The Sun.
London, England, 1849-05-25 00:00:00

. • A
..:
1,, Ii•
)42 /14/
11
.....
~....,,,,
40 . '',., ,'' •
i 1./4/.4
-__.
.1 Li iol', -, 17 x 1 liy,,2i‘
›,,,,,
‘A,,,,,:,:,,,,1v
-
~..., , _
-) ~,
.....-\\ ll ... , ‘•,\, , ,••
_-^',-::,--r-:-_,.._ 6.,„,,_
i -,..,,,
~,# r,,,,,,„ i, ,:l# ''''V-.;l\ '4t? ;'..--, )11 ,:i.,:1.
._,,,...,-1.",-, -e<--I"*C..----7.4, --- ig"..e\-------- I/ ''.--/-4-74.4,...'-': V- P,
4 r !:' ‘8
---.
, t 1
,-5.,4,A5'7:1;0• :!,
,yze,2,_, ----,,, -.,C) ,—/fpzz.........;', `..? r, ,i ; 7:: sr c'i1:,;1...,.- ~,...,>-•... „ 2,1 (,•;p74---- ---- -. ;5; ..t :: ' ' ~,,": . 444
‘.._-_-,..---'7-.( c 9 '4- " ,', ,--r--9;.4,i%—•:44_,,.,1 ~ .4 ----:',..‘,.Z;S:l„ik-__Llzoll'.',2-2)s, 'IV
.2.,,: \ --
~...71,
clii..
1., I I ,
_4,,, it Awrt,it,, 4• • :L..../".> i
~..4-17, ~.t4,,,1,.4. ~..1:.7:: ,
~,,
i,,, 1 4lr-
llaci-lEe.RAlbillonAi hjatrmil:Yt eSffecTtunallysi/
....
-,„_„_______ 4,
1 1 ~.,. aO. ^'" ~?7,„,111 ',„,i, I
~., , \
.—C7I/4 . IVA,
-
. .
'44.;!4‘ '1 I
L.
4'
4 ‘‘44 AC
1 I.;‘,
( +
/ , rcritics who, unable to discover the lea.
est the least the
in her vocal
een perpetually insinuating that if she we n a character requirin— rzr- d
.. _ „

/~

[PRICE eSD.

LYCEUM THEATRE.
Last evening another of those splendid and tastefully
"got up" two-act dramas for which this theatre has
gained such notoriety, was produced hero with the
most triumphant succt as; it is from the pen of Charles
Dance, Esq , and is entitled, most appropriately, A
Wonderful Woman. The piece is remarkable for neat-
ness as well as for sparkling dialogue, and the interest is
spiritedly kept up throughout. e will not spoil the
interest of the drama by a detailed account of the well-
constructed plot, but what we advise the curious is—to
visit this house, where we can guarantee them "good
entertainment." The part of Hortense (the wonderful
woman) was admirably sustained by Madame Vestris,
who is a wonderful woman in every sense of the term;
she was well supported by her talented husband ; also
by Mr. F. Matthews, Mr. Ituxby, and Mr. Seolbg:.ifi rereitilet,
piece is a hit—a palpable and decided hit. At the fall
of the curtain the applause was rapturous
and en-
thusiastic. The scenery and dresses are
magnificent,
' and we have no doubt the Wonderful if ()man will prove
highly attractive for a lung tame to come. The house
was very fashionably attended notwithstanding the at-
tractions of the two Italian operas.
Apropos to the Derby races and the gaieties of that
great netional sport," as no less an authority than the
Marquis of. Granby has been pleased to designate the
May performance on Epsom Downs, Charles Dance's
favourite.farce of Kill or Cure, was revived here on
Wednesday. Everybody knows that this pleasing little
trifle makes merry with the quarrels of a certain Mr.
and Mrs. Browne on we Derby day, and affords Mr.
Marmaduke Mildman, an amiably-disposed gentleman,
who puts up at their inn, au:ple opportunity for the
exhJ.ci,e of his philanthropy, in soothing down those
domestic differences in wnich the unhalpy couple have
indulged for a series of years. Harley, ;it Browne, Mrs.
Yates, as his toabigant spouse, Mr. 111eatioa s, as John,
the ostler to the establishment, and Miss Marshall, es
Betty, afforded the audience a vast deal of amusement,
end sustained their characters with great humour, but
the admirable acting or Granby. as Marmaduke Mild-
man, clenched the success of the revival. The ever-
amusing and laughable farce of Boa- and Cox, Plata Ca
excellent comedetta of Bold your Tongue, in which
Madame Vestrie, Miss J. Coleman, and Mr. Mathews
acted with their usual ability, and the gorgeous extrava-
ganza of The Seven Chompions rf Christendom, con-
cluded the evening's entertainments. The house was
well and fashionably attended.

SOUTHAMPTON' FRIDAY, 11.30 A.M.—By our ad-
vices just received from Havre, we learn that the cotton
market yesterday was in a complete state of stagnation.
Sales amounting to only 352 bales, and prices ex-
tremely dull.
FURNESS RAILWAY.—This line is to be opened on
the Ist of June, and experimental trains are being run
from the Presteu statien ti) the river Calder.

.TRE.
ilenced th .)se
Ist fault or to
ilizT,tion, have
Ore to appear
great :ramatic power, she
vrVd fail for want of histrionic capabilities, by
rdFiFing last night in the character of /sl
m- tta in La G- - -

Ladra, and acting with
such truth and dramatic :power, and such pathos as
at once to stamp her as one of the greatest actresses of
the day. That she would sing the Di Placer as no one
else on the stage can sing it, was a matter of course, and
that its repetition should be redemanded enthusiastically
was also a matter of course, but we were not prepared
for the buoyant air of joyous delight with which she
gave this delicious morceau, and from which we were
inclined to augur favourably of her histrionic
display in the subsequent scenes.: The scene which
immediately folloe s in which she meets with her
father, Fernando, as a fugitive and deserter, was very
finely given, and her indignant rejection of the advances
of the Podesta was magnificent. In this scene occurs
tie far-fsmcd " 0 Num() benefico," which was glori-
ously rendered by Alhoei, Coletti, and Lablache. The
great triumph of the night, however, was the trial
scene. Never has intense agony been more truthfully
depicted than it was by Alboni in this scene, it was posi-
tively harrowing to see the desptrate and convulsive
agony with which she clung to her father, and the tones
of anguish in which she gave the concluding portion of
the quiniett, as overcome by ber feelings she sinks ex-
hausted into the arms of the soldiers, and again rouses
herself to rush to her father. her acting in the scene
in which she is led forth to execution was most pathetic.
Iler countenance bore a fixed a xpression of unutterable
agony and despair, and she seemed deprived of
ait physical power as she was led on by the
guards; she dropped on her knees mechanically, and
it was not until she had knelt fur a moment that she
seemed alive to her miserable situation. Then the fea-
tures become animated, and clasping her bands, she
sung the exquisite " Deh. to reggi in tat memento,"
• with such au expression of menial suffering and of
tender pathos as has never before been infused into this
most touching composition. At the conclusion
of the opera she was called for twice.
After witnessing her performance of last night, we are
no longer surprised at the furore she excited in Paris by her
performance of Ninetta, and doubt not but that she will
excite the same furore here, and that La Gazza Ladra
will be, frequently
_performed &ring. the- remifiader
of the season. .Mademoiselle Casolard made her
debut as Pippo, and a most successful de6fit
it was.:Her solo in the prison scene was most deservedly
encored. She is petite and pretty,has a beautifulcontraltu
voice, and manages it well. She is very much like
what Brambilla was twenty years ago, save that her in-
tonation is infinitely more perfect than was that
of Brambilla at her best. Coletti was very
great in Fernando, and Lablache 'magnificent as
the Podesta. Calzolari sung with great taste as
Gianetto, inched we have never seen this cha-
racter more delightfully rendered, or the opera
as a whole more perfectly cast. The performances were
for the benefit of Madame Carlotta Grisi, who appeared
in the Girdle and the .Esmeralda for, we are sorry to say,
the last time this season.

YAL ITALIAN OPERA.
The performance of the Sonnambula on Tuesday was
signalised by the first appearance of the English _tenor,
Mr. Sims Reeves, upon the Italian stage, in the character
of Elvino. His rect pticn was most enthusiastic, and his
execution of the many gems of harmonj that occur in
his part deserved and obtained the raptu?ons applause of
a crowded audience. Though suffering from an unmis-
takeable cold, which rendered some of his under-tones
inaudible, and gave a degree of uncertainty to his general
vocalization, Mr. Reeves succeeded in vindicating his
claim to rank among the highest artists of every land.
All the elements of consummate excellence Mr. Reeves
possesses in a high degree. His physique is good, his
acting spirited and artistic, and his musical execution
rendered with much taste and refinement. In the
celebrated " Tutti e sciolto," be obtained an encore,
and might fairly have claimed a like compliment in
more than ono previous scene. After the many intrigues
and delays, of which mysterious hints have from time
io time transpired, we are happy to record the triumph-
ant success of our countryman in a career where he has
had to encounter the rivalry, and efface the recollection,
of so many long established favourites with the public.
The Amine of Madame Persiani is too well impressed
upon all memories, to require more than a reference to
its surpassing beauties. The vocal foriture were as
exuberant and tasteful as we ever remember to have
heard them. In the second act there were some tokens
of reserve in the expenditure of powers on which the
forthcoming last scene would lay so formidable a tax ;
but in that last scene the vocalist appeared to exhaust
the resources of art and nature. The " Ab, non giunge!"
was throughout unsurpassable in brilliance. An encore
was of course inevitable, followed by recalls when the
curtain fell, in which Mr. Reeves obtained his due ;hare
of appreciation.
The star of Meyerbeer was again in the ascendant
last night, when the first performance of his second
great opera, Les Huguenots, with a new cast of parts,
attracted an oleifloeing audience to the Royal Italian
Opera. Madame Viardot Garcia, who is now advancing
the r-putation of Me3erbeer abroad, has given place to
Madame Grisi, who appeared for the first time as Va-
lentine. Aihoni is superseded in the small contralto
part of the Page by Mademoiselle Angri. The cha-
racter of Marguerite do Valois, personified last year
by Madame Castellan, has devolved upon Dorus
Gras, the original representative. Tamburini has
resigned the title of Conte de St. Deis to Signor
Ttigliatico, and the only leading vocalist retained in the
list is Mario. who continues to act as the Raoul. The
reading of Madame Grisi in the part of Valentine is
rather less refitted, and perhaps less dignified, than that
of Madam,. Viardot Garcia, but it is tar more ear-
nest and impassioned. In her first great scene—
where, as the affianced bride of Raoul, the favourite
of the Princess Marguerite is scornfully rejected by her
lover, Madame Grisi maintained what the Germans would
call a "quietist" attitude; although she greatly height-
ened the colouring of the scene by most artistically
blending the grief of the disconsolate bride
with the sterner emotions of the injured wo-
man. In the duet with Marcel in the second
act, a second appeal was made to the audi-
ence, with every success. The great achieve-
' mement of the evening was of course the grand concerted
duet with Raoul at the close of the third act. The slow
chromatic passage, so remarkable in the version of
Madame Viardot, was introduced by Madame Grisi at
the close of a brilliant coda, and with admirable effect.
With this brief and inadequate notice we most reluc-
tantly dismiss one of the finest performances witnessed
of late years on the lyrical stage. Of Mdlle. Angri's
Urbano we cannot speak so favourably. After the im-
personation of Alboni we could not but remark the
tailing off which was so painfully obtruded upon our
attention. The acting, small as the part is, was awk-
ward and constrained, and the phrasing of the
delicate passages in the cavatina " No, no, no,
no," was coarse and unfinished, especially in
tho rapid run down the key-note at the close.
Mademoiselle Angri was encored, notwithstanding, in
this air, and had no reason to be dissatisfied with her re-
ception. Tagliafico, as St. Bris, sang his music most
carefully and 'conscientiously. Massol, as Nevers,
created a furore in the scene where he breaks his sword,
and was throughout the opera a most important and
invaluable adjunct. An apology was made for Signor
Marini, on the score of indisposition, but its effects were
not very apparent, and in the " piff-paff" he was encored
as a matter of course. We must not forget to notice
the praiseworthy conduct of Mr. Sims Reeves in con-
senting to sing the solo of the Calvinist soldier in the
" rataplan " chorus. We might quote from the libretto
haphazard, were we to specify all the encores of the
evening. The " piff-paff," the " rataplan " chorus, the
fine sestett in the second act, "Del dritti miei ho Palma
access," and the splendid climax of the "sword-
blessing." were re demanded with an avidity that ap-
peared-insatiable.