The Sun.
London, England, 1858-02-08 00:00:00

HER MAJIRSTTS TEEATRE.

The Italian version of Mr. Balfe's " Bohemian
Girl"—originally prepared for Bologna, under the
supervision of the composer—was produced at her
Majesty's Theatre, on Saturday night, with well-

marited success.
Madlle. Piccolomini "created" the part of
Arline at Bologna ; audit was therefore not at all
surprising that she should exhibit so thorough a
familiarity both with the music and the histrionic
requirements of the character. Her impersonation
of the suppositious gipsy was perfect ; while the
contrast between her unrestrained and joyous de-
meanour in the first two acts and the melancholy
reserve so consummately assumed when the truth
i 3 revealed that Arline is the daughter of Count
Arnheina—who has just condemned her for the
presumed crime of robbery—exhibited the subtlest.
artistic discrimination. The singing of Madlle.
Piccolomini was equally to be admired from ano-
ther point of view. Whether in the s'mple, half
English, half Spanish ballad, " I dreamt that I
dwelt in marble halls" (Italica, "In una reggia
splendida"), or in the new romenza, composed for
her by Mr. Belie, at the beginning of the taird act,
" Sempre torna it min pensiero," which is in a
more florid and "demonstrative" style, her vocali-
satien was equally pure and effective. In the first
Madlle. Piccolomini was rapturously encore], and
in the second as rapturously appl aided. Bat this
was npt all. Every finesse of the character was
seized and made the most of by the gifted and im-
pulsive Italian. Mr. Dalfe himself must have
owned the, for the first time ou the English stage
a wholly " ideal" Arline was before him.
Signor Giuglini, in The/Ideal-4, obtained even a
greater success. In the first and second acts the
hero of the opera is somewhat insignific tnt ' • bat in
the third he has the lion's share both of the vocal
and dramatic interest. And here Signor Giuglini
proved himself more than worthy of his reputation,
which is saying a vast deal. The femiliar romance,
" Wh -n other lips and other hearts" (Tu m'aini, Ah
si, bell'anima), was sung wieh exquisite sentiment,
and encored twice with accelainatious of applause.
"The fair land of Poland" exhibied the tine
declamatory powers of Signor Giuglini in a no less
forcible light, and this, toe, was redemended tty
the whole audience. A greater success in a new
part was probably never obtained. The next
character of importance—that of. Count At ',helm
("the heavy ft tiler," to use the familiar language of
the corstiascs) was sustained with the same excel-
lence ; and it will be readily believed that the ac-
compf'shed Signor Belletti sang the well-known
ballad of "Thy heart bowed down" (D'Aelina
riii
minim utati) will the utmost feeling anti expression.
He was honoured by an uproarious encore.
The opera was carefully executed throuahaut, the
band and chorus, by their zeal and iutelligeuce.
efficiently aupportieg the efforts of the principal
singers. The whole performance passed oft with
immense eclat. Macll e. Piccolomini, Signer
Giuglini, and Signor Belletti were more than once
brought before the curtain ; and at the end, when
due honour had been paid to the chief singers, the
author himself wts loudly summoned. Att-r some
delay Mr. Belie appeared before the footlights, and
was cheered " to the echo."