The Sun.
London, England, 1835-02-23 00:00:00

The new grand Opera of Lestocq, or the Fate of the Her.
mitage, bids fair to eclipse even the splendours of Gustavus
The productions of Auber have deservedly obtained great
and lasting popularity in this country, and it' was therefore
with no surprise, but with much satisfaction, that we beheld
on Saturday night one of the largest audiences ever congre
gated within the walls of Covent Garden Theatre, for the
ourpose of passing judgment on the last composition of tin
French maestro. Mr. Bunn is the translator of the Frencl
piece, and it is under his sole controul and management that
the present version, under the title of Lestocq, or the Fete qi
the Hermitage, has been produced. The adaptation of the
.nusic has been the task of Mr. T. Cooke. The incidents of
the opera are founded on the following facts, which belong
to history, and are set forth in the published programme of the
tongs :—" Lestocq was the son of a French surgeon, who,
being a Protestant, had quitted his native country upon tin.
revocation of the Treaty of Nantz, and settled in Hanover.
There Lestocq was born, and educated for his father's pro
fession. In 1713 he went to Russia, where he obtained the
appointment of surgeon to Peter the First. He seems after-
wards to have fallen into disgrace, and to have been banished
to Kazan, but was recalled after the death of Peter, and was
appointed surgeon to the Princess Elizabeth. In the intrigues
which ensued, lie appears to have been the partizan of Eliza-
beth, whose confidence he had obtained, and on whose behalf
he entered into negotiations with the French Ambassadbr,
Chetardie, by whom the monies necessary for carrying on
the plot against the reigning sovereign were furnished. /Ulm
having periled more than once the enterprise in which he was
engaged, by his indiscretion and frivolity, his councils at length
determined the Princess Elizabeth to adopt the bold step which
seated her on the throne. Lestocq's immediate reward for his
services was the appointment of first physician, with the no-
minal rank of Privy Councillor, which he held till the year
1748. He was then doomed to experience sad reverses, was
deprived of his offices, impeached, sentenced to banit.hmeet.
underwent the disgrace of the knout, and remained in exile
till 1762, when he was recalled by Peter the Third upon that
monarch's accession to the throne of Russia. He died in
great wretchedness in 1767 ; but it is right to observe that the
title of Count was conferred upon him in 1732, by Augustus
the Second, which title he retained in all his misfortunes." In
giving the above historical outline the analysis of the plot is
nearly included. The opera concludes with the success of the
conspiracy, and a little episode is added to the progress of the
revolution by making the Princess Elizabeth (Miss Shirreff)
attached to Dimetri (Wilson,) a Captain in the Novogorod
regiment, which attachment is, however, unknown to tb.:
officer himself, who has, indeed, long loved Eados•fa ( Miss
Betts) married by force to Count Golopin (Giubelei) a mem-
ber of the Council of Regency. Lestocq, who is a perfect
Machiavel, employs all the characters, wish whom he is thrown
into contact, as instruments t4l accomplish his daring act of
placing Elizabeth on the throne of the Czars, and by his pre-
sence of mind and consummate skill the passions of the vari-
ous individuals in the scene are all rendered subservient to the
success of his enterprize. He thus works upon the mind
of Stroloff, (Duruset,) Master of the Post, and Serf to
Golehin, who has a pendiont for Catherine, the attendant
of Eudosia. Zeßtee9--by intriguing with the officers of
the different regiments--obtains their aid in the hour of
battle, and—whether in the Court, the camp, the ball, or
the Concert-room, the mastemnind Is always on the work.
Scribe, to judge front this libretto, appears to have an attach-
ment to conspiracies. Bertrand et Raton, Lestocq, and Ilia-
saniello all treat of conspiracies transacted in " sweet sounds."
The overture is ref-1141.1401y spirited, with very skilful transitions,
:and of a right military stamp. The concluding movement was
replete with force and originality. It was vehemently ap-
plauded and unanimously encored. The first act passes at the
hostelry of the Golden Eagle, a scene which partakes more of
reality than of the picturesque, The opening chorus of Offi-
cers is very animated, and the assistance of Mr. Wilson is
extremely valuable in its execution. A duet, " How sweet to
pass," &c., between Lestocq and Elizabeth has a charming
change, and the finale of this act contains some admirablo spe-
cimens of the neat style and finished instrumentation of Auber.
Thus the duett between Eudosiet and Dimetri, commencing
" Farewell, farewell," is MI of tenderness, and was very nicely
done by Wilson and Miss Betts. We think, however, the
succeeding trio, New perils now await," which was began
by Giubelei with fine taste and correct intonation, is the bijou
of the first act. The bacchanalian chorus is taken from the
concluding movement of the overture, and was much admired.
It struck us that the next song of Lestocq, " Drink to those,
&c.," had been written for a tenor, although the fine science
of H. Phillips rendered it effective. The remaining passa-
ges of the finale were characteristic and sufficiently marked to
show the conflicting feelings of the different characters. The
grouping at the termination of the act, with the varied cos-
tume, from the wretched garb of the Russian peasant to the
courtly attire of the Royal personage, were all in good con-
trast. The second act begins in a pavilion in the Summer
Palace. The song of Catherine, " Young Ivan," &c., re-
minded us of an old Irish air ; it was exquisitely sung by
Miss H. Cawse, and was honoured with a call for repetition,
good humouredly complied with, and relished still more from
the natural expression of she singer. The next duo, between
Catherine and Lestocq, is very graceful, and was encored with
enthusiasm. This will be a standing call we are inclined to
think, and although we had some reminiscence of the Grego-
rian chaunt, and an old English air suggested by the phrases,
we are not at all disinclined to hear it again and again. H.
Phillips executed his share of it with great archness. We
cannot refrain from requesting our readers, who will as a mat-
ter of course take an opportunity of hearing the duet, to pay
attention to the accompaniments. They are most splendid.
The quintett, " Oh, pretty little Muscovite," did not please
us. Mr. H. Phillips's portion of it is too high for his voice.
The trio, " Young sorrow bath prest," &c., has some very
admirable accompaniments, and will, no doubt, improve upon
acquaintance. The song of Lestocq. " Woman, to thy sense
appealing," went off flatly. The air of Dimetri, " Oh, gentle
love," &c., will gain upon the town. Wilson did full justice to
the touching melody which pervaded it throughout, and had a
narrow escape of being compelled to repeat it. Giubelei and
Miss H. Cawse were very successful in the duet, " The truth
at once disclose ;" and the remainder of tho music of this act is
of a dramatic character, and will from time to time be found
to abound in fervent inspirations, as an elevated thought, or an
energetic situation is to be expressed. The Fete of the Her-
mitage, which winds up the second act, in the Imperial Sa-
loon, is the most magnificent scene ever attempted on any
stage. The illuminated crystal columns, the vast perspective.
the noble balconies forming the boundaries of, where the 7-ings
as the side scenes in theatrical language are den^.,:ninated, the
elevated galleries crowded with spectators, tile central space of
which is occupied with a full military band, a carpet of deli-
cate colours spread over the whole surface of the stage and
extending to the foot lights; the myriads of chandeliers, lights,
&c., form altogether a transeendant ensemble, which appears
to us to set at defiance any future attempts to exceed the dis-
play of beauty and effect of the splendour embodied on this oc-
casion. The loud and long-euntinued cheering of the audi-
ence was a just acknowledgement of the triumph of the pain
ter, of the neeohanist, and of the magician who conjured this
"eastern epitome of the luxuriant and the classical." We
have left ourselves little room to write of the musical beauties
of third act; hut the scene of Miss Betts, " 'Tis midnight's
thoughtful hour," was a redeeming piece of music for a vocalist
of any pretensions. The maat scene was of a most imposing
kind, and but few an accident of the lights being extinguished
from a strong firing of musketry, the denouement would have
been hailed with the mile demonstrations of applause which
had attended the progress of the whole opera. Whatever de-
fects might have existed, the future representations will doubt-
less remedy, and we prognosticate a brilliant career to Lestocq.
As a spectaclp It is unrivalled,

The receipts in money at Covent-garden Theatre
on Saturday evening to witness the first representation of
Lestocq, far exceeded the amount taken on any other evening
during the preF,cnt season. More than two hundred persons,
who (Auld not obtain room in the pit at first price, went intc
the boxes.

MISS FANNY KEMBLE.---We have seen a letter
from a gentleman in. New York, which communicates that
Mrs. Butler is in that state that ladies " wish to be who love
their lords."

Charles Kean, the actor, has been extremely attrac-
tive in the Dublin Theatre, The Lord Lieutenant commanded
Massinger's play of A New Way to pay Old Debts, in which
Kean personated Sir Giles Overreach ; at the end of the play
a flattering compliment was sent by his Excellency to the
young aspirant. Kean has left Dublin to fulfil his various en-
gagements at Dundee, Edinburgh, and Glasgow. Theatricals
are said to be reviving in Dublin.

We are sorry to learn that Miss Romer, who has
recently so rapidly improved, and who produced so strong and
so lasting an impression in La Somnambula, has somewhat
suddenly quitted the united companies of Drury-lane and
Covent-garden and at her own instance. She was in the re-
ceipt of a salary considerably above the maximum, so that she
will be a great loser by her determination. She will be a
severe loss to the operatic department. We do not know a
young lady on the boards whose reputation was more rapidly
advancing.— Olwrppr,
A new production is in preparation at Drury-lane,
founded upon Sir Walter Scott's noel of " Old Mortality,"
on which the management is disposed to expend largely both
in money and trouble. Ward and Walla°lt have parts in it,
and those who know the original (and who does not?) will be
easily able to assign them, as no new characters of any promi-
nence are introduced.

It is expected that the King's Theatre will open for
the season on Saturday, the 7th of March. Mr. Laporte is
now on his return from Vienna, where he has engaged a ta-
lented Prima Donna for the commencement of the s'a:son.
On Saturday a selection Of 1.11"'..1-c was performed on
the Apollonicon, b' Mr. Mather, the organist of St. Bride's,
who preside. at this instrument during the illness of Mr.
Purkis; consisting of some favourite compositions by Haydn,
Mozart, Rossini, Auber, Weber, Bishop, \Vade, and A. Lee ;
the whole of which was given in a style which renders it unne-
cessary to particularize, and was received by a numerous and
respectable audience by repeated plaudits.

We believe that many thousands of persons have
been led to visit Manchester and Liverpool, from London and
other places, solely for the purpose of passing along the Rail-
way there, and witnessing the novelty of this rapid mode of
conveyance. We expect the inhabitants of the Metropolis
will shortly have an opportunity of gratifying their curiosity in
a more convenient way than going nearly 200 miles, as we find
that the first locomotive engine for the Greenwich Railway is
arrived from the manufacturer's in the country, and is now
erecting on the works at Corbett's-lane, Bermondsey.