The Sun.
London, England, 1848-08-14 00:00:00

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA.

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Another of the great works promised in the pro-
gramme was performed on Saturday night, though we
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of the fecund and brilliant Rossini, but though much
that it contains entitles him to rank with the foremost
writers of the lyrical drama, its great length and want
of domestic individual interest render it somewhat
heavy and lugubrious ; and yet it is studded with
charming and original melody, the use of the choral and
instrumental forces are dramatically effective and mu-
sically skilful, and the eouleur locale with which it is in-
stinct proves the hand of a great master in his art. As
is the case with Meyerbeer's opera of Les Huguenots, the
excellence lies in the dexterous management of the.
orchestra and chorus—the•masses of harmonic sounds
are made to reflect the several interests and passions
of multitudes in political antagonism, each expressing
in antiphonal grandeur their conflicting emotions. It
is difficult to excite the interest of a large auditory by
the exhibition of acts of patriotic heroism rendered
lyrically. Such subjects rather befit the province of
lofty tragedy, or the pen of the historian. The peculiar
event which gives immortality to the hero may be ex-
pressed by a single line of poetry, or conveyed by a
felicitous turn of the historian; but the musical com-
poser is forced to colour and elaborate, and during this
process the power and the moral value of the deed or
deeds evaporate. The principal defect in tlae libretto is
the utter absence of female interest, and it may be ob-
served, en passant, that no work written for the stage,
whether dramatioal or lyrical, whatever its other merit,
has ever achieved an abiding popularity when this inte-
rest has been wanting. Guglielmo Tell is, as we have
stated above, the greatest work of Rossini; in this he
has laboured conscientiously; there are no puerilities;
the poetic sentiment is exquisitely reflected in the music,
and all the manifold powers of science are united with
his melodic atiluenee. The entire second act is of the
highest genius; it is full of admirable. variety. There
are passion, power, invention, and learning. We have
the huntsmen'a chorus, and the shepherd's lay, the
charming song of Matilde, " Selva opaca, deserta
brughiera," the beautiful duet for Arnold and Matilde,
Rtedi al campo della gloria," the world-famous trio,
" La gloria inflammo e nostri petti," and, finally, the
overwhelming meeting of the cantons, a scene unpa-
ralleled for dramatic truthfulness, and lyrical power.
The closing movement of this was encored with enthu-
siasm, and was the single instance of a redemand in the
entire opera. M. Roger, who enacted Arnold°, seemed
to labour under considerable vocal debility:although his
acting evinced no lack of energy. The " Suivez-moi,"
in which Duprey was wont to electrify his audience,
failed from the want at the necessary physical power.
Madame Castellan's Matilde was charmingly sung and
gently acted. Tamburini, as the Swiss Patriot, failed
utterly to convey, either vocally or dramatically, the
faintest idea of the character. His voice was lamentably
weak, and his acting iu the groat scene in which occurs
the shooting the apple from the head of his child had
neither passion, pathos, nor intensity. Mdlle. Corbari,
as Jenny, sang nicely, but her embonpoint destroyed the
requisite illusion. The choruses were vigorously given,
but wanted light and shade. The mist en scene, though
upon the broadest scale of liberality, required artistic
care in the groupings—the melees between the troops of
Gesler and the mountain peasantry were sadly gro-
tesque. The overture was encored, and M. Roger and
Madame Castellan were called before the curtain at
the termination of the opera. Beethoven's mighty opera
of Fiddle will be forthwith produced, with Madame
Pauline Viardot in the character of Leonore. Her
Majesty's box was occupied by the Earl and Countess
Fortescue, Lord and Lady Wharncliffa, Sir Thomas
Marrable, Miss Geale, Miss Mackenzie, and Mr. Rich.
Among the company were the Duke and Duchess de
Montebello, Mr. and Lady Sarah Choltuondeley, Prince
Metternich and Princess Melanie Metternich, the Mar-
quis of Tiehfield, .the Marchioness of Westmeath, and
Marchioness of Lonsdale, the Earl and Countess Gran-
ville, the Earl and Countess of Shelburne, the Earl
Mountcharles, the Countess (Dowager) of Essex and
Lord Fits•
Miss Johnstone, Sir John and Lady Walsh,
roy Somerset, the Misses Somerset. Lord Elphinstone,
Lord G. Manners, Lord Ward, Lady Scott, Lady Mor-
gan, Lady Webster, Lady de Bathe, Lord Batean,
Lady Georgina Codrington, the Earl of Stamford and
Warrington, llon. A. Willoughby, Hon. Miss CaT-
dish, Hon. J. Forteseue, Hon. G. Mille.', Viscount Lx-
mouth, Viscount Clifden, Viscount Ebrington, Lord and
Lady Holland, Lady Joddrell, Sir 11. Webb, Sir T.
Hare, Sir John and Lady Burgoyne and the Misses
Burgoyne, Sir Francis and Ludy Lawley, Sir W. de
Bathe, Mrs. Mills, the Misses Mills, Sir George Carroll,
Honourable Miss Murray, Sir John Hobhouse, Sir
Samuel Scott, Mrs. Villebois, Mr. Mountjoy Martyn,
Miss Burdett Coutts and party, Miss Byrne and party,
Miss Wingfield, General Hamilton, General Box,
Colonel Milman, Colonel 011ivier, Colonel Wingfield,
Col. B. Knox, M.P., Colonel Blanc, Colonel Wigram,
Major Junes, Captain Cleveland, Captain Ryder Bur-
ton, Major Gage, Captain Talbot, Captain de Vere, Mr.
Rose, Mr. Culling Smith, Mr. H. Greville, &c.

The season of this theatre closes with the present
week. A grand extra performance, got up at the unani-
mous desire of the several artistes on the establishment,
will take place this evening, for the benefit of the direc-
tor, Mr. Delafield, who, throughout a trying season of
competition, has entitled himself to the friendly con-
sideration of the musical world, both professional and
amateur.