The Sun.
London, England, 1849-04-11 00:00:00

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA.

The English vocalist, Miss Catherine Hayes, made
her first appearance in this country last night, as the
heroine of Linda di Chamouni, an opera in which
she has won her principal laurels at the Scala and
elsewhere. We are glad to record her complete sue:
cess, for the fame of an English artist abroad is
generally a doubtful thing, and experience has but
too often proved the cruel and' disappointing worth-
lessness of prefatory rumour. But Miss Hayes is
an exception to this unfortunate rule. She is,
happily, a vocalist of great merit, and very likely to
achieve a lasting end profitable reputation in this
country. In Italy she has, for some three years past,
been a leading favourite; and for two seasons, we are
informed she filled the situation of prima donna at
Vienna, where vocal pretensions, it is well known, are
judged with severity. The appearance of Miss
Hayes is agreeable. She is fortified by nature with
a pretty, prepossessing face, Irish in its cast, with
the advantageous accompaniment of an elegant,
though slender, figure. Her voice is a soprano of
considerable range, extremely sweet in quality,
though somewhat hard when forcibly exerted. Her
accomplishments as an executant are highly credit-
able to her industry; she has nothing to achieve in
this respects for she delivers fiorituri with the most
perfect ease—delicacy and finish not being wanting
to give her execution the best possible charm. Her
first air, " 0 lute di quest'anima," although given
under the influence of a very natural alarm, did not
terminate without establishing the singer in the good
graces of the auditors, for the qualities to which we
have alluded were plainly betokened, together with
the rare and invaluable essential of exact intonation.
The duet in the second act," Al bel dentin," is calcu-
lated to display a soprano vocalist very brilliantly, and
Miss Hayes met the exigencies of the case to admira-
tion, and deserved the applause that the effort brought
down. The music—what there is of it—belonging to
the third act, when Linda returns to her native vil-
lage crazed and heart-broken, was also intelligently
rendered, and completed the interest of a very charming
performance. As an actress Miss Hayes is not re-
markable; but she nevertheless gives an attractive
embodiment to one of the prettiest and most fasci-
nating of operatic heroines. Grace and softness are
her natural characteristics, and to fill such parts as
the one under notice seems to be her true professional
destiny. The young contralto, Mdlle. de Meric,
likewise made her debut upon this occasion, and
shared with Miss Hayes the honours of the evening.
Her success was equally unmistakeable. Such an
exquisite voice could not well fail to gratify the ear
of the listener, but independently of the physical
satisfaction thus established, the vocalist betrayed
great taste and feeling, from which the best auguries
may be deduced. She has the advantage of singing
her first air behind the scenes, and her delivery of
this deliciously pensive morceau was consequently
undamaged by the terror incident to an initiatory trial
before a new audience, and prepared the way for
the sulwequent ballata, "Per sua Madre," in
which her rich and sympathetic voice, and purity
and earnestness of style, were developed still more
openly. The larghetto, in the duet between her and
Miss Hayes, in the second act, was also touchingly
sung. That this young lady will prove to the house
an acquisition of no mean value, we think was abund-
antly proved last night, when the expectations which
her recent attempts at Paris gave rise to were fully
realised. Mdlle. de Meric is the daughter of Madame
Merie Lalande, a prima donna who sang at her
Majesty's Theatre a tew years ago contemporaneously
with Donzelli.

Tamburini, who appeared for the first time this
season, played Antonio--one of his finest characters,
though hitherto unknown in it in this country. His
making up was perfect; and his acting in the second
act, when he discovers his daughter under the sup-
posed protection of a seducer, was extraordinarily
effective. The lover was personated by Salvi, and the
Marquis by Tagliafico. The former gave the senti-
mental airs with his accustomed taste and refinement ;
and the latter exhibited some serviceable dramatic
hustle. The choruses were executed with the greatest
spirit and precision ; and the opera, as a whole, went
off with the eclat, as regards the completeness of re-
presentation, which so honourably distinguishes this
establishment.

Her Majesty's box was occupied by the Hon. Francis
Lady Ann Charteris, Mr. and Lady Blanche Balfour,
and Mr. Byng. Among the visitors were Count and
Countess de Flahault and Miss do Flahault, Baron
Nicolay, the Duke of Brunswick, the Marquis
of Clanricarde, the Earl of Bradford and the
Ladies Bridgeman, the Earl of Munster, the
Earl of Bi,ltust, Viscount Exmouth, Viscountess
Canning, !Lady Ili:ward do Walden, PSr, and Lady
Au4usta Wentworth end Miss Wentworth, Lady Shelley,
Lady Ashburton, Lady Quentin, Lady Webster, Lady
Morgan, Hon. Henry Stanhope, Right Hon. the Lord
Mayor and Lady Mayoress, Hon. George Miles, Sir
Henry Webb, Sir George Armytage, Sir John and the
Misses Burgoyne, Sir William and Lady de Bathe, Sir
George Carrell, Sir Isaac, Lady, and the Misses old-
; 111,,j0r-General Sir Andrew Barnard, K.C.8.,
hear-Admiral Lysaght, General Fox, Colonel Blanc,
Major Gage, Captain Durham, Captain Home Purvis,
Captain Brownriug, Captain Prendergao, Captain Hood,
Captain Ryder Burton, Mr. Milner Gibson, M.P., and
Mrs. Milner Gibson, Mr. Montague Gore, M.P., Mr.
Thoites, Mr. Thoites, jun., Coinmerell, Esq., Mr. and
Miss Vernon, Coningham, Esq., Mr. and Mrs. Stan-
dish Standish, &c.

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