The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-25 00:00:00

EASTER AMUSEMENTS.

DRURY-LANE.

The English operatic season commenced here last
night in the presence of an audience that filled the
theatre to the ceiling. The first production was a trans-
lation and adaptation of Verdi's " Il Trovatore," by
Mr. Jefferys, and f)r the benefit of those who are un-
acquainted with the plot, we give the following :—A
certain gipsy, Azuecena, to revenge the death of her
mother, who was burnt by order of the old Count de
Lune, steals a child of the Count's from its cradle, and,
as she vainly imagines, consigns it to the flames. By an
accident, however, she discovers she has sacrificed her
own child instead of the Count's, and instead of Instantly
wreaking her vengeance on the surviving infant she
defers her purpose until she can effect it with more cer-
tainty and horror. The Gipsy brings up the child as
her own, under the assumed name of Maurico, and as
he grows to manhood she instills the most intense hstred
of the house of Lune into his bosom, intending eventually
that he shall slay his elder brother, the present Count.
Maurico is beloved by Leonora, and this fact so embit-
ters the Count de Lune against him that, on his falling
into his hands, the Count instantly orders him to be
decapitated. Leonora, frantic at the loss of her lover,
after vainly imploring the Count to spare Manrico's
life, swallows poison, and the Gipsy, who at the instant
that Maurico is being executed reveals to the Count
that it is his brother, is condemned to suffer death in
the same manner as that by which her mother perished,
and at this climax the curtain falls.

The music of " Leonora" was sung by Miss Lucy
Escott with much taste and feeling, and if this lady is
wanting in style and finish, her singing is often remark-
able for sentiment and energy. Miss F. Huddart, as
the Gipsy Mother, especially distinguished herself, and
the audience were delighted with the whole of her per-
formance. In that, she did enough in this difficult cha-
racter to encourage a hope of still better things to come.
The music of " Manrico" was far too much for Mr. A.
Braham, and in certain passages where a little strain
was put upon his power, his intonation was very defec-
tive. The best thing he sung during tite opera was the
"Miserere." Mr. Braham's voice is at present tolerably
good, and may, with care, become a tine one, but by forcing
it, as he did during the opera last night, we fear he is
doing all he can to damage, and not improve it. Mr.
H. Drayton won an encore in the second act for the
artistic manner in which ho gave the pretiy romance
of "Il ballln ;" and Mr. Farquharson, as Ferrondo,
made the most of so small a part. At the termination
of the performance the whole of the successful artistes
were called before the curtain. The opera has been very
carefully got up, and the picturesque gipsy groupings in
the second act showed a master hand had been at work
to arrange them. The entertainments concluded with
what was called by the bills a new sketch, entitled
" Marguerite," but it turned out to be the Strand
Theatre burlesque set to music. The audience was in
the best of humours, and although the long pauses be-
tween the acts tried their patience, everthing eventually
went off to their entire satisfaction.