The Sun.
London, England, 1865-11-16 00:00:00

ROYAL ENGLISH OPERA.

The first actual novelty of the season was last
night produced by the directors of the English
Opera Company. It is entitled, " Ida, or the
Guardian Storks." The composer of the music is
Mr. Henry Leslie, and the libretto is by Mr. Pal-
grave Simpson, one of the very best dramatic
authors of the day. The reception it met with was
enthusiastic in the extreme ; everything was
vociferously applauded ; the principal performers,
composer, and all, were called before the curtain
at the close of each of the acts. Before speaking of
the opera as a musical composition, it is necessary
we should give a brief outline of tho plot ; but, after
the utmost attention, the story was too complicated
for us to unravel ; therefore we avail ourselves of
the "argument" prefixed to the "book of the
Words." It may be our simplicity, but we can-
didly confess we prefer operas in which the
story is short and compact in preference to
those long and curiously constructed, because then
nearly the whole of the attention can be given to
the music without the inconvenience of having to
puzzle oneself with fathoming the plot. We cannot
say the story of " Ida" is either short or clear, and
in proof of that we cite the " argument :"
The family of Hainfeldt on the Rhine has, according to
an old legend, been supposed to be under the especial guar-
dianship of the storks, which yearly build their nest on a
certain tower of the castle, and are looked upon as protect-
ing spirits. During the civil wars the castle has been
attacked and almost entirely destroyed, and the storks
have fled in alarm. From that moment the fortunes of
family have fallen. The lord was killed during the siege ;
the title-deeds of the property and other important docu-
ments have been lost ; no one knows to whom the late
head of the family confided the secret of their safe be-
stowal ; and his children, a son and daughter, have fallen
into a state of poverty. Adrian, the son, has sought his
fortune in the Imperialist army ; and Ida, the daughter,
has been left in the half-ruined castle of the family,
under tho guardianship of an old nurse, who, with her son
Damian, a half-witted youth, is deeply attached to the
fortunes of the family. But Ida has not been too strictly
guarded. A young student has rescued her from the hands
of a roving band of soldiers. Gratitude has become love,
and the young pair have been secretly married. At the
opening of the piece the Stella return after many years'
absence. The old woman and her son look upon this arrival
as an omen of the return of prosperity to the family. But
Ida is in terror at the possible wrath of her brother on his
announced return home. The lovers are even disturbed
by his sudden arrival. Adrian, during his absence, has
been a spendthrift and a gambler. Hellas lost all, and has,
in his travels, even gambled away the very castle to a cer-
tain Baron Langzopf. This baron is chamberlain to a
Prince of Hohenzollen-Donnerhausen, whose second son
has fled from his father to avoid being compelled to take
ecclesiastical orders, and he has been despatched by the
prince to find this son. It soon appears that Rudolph,
Ida's secret husband, is the missing runaway.
On the return of Adrian, who resolves that his
sister shall enter a convent, he determines to reveal his birth
and claim his bride. But, meanwhile, Baron Langzopf,
who has come to take possession of the property he has won
from Adrian, is smitten with the charms of Ida, and offers
to give up the castle if her hand be given him. When
Rudolph appears to claim his wife and reveal his rank, he
meets the dreaded emissary of his father. He dare not now
speak out. Adrian believes him to be of humble origin,
challenges him, and determines to kill the man he looks
upon as the seducer of his sister. Spite of his unwilling-
ness to cross swords with the brother of his Ida, Rudolph
is obliged to comply. Ida throws herself between the com-
batants, and is wounded by the sword of her brother.
Seeing his sister lying apparently dead by his hand,
Adrian, already half maddened by his reckless life, his
losses, and his rage, wholly loses his senses. In his rage he
shoots one of the delusive guardians of the family in its nest,
and the bird falls. The dependants are horrified ; and the
fainting Rudolph is borne away by his friends. Ida has
only been wounded ; she has been recovered by her nurse ;
but Adrian, in his madness, persists in looking on her as an
evil spirit that has taken his sister's form, and has her
locked up and guarded by the half-witted Damian. In
vain would Greta, her old nurse, release her. Damian, in
his blind obedience to his master, will not swerve a jot
from his instructions. Rudolph, who has learned the state
of things, is in despair. But his friend Eric has found the
wounded Stork, has tended the poor bird, and cut from its
neck a little mysterious medallion of lead, containing a
closely written paper, which he brings to Rudolph. It then
turns out that the late master of Hainfeldt had, before the
storming of the castle, confided this paper, on which all the
fortunes of the family depended, to the family guardian
spirit. By this paper Rudolph finds that the lost title
deeds and other papers are stowed away in a secret pas-
sage and vaults communicating from an inner court of the
castle to the moat of the now ruined walls. He thus has
the secret of this passage, and resolves by this means to
reach and save his wife. On the point of departure he is
arrested
as the truant Prince by Baron Langzopf. But
Eric, by adroit manceuvring, induces the baron to believe
that the real fugitive Prince is a certain Hildebrand, an
absurd student, who is always fancying that some great
destiny awaits him. Once more free, Rudolph contrives to
find the lost papers in the subterranean vaults, to reach
the interior of the strictly-guarded castle, and even to re-
lease his wife Adrian, still mad, nigh intercepts their
flight. But he finds the papers left behind ; lie learns that
by a spring ha can cut off the very passage by which the
lovers are flying. In his madness he moves this machinery
(intended for the protection of the castle from surprise),
and Rudolph and Ida are left in the vaults, unable to pro-
ceed or return. But Adrian sees the lost title deeds. His
reason begins to return. The baron comes to seek Rudolph,
whom he now really knows, and inform him that by the
death of his brother he has become hereditary Prince.
Adrian now discovers that the detested husband of his
sister is a Prince. Slowly all dawns upon him. But where
aro the lovers ? Nothing but an abyss appears behind the
secret entrance. To the relief of all they are seen climbing
down the ruined walls by an aperture they have found.
Danger still threatens them, but they reach the ground
in safety. Adrian, restored to reason, and with his family
possessions again in his hands, embraces his brother-in-
law, and seeks forgivenness from.his injured sister.
The opera, as a musical composition, is marked
with all that skill which invariably accompanies the
efforts of Mr. Leslie. It is full of harmony and
clever instrumentation—in fact, we might almost
say too full ; but then it must be admitted it was
no easy task to clothe with recitative a long and
not very lively subject. The overture was wonder-

fully well played, and th© opening chorus of jovial
students and returning vinedressers was nicely har-
monised, and produced a very pleasing effect. It
was followed by the aria d'entrata, for the tenor,
Mr. Cumming, as Rudolph, " A loving heart I
sought to win," which he gave with so much sweetness
and effect that he had to repeat it. Then we have
a telling unaccompanied chorus, and afterwards the
legend of the Guardian Storks, sung by Mdlle.
Gilliess, the prima donna of the evening, which is
afterwards heard continually running through vari-
ous portions of the opera. According to our taste
the theme was scarcely marked enough for such a
purpose. In the second act, Mr. Patey (Count
Adrien), a very rising artist, sang his ballad,
" With ardent hopes my heart was bent." It is
peculiar and difficult, but in our opinion by
no means " taking." However, it elicited an

encore, and therefore it must be reckoned among
the successes of the evening. The piece that told
the best in the opera was a ballad sung by Mdlle.
Gilliess, "When first I saw his noble form." It has

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a very pretty accompaniment. In the third act
there is some very excellent pieces, especially a
trio, with which Mr. Leslie seems to have taken

immense pains. It appears somewhat remark-
able that the contralto part, confided to
Mdme. Emma Heywood, should have been so
weakly handled ; there is but little in it, and that
little is so woven up with other matters that all
chance of distinction is taken from the artist. How-

ever, Madme. Heywood worked hard at her un-
thankful task, and we can only say we wish the
music had been up to her talents instead of consi-
derably below them.

Although so much expense has been lavished on
she opera we feel some misgivings as to its ultimate

popularity. It is, however, without doubt, the pro-
duction"of an accomplished and brilliant musician,
and:doubtless, had the story been a little less in-

tricate, his success would have been complete and
triumphant.
Mdlle. Ida Gilliess is rapidly improving, although
her voice is not yet free of that trembling which, on
her first appearance, we attributed to nervousness.
Mr. Cumming, a gentleman quite new to the
stage, but well known in the concert room,
will be an acquisition, but he has a great
deal yet to learn in the way of acting. Mr.
Patey acquitted himself remarkably well ; and
Madame Emma Heywood sung her score like an

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accomplished musician, the only regret being that
there was not more of it.

The scenery was beautifully painted, and the
mounting of the opera was quite worthy the grand
theatre in which it was produced.