The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-30 00:00:00

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA.

Donizetti's delightful drawing-room opera, Don Pasquale,
after a slumber of several years, last night delighted a
crowded house, being represented for the first time on the
boards of the Covent-garden Opera, by the artists Lablache,
Grisi, and Mario, who long since, in the elder establish-
ment, made its beauties familiar to the ear of the
London dilettante. No sooner did the portly person
of Don Pasquale present himself, than the warmth of
the greeting showed how many at the instant felt the
pleasure of gazing on a familiar face, under old asso-
ciations, that might not again have combined, The wel-
come having subsided, Lablache delivered " Son nov'oro"
with a soundness that showed " time and the hour " had
dealt with him lightly. The scone which follows, wherein
the scheming Dr. Malatesta describes the bride he has in
view for the old man, excited laughter more hearty than
is usual in the frigid circle of fashionable audiences.
Ronconi's song " Bella, siccome un angelo," and Lablache's
ponderous levity in " Un foco insolito," with its abortive
attempts at dancing, fencing, and other experiments,
by, which the infatuated old gentleman endeavours to
test his youthful vigour were examples of that species
of burlesco which the Italian stage alone presents.
Mario's impersonation of that insipid young gentleman,
Ernesto, was good, and his vocalisation of " Sogno soave
de miei prim anni," mellifluously poured out ; and his duo
"Mi fa un destin," very genteel parlour tragedy. The
fourth scene brought Grisi, and a triumph in the florid re-
citative preceding the dance-like aria, "So anch'io la virtu
magica," and the dialogue and duo with her pretended
brother, in which they arrange the plan for the bamboozle-
ment of Don Pasquale, was wonderful in contrast, colour,
finish, and breadth. The curtain fell to a call for the ar-
tistes.

Act the second again brought the Don on at the rising
o the drop-scene. The ludicrous finery of the old man
s strongly moved the risibility of ,the spectators, that,
for some seconds, the baton of the conductor hung, in the
air. It must be admitted that a more striking satire on
the "loud" costume of the " gout." could not be devised.
Lablache's " checks" were enormous, and his wig was an
exaggeration of the "natural" one of the fourth George,
and of advertising professors. The interview with the
cunning and charming Sorina was vigorously and
broadly acted, and the by-play of Itoncoui and Grisi, es-
pecially the latter, as the timid girl from the convent,
finished, and by no means over-strained. The fictitious
marriage contract signed, Grisi's cool assumption of the
haughty imperious wife was electric ; and her laughing
ridicule of her huge, antiqdated spouse, in the song, " Iln
uom qua' roi deoripito," &e., exquisite. That fine bit of
vocal writing icon, "Taci blme," with the quartet, and
the finale of Act 11., "Son tradito, calpestato," Sze., were
worth a pilgrimage to hear. The choruses in the second
and third acts were well sung; and the scone in which
Grisi so delightfully sings, and so charmingly boxes the
Don's ears, presanted another provocation to good humour
in the original way in which the corpulent Don contrives
by means of a chair to pick up the billet his wife has de-
signedly dropped. In every respect this revival must
attract audiences, albeit the opera is certainly more open
to criticism than several of the same maestro's writings.
The ballet tin Etcile closed the evening.

_'HE VALUE OF RAGS.—Yesterday a return, ordered
by Parliament, was printed, showing that last year there
were 9,687 tons of rags imported, and 2,4f52 tons ex-
ported. Large quantities of paper have been exported,
and the value of rage bats increased,