The Sun.
London, England, 1849-05-29 00:00:00

PRINCESS'S.

A new opera, the composition of Luigi Ricci, was
produced hero last evening with considerable success.
It is entitled The Deserter, and the plot, as may be sup-
posed by the title, is one of those dramatic common-places
which have become, by lapse of time, dramatists' common
property. The hero, Enrico (Mr. Weiss), is betrothed
to Louise (Mdle. Nau), a village maiden, and is the
victim of a practical joke. In order to test the strength
of his love a sham wedding procession is got up, in
which Louise enacts the part of bride, and Giovanins,
(Miss Poole) a young country girl seeks Enrico, and
informs him that Louise is married to another. Enrico
rushes out, endeavours to throw himself from a preci-
pice, is prevented by a party of soldiers, to whom he
gives himself up as a deserter, in order to secure the
death which he so ardently desires, and on his own con-
fession he is condemned to be shot. Then, and not till
then, he learns the trick that has been played on him,
and is visited by Louise in his prison, and assured
of her constancy. She determines to seek the
King, in order to endeavour to procure her
lover's pardon. The Kicg grants her request, and she
rushes in with the pardon just as Enrico is about to be
led to execution, when she sinks senseless in a chair,
and Enrieo is led forth to die. A drunken soldier (capi-
tally acted by Mr. Wynn) discovers.the pardon and rouses
Louise just in time for her to rush in and take part in the
time honoured: tableau of " shooting a deserter," by
throwing herself between the musketeers and the con-
demned, and holding forth the pardon to the pointed
muskets selon les regles. The music is like all Ricci's
music, pretty, flowing,' graceful, occasionally cha-
racteristic, but without one spark of origi-
nality. The singers, however, exerted themselves
to the utmost. Mademoiselle Nau sang delightfully, and
was greatly applauded. Weiss was excellent as Enrico.
It is somewhat of a novelty to see a bass singer enact
the part ofa lover. Weiss, however,made a very interesting
lover, and exhibited much feeling and pathos iu his render-
ing of the music of the part; and Miss Poole, who made a
great deal of a very small part, obtained the only encore
of the evening. Some of the chorusses are very fhwing
and graceful. The scenery is very beautiful, and the
opera has been most carefully put on the stage. All the
principal performers were called before the curtain at
the close, and the opera was given out for repetition,
amidst the unanimous applause of a crowded house.

Stith AND.
The Country Squire, with Mr. W. Farren as Squire
Broadlands, was performed here last evening, and Far-
ren was as great as ever in this, one of his best charac-
ters. He sang the " Old English Gentleman" as he
alone can sing it, and was enthusiastically applauded.
The comedy was followed by Charles Selby's amusing
farce called Taken in and Done For, in which Mr. W.
Farren and Mr. 11. Farren again appeared, and kept the
house in a continuous state of merriment. Alter this
came a new drama of much interest by Mr. E. Stirling,
called The Mother's Bequest, in which Mrs. Stirling's
exquisite acting extracted many a sympathetic tear from
the spectators, which was, however, soon dried up by
the representation of the concluding piece, called John
Dobbs, which sent the delighted audience home laughing
to their beds.