The Sun.
London, England, 1849-04-13 00:00:00

1 HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.
.ast evening the fir, - •., " Zlr., ,:f '' Isssical
cueceris," teat is to say of operas without scenery,
machinery, or characters—of operas turned into
oratorios, to suit a crotchet which has for some time
past taken possession of the brain of Jenny Lind,
took place at her Majesty's Theatre last evening. It
is much to he regretted that Jenny Lind should have
taken up with this particular crotchet at this par-
ticular time. She, it appears, has certain re-
ligious scruples as to acting a character in
an opera on the stage, albeit she has 'none
to singing the music in a theatre, or to attend-
ing a theatre as one of the audience to witness a
dramatic performance. 'We confess we cannot under-
stand these scruples ; if there be any abstract im-
propriety in acting, there is surely greater sin
in encouraging the commission of that impropriety in
others, by attending on and assisting at (as_, the
French would say) their dramatic representations
than by acting onesself. We had hoped that
Mademoiselle Jenny Lind would have elevated the
dramatic profession to that rank which it is entitled
to hold among the fine arts, by the bright ex-
ample of her virtues as well as by her talent. Her mis-
sion was a great one, it was to prove to the world how
perfectly ,compatible was the highest dramatic ex-
cellence with the most angelic purity, and thus to
restore to honour an intrinsically honourable profes-
fession, which has unfairly suffered in public estima-
tion from the faults of some of its members. Let
us hope that she may be still induced to review her
determination, and no longer refuse to use those
transcendant powers of embodying the fairest creations
of the intellect, with which Providence has blessed her.
Since it has pleased Madlle. Jenny Lind to appear
only in truncated operas, one better adapted for the
purpose could not have been chosen than II Flauto
4lagico of Mozart, the plot of which is absurd and
utterly devoid of interest, while the music is of the very
highest order. The stage was fitted up as a concert
room, and the chorus singers were seated on rows of
benches rising one above another to the back of the
stage. In front were seated the principal vocalists,
Mademoiselle Jenny Lind, the Misses Williams,
Madame Cassolani, Madamoiselle Grimaldi, and
Signori Lablache, Colletti, Belletti, Bordas, Bartolini
(a new tenor from Paris, his first appearance),
and Arnoldi. The band occupied the orchestra as on
ordinary occasions. The stage was fitted up much in
the same manner as it was for the performance of
FelicieniDavid's Desert some three or touryears since.
Mademoiselle Jenny Lind was led on by Lablache
at the commencement of the concert, and was much
applauded. During the course of the performances
she took part in no less than 13 different pieces of
music, so that she exerted herself to the utmost to se-
cure the success of her pet scheme, and she certainly
sang deliciously. Her first solo was that of
of the Queen of Night, " Non paventar amabil
figlio," a song written by Mozart purposely to ex-
hibit the powers of the highest soprano that ever was
heard, a song which no one living, we believe, with
the exception of Jenny Lind, could sing exactly as it
was originally written, but which she accomplished
with the ease, and power, and brilliancy which so pe-
culiarly characterise her vocalization. Nothing could
exceed the purity of style, and the grace and finish of
execution of Jenny Lind in this bravura, and never
were the upper notes of her register heard to
greater advantage. Her tours de force in the higher
ranges of the scale were sparkling with brilliancy, and
she reached the very highest notes without an effort. The
audience called for the repetition of this very fatigu-
ing song, a call which was immediately complied
with, and the song was given again in as perfect and
fair a style as before, every difficulty was fairly met
and fairly overcome, and never was Mozart
more conscientiously interpreted. Her other solo
was Pamina's aria in the second act, " Ala! lo se
piu," one of the most touching, expressive, and
pathetic pieces of music that ever proceeded even
from the inspired pen of Mozart. Nothing could
exceed the sweetness of expression, the purity
of tone, the surpassing beauty of loveliness which
Jenny Lind infused into the air. The liquid middle
notes of her voice were heard in this air to per-
fection, and in the concluding passages the
marvellous power which she posseses of throw-
ing her voice into distance was exercised
with most magical effect—it sounded as though
it was the voice of some angelic being ascending
through the air. Her duet with Colletti, "La dove
prendi," her duettinos, " Piede simile," and " Sepo-
tesse," with Lablache, her terzetto " Dunqui Mio"
with Bartolini and F. Lablache, and her concerted
pieces with the Misses Williams, were all delightfully
given ; but, with the exception of the two solos, the
great triumph of the evening was her duet " Pa! Pa!
Pa!" with Lablache. In this, carried away by the
music, and by the vivacity of her companion, she
acted as well as sung, and it elicited more
hearty applause than any of her other per-
formances during the course of the evening,
and was rapturously encored. Lablache was great in
Papagena, which he gave with most unctuous hu-
mour; and Beletti proved himself the first of
buffo actors and singers, by his manner
of giving " Columba o Tortorella ;" even with-
out the adjuncts of stage trappings, he
produced the most irresistably comic effect, and was
encored most enthusiastically. Colletti gave the
" Quis degno " very finely, and the new tenor, Bar-
tolioi, sang in such a manner as to make us desirous
of hearing him in character. If he acts as well as
he sings he will b a great acquisition. The
house was very well filled, and the audience most
attentive; the elite of the musical profession
were present. It would be unjust to close this
notice without paying honour due to Balfe.
The orchestra had been excellently drilled and was
admirably conducted. Never have we heard the
overture and the opening march of the second act
(among the most beautiful, but, at the same time,
most difficult of the compositions of Mozart) so per-
fectly performed.
Their Serene Highnesses the Princess Elise of Hohen-
lolls, Schillingsfurst, the Prince Ernest of Hesse Philip-
stahl, the Prince William of Hesse Philipstahl and the
Prince Edward of Saxe Weimar occupied her Majesty
the Queen Adelaide's box. Accompanying the Royal
party were the Earl and Countess Howe, Comtesse
d'Erfa, the Honourable Miss Mitchell, and the Honour-
able Henry Curson. Her Majesty's box was occupied
by Colonel and Mrs. Berkeley Drummond, the
Misses Fergusson, the Hon. Mr. Pierpoint, and party.
Amongst the company were his Grace the Duke of
Wellington, his Excellency the Russian Minister,
Madamoisello Olga de Lechner and party, his Excel-
lency the Swedish Minister and Baroness Rehausen,
his Excellency the Turkish Ambassador and suite,
his Excellency the Austrian Ambassador, the Duke
and Duchessgof Leeds and Miss Lane Fox;
the Marquis of Sligo, the Prince Magliani, Lord
William Lennox, Lady W. Bentinck, Lady Mary Ross,
Lady Fitzroy Somerset, Lady Augusta Wentworth,
General the Honourable H. Cavendish, the Honourable
C. Cavendish, Major-General Sir Andrew Barnard,
Bart., Major-General Sir Alexander Woodford, Bart.,
Lady and the Misses Woodford, Lady C. Sendford,
Sir Ralph Howard, Bart., M.P., and Lady Howard,
Sir Thomas Barret Leonard and Lady Leonard, Admiral
Sir Charles Ogle, Bart., Admiral Knox, Lady Flower,
Sir Thomas Wretford, Bart., Mr. J. Maclean, Mr.
Grote, and Mrs. Grote, Mr. Sandford, Mrs. Paul, Mr.
H. Broadley, M. P., Mr., Mrs. and Miss Brereton Tre-
lawney, Mr. C. J. Palmer, Major Buckley, Mr. J. P.
Hardwick, Mr. and Mrs. Ewen, M. De Berg, M. de
Khremer, Mr. and Mrs. Lennard, Mr. Morgan, &c.