The Sun.
London, England, 1849-02-13 00:00:00

ST. JAMES'S THEATRE.
The performances at this theatre last evening con:
sisted of the pleasant little operetta La Veuve de
Quinze Ans, and of Auber's operci comique of
Zanetta; ou Jouer avec le Feu—an opera entirely new
to the English public, both as regards music and
plot, it having, strange to say, hitherto escaped the
attention of those industrious and painstaking gen..
tlemen who, by the aid of the French dictionary, build
up for themselves a reputation as English dramatists.
The opera of Zanetta was produced at the theatre
of the Opera Comique in 1840, with Cinti Dan:wrests
for the heroine, and it achieved a brilliant success
and acquired a brilliant reputation. The overture
was imported into England within a short time after
the production of the opera, and it became a great
favourite at the Drury-lane Promenade Concerts, then
under the management of Eliason and Jullien. This
is, we believe, the only portion of the music of Zaaette
that had, until last evening, been heard in public in
this country. The music of Zanetta is light, grace-
ful, brilliant, characteristic, dramatic, and thoroughly
Auberish—it completely expresses the sentiment of
the scene, it is married to the verse and the union
is a happy one. The libretto, written by
Scribe and St. Georges, is a compact and well-built
and smartly written little drama, which needs not the
aid of music to ensure its success. The scene is laid
in the Court of Palermo during the reign of Charles
VI. (M. Soyer), whose sister Nisidia (Madlle.
Guichard), Princess of Tarentum, is in love with, and
beloved by Rodolphe (M. Couderc), a gentleman at-
tached to the Court of the King of Sicily. A certain
Dr. Mathanasias (M. Buguet) arrives at Palermo as
Ambassador from the Elector of Bavaria, ostensibly
to study the statistics of a fever peculiar to Sicily,
but really to see the Princess, and if he finds her all
a princess should be, to demand her band
for his sovereign, the Elector of Bavaria.
The wife of Mathanasias has attracted the
attention of the King, so that at the opening of
the drama we find a most promising imbroglio:
Mathanasias suspects the love of Rodolphe and the
Princess, and watches them narrowly; the King
suspects that Rodolphe is endeavouring to rival him
in the good graces of Madame Mathanasias, and he,
I therefore, is particularly alive to all the sayings and
doings of Rodolphe. To divert suspicion Nisidia
proposes that Rodolphe should pay attention to some
one of the Court ladies ; but as each lady is passed in
review, each is rejected as too dangerous, and; at
length the Princess fixes on the flower-girl Zanetta
(Madlle. Charton) as the only safe person with
whom she can trust Rodolphe to Philander.
The experiment is, however, a dangerous one.
Zanetta is a simple-minded, warmhearted girl ; she
has long loved Rodolphe in secret, and is conse-
quently delighted with his attentions, and while he
makes love
.in jest she makes love in earnest, and at
last becomes so terribly in earnest that Rodolphe
himself is affected, and is but too glad to take advan.
tage of an opportunity afforded him by the jealousy
of Mathanasias, the suspicion of the Princess, and the
misadventure of the King (who is wounded in an
attempt to scale the balcony of the house of
Mathanasias) to declare his passion:for Zanetta,
and to demand her hand—a demand with
which the King is but too willing to comply, as it
dissipates all his fears with regard to Nisidia, who
at once accepts the offer of the hand of the Elector
of Bavaria. Mademoiselle Charton made of Zanetta
the most fascinating of flower-girls; her acting was
natural, graceful, and full of feeling, with at the same
time a touch of the most delicious archness, and her
singing was exquisite. Her opening romanza, 7oici
la jardiniere is one of those delicious gems of
melody which no maestro can compose like Auber.
It is the very perfection of grace, beauty, and sim-
plicity, the melody flows as it were in one full rich
gush. It was deliciously sung by Madlle. Charton,
and in this, as in everything else that this delightful
artiste sings, her action is so appropriate to the senti-
ment that it adds infinitely to the expression of the
music. Her next romanza, Dams ces magnue:
jardins, is also delightfully written, and as a piece of
scoring is beyond all praise. This also was de-
liciously rendered by Madlle. Charton. The triumph
of the evening, however, was perhaps her
concluding scene, where the innocent flower-
girl bids adieu to her fi'eurs cheries, and
presents farewell boquets to the company.
before giving up her occupation to become a Ba-
roness. The melody of the couplets which she sings
in this scene is exquisitely beautiful, and Mademoi-
selle Charton throws into it an expression of such
graceful tenderness and pathos, that it goes at once to
the heart. She achieved a perfect triumph. Never
were plaudits more deserved than those which the
delighted audience lavished on Mademoiselle Charton
last evening. Mademoiselle Guichard made an ex-
cellent representative of the Princess. Her grand
scene, Pauvre Princesse, a scena replete with mu-
sical difficulties, was rendered as only a most ac-
complished artiste could render it. It is the
most difficult and at the same time the least taking
piece in the opera, but it was admirably given by
Madlle. Guichard. M. Couderc acted and sang admi-
rably, notwithstanding his fit of hoarseness, for which
indulgence was claimed—an indulgence of which,
however, M. Couderc stood in no need. The concerted
pieces in this opera are replete with snatches of
brilliant sparkling melody. The drinking chorus
with which it opens, " A quoi bon s'attrister sur les
tnaux de la vie" is a perfect gem. The raise en scene
of the opera was perfect. Her Majesty and his Royal
Highness Prince Albert, honoured the theatre with
their presence. The Royal party arrived just before
the commencement of Zanetta.
Her Majesty and Prince Albert were attended by the
Viscountess Jocelyn, the Hon. Miss Macdonald, the Earl
of Listowel, Lord Alfred Paget, and Colonel Seymour.
There were also present the Conde de Montemolin and
suite, her Serene Highness the Hereditary Princess of
Parma, the Duke of Brunswick; the Russian Minister,
the Baroness Brunnow, and Mdlle. Olga do Lechner; the
Turkish Ambassador and suite, the Hanoverian Minis-
ter, the Marchioness of Douglas, the Earl of Glengall,
Lord Cranbourne, Lady and Miss Tyrwhitt, Sir W.
Abdy, Sir W. Ball, Lady Dashwood, Sir Henry Webb,
Lady Quentin, Hon. Mr. Abbot, Sir John Lyster
Kaye, Mr. Henry Greville, Mr. de Horsey, Mr. Hard-
wick, M. Eugene de Gerlache, Mr. F. Drummond, Mr.
and Mrs. 'Charles Hammersley, and the MisesHam-
mersley; Colonel Benlow, M. and Madame Uzielli, Cap-
tain do Bathe, &c.

OLYMPIC THEATRE.

Lest Diamonds is the title of an adaptation from
the celebrated French drama Un Secret, which was
produced here last evening, and which, thanks to the
excellent acting of Mrs. Stirling and Mr. Stuart, met
with a great success. The piece has been frequently
adapted to the ;English stage, and the plot must,
therefore, be familiar to the generality of playgoers.
It turns on the conscientiousness of a banker's wife,
who, finding that her husband has in early life ruined
an unfortunate man by surreptitiously taking a sum
of money, endeavours to repair the injury by protect-
ing the son of the victim, and making him her hus-
band's cashier. The interest she takes in the young
man awakens the suspicions of the banker, who loads
her with reproaches, and the crisis of the drama is
produced when she retaliates upon him, by repeating
the story of his early dishonesty. The anxiety of the
suspected wife, and her triumphant repulse of the
aspersions heaped upon her, gave scope for some
..
well-
discriminated and powerful acting by Mrs. Stirling;
and the agonies of the jealous husband were.
mwiatnh, feelingmwuhcnhisa k eenbyi n
velsrti.gSatt
ourart.
into gentle-
man,
a concerns
neighbours, but absolutely blind as to what_omp
Compton.
himself, is quaintly represented by Mr. 1;
Athecomiralcirdsgeeponfl

We hear that 31rs.
Bristol amateurs
her sister, Miss
ed the last three
ans on their .
weeks rehearsing with
now e starring it
Jane Mordaunt, who have
the
at Saha-
bury; the Strand Theatre,
taoruer
performances at Bath and
bury; and after the amateur
to Glasgow and Edinburgh,
Bristol, they will proteeee been
nernnt ti
,do
nEATEE.—Mr. Knowles'sof
playing at some oft,
to
London till the end a May.
Bat. a- . „
play
last night •
brought outwith great success, the
Love we'
of the Countess and Huon being sustained by
characters
Thi‘erAwitrill
and Mr. Daven ort.
Mrs. mowatt P The impassioned
utliaoginaatherine was acted
portions of the Countess's character were given with
por BLI
joitoNreztuTr
greatt a great deal of point by Miss F. Vining. The house
was well attended.
SUDDEN DEATH OE THE COINTESS OP BETIIIIP.
wATER.—We regret to learn that the venerable Countess
of Bridgewater expired suddenly on Sunday afternoon,
at Ashbridge Castle, near Berkhampstead, Herts. The
Countess had complained of slight indisposition some
days since, but did not signify any marked uneasiness,
and while conversing with her tamale companion, expired
in her chair, at three o'clock in the afternoon, without a
sigh or convulsion, and at the advanced age of $6 years.
THREATENED IMPRISONMENT OP TIE REV. J.
SHORE.—We are sorry to find that the Bishop of Exeter
has taken out the necessary authority for the imprison-
ment of the Rev. J. Shore, of Totnes. Had he refrained
from doing se, there might have been some doubt, after
the equivocal answer given by Lord John Russell to
Mr. Granger in the House of Commons, whether the
intended motion of Mr. Bouverie for the protection of
seceding clergymen would lead to any favourable result.
The friends of religious liberty in and out of the Esta-
blished Church, have to thank the Bishop of Exeter for
taking the present step, which will leave the Govern-
mentd without excuse, unless they lend their saactionteanof
assistance, to effect a change in the monstrous state
the law. With Mr. Shore in Newgate, Lord J.Russell
matter up and
will have no alternative but to take the
clergy
themselves it at once. But now is the time when the.
hold their peace.
themselves should speak out, or for ever
—Patriot.
The large building in
TUE HALL OF COMMERCE.--
....
ears ago by Mr. Mo .
Threadneedle-street, built a few y ~,X
known as the Hall of Com-
merce,"hay, the biscuit-baker, and
.. .
remaininr, open to the
has been closed, after
undertaking of the projector
public for six years. The ~
has turned otit a hopeless failure.
The nuns of the Presentation Convent, Carrick-
on-Suir, were robbed on Saturday of 501., by Mary
Walsh, a trusted servant, which sum she got at the Ns-
timl Beak, Or the mho, and absconded.
effect by Mrs.
mho hwanavi:ter— - - - (7
7 —1
t northern