flung herself
on the bosom of her lover and defied his efforts to
repel her, it reached a climax not unworthy of the
great Malibran herself. Mdlle. Patti, need we say,
aroused the utmost excitement of her audience
by this exquisite performance, being enthusiasti-
cally called for at the close of every act, and twice
at the fail of the curtain, after her more than
usually wonderful delivery of the rondo finale.
The Elvino of the evening was Signor Gardoni,
his second appearance for the season, who sing
with his usual grace and feeling, but with a want
of power in the second act, which we must refer to
his recent illness, of which his face, we were pained
to see, bore but too evidently the signs. The re-
mainder of the performance exhibited the usual
perfection of this house.

Sir James Matheson, Bart., M.P., and Lady
Matheson have arrived at their mansion in Cleveland-row.
THE JAPANESE AMBASSADORS IN THE HOUSE OF
I COMmoNs.—"When Mr. Walpole was speaking on the edu-
cation code the Japanese Ambassadors entered the House
1 of Commons, and took their seats in front of the Speaker's
gallery. Their appearance excited but little attention, ex-
traordinary people and costumes being in the present day
no novelties. They appeared to listen attentively to the
right hon. gentleman's too elaborate criticism on the intri-
cate subjects embraced in the Code revised and amended, but
it is noodlcas Cu nay mat his eloquence was lost on them.
They used their fans occasionally, and made themselves
quite at home, and after a stay of 15 minutes or so took
their departure.
THE GUANO TRADE WITH PERU.--The arrange.
ments are now completed in regard to the agency in this
eountry for the sale of Peruvian guano, which is in the
hands of Messes. Thomson, Bonar, and Co., a firm which,
in the person of its premier, some years since gave a Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer to the Government, and subse-
quently a Governor-General to Canada, under the title of
Lord Sydenham. Mr: William Gladstone, brother of Lieu-
tenant-Colonel Gladstone, is ;second partner in the firm,
having joined the house when Lord Sydenham went to
Canada. The agents in Liverpool will be Messrs. Gladstone
and Serjeantson, and she standing and character of these
firms is a sufficient guarantee to the agriculturist that every
care and precaution will be taken in keeping the guano free
from adulteration, the same as in the case of the previous
contractors, Messrs. Antony Gibbs and Sons, and their
agents, who were exceedingly careful in this respect, as every
one knows. The vessels have only just left this country
to load at the Chuaehas under the new contract, and will
not return for a few months; in the meantime the old stock
in the possession of the late contractors will be brought
within a narrow compass.—Liverpool _Albion. I

THE HARROW CUP.—Tcn members of the Un-
versity Ccmpany of the West Middlesex, having challenged
a like number of tho Ist or A Company of the Victoria Rifles
for the p, ssession of the new Harrow Challenge Cup, the
competition took place on Saturday last, at Harrow. The
result was three points in favour of the Victoria Company,
who consequently still ro,nin the cup. The distances were
300, 400, and 600 yards, five shots at each. The winners in
charge of Ensign Thrupp, acting musketry instructor, made
at 300 yards 50 points, at 500 yards 44 points, and at 400
yards 32 points—in all 126 points. The West Middlesex
Company umde at 300 yards 43 points, at 500 yards 42
points, at 603 yards 31 points—in all 123 points. The
highest scores were made by Privates Watson (19 points)
and Cobb (16 points), both on the losing side. Privates
Mills, Carter, and Barnard, of the Yictoria Company, made
15 points each,