The Sun.
London, England, 1858-05-11 00:00:00

DRURY-LANE THEATRE.

Experiments have been before made at this theatre,
with some degree of success, to provide operas for the
million, but the dramas of such operas were English.
Last night the more extreme experiment was made by
giving a complete opera in Italian, with foreign singers,
with the one exception, that of Mr. Charles Braham,
who is, however, by education, style, and utterance,
completely Italian.
The opera chosen for opening the season was Verdi's
"Il Trovatore," supported by new candidates for Lon-
don fame. Mr. C. Braham, it will be recollected, was
the first to introduce the part of Manrico to an English
public, and for which he has many requisites. His
voice is delicate, and his style and execution goad, the
only drawback being uncertainty of tone. He sang the
music last night very well, but we must say we have
heard him on former occasions to greater advantage.

The new singers are Signor Badiali, Madame Salvini
Donatelli, and Madame de Bernardi. The first, in "Il
Conte de Luna," sang with fine dramatic effect.
He has a baritone of great compass and power. He
was much admired, and will undoubtedly become a
great favourite. Madame Donatelli is a well educated
and pleasing singer, and by her good taste and truthful
dramatic expression rendered the part of Leonora very
interestingly. Madame di Bernardi acted the part of
Azucena, the tragic gipsy mother, better than she sang
it. Though there was a simplicity, and absence of am-
bitious trickery even in her singing that lent a great
interest to her performance, she can hardly be said to
have a decided contralto, and her range is limited, but
her genuine feeling and good taste supplied sufficient
expression to render her scenes effective. The choruses
have been collected in a burry, but with a little training
will become efficient. Signor Vianesi led a full orchestra
with considerable skill, and the instrumental was by no
means the least effective portion of the performance.
A full house was very applausive, and if that were
asy criterion the experiment would be triumphantly
successful.

The Queen and Prince Consort, with the Queen of
Portugal, the Prince of Hohenzollern, and Prince Leo-
pold of Hohenzollern, went, at ten o'clock yesterday
morning, to the Royal Academy, and were conducted
through the exhibition. After viewing the Academy,
the royal party inspected the National Gallery, and re-
turned to Buckingham Palace soon after 12 o'clock.
His Serene Highness the Prince of Hohenzollern,
father of the Queen of Portugal, accompanied by the
Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern, honoured the establish-
ment of Mr. Hancock, of Bruton-street, on Saturday,
with a visit,
The few dollars brought by the Mexican packet have
been sold at 600., which shows an advance of id. on
the quotation of the 23d ult. A part of this advance
had already been obtained at the end of the month.
THEATRE ROYAL, BIRIIINGHAH.—Sir William and
Lady Don concluded their engagement on Saturday
evening. They are succeeded by Mr. J. W. Anderson,
the tragedian, who made his first appearance yesterday
evening in the character of Hamlet.
NEW THEATRE. —Tn e erection of a new theatre is to
be immediately commenced on the site of the Pavilion
Theatre, Whitechapel, that. was destroyed by fire about
two years ago. It will be of very large dimensions, and
presents several new and improved features in construe.•
Lion and arrangement, from the designs of the architect,
would give Mr. Arthur Taylor.
With regard to Exchequer-bonds a correspondent re-
peats the suggestion that if the Chancellor of the Excbe-
qei for documents
t he prt
of
findth the power,them
a wherefavou r
it
e i desired,nves t
mtoe
n t f registeror a
them,
of
uer
he
large class " who now hold back because they have no
safe place
general
fdi
businessosot
woull be as fatal as the llse of a bank n t "
Ttie
theL London on
deof
loss
continuedo of
n which
active during the past week, the arrivals
unusually large. The number of ships
reportedcor
inward being
was 275, ineuding 122 grain, goer, &e.,
, 25 wish
cargoes if sugar, and three from China with 29,913
packages of tea and 541 bales of silk. The number
cleared outward was 138, including 23 in ballast, and
thoe on the berth loading for the Australian colonies
amount to 73.
THE AUSTRIAN ARHY.—"New reductions in the
army," says a letter from Vienna, " have been mitred,
principally io the artillery. But from the system of re•
serves which is now in force, these reductions are of no
importance. By this system, the army which is now
only 260,000 strong, can in the space of six weeks be
iucreased to 600,000 men. In Galicia f)rtifications are
being erected, and the tot tresFes in Italy are being
treogthened. Thee works are being carried on actively,
and will soon be terminated."