The Sun.
London, England, 1856-05-12 00:00:00

THE SOUND DUES.

A letter, dated Copenhagen, May 4, says :
In my last letter I gave you a resume of the
Sound dues question. Since then this negotiation
has made no progress, but the fault rests not with
the Danish Government. Before making any pro-
posal, the Danish Government endeavoured to
and a way of solution which at the same time was
acceptable to foreign Powers and consistent with'
Denmark's interests. This double end the Danish
Government has only been, able to attain by pro-
posing the abolition of the Sound dues for a capital
of 35,000,000 rixdollars Danish money—a sum
which scarcely exceeds one-half of- the capital
Which, at 4 per cent. interest, represents the yearly
income of the Sound dues. Although this arrange-

[PRICE 4D. STAMPED SD•

ment imposes considerable pecuniary sacrifices
upon several States, it is the only practicable one,
and. it must be kept in mind that the Powers to
whose lot the heaviest share would fall are those
most interested in the abolition of the Sound dues,
as well as in every important European question.
In fact, no voice has been raised against the equity
of Denmark's proposal and against the moderate
views the Danish Government has taken in this
question. Several Powers—as Sweden, Norway,
and Russia—whose share in the capitalisation would
exceed 7,000,000 silver roubles (28,000,000 f.) have
not hesitated to accept it. Others have not yet an-
swered to the call, and England, whose interest
is seems to be to watch over the independ-
ence of Denmark, has declined to enter into the
proposed arrangement. It is easily understood
that the payment of more than I,ooo,oool.—the
proportional share of Great Britain—may awaken
apprehensions iu a constitutional Government ;
and no Government can be expected to be very
inclined to call upon the nation whose interests
are committed to their care to pay a similar sum.
But the English nation has interests of a higher
order than pecuniary ones—interests calculated
for future times—interests of European influent:
and hegemony. From this point of view I think
England might try to identify its own advantagt,
with that of other nations, and I am scarcely wrong
when I affirm that the British sympathies of this
country, which in later years have greatly in-
creased, would be considerably impaired if Den-
mark's moderate and reasonable proposals should
meet with opposition from the very country which
has the solution of the question in its hands, and
which of all States is the one best qualified to
prepare a transition from the existing state of
things. to another state, more consistent with the
exigencies of the time, without violently making
away -with old traditions.
It-is a well-ktiown political maxim that great
powers ought to seek their alliances with weak°,
countries, and it certainly would not tell agains•
British interest to promote and strengthen the sym
p allies of a people so attached to, and such great.
admirers of, British institutions as the Danish
nation.

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.

(From the Morning Post of this day.)

The 10th of May, 1850, wall long be retu-einhered
the annals of the operatic stage as the day on which her
Maj-sty's Theatre—one of the oldest and greatest lyric
temples in Europe—was reopened, aft-r having remained
closed, and, to all appearance, hopelessly closed, during
nexrly four years.

The feelings awakened by the reopening of this splen.
did place are akin to those produced by the sudden re
storation to vigorous health of some old friend who ha.'
long been given over even by the cleverest doctors. We
can scarcely believe that be is really alive; and clasp
his hand, and say, " How aro you old fellow I—how
have you been ? Dear me ! Is it possible ?" gazing
wistfully into his face, as much as to say, are you quite
sure it is you ? We feel for him infinite affectioa, love to
think only of his good qualities, and hope that the others,
if such existed, may be reformed in the new career upoi
which he is entering. It was truly pleasant to see on
Saturday night the old familiar Majesty's Theatre face,
—even the humblest of those connected with so many
happy recollections. It seemed as though the four year•
watch have elapsed had been blotted from the book of
time, and that we were not a day older than when last
we visited the great theatre in the Haymarket. Is that
huge and gorgeous place with all its dependencies just
now awakening from a trance produced by some en-
chanter's wand, or have we been dreaming all thin
time ? were our hypothetical reflections as we rode
down the Haymarket on Saturday evening. There
were the same vendors of indifferent bouquets and
doubtful opera books threading the mazes of vehicle,
at the risk of their necks. We recognised them at a
glance, and verily believe they had not exercised their
dangerous and tormenting trade since 1852. The cus-
tomary file of soldiers, too (alas 1 we cannot answer for
their being the sarne)—the aristocratic and zealous Mr
Nugent (we are quite sure of him) looking rubicund an('
good natured as ever—Fish (still of the freshest), tin
well known stage-door keeper, one of the oldest an,'
most faithful officers of her Majesty's Theatre, who be
longs to the stock of the establishment, and may there-
fore, without offence, be termed a stock-Fish. The same
severe-looking old gentleman, who guards the little iron
gate lea ling to that mysterious region " behind the
A3neg," and whose hair is not a bit whiter or thinner
than it was. In fact, ticket-takers, check-takers, box-
•Teners, lean and vociferous carriage and cab-callers.
who are always painfully hoarse, and seem to have a
understandin; with the horses which were never
known to kick them, though they are constantly under
their feet. " Cloak-room" attendants, who appear tn
live in constant enmity with frock-coats, and c.3loUred
cravat, all, or nearly all, were the sane as in former
years. So far, then, the illusion was complete ; and we
walked into the theatre fully and happily persuaded tha
we had made a gross mistake in our age.
Then the first view of the splendid salle served to con
firm our belief, for there again we were struck not only
by the architectural elegance and appropriateness which
have always rendered her Majesty's Theatre a perfect
model of an opera-house, but the very same richly bril-
liant and tasteful decorations—in short, the surpassingly
beautiful ensemble which no other theatre in Europe can
beast was again presented to our eyes exactly as it ap•
peered in days of yore, Then we recognised in the or
the tra the well-known physiognomy of Talbecque, the
admirable opera leader, and of Nadaud, the equally effi-
cient ballet leader, besides others of lesser note. There
was one old familiar face, however, which we did not see,
and here began our disenchantment. We regretted this
much, because it made us four years older without ren-
dering us wiser or better.

VVii need not dwell longer upon the aspect of the salle
Everybody knows the gay yellow box curtains, which
set off the ladies and their costumes to as much advan-

tags a, if they were placed in golden frames ; also the
splendidly ornamented ceiling, panels, and the bright
exhilarating effect of the house when filled, as it was on
this occasion, with company of the best kind. All our
readers have to do is to imagine that everything wore a
brighter hue than usual ; that the gentle " entr'acte"
hum of voices had a peculiarly genial and congratulatory
tone. Let them, in short, add that embellishment of
an always fascinating and delightful scene which the ex-
tra,irdinary excitement belonging to the occasion might
naturally be supposed to produce, and they will have a
more faithful picture of her Majesty's Theatre on Satur-
day evening than we could possibly draw. The bands
being assembled, Signor llmetti, the new conductor,
made his first bow to a London public, and was very
kindly welcomed.
The familiar overture to the opera of the night, La
Cenerentola, was played with great spirit, and much ap•
plauded. Before proceeding further, we must state that
in consequence of the sudden indisposition of Signor
Belletti, Signor Benevantano, a new candidate for Lon-
don fame, came forward at a three hours' notice to supply
his place. The cast of the opera then stood thus—
Cenerentola, Madame Alboni ; Clotilde, Madlle. Berti ;
Thisbe, Madlle. Rizzi ; Don Ramiro, Signor Calzolari ;
Don Magnifico, Signor Zucconi ; and Dandini, Signor
Benevantano.

The great musical star of the evening was, of course,
Madame Alboni, who was most enthusiastically received
after her long absence from the London stage. Her de
ivery of the charmingly naive and characteristic molody
" Una volta c'era un re," marked as it was by that pecu-
liar richness and deep brilliancy of tone which belong to
her alone, showed at once that the unrivalled contralto
has returned to us with unimpaired power. But amore
delightful performance even than this was her execution
of the florid solo " Sprezzo quei doni," and, better still,
the rendering of " Parlar, pensar, vorrei," a masterpiece
of vocalisation, which we thought could not be surpassed
until we heard the last finale, " Non pin mesta," ren-
dered ley Madame Alboni with such wondrous fluency,
explisite grace, and apparent facility, as threw all her
previous efforts into the shade, and proved that more
timings existed in bravura vocalism than were dreamt of
in our philosophy. Need we say that the marvellous
contralto was applauded with the utmost furore, or that
she deserved all the honours bestowed upon her. Num-
berless floral tributes and a laurel crown were thrown at
her feet, and Vie " Non piu mesta" was unanimously
redernanded. In short, every possible homage was of-
fered to Madame Alboni ; but the demonstrationsn them
were
genuine and thoroughly merited, and we joined
heartily, although a tolerably long experience of theatres
has taught us to be somehwat mistrustful of first-night
" ovations." Signor Calzolari has made great pro-
gress in his art since last we heard him, and we doubt
very much whether any artiste at present on the Anglo-
Italian stage could sing the difficult music of Don
Ramiro better than be did on this occasion. Signor
Calzolari's execution was quite irreproachable ; he sang,
too, with much more expression than formerly, and his
voice is greatly improved. Signor Zucconi has not vocal
power for her Majesty's Theatre, neither did he display on
Saturday evening such mental qualities as might com-
pensate for his physical defects. We have never seen a
less amusing Don Magnifico. He was about as comic as
a hearse. Of Signor Benevantano's abilities it were
scarcely fair to judge from this performance, undertaken
(as we have stated) at a very short notice, and more espe-
cially as the part of Dandini is unsuited to him—his
forte being serious opera. But we heard enough, never•
theless, to convince us that Signor Benevaiffauo has a
flue baritone voice of great compass, and that he knows
how to use it to advantage.
The new ladies, 'Mesdames Rizzi and Berti, did fair
justice to their respective part and the chorus did the
little they had to do in a highly satisfactory manner.
At the termination of the opera the rational anthem
was sunei, the solo verses being taken by Madame Al-
boni and Signor Caizolami.
To the performance of ballet divertissement " Les qua-
re saisons "we can award the highest praise. Marine.
Riechetti, and Madlle. Bellon are dancers of the very
nest kind ; that is, they are intellectual, refined, poeti-
cal dancers, whose movements express ideas, not mere