The Sun.
London, England, 1848-04-25 00:00:00

PRINCESS'S.

Mr. Maddox provided liberal for the Easter
holiday folks who honoured his establishment with
their presence last night. There were two novelties
—" The Nightingale," an operetta, in which the
charming Annallon made her re-entree, and
" Esmeralda," a grand ballet, introducing several
new artists—besides a couple of pieces already sanc-
tioned by public approval. Le Brun's " Rossignol"
(" The Nightingale") has been a stock piece in every
town of France and Belgium where an opera can be
mounted for the last thirty years. The libretto is a
pastoral, treating of the loves of Lubin and Phillis,
two peasants, stamped with the attributes of candour
and simplicity that appertain especially to the age of
the Galateas and Estellas, celebrated by Cervantes and
Florian. Phillis (Madame Anne Thillon) is fond of
singing, and Lubin (Mr. Barker) plays upon the flute
with a facility that is the more to be admired considering
the times in which he is supposed to live. Lubin woos
Phillis by means of his musical talent, serenading
her night and morning at her window, and echoing
her songs with the tones of his instrument, which are
so mellifluous that the neighbours, with bucolic art-
lessness, mistake them for the voice of the nightin-
gale. This courtship is carried on so effectually,
that in spite of the rival suit of a powerful " baillie"
(Mr. Weiss), who is favoured by Mathurin (Mr.
Bodda), the subservient progenitor of Phillis, the
lovers bring matters about according to their wishes,
and are ultimately united, to the great joy of them-
selves and everybody else, even the baillie. The
music is remarkable for nothing beyond a certain
flow of unaffected tunce, which rarely fails to captivate
the many. The opportunities for display of florid
vocalization are successfully used, and these were ad-
mirably exemplified by Madame Anna Thillon, who,
besides her clever and expressive singing, acted with
fascinating sprightliness, and looked the prettiest Phillis
that was ever wooed by faithful shepherd. She was
received with the greatest enthusiasm by the audience,
and was, indeed, the main support of the piece, which,
through her exertions, achieved complete success.
Mr. Weiss, who appeared for the first time this
season, made the best of the small part of the Baillie,
and
_sang the music allotted to him with musician-
like correctness. Messrs. Bark-er and I3odda took
great pains with their respective parts. At the fall
of the curtain Madame Thillon was recalled, and ap-
peared with Mr. Weiss and Mr. Barker. The well-
known musical piece of " The Sultana" (with Ma-
dame Thillon as the Roxalana), and a farce, called
" Mammon and Gammon," followed " The Nightin-
gale." In the latter, through the non-appearance of
one of the performers, Mr. Harris had to read the
part (rather a long one) from a book, and accom-
plished his task with singular facility; the farce was
altogether well acted by Miss Villars, one of the
most intelligent and entertaining of soubrettes,
Mrs. H. Hughes, Mrs. Selby, Messrs. James
Vining (who is as young, vivacious, and bustling
as - ever), S. Cowell, Wynn, &c., and was
received with shouts of laughter throughout.
The performances terminated with the ballet of "Es-
meralda," which under the superintendence of Mr.
Flexmore has been most skilfully adapted to the di-
mensions and resources of this little theatre. Who
that has not seen " Esmeralda " at her Majesty's
Theatre, that has not admired the graceful Carlotta
Grisi, and laughed at the admirable Perrot, has yet
to behold and delight in the pearl of ballets the most
ethereal of ballerines, and the most hum' orous of
male choregraphy. We have nothing now to say of
the story of " Esmeralda," which finds its ma-
terials in Victor llugo's magnificent romance
"Notre Dame de Paris." It is enough to re-
late that the manner in which it has been placed
upon the stage of the Princess's Theatre is highly
creditable to the establishment. The dances are care-
fully arranged and executed with infinite spirit by a
numerous and efficient corps de ballet, the scenery,
y Messrs. Brunning and Grey, is characteristic and
beautiful, especially the first and last scenes--" A
distant view of Paris " and " Notre Dame by
moonlight;" the action is well kept up, and
the mise en scene altogether in the best taste.
Poor Signor Pugni was the only sufferer, his music
being so fearfully ill-used by the orchestra as to be
scarcely recognisable. Mdlle. Auriol, a daughter of
the celebrated French clown from the Cirque Olim-
Pique, was the Esmeralda of the evening; she is a
good pantomimist and dances with great vigour and
facility. Mr. Flexmore was humorous and amusing
as Gringoire, but his performance was occasionally
wanting in refinement. The famous Truandaise,
however, was admirably danced by both, and received
with shouts of applause, and the pas de deux in the
second tableau, where Esmeralda teaches Gringoire
to dance, was encored. Quasimodo was sustained
with great melodramatic emphasis by M. Le Clerq,
and M. Deulin made the monk, Claude Frolic), snore
mysterious and shadowy than usual. Among the in-
termediate dances which attracted most attention and
applause were a pas de deux by Mdlles. Louise and
Adele (from Drury-lane Theatre) and a pas de trois
by Madame Le Clerq and Mdlles. Le Clerq and Ma-
thilde, in the course of which several steps were
loudly encored. The subordinate parts of Aloise,
Phoebus, and Clopin were carefully filled by Miss
Cuthbert and MM. Zavystowski and Paulo. The
ballet was most favourably received from beginning
to end, and Mdlle. Auriol was forced to re-appear at
the fall of the curtain. The house was very full.