The Sun.
London, England, 1862-06-16 00:00:00

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.

"ROBERTO 1L DIAVOLO."

Tho playgoer who is old enough to remember
the great sensation drama that was popular forty
years ago, and which under the title of " the super-
natural," commenced with such concoctions as the
" Vampyre" and "Frankenstein," will easily recall
the great excitement created in 1824 by
the production of " Der Freischutz" as
its first illustration in opera ; and again,
some seven years later, by that of " Robert the
Devil," which may be regarded as its last. It was
in 1831 that a subject which was originally treated
at the Porte St. Martin, in Paris, obtained its highest
form on the boards of the Grand Opera, and became
a vehicle for some of the earliest, and certainly
loveliest, music of Meyerbeer. If the " Crociato
in Egitto" served to introduce his name to Europe,
it was the "Roberto" that immediately and decisively
established it. It must also be remembered that
if the temporary excitement if the subject
conduced not a little to the secceea of the
work at first, that circumstance mast also be re-
garded as its test, since the music still remains as
fresh and popular as ever, whilst tte excitement
which introduced it has entirely passed away.
Nay, the test is a great deal stronger, for so far
from being interesting, we have grows to consider
the subject as excessively monstrous and absurd,
and yet such is the strength of the music it can
still render it attractive, and not only serve to re-
press our ridicule, but actually to excite our
sympathies. A still further evidence of its power
is that the interest of its story being one of incident
rather than character, it was supplied with no
materials for duly interpreting human feeling (such
as was afforded in the " Hugenots"), and therefore
was compelled in a great degree to create the
human interest which is developed in this work and
which creation is just the element that gives its
vitality. It is the natural and enduring emotions of
Alice, Isabel, and Robert, as expandediin the music,
that continue to attract and affect us, when all the
romance of the incantation, and that of the ordea;
of the Demon-Father have deservedly died out. A
greater test, therefore, than this work affords of the
essential genius of a composer, it would not be easy
to adduce. The popularity which it won in Paris,
on its original production, when it achieved the ue-
parallelled run of 160 successive nights, was soon
extended to this country ; and under Mr. Moak
Mason's management it was transferred to ler
Majesty's Theatre in 1832, with Nourrit Levasstur
and Mdlle. Cinti in their original and principal
characters. It was also given, but not completely,
at both Drury-Lane and Covent-Garden, and pars
afterwards was produced at her Majesty's, in order
to furnish, in the character of Alice, a dent for
Jenny Lind. If the music and sentiment of
the young Normandy peasant had an
attraction for the " Swedish Nightingale,"
which determined the revival of the opera, ts re-
production was certainly no impolitic experiment,
when its peasant heroine could find an exponent in
the person of Madme. Titiens. It naturaly pre-
sented itself, therefore, to the management as the
chief feature of the season ; and, after sone weeks
of preparation, was produced on Saturdcy evening
with unqualified success. Three circumstances may
be referred to as conducing to this result. First,
the interest connected with the debut of Mdme.
Titiens in Alice ; secondly, the carefal and effective
production of the opera as a whole ; and, lastly, its
animation and richness as a spectacle. Of the per-
formance of 111drne. Titiens no praise can be too
great. Assuming the simple Norman girl with a
naturalness that seems as easy to her as the dignity
of Lucrezia, she addresses herself to the music
—with a depth of emotion as well as a massive
felicity of tone—that places her effort far be-
yond all cotemporaneous rivalry. In the great
scene with Bertram, where the religious sen-
timent of the young peasant is made to illus-
trate so powerfully their respective positions as
the geed and evil genius of Roberto; her fervor
obtained the fullest scope, and certainly nothing
could be finer than the horror with which she en-
countered the Demon Father, or grander than her
repulse of him, on flying to the cross. Here her
attitude alone alone was the happiest testimony to
her genius. Whilst Jenny Lind. in this great posi-
tion flung herself at the foot of the sacred emblem,
expressing terror at her enemy, quite as much as
confidence in her safeguard, Mdme.Titiens springs to
its side and by the sudden grandeur of her look
and bearing, suggests the action of a seraph defying
the power of the arch fiend. The conception of
the ono was perhaps the more rustic and the more
actual; but that of the other, we consider, not only
the more natural but more poetic. Her treatment
of the music was in accordance with this deeper
sense of the character. It made the ardour of the
young peasant, both personal and religious, the key
to a more impressive, because a more passionate de-
livery. It was this feeling which gave such depth
to her rendering of the pathetic air, Va mi
disse," of the first act, in which she describes
the mission she received from her mother
to become Roberto's guardian genius. It was
was this feeling also gave such interest to the
rustic simplicity of the charming melody with
which she tries to reassure herself whilst waiting
on the mountain for Raimbaut. Her share in the
masterly trio, "Lo Sguado immobile" contributed
chiefly to its great impression, and won her the
honour of a recall, and not less admirable was her
singing and general expression in the last scene,
the concluding trio of which—between Alice, Ber-
tram, Robert—is one of the very finest to be found
in modern opera. After successes such as
these, we think we are authorized in pro-
nouncing Alice as one of the characters
which hereafter will be regarded as her own.
Only second to that of Mdme. Titiens was the im-
pression produced by Signora Carlotta Marchisio
in the character of Isabel. This :charecter, which
requires a vocalist who can unite the opposite styles
of a passionate and brilliant expression, has rarely
met with an adequate representative since its ori-
ginal, and very rarely indeed any one so sufficient
as the Signora Carlotta. If she did not de-
liver the celebrated "Robert toi quo j'aime"
with ell the emotion it demanded, nothing
could surpass the ease and brilliancy of the
cavatina in tho second act, "In vano it fato."
Of the Roberto and the Bertram we can speak re-
spectfully, if not in terms of the highest praise.
Signor Armandi, having recovered from his illness,
displayed a very welcome increase of energy, his
stately and chivalric bearing throughout
the opera adding not a little to the illusion.
His voice, however, appears to have suffered
either from illness or over exertion, and was
scarcely able to second his frequent sound
intentions. The Bertram of Signor Vialetti was a
highly artistic impersonation, and in the great scene
with Alice displayed a power that was on the verge
of genius. The Raimbaut of Signor Bettini was
very pleasantly sung and acted. The chorus
throughout the opera was very steady and effective,
very spiriied in the opening music, and very im-
pressive in that of the Fiends. The band, under
Signor Arditi had a force and precision at every point
that left nothing to be desired. The spectacle, as we
have already said, was very rich and brilliant the
incantation scene especially affording Mr. Calcott
a happy opportunity to evidence his powers.
The house, we need not say, was crowded to the
roof, and the satisfaction of the audience was mani-
tested by the warmest demonstrations.

—
THE DEATH OF Two VOLUNTEER ARTILLERY-
yEN.—SHIELDS, Saturday.—The horrible death of Ser-
geant Manners and Private Meggison, of the 3d Northum-
berland Artillery volunteers, by being blown away by a gun
at Blyth on Thursday night has caused a very profound
sensation in the north, and the explanation that is given of
the sad affair is this. On Thursday two daughters of Mr.
Watts, the commander of the corps, were married, and the
firing of the 32-pounder gun at the battery was partly in
honour of the event. The stated number of rounds had
been fired, but unfortunately the men resolved to try another
shot. The drill sergeant, who had loaded all the previous
charges, protested against this, but the deceased men, who
were in high spirits, playfully took the ramrod out of his
hands, and in spite of his remonstrance proceeded to charge
the gun again, and were in the act of ramming the charge
home, when the gun went off, it is thought, from the vent
not having been properly attended to. in their eagernessto ram the charge home the poor fellows had brought their
heads to a level with the ramrod and directly in front of the
muzzle of the gun. Both the young men were unmarried,
and were highly esteemed in ate town,