The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-04 00:00:00

DRURY LANE THEATRE.

Carlotta Grisi made her debut here last evening in the
new ballet of Paquita, which for the last six months
has been drawing all Paris to the Grand Opera, to the
equal delight of M. Leon Pillet, the impresario of that
magnificent establishment, and of the denizens of the
good city of Paris. Whether it is that Carlotta Grisi
has made Paquita, or that Paquita has made Carlotta
Grisi, we will not venture to decide—certain it is that
Paquita is her chef d'ceuvre, and that her Giselle, her
Peri, and even her Esmeralda, are as nothing compared
to her Gitana Paquita. The ballet opens with a
view of a mountainous pass in the neighbourhood of
Saragossa Spanish peasants are discovered tak-
ing their siesta at the foot of a rock, near
which appears a tablet erected to the memory of
a certain Charles D'Hervilly, who, with his wife and
daughter, had been assassinated near the spot in the year
1795, that is to say, fifteen years before the action of
the ballet commences; for the events are supposed to
have taken place during the rule of Napoleon over
Spain. General D'Hervilly (Mr. W. H. Payne) accom-
panied by his son Lucien (M. Silvain), enter together, with
the Spanish Governor, Don Lopez (Mr. T. Matthews),
and his sister, Donna Seriphina, who is betrothed to
Lucian. The General then, pointing to the tablet, inti-
mates that he has caused it to be erected to the memory
of his brother. A band of wandering gitanos, led by
Inigo (Mr. Howell), enter, and he misses Paquita from
his band. Suddenly Paquita (Mademoiselle Carlotta
Grisi) appears upon the mountain ; she de-
scends upon the plain, and becomes the uni-
versal object of attraction. Inigo makes love
to her. She rejects his suit with disdain, but it is evi-
dent that she is touched with the attentions of Lucien.
The pantomime of Carlotta Grisi, in this scene, was ex-
quisitely expressive, and her pas, albeit it could scarcely
be called a pas seul, was replete with grace, and ex-
hibited some tours de force that were perfectly marvellous.
The gitanos then dance the Pas des Manteaux, a most
original and picturesque Spanish dance, which was ad-
mirably given by Mademoiselles Louise and Adele, and
the corps de ballet ; and then came a Pas de Sept, by
M. Mathis, M. Adrien, Madame Giubilei, Madlle. Adele,
Les Sceurs St. Louin, and Mademoiselle Carlotta
Grisi, which was exquisitely beautiful ; Carlotta
Grisi was, of course the Deesse de /a Danse, and
never was she more graceful. Fanny Ellsler herself
never surpassed Carlotta Grisi in this marvellous pas
de sept. The second act opens in Paquita's cottage.
Inigo is there, and Don Lopez enters and bribes him to
assassinate Lucien, who is about to pay a visit to the
cottage. Lucien arrives, and Paquita after great diffi-
culty, succeeds in warning him of his danger; and in
so exchanging the wine cups, out of which he and
Inigo are drinking, as to make the latter swallow the
sleeping potion intended for the former. This scene
was delightfully performed by Carlotta Grisi, who is
dancing the Gitana during the whole time, until at
length Inigo fatigued, sinks into a slumber, and
she escapes with Lucien. The last scene
is Un bal sous l'Empire— and is perhaps one
of the most splendid pieces of scenic effect
aver exhibited. The stage represents a magnificent
Moorish Hall, such an one as might have served for a
Hall of State in the Alhambra in its palmy days. It is
resplendent with music, beauty, flowers, and light.
Dancing is going on. Suddenly Lucien and Paquita
enter. Lucien at once renounces Seraphina, and de-
clares his love for Paquita ; who, in her turn recognises
and denounces Don Lopez, as the hirer of the assassins
who had sought the life of Lucien. In looking round
the room she perceives the portrait of an officer.
She gazes at it and draws a miniature from her bosom.
The features are the same. She is the
long lost daughter of the murdered Charles D'Hervilly,
and cousin of Lncien, to whom, of course, she is
united. The piece concludes with a grand pas seul by
Paquita, which exhausts the resources of the choero-
graphic art, and at the conclusion of which bouquets
innumerable were showered upon the stage. Never
was triumph more complete than that of Carlotta Grisi in
Paquita—never was ballet more successful than that of
Paquita with Carlotta Grisi. Both were admirable, and
we only hope, for Mr. Bunn's sake (for Paquita would
draw bumper houses for the next six months), that Leon
Pillet will extend her conga. The House was crowded,
and it is almost superfluous to add that at the conclusion
of the ballet the fair Carlotta was called for, and received
with repeated rounds of applause.

Ibrahim Paella has sent to the Prefect of the Seine
a sum of 12,000 f., to be divided amongst the poor in the
tIP9ITO UTPlieilinsizta of PAric