The Sun.
London, England, 1862-07-14 00:00:00

ROYAL I 7 ALIAN OPERA.

MADEMOISELLE PATTI AS "NORINA."

If the recent neglect of " Don Pasquale,"—a
comic opera which must be regarded as only rank -
ing second to the " Barbiere,"—is chiefly to be
traced to the loss of Lablache, in his grand per-
formance of its hero—scarcely less is the neglect
to be explained in the difficulty of finding an ade-
quate Norina—a character whose perfect treatment
demands the greater art of the two. Indeed, as
Norina is the exciting cause of the humour of the
opera throughout, and consequently of all the
comic distinctions of her lover, his entire develop-
ment, as a matter of course, must depend upon her
own. How this was achieved by Grisi, its original
representative, all who beheld her will readily
admit; and, therefore, how much of the opera's
success was originally owing to her efforts. What
person and humour did for her great associate,
equally huge in girth and spirit—genius
itself accomplished for her, in enabling her
'to apply by a difficult process her humour
to its great results. This difficulty is ex-
plained in the fact that Norina is a lady who has
to assume the part of a virago. Her danger is,
therefore, of becoming comic at a sacrifice of taste.
Her danger is in fact twofold—that of a want of
force, on the one hand, sufficient to render her
humour palpable, and of delicacy, on the other, to
prescribe its due expression. This is a difficulty
which only a true artist is qualified to conquer by
means of sympathies rightly developed, which en-
able her to render the humorous, the graceful.
Norina must therefore be regarded, in a dramatic
point of view, as a sort of test part for a singer,
whose successful treatment is a voucher for her pro-
tensions as an artist. It was this circumstance
which rendered Mdlle. Patti's anncuncement for
the character one of the most attractive features of
the programme which Mr. Gye issued for the
present season. So many of the public felt
that the forte of their young favourite lay in
comedy, and knew that in this character her
euecess must depend so much on her
skill that no ordinary interest was attaehed to the
performance that would attest it. It gives us great
I pleasure to say that her most ardent (dmirers could
not have desired an attestation mere conclusive.
Her Norina is unquestionably her most artistic
effort. It is not only her most anatsing, but be -
yond all measure her cleverest claracter. She
mingles a refinement with her pletsantry which
not only renders it the most agreeabe, but also the
most true. The double danger she ii exposed to of
either weakness or excess—the ether under or
over acting, from want of humour 0.• of taste—she
steers clear of with an ease and certainty that are
just as admirable as they are delightful. Whilst
this character has all the naturalises—all the play-
fulness—and piquant spirit of het Zerlina, it has
infinitely more art, and shows that vhcther as pea-
sant or lady she can be equally trill and diverting,
But a few references to this performance will indi-
cate its merit. The:tender reveri( in which she
enters reading Tasso, and in her oiening cavatina
" So ancho io" dilates upon the paskon which she so
deeply feels, despite her gaiety—tarmingly pre-
pares the audience for the stratarem which is so
essential to her happiness, and which, when ap.
prised of, she accepts with so mach enthusiasm,
and dilates on with so much merriment in the duett
that closes the first act. In tie second, when
she enters veiled as the young grl from the con-
vent, whom Don Pasquale is gang to marry in
order to punish his nephew's iisobedience, her
downcast eyes and trembling wet*, as she pretends
to shrink from the sight of a mm, are admirably
coupled with the arch expression with which she
lifts her veil aside, and intimates the penalty which
her lover will pay for his delusion. Equally good,
when the contract is signed which puts the household
at her command, is the instantaneous, quiet change
with which she proceeds to take possession of it;
and tells her husband he is too old and
fat to gallant a lady, and had better go to
bed, whilst she avails herself of some one
younger, and then proceeds to call in the servants
and give them orders which threaten to ruin him
In all of this there is no vehemence and nothing
approaching to vulgarity, but a simple comic calm-
ness, which is tenfold as effective from the contrast
it presents to the stupor and rage that it elicits.
Again, in the third act, when Norina is going to
the theatre and Don Pasquale commands her
to stay at home, and she climaxes her
audacity by giving him a box of the ears—a
process which we have seen performed with much
more energy than elegance—Mdlle. Patti with
better taste, taps his face with her fan, and so
merely inflicts the dignity without making it
malicious. These are but a few of the many passages
which affirm the merit of this performance. As re-
spects its vocal claims Norina affords comparatively
but few solo occasions, but all these Mdlle. Patti meets
with the utmost spirit and brilliancy. We must
particularly refer to her first duet-.her share in the
sestett of the 2d act—to her delightful piece of
banter when she bids her hustand go to bed,
whilst she goes to the play, " Via earo sposino," and
as a contrast to all those, the exquisite tenderness
with which she shares the lovely duet with Ernesto,
" Tornami a dir," which won, as it well deserved,
a very vehement encore, She was for the most part
admirably supported. Signor Mariowas the Esnesto
—the prince of lovers and gentlemen, whose delivery
of the " Sogno Soave e Casto," in tiste first act, and
of the " Come e Gentil"—the pearl of serenades in
the last, the latter of which was loudly encored—
could not possibly be exceeded. The Malatesta was
Signor Della Sedie,and was also an exollent perform-
ance. This gentleman, whose want of Power so much
impairs his efforts in serious opera, frequently forc-
ing him into excess in order to be etaphatic, found
himself here quite at his ease ; and both in his
singing and his acting delighted the audience
with his spirit. The least meritorious effort was
the Don Pasquale of Signor Ciampi,which was
hard and mechanical throughout, with neither
naturalness nor humour—as much itferior in every
respect to the performance of Signor Zucchini, as
the Norina of Madame Guerrabell4 is to that of
Madlle. Patti. The short chorussta in, this opera
were admirably given; and saving teat it was occa-
sionally a little loud, the band had all its accus-
tomed excellence. The house was very full, and
the applause throughout was very featly.