The Sun.
London, England, 1862-06-26 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, JUNE 26, 1862.

HER MAJES7r S THEATRE.

DON PASQUALE.

The genius of Donizetti has yet got to be appre-
ciated. His brief career and immense fertility were
alike injurious to his fame. He should have lived
longer, or written less. When a writer is said to
have composed nearly a hundred operas in twenty
years, we may acknowledge his invention, but we
must doubt the possibility of that thoughtful and
maturing art which is equally required to crown
his toils with immortality. At the same time, it
must be allowed that to launch a hundred works on
the uncertain tide of public favour, and be able to
say, as in his case, that even seven continue afloat,
is no ordinary test of power. Of all the
writers of the last century—from Handel down
to Saccbini, with the sole exception of Mozart
—not one opera remains with us. What
do we produce of Gluck, or Piccini, of
Jomelli, or Paisiello. Even among the con%-
posers of the present century—who average their
twenty works for the most part—which of them is
likely to contribute his six or seven enduring
favourites ? Certainly not Rossini, who, at the
utmost, has given but four—nor Meyerbeer, unless,
at his present rate of production, he is destined to
triumph for two centuries. But another fact, which
is quite as important, is the inclusive genius of
Donizetti. He stands apart from the mass of his
contemporaries, on the illustrious ground of his
combining both the tragic and comic sympathies.
He can interpret both the ideal and the real of
humanity. He is both the poet and the humorist,
who can deal with man entire. Since the days of
Mozart—the lyric Shakspeare, no other composer
has been so distinguished, with the sole exception
of Rossini, and he, it must be remembered,
more on the comic than the tragic side.
When we recollect, therefore, that Donizetti
has given four such tragic operas as " Anna Bolena,"
"Lucretia Borgia," the "Favorite," and the
" Lucia," together with three such comic triumphs
as the " Elisir d,Amore," "Don Pasquale," and the
"Figlia de Regimenta"—we assert that, whether
in respect to the depth or range of such a genius,
it has not yet obtained the acknowledgment
which is so unquestionably its due. Of all the evi-
dences of his comic power "Don Pasquale" is cer-
tainly the highest—approaching closest to the
" Barbiere"—that true standard of lyric comedy,
and Mr. Mapleson could scarcely have gratified his
patrons more completely than in presenting it
with such resources as his theatre now commands.
Distinguished not more by its genuine gaiety than
its marked dramatic character—when produced in
England originally it achieved the utmost popu-
larity, and also continued for many years to be
a universal favourite, owing to the absolutely
perfect manner in which it was interpreted. Who
can forget that its hero was Lablache, and that its
heroine was Grisi—that its doctor was Tamburini,
and that its lover was the unrivalled Mario ? The
loss of these great artists, but more especially the
first, for whom the amorous Don was written, and
who embodied it in a manner it is idle to expect we
shall see repeated, fully accounts for its comparative
neglect in recent years, and accordingly its fresh-
ness to many an auditor on its revival at this house
last evening. That revival, in nearly everyrespect,
reflects the highest crrdit on the theatre. Signor
Zucchini's Don Pasquale—it is but the merest jus •
tics to say, is t'ae very best that has been witnessed
since that of its great original. It is the perform-
ance of a genuine comedian, as well as of a thorough
musical artist, who can be unctuous without coarse-
ness, and vigorous without excess. It has all the
traits of the most careful study, developed
by the most humorous spirit and sympathy,
and has an effect that is just as natural
as it is pleasant and enjoyable. Nothing can pos-
sibly be more comic than his delighted encounter
with his bride from a convent, who pretends to be
so shy she can scarcely endure the sight of a man,
and whose charming prejudice he feels that his
personal interest must soon subdue—or his astonish-
ment on discovering that all her innocence is a
trick, and he is entrapped for life into the clutches
of a fashionable virago. The restless transport of
his expectations, and the entire collapse at the re-
sult, is as comic a piece of contrast as we remem-
ber to nave seen. Lqually goon is the wonder and
rage to which he aeouses from his stupor, when
he finds his bride is going to ruin him, not only in
pocket, but in character, and intends a visit not only
to the theatre, but a meeting with a gallant. Here
his wonder, as he stares at her, when she tells him
to go to bed—his rage when she persists on leaving
him, and his overthrow again when he receives the
box on his ears, and murmurs, e finita Don Pasquale,'
all you have got to do is to go and drown yourself,"
were all rich in the extreme. The melancholy
snivel, too, with which he enters, entirely prostrate
in the last scene, and says to Malatesta, " Brother-
in-law, you:see a dead man walking upright" (" Un
morto che:cammina"), was a most amusing touch
of nature—and, in accordance with the dramatic,
is the vocal merit of his performance. His delivery
of the aria, " Un foco insolito," is a most spirited
and expressive effort ; and his share in the finale of
the second act, when he is raging at the discovery
of his betrayal, carries a comic indignation to the
extreme height of which it is capable. Alto-
gether this is a performance which esta-
blishes the claims of Signor Zucchini, and
we should suppose cannot fail to become as
popular as it is genuine. Another feature of the
evening was the Malatesta of Mons. Gassier, which
was a very humorous and gentlenianly effort that
must advance this excellent artist another step in
public favour. Equally good in singing and acting,
his delivery of the charming air, especially " Bella
Siccome un Angelo'—is worthy of all praise. A
third attraction was the Ernesto of Signor Giuglini,
who proved to the delight of the audience that he
had entirely regained his noble voice, and whose
delivery of all the music—whether in its tenderness
or melody—could not possibly be exceeded.
Most delightful was his rendering of the
" Sogno soave e caste)," the lover's adieu to all his
hopes, his share in the exquisite quartett of the
second act, which was very properly redemanded,
and his delivery of that gem of serenades, " Corn e
gentil," which was also, and as loudly and as pro-
perly, encored. The only exception we can take,
we regret, is to the Norina of the evening. Mdlle.
Guerrabella has every personal accomplish-
ment for her task—a charming appearance
and engaging manners, -but her want of
sufficient ♦igour, both in respect to voice
or expression, abated the illusion, most unluckily,
where it most required to be sustained. Her most
successful vocal effort was her share of the exqui-
site duett, " Tornami a dir," in which Signor
Giuglini's faultless expression seemed to inspire
her own. The performances terminated with the
" Barbiere," compressed into one act, in which
Mdlle. Trebelli renewed'all her good impressions.
The house was well attended.