The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-17 00:00:00

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA.

On Saturday night the first novelty of the season,
Verdi's new opera, Rigoletto, was produced here. The
plot, mutatis nominibus, is taken entire from Victor
Hugo's drama Le Roi s'amuse, which, though acted
in Paris but one night, has since, in a published form,
taken a very high place in the dramatic literature of
France. A certain Duke of Montoya (Signor Mario),
Francis the First in the drama, is a great libertine, and
Rigoletto, the court jester (Signor Ronconi), the chief
panderer to his vicious propensities. The former has
seduced the daughter of one Count Monterone (Signor
Polonini), who, having come to court to anathematise the
duke, is mocked by Rigoletto, whereupon be includes the
buffoon in the curse originally destined only for his mas-
ter. Monterone is then committed to prison, amid the
choral cheers of obsequious courtiers. Rigoletto is
himself a father, and hopes to redeem, through
the pure life of his only child Gilda, (Mademoiselle
Bosio), the errors of his own. He has even kept
the girl aloof from the tainting atmosphere of the
court—concealed from her his own degrading occupation
—surrounded her with good influence; and taught her
from childhood not only to love but to respect him. It
is the thought of this daughter, the only pure spot in
his polluted mind, that makes him writhe and tremble
under the curse of Monterone. The old man's words
cling to him like an infection which poisons the very
sources of life. " Quel veechio maledivami," he exclaims
to himself in the midst of ribald revelry, and the buf-
foon's cheek turns pale with fear, whilst his listless air
and paralysed wit call forth the derisive reproaches of
the bystanders. The curse is henceforth to be his con-
stant companion, and a dreadful future looms mistily
before his mental .vision. Rigoletto's forebodings are
speedily justified, by his daughter being carried off by
the duke, who has accidentally encountered her, and
under an assumed name has won her love. Panting for
vengeance, Rigoletto plans the seducer's death ; but
Gilda, overhearing by chance a conversation which in-
forms her of her lover's perfidy, and the fate that awaits
him, contrives to save his life by the sacrifice of her own.
The sanguinary buffoon, wishing to behold the face of his
slaughtered master, and sing a fiendish epinicion over the
grinning corpse, hastens to an appointed plac about e
time--•midnight, of course—when the m 1 •i should
have been just accomplished, but, to his inexpressible
horror, finds there his death-struck child, instead of
the lifeless body of her betrayer, and after a few frantic
words, amongst which "the curse" re-appears in tri-
umphant pre-eminence, stabs himself, and falls dead
beside his daughter.
After a single hearing it would scarcely be possible to
enter into an elaborate criticism of the music of the
opera ; but it partakes greatly of the usual character of
Signor Verdi's productions ; and, we think, judged by
this standard alone, Rigoletto would have but a poor
chance of becoming a permanent favourite in this
country. As a dramatic performance, however, its suc-
cess we are assured will be as great as that of any opera
which has hitherto been produced on the Italian stage.
However mistaken M. Victor Hugo may have been in
the leading idea of Le Roi s'amuse—and we think itjis
an entire mistake to elevate a passion, and make
the individual by whom it is displayed ridiculous—still
the interest excited by the plot is great, the dramatic
situations are striking, and the incidents throughout are
such, as in the hands of great artistes, could scarcely
fail to be effective. In the caste of Saturday there was
nothing to complain of. Signor Ronconi played the
Court-jester with an energy and power we have
seldom witnessed even in him. At times he rose to the
highest pitch of dramatic genius, and the scene where,
after the abduction of his daughter, he is obliged to bear
his part at the Court as professional jester, with this
heavy grief at his heart, it was one of the finest pieces of
acting we have seen. He was frequently recalled ; and
it would not be too much to say, that more than any
other single essential his acting contributed to the suc-
cess of the piece. His singing, we need scarcely say,
was all that could be desired. Mario had but little to
do but to sing, and that he did with all the power and
sweetness at his command. The morceaux entrusted to
him were, we think, in a musical point of view, by far
the most effective. In the third act, the lively air "La
Donna e Mobile,* Francis' famous " Souvent Femme
Varie," was rapturously encored, as was also another
anacreontic song in the same act, "Bella figlia
amore." He sang them both in a style right worthy of
the primo tenett itsf the world. Mdle. Bosio's perform-
ance of "-Gilds," will add much to her reputation. She
sang delightfully throughout, and in the concerted
music she frequently shared the honours with Ronconi
and Mario by turns. The other parts were all filled
with that care and attention which marks the caste of
second parts at this house. The opera was placed on
the stage in a manner highly creditable to all concerned.
The scenery, by Mr. Beverley, was beautiful, and the
second scene in the first act, a "set" street representing
Rigoletto's house, was a worthy example of the great
advances which the art of scene painting has been made
of late years. Excellent both with respect to the me-
chanical contrivance and pictorial art, it was greatly
and deservedly applauded.
Nothing could possibly be better than the cos-
tumes, decorations, groupings, &c., &c. ;. and Mr.
Harris deserves great praise for the tasteful and com-
plete manner in which he has put the opera on the stage.
To judge from the repeated applause of the audience, the
performance of Saturday night was perfectly successful.
But we repeat that, from one performance alone, it is
impossible to tell how far the musical merits of the opera,
on which its permanent success must ultimately depend,
are calculated to secure that result.