The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-05 00:00:00

ROYAL ITALIAN °PARA.

Beethoven's Fidelio was performed last night for the firs:
time since ISSI, and for the third time at the Royal Italia'
Opera, since, when it was originally brought out here in the
year of the Great Exhibition, it was only given twice during
the season. a different result, we think, can now be prog
nosticated, if we may judge by the reception accorded to th,
opera on the present occasion. The house was crowded to
the ceiling ; there was scarcely standing room in the pit
and the amphitheatre and gallery were literally packed-
doub,less with amateurs of good music, who had come to de
honour to one of the grandest masterpieces of the art, am:
the only opera ever composed by the uncompromising am,
immortal Beethoven. Her Majesty and Prince Albert
(with three of the Royal children) were among the
audience, and remained until the end of the performance,
the- most efficient we have heard iu England no matte'
whether in German, English, or Ita lam The opera was
given with recitatives, to suit the exigencies of the Rabat,
stage ; and these, which we believe are from the pen of Mr.
Costa, can hardly be praised too much for their discretion,
their uuobtrusiveness, and their thorough applicability to the
worth and the situations. Two out of the four overtures
which Beethoven, unable to satisfy himself, composed for
Fiddle) were played by the band—the short one in E at the
commencement, and the longest and finest of all, generally.
known as the overture to Leonora, between the first ann
second acts. The latter was given to such perfection that it
was encored unanimously, and the absurdity of interrupting
the progress of the opera by a lengthy and elaborate orches-
tral piece (which should bo given at the beginning, or not at
all) was forgotten in the interest created by so fine a perform-
ance. It was the third appearance of Mademoiselle Sophie
Cruvelli, who, on the Italian stage at least, may bo said
to have made the character of Leonora her own. That it
should be her best part is the more to her credit, since it is.
without exception, the most lofty, arduous, and difficult in
the lyric drama. The music of Leonora exacts an equal
amount of physical force and mental acquirement. It is in-
tellectual throughout; and, as dramatic truth is never sacri-
ficed to mere vocal display, the singer must look to the
strict attention-and the higher symp Able% of the audience
for appreciation and reward. That it should so entirely suit
the voice and means' of Madlie. Cruvelli is au accident for
which she has no reason to be thankful, and which, it must be
owned, she has turned to the best advantage. She was never
more magnificent than last night ; her acting was never more
careful, picturesque, and thoroughly intelligent ; her singing
never more forcible and impressive. Her whole performance,
in short, was first rate. It may be, that being a German,
Mademoiselle Cruvelli finds the music of the greatest German
operas peculiarly adapted to her nature and her means. At
all events, Leonora is her most finished and genuine per-
formance. She wholly forgets herself in the part, and is no
longer Mademoiselle Crnseelli, but the faithful and heroic wife
of the poor captive, to rescue whom is her fixed idea—to be
restored to whom is the object of her whole devotion,
There is, however, one feature that distinguishes the
Leonora of Mademoiselle Cruvelli from all the Leonoras
we have seen—that of Malibran alone excepted in every
scene, no matter what passion or excitement has sway,
in passages of the loftiest daring, as in those of fear
and trembling and almost despair, there is an evidence
of modest and retiring womanhood, which is never once lost
sight of, and which, united to a feeling of youth in the tones
of the voice and in every look and gesture, invests the whole
impersonation with a special and abiding charm, and presents
a beau ideal of the most ideal, and, at the same time, the
most genial and unaffected of operatic heroines. signor Tam-
berlik's Florestan was, to say much in one word—faultless.
Mademoiselle Marai showed that part of Marcellina was one
of real importance. Had this clever and intelligent young
singer essayed the character of Leonora, she could hardly
have done herself more credit. That Signor Tagliafico should
have been thoroughly efficient as I 'on Pizarro is not to
be wandered at, since he studies every one of his par s
with such extreme diligence, and brings so much intel-
ligence to the task, that he rarely fails to come up to the
mark. Nor is it surprising that a thoroughly well-trained
singer like Signor *tigelli (and a German to boot) should
do all that could possibly be required with the small, but
not insignificant part of Jacquiuo, or that Signor Polonini,
wh is careful is whatever he does, should have been mere
than usually careful in the somewhat difficult inns e of the
Minister. Signor &mini. iu the laborious and very prom.-
ne it character of R ,cco, dsplayed a geuthal acquaintance
with the music, and, in most re,pects, a command of it—not
to mention his sensible appreciation of the part in a dramatic
point of view—which did him infinite credit. The opera was
listened to wit., attention, and applauded with genuine warmth
from begiuning to end. The new success of Fidelio is a fact
of importance to music, and is likely to make the short en-
gagement of Mademoiselle Cruvelli both profitable and bon.
mixable to the management.

DESPATCHES PROM LORD RAGLAN.- Captain the Hon.
Henry Blackwood, arrived in town yesterday, bearer of
despatches from Genel ai Lord Raglan, whom he accora-
Paula(' as far as Malta.