The Sun.
London, England, 1856-10-10 00:00:00

AIA DLLE. PICCOLOMINI.

The curiosity of the Edinburgh concert-going
public has for the last week or two been keenly
awakened by the announcement that Mademoiselle
Piceolomini was soon to appear before them. This
youthful artiste made her debut in London last May,
with the highest eclat ; and froni that time till the close
of the opera season at the end of July she continued to
be the object of the most ardent. and increasing admira-
tion. She was, indeed, familiarly known by the fond
appellations of the " pet of the pufilS," the " spoilt
chi,d," and the cara bambino Adear babe) ; and we were
informed by some of the Loudon journals, that like a
litt'e depot she ruled the entire season, and that on the
evening of its close, when she had enchanted her audi-
ence with some of her favourite songs, she was literally
pelted and almost smothered with bouquets. With such
a full-blown reputation did this young lady appear last
night before an Edinburgh audienpe. Wears of opinion
that she owes the power which she has acquired over
the feelings of her audiences in some degree at least to
handsome though petite figure, a pleasing and ever-
smiling face, and an almost girlish artlessness of mien ;
Clough it is no doubt mainly attributable to artistic
ialeuts of a high order. She was cordially. received last
right by a brilliant audience, and at the .close of the
concert the impression she made seemed highly fa-
vourable. Mdlie. Piccolomini's voice• is not as yet
equal, either in melody or depth of tone, to that of
some of the first easel vocalists that have of late
years periodically visited our city.. But 'with this re-
mark comparison must. ceses. Her style is altogether
her own ; it is deeply emotional and thoroughly his-
trionic ; and its effect depends lees opt:invoice than that
of any other vocalist we ever remember hearing, being
powerfully aidod by lo ,k, ac ion,' and intensity of ex-
pression. In her first air, " Couvien partir," from Duni-
zettes "La Figlia Its,ggirmnto, these characteristic i
were strikingly marked. The air is of a homewhat
melancholy cast, inter ded to portray the feelings of tho
favourite daughter of a regiment taking a sad farewell
of her military lathers ; end the intensity of the feeling
which she biel'hed forth in the song rendered it deeply
touchier. It was this song, if we mistake not, which
brought the showers of bouquets about her earn at the
close of the opera season in London. The only other
solo sung by her—" Ah fors h lui "—was, perhaps, still
more effecively suer, and, as well as the limner, was
heartily encored. It, hoWevei, expresses :painfully the
feelings of an unfortunate young. woman. who had
been led aside from the paths, of, virtue, and
her desperate resolution when she feels herself aban-
doned in what she calls the populous desert of Paris,
to spend her remaining days in deeper depths of depra-
vity and folly ; and we think such songs—especially
when, as in the present instance, they are not recom-
mended by any special musical excellency—might with
much propriety be set aside for others of a less question-
able character. Their
,introduction into the concert
room cannot fail to affect injuriously the obaracter of
these entertainments, which, when kept fres front such
wholesomeimpurities, are so well fitted to impart a wholesome
to the feelings of the audience. The other tft:l7:baon
ent)s
of the concert were ably sustained by Mr.
Signor Belletti, and Signor Rossi ; but, with the
little of
_excep-
tion of a beautiful English song by Mr. .15rTinu
late
c
Love Thee"—the composition, we presume, _hisl. e
possessed distinguished father—the pieces selected were too
his-
trionic in their character, and d t
l mu-ical excellence to be effective when dissociated from
the dramas to which they belong.—Edinturgh. Witness.

mg - MONEEY..—There is a
Why is a sot so
most dogs have, of
it not by reason of the habits which
generally ealleda drunken dog.? Is
getting under the table / ,
hal story told in
connection with the Aberdeen
harbour. When the
goTor aItMIioAnGuIhSTRI ratherN apocryp
trade to the We 4 Lobes was first opened up,
it is said
that the magistrates of Aberdeen were - tempted to
try their fortune in what, promised to be such a lucra-
ATfeEarA
tire business, and scot a vessel out there on specula-
tion. The many anxious gazers from the Castle-hill
for the arrival of the " shippie 0
were at length re-
warded, and when safely moored in tilti" hllbarte," the
civic dignitarie3 paid it a visit. After having exban,ted
the occidental wonders which had been brought home,
the provost and baillies retired to the cabin to par-
take of the skipper's good cheer. Whilet4hus en-
gaged, a monkey, which was part of the importations,
amused with the tie of the provost's wig, honoured it
with an occasional pull, much to the good old man's an-
noyalice, "Odd, laddie," he would say aside, "Ye''l
better be quiet." " What's the matter with you, provost?"
said the captain, overhearing une of the chief magistrate's
rernelietrances. " It's that laddie 0' yours," was the
"Ply. " What laddie, provost ?" " That ane there, we
' the rough foul face, an' the Fair e'en.' t .., Th2a,,t s nae
said the a
laddie, provost ; it's a monkey." “la't, is't .
worthy dignitary, "fat better kent I. 1 thocht it was
some o' your sugar-makers' sons come o'er to our uni
versity to get's education."—The new Book of Bon-
i A cord, by Wm 074e!ti.iffat