The Sun.
London, England, 1849-07-06 00:00:00

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.
A new ballet, one of the most exciting, pleesing, and
original that was ever witness, d, was produced here lust
evening, under the title of Les I'laisirs d'Hiver. The
scene of the ballet is laid in Poland, and the first tableau
represents the celebration of a Polish marriage, amidst
flowers in a Jardin d'Hiver—one of those new luxuries,
by means of which the richer noblemen of the
North console themselves for the rigour of their cli-
mate. In this tableau Rosati and the other chief
dancers of the troupe display their grace and spiriting in
novel and piquant steps. There is a "grand Pus de
Deux, a la Horigroie," by Mdlle. Rosati and M. Charles.
In this tableau likewise occurs the " Introduction a la
Fete," by Mdlles. Marra, Thomassini, Julien, Aussan-
don, Lamoreux, and Pascales. Having dis-
ported themselves withit, the gay votaries
join the country people without in another
pastime of their own. This occurs in the
second tableau. You behold the Danube, crowds of
skaters throng the frozen waters, attended by venders
of every species of ornament as well as of refreshment.
On one side are seen ladies driven along in their fur
dresses on sledges; in another direction the men are
enjoying the Montagne Busse. Presently, room is made
for the dances of the skaters. First comes the "Pus des
Frileux." The laughing, but shivering crowd, by the
execution of a peculiar Hungarian step, dance them-
selves into warmth. Then comes "Le pas ala Hus-
sarde," a curious, lively, and varied step, pet formed by
Madlle. C. Rosati and M. P. Taglioni, Mesdames Petit,
Marra, Thomassini, Aussandon, Julien, and Lamoreux.
This is followed by the most remarkable and character-
istic step of all, the grand quadrille "Des Patineurs."
Of this prolonged, varied, and marvellous intricate pas
every detail is executed by skaters with the most re-
markable effect. Betwixt each figure there are solos of
mimic action—spirited episodes of the life of the
North, represented by M. Charles. But new the
hour is come when the feast within must follow the
sports without ; the sun's setting marks the
hour of retiring to the hospitable fire-aide ;
and the curtain descends amidst the fall of snow.
Such is the account given of the two scenes in the
official programme, and certainly we never saw anything
to equal the excitement of the last scene. The sports
begin at daybreak, and we have the rising of the sun,
his meridian splendour and his setting all admirably
imitated by the electrical light. The Pas des
Patineurs is a most elegant piece of terpsichorean
comedy, and M. Charles is one of the most active,
graceful, and amusing of dancers. Carolina Rosati
danced her two pas exquisitely, and the Pas de
Frileux is one of the most amusing pieces of
eccentricity ever introduced into a ballet. The
following is the history of the ballet : " This
ballet was first performed at the Court Theatre ofßerlin in 1848, under the title of Liebeslicendel. It is
composed by Paul Taglioni, the maitre ballet of the King
of Prussia. It was long reserved by its author. for the
Court of his Royal Master, but the scenario was ulti-
mately lent to the old marshal, Prince Paskew itch, the
greatest amateur of ballets in Europe, who at Warsaw,
at the Imperial Theatre, possesses a corps de ballet the
envy of all the Sovereign Princes of the north. Last
year this ballet was imitated all over Germany, and
everywhere with remarkable success. Meyerbeer, the
great composer, in the same royal service, and
employed mostly in the same theatre at Berlin,
asked bis choregraphic colleague, P. Taglioni, on
his way to London, to furnish the plans, models, and
suggestions to the Academie de Musique, necessary to
introduce the principal features of this ballet in the
Prophete. This P. Taglioni did readily and gra-
tuitously to oblige bleyerbeer, and the success of the
Pas de Patineurs has been immense in Paris." The
music, by Pugni, is excellent, and a more complete
success we never witnessed than that of this most de-
lightful of ballets. P. Taglioni, Madlle. Rosati, and M.
Charles, were called on, and then P. Taglioni was honoured
with a second call, as the author, a compliment which
he richly merited.