The Sun.
London, England, 1848-03-15 00:00:00

-
I _N ES DAY' E VENI

2 DR. RAMADGE ON CONSUMPTION.
One vol. Bvo., the Third Edition, with Coloured Plates, price Se.,
CONSUMPTION CURABLE ; and the Manner
in which Nature, as well as Remedial Art, effects a healing
Process in Cases of Consumption. Explained and illastrated by
highly Interesting cases. To which is added, as Exposition of the
Treatment by which the Development of Tubercles may be prevented
hi persons liable thereto.
TV FRANCIS 11. RAMADGE, M.D., Fellow of the Royal College
of Physicians, &c.
Loudon : Longman, Brown, Green, and LongrointS,

GAS LIGHT—PURE as a BRILLIANT.
METROPOLITAN LIGHT COMPANY.

Gas Fittings and Golden Gas Burners—Thousands desire Gas-
liglit—lts simplicity, power of light, and econemy recommend it
but to burn Gas without injury to health is the grand object. Gas
burning from the Fish-tail, Ilatswing, and Argaml ituruers is ex-
tremely pernicious—Not one In ten thousand knows its ill effects—
Gaa burning from these burners generates an acid which positively
eats holes in steel—What then must it do to the constitution ?—The
Golden and Comet Gas-burners annihilate all difficultitz —The Light
is the gem of light—The obnoxious effluvia arising from gas.light is
absorbed—Gas and Oxygen are properly united, what more can be
dune?—All who regard health will lay aside their present Gas-
burners. Those who require Gas-fittings can make their choice from
a vast variety of Chandelier., Ilall-lanthorns, Brackets, Pendants,
&c., &c., all ready for immediate fixing with the Golden or Comet
Burners—All Gas Fittings at wholesale charges, 40 per cant. under
the exorbitant charges usually made, Contrasts entered into iu any
part of the kingdom.
METROPOLITAN LIQIIT COMPANY, RICHARD CLARK,
Resident Manager, 447, West Strand.
N.B. Any person banging Oil Lamps can be altered to barn ass.

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE•

Verdi's opera of Attila was produced here lait night
for the first time in this country. The announcement
of this opera produced quite a sensation amongst the
musical dilettanti of London, because it was her per-
formance of the character of Odabella, the heroine of
this opera, that first secured to Signora Cruvelli her
present high position. Her performance of this cha-
racter at Rovigo, a short time since, created such a
furore in Italy that her fame spread not only all aver the
Peninsula but across the Alps, and secured for her
offers of engagement from almost every lyrical theatre
of note in Europe. The subject of the opera is the death of
Attila, and the action of the piece commences just
after the destruction of the city of Aquileia by the
King of the Huns. Attila, (Signor Beletti) is rejoicing
among his followers in his camp, in celrbration of the
capture of this great city, when he is surprised by the
appearance of Odabella (Signora Cruvelli), the deugh-
ter of the Lord of Aquileia, who has fallen in the
battle, accompanied by a train of Aquileian virgins.
The spirited and patriotic maiden defies the conqueror,
who touched by her courage and her beauty, and
alarmed by the sight of the virgins bearing palm
branches, and by visionary fears, which his supersti-
tious imagination conjures up, and which seem to warn
him not to approach the Imperial city of Rome, at
length yields, and asks what boon he can confer upon
her? She replies a sword, her determination being to
avenge the wrongs of her country by slaying the tyrant.
Attila gives her his own. At length the moment arrives
when she is to carry her project into execution. She, in
her turn, becomes fascinated by Attila. She cannot kill
the man who loves her, and she remains in Attila's
camp. Foresto (Signor Gardoni), the chief of
the defeated Aquileians, accompanied by Ezio
(Signor Cuzzani), the Roman general, arrives
in the camp. Foresto is disguised, and Ezio
feigns to be a traitor to Rome, and expresses a desire to
betray the cause of the Emperor to Attila. Foresto has
been the lover of Odabella, and he is now in the camp of
the Huns for the purpose of poisoning Attila, and in
conjunction with Ezio, taking advantage of the confusion
which must arise in consequence of Attila's death, to di-
rect the Roman forces to the attack and destruction of the
barbarians. Odabella saves him from being sacrificed by
Foresto, and iii return Attila insists on her sharing his
throne. On the day of their nuptials Foresto again
penetrates into the Hunnish camp, sees Odabella, and
bitterly upbraids her for her perfidy, and her love for
the destroyer of her country and the slayer of her father.
Odabella becomes once more a Roman, and carrying her
first resolve into execution, stabs Attila to the heart,
who dies exclaiming—" Et to pure Odabella." Such
is the plot of the opera, which, it will be seen, affords
much scope for the writing of expressive and dramatic
music, and of which Verdi has well known how to
avail himself. The choruses are massive, and in ge-
neral highly dramatic in their expression. In this opera,
as in almost all his other dramatic compositions, Verdi
has exhibited a strong partiality for unisonous choruses,
and where expression is to be given to the feelings of large
masses, such for instance as the Huns led on by Attila,
those choruses in unison are particularly effective.
The aria d'ir.trata of Odabella, a grand cavatina,
"Allor the i forte corono," is an exquisite com-
position full of pathos and expression, and
was deliciously sung, and excellently declaimed, and
acted by Signora Cruvelli. Her manner of giving the
celebrated " Noi donne Italiche," as she taunts Attila
with the superiority of the Italian maidens who take up
arms for the defence of their country over the women of
the barbarians, who sit idly at home, was superb. It was
full of the fervour of true patriotism —it was
magnificent, it was sublime, and we are not sur-
prised at the profound emotion which her rendering
of this fine passage always produces in Italy.
Turn we from the sublime to the beautiful, and
we shall find it in another aria, sung and exquisitely
sun by Signora Cruvelli in this act. "01 nel fuggento
nuvolo," is one of the most exquisite melodies ever
composed, beautiful exceedingly for its extreme sim-
plicity, and with a delightful accompaniment of oboe,
harp, and flute. This was most deliciously and beauti-
fully rendered by Signora Cruvelli. The eetrance of
Foresto on the scone is preluded by a description of a
storm ending in sunrise. The Italian composers have
seldom attempted descriptive musio in which the
Germans and the French (witness the names of Haydn
and Beethoven, of Felicien David and of Hector Berlioz)
so much excel. It is clearly not for lack of power or of
genius that Verdi has hitherto abstained from this
species of composition, for this description of the storm
is perfect of its sort, and worthy to take its place by the
side of the most meritorious of the compositions of
Felicien David. It is an appropriate introduction to
the appearance of Foresto,' whose aria dintrata, " Ella
in peter del Barbaro," was given with exquisite pathos
and delicious sweetness of expression by Gar-
, Boni, who also gave the romanza in the third
act, " Che non arvebbi misero," with great
beauty and expression, and whose duet wits
Signora Cravelli, " O t' inebbris nell amplesso," was
enthusiastically encored, an honour richly deserved by
both artistes. The part of Attila was admirably sus-
tained by Signor Beletti ; his fresh, clear, powerful, yet
flexible, baritone voice, was heard to great advantage in
the aria in the first act, and his acting throughout was
magnificent. The Hunnish King c not have been
more efficiently represented. Signor Cuzzani hal but
little to do, but that little he did excellently well.
His aria in the second act was beautifully given, nothing
could exceed the grace with which he rendered the
andante passages. The finale to this act is a quintette,
" 0 Sposa t'allieta," which was exquisitely given. All
the artistes were called for at the conclusion of the
opera, and richly deserved the honour of the ovation.
Balfe has drilled his orchestra admirably—it as nearly
approached perfection as may be. Nothing could
exceed the brilliancy, and at the same time the firmness
and the precision with which the music of Attila was
given last night, every light and shade was completely
appreciated, and tastefully and perfectly delineated.
The mounting of the piece was superb. The house
was full.
The Queen's box WAS occupied by Major-General
Bowles and party.
In the Queea Dowager's box were the Earl and Countess
of St. Germans and Lady Louisa Eliot, and Viscount
Viscountess Canning.
There were also present:—His Excellency the Rus-
sian Minister, the Baroness Brunnow, and Mademoi-
one Olga di Lechner ; his Excellency the Swedish
Minister, his Excellency the Hanoverian Minister, the
Duke and Duchess of Montrose, the Duchess of Leeds,
the Marquis and Marchioness of Clanricardo and
Lady Emily di? Burgh, the Marquis and Mar-
chioness of Kildare and Lady Evelyn Leveson
Gower, the Marquis of Douro, the Marquis of Gran-
by, the Marquis of Donegal, the Earl Spencer.
the Earl of Falmouth, the Earl of Munster, Viscount
Anson, Viscount Cantilupe, Lord Ernest Bruce, Lady
C. Somerset, Lord Ossulston, Lord Gerald Fitzgerald,
Lord Charles Wellesley, Lord Elphinston.', Lord
Suffield, Baron Nicolai, at. C. do Koudriaffsky, M.
Cottu, M. Canofari, Major-General the Honourable C.
Cavendish, Hon. F. Cadogan, Sir Alexander Woodford,
Sir R. Vivian, Sir Ralph and Lady Howard, Sir Wm.
Fraser, Sir Charles and Lady Cecilia Des Vceux, Sir
Frederick Trench, Lady Fremantle and Miss Fremantle,
Major Buckley, Major Baring, Major Waller, Captain
Smith, Captain Munro, Mrs. Hummersley, Mr. T.
Holmes, Mr. and Miss W. W. Williams, Mr. N. Mac
donald, Mr. G. Cornewall, Mr. Broadley, Mr. Drum-
mond, Mr. Parnther, Mr. and Mrs. Tudor, &c.