The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-19 00:00:00

GRISI AND MARIO IN NEW YORE.

In speaking of the first appearance of these artistes,
he New York Sun says :

" It would be carrying our admiration of the qualities
displayed by Madame Grisi to an extreme unwarranted
by the evidence of Monday evening's performance, were
we to say that she has lost nothing of her former fresh-
ness and purity of voice. The hand of Time, which
deals so unsparingly with all the rest of the world, makes
no exception in the case of those favoured children of
song, whose rich endowments of physical gifts open
the way for them to reputation and fortune. Still
the traces of its inroads are only obvious to those
who have had the opportunity of comparing the
different stages of a career pre-eminently success-
ful in all its phases. Her figure has assumed a fullness
and a heaviness not quite consistent with our notions of
classical grace; but her features are still noble, command-
ing, and expressive. If she is wanting somewhat in the
facility and precision of execution for which she was for-
merly remarkable, her voice still possesses a power and
richness that it, does not often fall to our lot to hear,
and that leave her still equal in this respect to almost
any of her cotemporaries. For those great parts which
she has made particularly her own, and which none of
her rivals have been able to approach her in, such as
Norma, Lucrezia, Borgia, Anna Bolena, and Donna
Anna, her vocal and histrionic powers are still in suffi-
cient vigour and perfection to enable her to give her
accustomed effect to them. Although it is not impro-
bable that we may yet see those parts filled by greater
singers, it is scarcely possible to find combined with so
mach vocal excellence so much of dramatic force and ex-
pression. Grisi, in fact, owes as much of her reputation to
the latter quality as to the former; end, although in the one
those who have beard her at an earlier period of her
operatic career will recognise a sensible falling of, in the
other her powers seem to have matured rather than di-
minished. There could have been no more striking
proof of this than the intensity of passion which she dis-
played throughout almost the whole of Monday night's
performance. Her defiance of the taunting nobles, her
despair at the poisoning of Gennaro, and her anguish at
his death, were all expressed with a depth and grandeur
of emotion that carried away the soul with it, and left
that profound impression upon the spectators which
nothing but genius of the first order can create.
The reputation that preceded Mario to this country
received full confirmation in the verdict of the public on his
performance of Monday evening. He is unquestionably the
finest tenor that has visited us ; and we have had the ad-
♦antage of hearing him in the full maturity of his powers.
When we compare him now with the descriptions given
of him on his first appearance at the Grand Opera in
Paris, in 1839, we cannot but admire the perseverance
which has enabled him to conquer the bashfulness and
awkwardness which then marred all his efforts. It is
impossible to give an idea by description of the delicious
qualities of his voice, his perfect style of phrasing, and
the exquisite delicacy and refinement of his execution.
When we combine with these qualities finely-formed ex-
pressive features, a slight and graceful figure, and
considerable dramatic power—the result of careful
study—some notion may be formed of the effect pro-
duced by his performance on the audience. Where the
roles of both these distinguished artistes offered only
a succession of new beauties, each equalling the others
in the perfection of its rendering, it would be difficult to
particularise those passages that pleased the audience
most. Suffice it to say, that all the gems of the opera
were encored, and at the close of each act Madame
Grisi and her husband were called before the curtain,
and greeted with the most enthusiastic applause.
Of the other debutante we can only speak favourably
of the new basso, Sig. Susini. He has a fine voice, some-
what wanting in flexibility, perhaps, but betraying
careful cultivation. His style and action are both excel-
lent, and altogether he is a most valuable acquisition to
the company.
The tickets for • the next performance will be reduced
to three dollars to all parts of the house.

A NATIONAL ANTI 15L FOIL MEXIOO. A national
anthem has just been adopted by the Mexican govern.
went. It bears the title of " Dios y Libertad." Nu-
merous compositions for the purpose were prepared by
invitation of the government, and the committee ap.
pointed selected the one referred to. The Minister of
the Interior has issued a decree declaring the fact of
this adoption, in order to inform the public of the fact.
LUTON, DUNSTABLB, AND WILLWTN RAILWAY.—We
understand that there now remains no doubt of the as-
sent to this project of all the owners of the property
through which the line will pass. We may the/ efore hope
that the application for an act will be comparatively
inexpensive ; and that, when the line is constructed, the
public and the shareholders will divide between them
the profits arising out of what will be, in every sense of
the word, a cheap railway.

. _
ESCAPE or A PRISONER.—On Thursday afternoon
last some considerable stir was caused among the police
authorities, in consequence of a prisoner having effected
hie escape whilst being conveyed to Lewes by railway.
The man's name is Richard Agate. He was conveyed
to the Haywards Heath station in a fly, in the custody
Theof
carriagespoliceman
g e rt, r
ai
n stationed
which
at
leaveslh ilaywards
Three Bridges.
Heath at 3.25., and arrives at Lewes at five minutes t:
four, it is stated, were all full, and the policeman took
his charge into the guard's box, the door near to
through
the prisoner sat being unlocked. Upon golng who
the tunnel which passes under the
leeiaade._frosmussceAtdrvaeirnt.iserH. town,d tne Agate, and
the cuffs upon one hand onlY,
ed from the Portland Prison
ESCAPE.—A convict escap he
was seen to pass the
on Friday last. It appears
guard on duty, but his dress being
e sucLpedened in effecting his
Ferry Bridge by the
excited regarding him.
changed and he
and a party of warden were
missed at the prison, payingguathTehteelflelrloeawdiwlyasn, no
however,suspicion
lowoaen
de-
spatched in
kig pursuit.
Or A WEDDING.—On.
Tuesday,
a spirit shop,
of the mills in the neighbourhood.
at Gwreaesnomarried
middle-aged
to a
respectable
widow, who kept
after the ceremony the bride
evinced
in her usual correct and attentive way, but
rjw-vih:tzwiLdlol-r-hkseceerid:weironanlotenhdeoculrieserful disposition, going about her
seeming
y a
partylittle thatpres everythingpresent
i the
occasion.w as suited
Be-
fore the company broke up, however, something strange
thaaut wmi es re
was noticed in her manner—she began to talk and rave
in a mysterious way, until it became evident that her
mind was affected. Medical aid was brought, but the
sufferer continued to get worse until Saturday night,
when it was deemed advisable to transfer her to an
asylnro.—North British Mail.
PILLAGE.—The Opinione of Turin states, from Milan,
that the committee of sequestrations has directed that
all property under sequestration for political motive"
shall contribute to the Austrian loan to the amount of
four time% the value of the laud-taz.