The Sun.
London, England, 1853-08-23 00:00:00

DRURY LANE THEATRE.

Last night, this theatre of vicissitudes was opened by
Mr. .Tarrett for a short operatic season of 12 nights, in
the hope, no doubt, that there is a sufficient number of
people yet left in London at this season who are willing
to support, at moderate prices, that description of mu-
sical entertainment which has of late become so popular
with the public; and, judging from the reception the
performances received, we have no reason to doubt that
the experiment ,will be successful. The celebrated
opera of Der Freischutz was chosen to initiate the specu-
lation, the executants being a troupe of German artists,
who are about to proceed on a five months' tour in the
provinces. It was the vehicle for the introduction of
two singers entirely new to our stage. Madame Cara-
dori, who has appeared only at one or two concerts,
took the part of Agatha. She is announced as the
prima donna of La Scala at Milan and the Royal Opera
at Vienna. She is a lady of large dimensions and portly
figure, and is evidently past the youthful period, though
in the prime of her voice and age. She has a powerful
organ, with an extensive range, though its low and
middle notes are the really expressive ones ; and when
she does run into a tour de force, she is more powerful
than pleasing. She has tenderness of expression and
sweetness of utterance in her level tones, and in the
famous scena, comprising so many emotions, she was
most successful in the prayer, and the tender senti-
ments. She played with much effect all through, and
in the finale came out with considerable dramatic effect,
and was much applauded.
The other danitant was Herr Reichardt, a young and
vigorous man, with a firm fresh tenor, cultivated in'the
best style. He is not of a commanding figure, and
looked rather small by the side of Madame Caridori ;
but he is well made, and has a handsome, expressive
face. He sings with great nerve and feeling. He was
throughout effective and characteristic ; and although
he does not appear to possess one of those remarkable
tenors that set a town and a nation in ectacy, yet, a. he
is evidently very young, there is the promise of his ac-
quiring great excellence and reputation in his profession.
Madame Zimmerman, the personator of Ann, dis-
played the same sort of talent and the same sort of
method, refinement giving place to breadth, and femi-
nine simplicity to melodramatic elaboration. Formes,
who is one of the troupe, sustained his old part of Cas-
par with no abatement of his former power. The chorus
singers, who sang in English, were anything but exact ;
and in the third act came to a dead stand-still. The
band, conducted by Herr Anschutz, contains several in-
strumentalists of ability, and the playing does no dis-
credit to the undertaking.
Nothing had been spent upon the mice en scene. The
incantation in the Wolf's Glen was wonderfully ail orn
of its ghostly terrors ; and the casting of the fourth,
fifth, and sixth balls brought forth nothing but coloured
smoke and divers gunpowdery smells. The house /, if
not good in the practical sense of the term was .well
filled ;- and the applause was vociferous from the begin-
ning to the end. At the close of the opera, after the
prescriptive recalls had been made, the National An-
theni was sung both by principals and chorus.

THE BRICKLAYERS' STRlKE.—Yesterday the brick-
layers, who have been out on strike three weeks, re-
turned to work at the New Palace at Westminster,
the King's-cross, and London-bridge railway stations,
their demand of 6d. per day wages having been guar-
anteed them. The plasterers and others at work at
the Wellington Barracks, St. James's Park, yesterday
struck for an advance of 6d. per day.
NEW RAILWAY STATION.—We understaxd that it is
the intention of the directors of the South eastern
Railway Company to build a more commodious station
at New-cross (North Kent). The present building is
certainly inadequate for the business now transacted,
and has not even accommodation which ought to be
found even at the most insignificant village, which is
the more to be wondered at, whEin it is remembered
the very numerous and highly respectable buildings
that have recently sprung up in this neighbourhood,
which renders the traffic exceedingly remunerative.
in connection with the new station, we understand
that a coal depot is also to be opened.—Kentish Mer-
cury.

SUSPECTED SUICIDE OF A TRADESMAN.—During the
past few days the family and friends of Mr. Thomas
Atkins, a gas-fitter, residing in Camden-street, Wal•
worth, have been thrown into a state of the greatest
alarm and anxiety by his sudden and mysterious disap-
pearance. On Friday morning last Mr. Atkins left
home, as he stated, to go for a short walk, but not re-
turning during the day, a strict search was made for
him, but without avail, until Sunday morning, when his
body was discovered by some workmen floating in the
Grand Surrey Canal, near Buck's-bridge. When he left
home on Friday he appeared perfectly rational, and on
the same evening was seen by a friend at Vauxhall-gar-
dens. The body was conveyed to the Lord Nelson
Tavern, Camberwell, where an inquest will be held by
Mr. W. Carter, the Coroner.
GALLERY OF ILLUSTRATION, REGENT-STREET,—Yes-
terday the enterprising proprietors of this gallery exhi-
bited for the first time a splendid "picture of St.
Petersburg," the great feature of which is the Winter
Palace, which is represented by night brilliantly illumi-
nated, as seen from the opposite bank of the Neva ;
beyond are seen the Marble Palace, the Imperial Theatre,
and in the rear are dimly shadowed the innumerable
domes and spires of the various churches. In the im-
mediate foreground are seen a number of houses of
fishermen on the Neva ; and on the river itself are re-
presented a variety of groups of people travelling in
sledges, &c. The effect of the flickering lamps which
light the banks at short distances is very cleverly car-
ried out, while the general tint of the frozen river almost
made us imagine we felt cool. The enormous size of the
Winter Palace is most artistically conveyed to the mind
of the spectator. The exhibition of yesterday also in-
cluded the view of Constantinople, and the highly gra-
tifying and instructive series of views of the Ocean Mail,
which, as works of art, are beautifully executed.
THE NEW HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT.—The front of
this building, facing New Palace-yard, is nearly com-
pleted as far as the entrance of Westminster Hall. The
apartments in this part of the building are to be Hppro-
priated to the use of the Speaker, and are on the founda-
tion on which formerly stood the Star Chamber. 'There
is a court-yard within, leading to the cloisters, the most
interesting, and almost the only, remains of St. Steplen's
Chapel. In old Palace-yard, great progress has taken
place in completing that portion of the great bungling.
From the Victoria tower a facade is in course of erec-
tion to the entrance to the central hall, opposite -GVest-
minster Abbey, and where the members' entrance fto the
House of Commons was before the commencement of the
alterations consequent on the execution of the -works
conected with the new palace. When completed, this
facade will entirely hide from view the exterior of the
House of Lords, as will the apartments of the Speaker
in New Palace-yard hide the exterior of the new Rouse
of Commons which runs parallel with Westminster-hall. ,