The Sun.
London, England, 1853-04-04 00:00:00

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA

The season opened on Saturday evening with the
avourite opera of Masaniello. The caste was the same
as in former years, with the exception of Fenella, which
was played by Mdlle. Melina Marmet; a lady not exactly,
new to an English audience, as she was one of the
ballet corps enlisted at this theatre in its first season.
The part, which is well fitted to display the powers of a
pantomimic artiste, was, in her hands, nothing but the
tame and conventional peasant girl of a hundred ballets,
Her action is rather graceful than energetic or expres".
sive, and displayed not the least trace of originality or
dramatic power. Nevertheless, the lady may turn out
to be very useful in the ballet department. Signor Tam-
berlik sung and played the hero-fisherman with all his
usual fire and energy, and few who witnessed his per-
formance would have imagined that he had had scarcely
time to rest after a long and more than usually severe
journey from St. Petersburgh. He gave the celebrated
barcarole, in the second act, with a power and sweet-
ness which at once evinced that his voice has
not suffered from a St. Petersburgh winter, what-
ever it may have done for that of other tenors. In
the duet which immediately follows, he and Formes were
encored, and deservedly so, for we have rarely heard -
these two great artists put forward their powers with,
more success. For some reason or other, the celebrated
air which Masaniello sings over his sleeping sister was
omitted, probably because Signor Tamberlik felt that
after his recent fatigue it would be wiser in him to hus-
band his powers for the last act. If so, the unabated-
energy and spirit with which he went through the con-
cluding scene was a sufficient justification, and the loud
applause which marked his exit at the head of the insur-
gents, battle axe-in hand, showed that the audience fully.
pardoned him for the omission of one of the most favourite
morceaux of the opera. Formes invested the ungrateful
part of Pietro with a character of ruggedness and
perversity quite in keeping with an envious and malcon-
tent insurrectionist ; his singing of the music allotted to
it was unexceptionable, and in the concerted pieces and
chorusses his magnificent voice came in with great effect.
The graceful and pleasing Mdme. Castallan was the Elvira,
and sang the part with all her usual sweetness and
expression. Signor Mei its Alfonso, sang better than he
played, which is not saying much ; and Signor Rommi
bestowed on the little part of Borella all that care and
attention which have made this gentleman one of the
most favourite and useful seconder of the establishment.
In the orchestra this year we miss two of its great orna-
ments, Bottesini and Piatti ; but it is still under the
leadership of Mr. Costa, and therefore though not so com-
plete, it is as efficient as an orchestra can be. The over-
ture, one of Auber's most successful, and on Saturday
night magnificently played, was encored. Of the chorus
we cannot speak in so entirely favourable terms.
The prayer Pietade o Cielo, at the end of the
third act, sung with beautiful precision and
harmony, secured, we own most deservedly, the
usual encore ; but the market chorus and the Tri-
umphal march at the close of the fourth act, were
scrambled through in a most unsatisfactory and discredit-
able manner. The other chorusses were no more than
tolerable. We should certainly recommend the directors
to bestow more care and attention on this most important
department, as of late years we have noticed a consider-
able falling off therein, which, if continued, will consider-
ably mar any success they may obtain in other particulars.
As for the ballet, we did not witness the divertissement
in the first act, and, consequently, are scarcely in a posi-
tion to say whether the assurances held out by the
programme in this respect have been carried out. Cer-
tainly we are not inclined to augur much from what we
saw in the tarantella. On the whole, Saturday night
was all that might be expected, both by management
and audience, from the first night of a season. Though
the field is now clear and undisputed, the direc-
tors have still an arduous task before them, which
will require as earnest vigour and ceaseless care
as any of their former campaigns. So far they
have achieved success by the most legitimate and
praiseworthy means. The Royal Italian Opera has
forced itself into its present proud position by sheer
merit and excellence, against the force of public opinion,
and in spite of what at one period of its career was
nothing less than public prejudice. We have no appre-
hension that now, with " no rival near the throne," the
directors will attempt to relax the standard of excellence
which they themselves have set ; but we cannot help
warning them that any such attempt will be fatal to the
continuance of the public support.
On Thursday night II Barbiere introduced a new
tenor, Sig. Lachesi.