The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-21 00:00:00

DRUR Y-LANE THEA RE.

A new and original ballet in two acts and four
tableaux, entitled :Imelda, was produced here last even-
ing, Mdlle. Sali, from the La Scala at Milan, and the
San Carlos at Naples, making her debut as the heroine.
The story of the ballet is simple enough. Imelda, an
Italian peasant girl, has won the heart of the Count
Alberti (M. Mathis, also a first appearance), the son of
the sovereign of the country, disguised as a peasant.
He wooer and wins her, and then follow the usual
tribulations, ending, also, as usual, in the settlement
of matters to the satisfaction of all parties.
This is a sort of plot which is generally useful, because
it admits of the introduction of dancers of every de-
scription, and to any amount. Like a stout wild-plum
stock, anything may be grafted on it ; and accordingly
we have a variety of fetes champetres, with a pas seul for
Mademoiselle Sali, a pas de femmes for the coryphees and
corps de ballet, a pas de quatre, exquisitely danced by
Mr. A. Webster, Madlle Louise, Madlle Adlte, and Ma-
dame Guibelei, a grand pas de deur, by M. Mathis and
Mademoiselle Sali, and a lively tarantella, with which
the first tableau concludes. Mademoiselle Sali is young
and pretty, and is an exquisite dancer. The rapidity
of her movements in some of her pas is truly
astonishing. Tha term many-twinkling feet, when ap- ,
plied to her, ceases to be hyperbolical. Her tours de
forces, too, are astonishing, and her poses are graceful
and picturesque in the extreme. Her poses and group-
ings in the pus d'ensemble are all formed with the taste
of an accomplished artist. They might be taken as
models for a series of classical bas-reliefs. Monsieur
Mathis is also a dancer of great merit ; many of his pas
are perfectly original, and in many of tbem he seems to
have created choreographic difficulties, merely for the sake
of showing with what facility and grace he can overcome
them. The second tableau is a drilling of the pages of the
Court by the Governor of the pages (T. Matthews), and we
should strongly advise its excision altogether—it is
long, tedious, and at best a hors d'oeuvre, and
requiring, to carry it off, that which T.
Matthews cannot give it, ease and true buffo
feeling. Admirable as a clown, he is not sufficiently
refined for ballet. His forte is humour not wit. The
audience at length became very impatient, and the
ballet was nearly ruined by this tedious scene. The
beautiful pas des bouquets, by Mademoiselle Sali,
Mademoiselle Adele, and Madame Guibelei in the
third tableau redeemed all, and put the audience
once more in good humour, and, followed as it was by
the grand pas de trois in the fourth tableau, by M.
Mathis. Mademoiselle Sali, and Madame Guibelei, se-
cured the complete success of the ballet. M. Mathis
and Mdlle. Sali were most efficiently supported by
Madame Guibelei, and Mdlles. Adele and Louise, and by
W. H. Payne, who made a great deal of the little part
of Fabricio, valet to the Prince. He is a genuine buffo,
perhaps the only perfect buffo dancer we have on the
English stage. 1-fe always enters thoroughly into the
spirit of his part, knows exactly what is to be
done, and also knows exactly how to do it. The scenery
by Grieve was beautiful, and the music by Mr. R.
Hughes, the clever leader of the orchestra, was good
and appropriate. The ballet was preceded by The
Crown Jewels, with the fascinating Madame Thillon as
the heroine, we had almost said as the opera, and it is
therefore needless to add that the house was crowded
in every part long before the commencment of the
overture.