The Sun.
London, England, 1846-05-13 00:00:00

! HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.
1 Verdi's opera, I Lombardi, alla prima Crociata, wag pro-
: duced here last evening, and the fiat of the audience of -the
first Lyrical Theatre in the world, coincides with that of
every other audience to whose judgment this opera has been
submitted, and stamps it as the great work of a great man.
We have already given the plot of this opera, and certainly
Verdi has been fortunate in his choice of a librettist, who
has not only imagined a most dramatic plot, but has deve-
loped that plot in a most dramatic manner; and well has
Verdi known how to avail himself of the advantages thus
afforded him. It has been hitherto one of the distinguishing
characteristics of Verdi, that be has, without turning to the
right hand or to the left, without studying the particular
powers of particular singers, written his operas fairly out
according to the situations, translating into music the passion
or the sentiment which he had to illustrate, and, treating his
vocal parts as he does his instrumental, written them not for
the particular soprano, or tenor, or basso, who may chance to
be popular, but written for soprano, tenor, or basso, without
reference to individuals. Thus Vedi's operas will not die with
the present race ofsingers—they will always retain possession
of the stage ; and their success has in every instance been
achieved rather by their own intrinsic merits than by the
particular exertions of any particular artiste concerned in
their production. The scene of the first act of I Lombardi is
laid in Milan—the time in which the action takes place is
the eleventh century, the time of the first crusade. After a
few introductory bars of music from the orchestra (there ie
no regular overture), the curtain rises and discovers the
court-yard of the church of St. Ambrose. Cheerful music
is heard within the church, and then the citizens enter; and,
in a twc•saart chorus of men and women, we are informed
that Pagano, who had attempted to stab his brother Arvind
because Viclinda bad preferred Arvino's suit to his, has re-
turned, and that he is that day to receive his
pardon. This chorus is carefully written, and
elaborately instrumented, and proves Verdi to be a most
accomplished contrapuntist. Pagano (Fornasari), Arvin*"
(Coral), Viclinda (Madlle. Corbari), Griselda (Madame
Grisi), the daughter of Arvino, and Viclianda and Pirro
( Botelli), the friend of Pagano, then enters, accompanied by
the ecclesiastics of St. Ambrosia in grand procession from
the church. The next scene is in the gallery of the palace of
Tollo, the father of Arvino and Pagano. It
is night, Viclinda and Griselda fear some
impending calamity; and here we have a beautiful preghiera,
" Salve Maria," delightfully given by Grisi. Pirro and Pa-
gano enter. Pagano is still determined to wreak his ven-
geance on Arvino. While Pirro watches, he enters Arvino'e
chamber, and immediately returns with his sword bloody.
An alarm is given; among those who enter is Ar-
vino. Who is it, then, that Pagano has slain ?
It is his own father; in horror he attempts to slay himself;
his sword is wrenched from him ; and, like Cain, he is cast
forth to lead a life of misery. The scene of the second act
is at Antioch. Acciano, the sultan, is seated on his throne.
He has taken captives from the crusaders, among them
Griselda, the daughter ofArvino. She has captivated the heart
of his son, Oronte (Mario), who in a most delicious melody
" La mia letizia infardere," expresses his feeling of affection
for her. This melody was given with so much taste, pa-
thos, and feeling, and with such powers of execution by
Mario, that it created quite a furore. Not only was he
called on to repeat it, but, after having sang it a second
time, he was again called for, and had to bow his
thanks to the audience. It was the greatest tri-
umph Mario has yet achieved. The scene then
changes to a mountan—a hermit enters from his cave--
this hermit is Pagano. Pirro, who has become a renegade,
and is in the service of the Sultan of Antioch, seeks the
holy man to ask forgiveness of his sins. The crusaders
approach, and the hermit assumes his armour to join the
soldiers of the cross, extorting from Pirro a promise
that he will betray the city into their hands.
The scene then changes to the interior of
the harem of the sultan, and we have a very effective chorus
of women, who deride the grief of Griselda. Indignantly does
she reply to them, when they are interrupted by a melee of
women, soldiers, and crusaders, who rush into the barmy,
the city having been taken. Among the crusaders is
Arvind; and Griselda, in a most magnificent and most
originally written scene, expresses the contending
passions by which her heart is torn—joy at being
rescued from captivity by her father, is mingled with sorrow
at being parted from Oronte, her lover, and with indigna-
tion at the cruelties which the crusaders have perpetrated;
This scene was magnificently given by Grisi, and is one
the most original and effective ever composed. The
opening scene of the third act is splendid. It
represents the Valley of Jebosaphat, with a*
city or Jerusalem in the distance, and is perhaps the most,
beautiful scene that the pencil of Mr. Marshall has ever ye,
produced. We have a fine massive chorus of knight*
women, and pilgrims, who are wending their way towards
the Holy City. After their departure Griselda enters; in her
father's tent she cannot breath—she seeks the free air—.lbe
has but one thought—love. She is joined by Oronte--aas
out of this situation, the most common-place of all the
common-places of the lyric,l drama, Verdi has elicited some
of the most original effects ever composed. The duet be'
tween Oronte and Griselda isa perfect gem ; and, unlike other
composers, he does not suffer the beauty of the music to
tempt him to sin against dramatic vraisemblance. The lovers
are interrupted by a cry of to arms. This introduces the
stretta of the duet, which, contrary to custom, is not repeated'
The situation required that the lovers should without delay fli;
and, sacrificing himself to his art, he will not permit them t?
remain, to lepeat even the most beautiful part of his duet"
although he would have been fully justified in so doing, Ort
the example of all his predecessors. This proves that
Verdi is an artist in the highest sense of the term. lie
then have a short scene in the tent of Arvino, from
whence the crusaders march forth to battle ; and then 7_`•
have the last scene of the act—a cave. This scene is intrO-
duced by a beautiful violin solo, which was exquisitely P.
formed. At intervals the clash of arms is heard without
then Oronte enters mortally wounded supported by Griselda
they are followed by the Hermit. Oronte, in his _selast
ls
moments expresses a wi-h to die a Christian.
baptised by the hermit, and dies in the arms of Griselda sad
Pagano. The terzet to between Oronte, Griselda, and P agm"
with which the act concludes, was beautifully given, and tr
acting of Fornasari and Grisi in this trying scene was sulime. The subdued and dignified grief of the hermit
con-
trasted finely with the impassioned Griselda. Never was
agony more heart-rending than that of Grisi, and never has
Grisi been greater than she was in this scene. In
the fourth act we find Griselda sleeping in the
cavern. She has a vision of celestial spirits, among them
Oronte, who assures her he is happy. She awakes,
and now comes the grand scene of the opera, the air of
Griselda, the " Non fn sogno,"—which is in Italy what
" The soldier tired" was for years in England, the trial
song for every prima donna. It was given by Grist 1111.6_,
effectively, and is one of the most marvellous vocal triumphs
which even Grisi has ever acchieved. The next scene is tan
Lombard encampment, near the Sepulchre of Rachael ; a
here we have the most sublime, massive, elaborate chorusnc
in the opera, "01 Signore dal tette natio." The enthse
e
seemed awed into silence by the sulajimity of the mu
.4r2
which is almost of a sacred character, and at the eondusl2'..
of the chorus there was one loud and unanimous call fot's!!
repetition, which was of course complied with. Every Pr
is due to the chorus singers, and to the orchestra for
ithe2
perfect manner in which this sublime composition v
ss
given. The Lombards, led on by the hermit, rush on to
battle. The scene then changes to the hut of Arvin° StL
hermit is lea in mortally wounded. Finding death
approaching he discovers himself—he is I:We'o.
and with that discovery ends the opera. The acting,..._
Fornasari in this scene was very fine, and although an slow:
getical placard, bespeaking the consideration of the audience
for Fornasari, on the score of illness, was posted about th.
lobbies of the theatre, yet there certainly was no necessity rl
make any apology, for Fornasari last night fully maintained
his well-earned fame, as one of the greatest actors on tb
lyrical stage. At the conclusion there was a general call for.
the principal artists, and Grisi, Mario, Fornasari, and Coral:
appeared before the curtain and were received with that
enthusiastic applause which they had so well earned by their
exertions. The house was crowded to suffocation. The
ballet of Alma concluded the evenina's entertainment.

•
There were present at her Majesty's Theatre last
night her Majesty the Queen Adelaide, accompanied bar
Prince Edward of Saxe Weimar, and attended by Lidy-
' Clinton, the Hon. illisses Seymour, the Hon. Mrs. Ashler";
and Captain Somerset ; her Royal Highness the DuchesS of
Kent, attended by Lady Fanny Howard, Lady August&
Bruce, and Captain the Hon. James Murray ; their ROY
Highnesses the Doke and Duchess of Cambridge, attended V
the Baroness Ahlefeldt, Lady Augusta Cadogan. the Bad
Knesbeck, and Mr. Edmund Mildmay ; his Hoist Highness
Prince George of Cambridg:, the Duke of Virellingteril
the Duke and Duchess of I..einster, the - Duke tend
Duchess of Beaufort, and the Ladit-zi R. and B. Somerset;
his Excellency the Austrian Ambassade..r, his EicelleneY 91,41
Russian Ambassador and the Baroness Be unow accompsol
by Mdlle. Olga de Lechner, the Count Kandriaffsky, CO?.
de Noailles • his Excellency the Hanoverian Minister, t";
Baron Kohler, the Marquis and Marchioness of Douro, thot
Marquis and Marchioness of Aylesbury, the Marchioness
Worcester, the Marquis of Clanricarde. the Marquis of Sligl
the Marquis and Marchioness de Lisboa, the Nercluis°o
Huntley, the Countess of Chesterfield, Count Esterhz:zY,
'—
Earl and Countess of Wilton, the Countess of Essex,
Earl of Falmouth, the Earl and Countess of Marlmsbo _„l•S'
the Countess of Dalhousie, the Earl of Liverpool, the Countr.
of Dundouald, the Earl of Munster, the Earl of Clare
Earl.
Countess of Blessington, the Ear of Sandwich, the yrs:
count Cantelupe, the Viscount Dupplin, the Earl Of
Jersey, Lord Ernest Bruce, the Earl of March, Loll La"
Mary Howard, Lady Jane Ogilby, Mr. and
Mary Christopher, Lord Foley and the Hon. Miss Fold's
Lady Petre, Lord and Lady Aylmer. Lord and Lady Ashburn
ton,`Lord and Lady Templemore, Lord Somerton, the Holl•
Mrs. Warneford, Sir Charles and Lady Wetherell, Sir W•
Stanley, Sir William and Lady Freemantle, Lord A. Lennox,
Lord Sands's, Sir A. Barnard,%Sir H. Webb, General Utttoll,
Sir G. and Lady Carroll, Sir John and Lady_ Campbell, Sir
R. Joddrell, Lady Dallas, Sir T. Munro, Sir Henry and Ladf
Meux, the Hon. R. Curzon, Mrs. Deonistown, the Hon. Col.
Wrottesley, Colonel Johnston, ColoZel Rowan, Captain
Bathurst, Colonel Wigram, Colonel BtiOx and Colonel B.
Knox, Mr. St. John Mildinay, Mr. Cullen Smith, Mr. and
Mrs. Hodgson, Mr. and Mrs. Brownrigg, Mr. .Parnther,
Villeblois.
THE BOOS OF COSTUME. g
Amon the various all;
nouncements of new works, we notice one which cannot fax
to have more than ordinary attraction for readers of Do"'
sexes. We allude to the elegant volume, just publis.hodoi
under the title of "The Book of Costume ; or,
Fashion," the production of a lady of rank, profusely Wu:,
trated by the most eminent artists. We have reasto_..l
believe that this entertaining
History of Cost ' Costume, in all volume is the first general
nations, ever published, and frt.
the beauty of the numercus engravings, and the, greet cl
taken with the text, which bas had the advantage of being
revised by the first authority of the day in
wilsueliebra ecaot:e 7
there can be little doubt that the volume
standard book of reference on all questions connected with
fashion in dress.
On Mos lay a farmer brought us a sample of new' rte-
toes, grown in his haggard, near this city, from diseased seed e
potatoes are perfectly sound and clean, without any trace -"
,„Tt
original blight ; and what he thus tried as an experiment —a'
agreeably undeceived him.- -Limerick Chronicle. D.
DEATH OF BOLOGNA.—We have to record the d-;
of Bologna, of theatrical celebrity. Lately he was in the celaPanAeri°
the Theatre Royal Adelphi, Glasgow, but within the lest eigh....kto
months, the decline of years became visible, and he gradually
rest.
I
THE OUTRAGE IN WESTMINSTER.—Upon
that
yeste• day morning at the Westminster Hospital, it was etaly",
the unfortunate woman, Elizabeth Pullen, is going on fltvears,""%ind
PEDESTRIANISM.—J. Jones (of Marylebone),
Ger rge Martin, gave the public a trial of patience, instead of tht7n..
selves a trial of speed, at Acten Bottom, on Monday. In the Ars
f the
stance daylight was burnt on the plea that the spectators °
minor race at Ealing (noticed below) might be accom
sequently it seemed as though the longest summer's day
I"milnutes
required ere the parties could be brought together. At a few
nesrlf
modatcd :isdube
after five the competitors appeared ; and from that time "' - and
seven a start could not be effected. Temperance was referee,
we can only pity any Individual in so thartless and unenviable an
office. After a couple of score of false starts, Mr. David Willianwd the
the Superintendent of rolice, very properly (his forbearance,
reed 0e
patience of the assembled multitude being exhausted), ordered of
men off the road ; a result which we, in common with Warr,
others, hope will attend these wrangling attempt. of competitorunfair
will not be contented unless cnie or the other can obtain an
advantag -. The prties meet this evening to arrange I'
tilstoce
Meeting. Lembden and Jones—This *ace, for 151. a-side. ,„,t
110'y ards, came off at the OA Hat, Ealing, Jones got the starig:te%
ebuld not keep it ; at a short distance he was two yards in. a„,"1:10
but at the goal was at the same distance behind Lan3bden. . sl7"^
of the men could lay cialin to the title of a fast one.