The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-10 00:00:00

ADELPHI

A romantic drama, in six tableaux, entitled The Queen of
the Abruzzi was produced here on Monday, with complete
success. It is founded on the popular ballet of La Catarina,
and is written by Mr. Stirling Coyne, who has in some mea-
sure altered the original so as to suit the Adelphi company.
In this he has succeeded a merreille. He has so ma-
naged as to include in his caste Madame Celeste
(who acts the heroine most effectively) ; Mr. 0.
Smith, who takes Perrot's part of the Lieutenant);
Paul Bedford, Boyce, and Mr. Redmond Ryan, and Miss
Ellen Chaplin, who enact the parts of an Irish boy travel-
ling in Italy and his jealous Italian wife, and he hali fitted
each of his artists to a nicety. Of this most effective inte-
resting drama, it may be said, that unlike the generality of
imitations, it is superior to the original. The dialogue is
carefully, and in many places, elegantly written. The
description given of his house, for instance, by Salvator
Rosa in the first act, is genuine poetry. The
Irishman, too, which was excellently acted by Ryan, is
really a broth of a boy—not the mere stage Irishman, but a
witty, rollicking, high-spirited fellow—one of whom the
Green Island need not be ashamed. The scenery was ex-
ceedingly beautiful (we could almost fancy we were looking
at some of the chefs d'ceuvre of Eastlake). The dances were
given with spirit, and the music, selected and arranged by
Mr. Mellon, was pretty and appropriate. The piece "went"
admirably, and at the conclusion Madame Celeste was called
for, and, on being led forward by Mr. Boyce, was received
with enthusiastic applause by a house crowded to excess.
The Queen of the Abruzzi will have a long reign.

ST. JAMES'S THEATRE.
ETHIOPIAN SERENADERS. _

Notwithstanding the attraction of operas and concerts,
the Ethiopian Serenaders not only hold their ground,
but are more popular than ever. Night after night is
the St. James's theatre crowded by fashionables, who
seem thoroughly to enjoy the performances of these
transatlantic melodists. This is an additional proof of
the progress which musical science has made of
late years in England. Albeit melody is the
prevailing characteristic of the performances of
the Ethiopian Serenaders, yet melody is not the sole
characteristic. The melodies which they give us are
beautifully harmonised. There is no attempt "to gild
refined gold "—the melody is not lost in the harmonious
combinations—not smothered, like the Roman maiden,
beneath the weight of the shields—but elaborated and
Eupported by the harmony, which, like the string of a
necklace, runs through and combines the pearls of
melody into one beautiful and perfect whole.
The performance of the Ethiopian Serenaders
are not only delightful to the dilettanti, they
are a study for the musician, who may here learn
novel combinations and the use of instruments (the
bones to wit) which may be of infinite service to him in
composing orchestral accompaniements, but which have
been hitherto unknown to or neglected by the academies
and the schools. The dramatic composers more especially,
by studying the performances of the Ethiopian
Serenaders, may learn how to maintain the pathetic
with the comic in music. " There is," said Napoleon,
' but one step from the sublime to the ridiculous."
The Ethiopian serenaders demonstrate the converse of
the proposition, and by their exquisite performance of
that most beautiful combination of humour and pathos,
the melody " Miss Lucy Neal " prove that there is but
one step from the humorous to the pathetic, and that
smiles and tears are nearer akin than the generality of
mankind imagine. We are not, therefore, surprised at
the crowded houses which these delightful melodists draw
every night, and, as lovers of music, we feel we are under
great obligations to Mr. Mitchell for having introduced
the Ethiopian serenaders to the English musical public.