The Sun.
London, England, 1857-08-07 00:00:00

HER MAJESTY'S THE4.TBE.

The extra performances at this house terminated
last night, with a miscellaneous entertainment,
which attracted a crowded audience. Thus ends the
season of 1857—a season remarkable for the great
quantity of new vocal talent made manifest to the
public. At the head of the triumphant candidates
for popular favour, we must of course, place
Signor Giuglini, than whom no artist ever at-
tained a more solid and legitimate success. The
time when Italy could confer a musical reputation I
has long gone by, and, consequently, though
Signor Guiglini brought with him ample testimo- '
nials from the principal Italian towns, people went
to hear him on the first night of the season (April
14) in just as unbia=sed a condition as they would
have gone if the merest novice had ben the hero
of the evening. No sooner, howeve-, was he
heard in " La Favorita" than his position as a
vocalist was settled at once. The London public
was conscious that a great musical artist had been
secured, and Giulini's triumph was the talk of
every operatic circle. People, however, are usually
afraid of administering praise in too unqoalifis). -a
a form, and hence, when it was settled that G uglini
was an admirable vocalist, the opinion that he was
a cold and paasionless actor was pretty frsely ex-
presssd. On what this (minion was based we could
never find out, but c -rtainly every one of Signor
Giuglini's subsequent char 'stern might he regarded
as st many efforts to confute it. his Alfredo, Ed-
garde, Arturo, and Manrico were a series of triumphs
over a general prejudice ; and when in the third
act of •r I Puritani" the young cavalier addre=sed
tire obdurate soldiers with flashing eye and impas-
sioned voice the audience thought of the old charge
of frigidity and wondered. Signor Giuglini is un-
queetionably, the great " fact" at Hsr Majesty's
Theatre in this good year 1857.
Another tenor, inferior to Signor Guiglini in
potency, hut remarkable for the swsetnep of his
voice and the excellent taste of his singing, has like-
wise achieved a decided success. But Signor Belart
came late in the season, when, through the mere
agency of time, operatic enthusiasm began to cool—
to say nothing of the absorbing power posse-se Iby
Signor Guiglini. That he is an aceer as well
a singer was amply proved by his able perfor-
mance of Basilio in "Le Nezza di Figaro.' The
character of Idaspe, in " Nino," does not yield
aey very copious crop of laurels, but Mr. Charles
13raham, by his execution of the part, made for
oims,,lf n position that he had eprtainly not ac-
quired last year by his G nnaro. We may, there-
for-, regard him as a sort of debutant.
Another artist, completely new to the English
public and a valuable addition to the company,
was Mademoiselle Spezia. The quality of h2r
voice preVented her from at once making the un-
equivocal impression produced by Signor Giuslini,
who had only to be heard to he acknowledged.
But, in spice of the terrors incident to a first ap-
pearance, she showed Arlen in " La Favorita" that
she was an actress of great power arid passion, and
as she successively appeared in "Il Trovatore"
and " Nino" she gradually convinced her audience
that she could adequately sustain those characters
that are looked upon as constituting the "high
tragedy" of the lyrical drama. Her singing also
was well adapted to dramatic expre=sion, and
often the chilliest hearers have been startled into
enthusiasm by the passionate vigour with which
she has enunciated some particular phrase. While
Mademoiselle Spezia has thus distinguished herself
in the large declamatory style, the florid school of
vocaliz ttion, generally associated with the name of
Persiani, has been represented by Mademoiselle
Ortolani, a young vocalist of great intelligence, who
at once gained the softrages of the public by the flu
ency of her execution as Elvira in "I Puritani."
When we have completed the above list of new
engagements by the addition of Signor Corsi, an
artist who gives efficiency to the less important per-
sonages of an opera, and Signor Vialetti, a "basso
profondo" of more than average merit, who was
recently checked in his career by an unfortunate
accident, it will be seen that the quantity of fresh
lyrical stock is indeed considerable.
Mademoiselle Piccolomini had so firmly estab-
lished herself with the public last year that, as far
as her popular'ty went, she had little to achieve be-
yond the maintenance of her position. She had
already made pleasant the unpleasant " Traviata,"
and the agreeable "Figlia del Regeimeuto" bad
been well seasoned by her own very efficient spice.
Nevertheless, the favourable impression she made
at the close of last season was rather d tte to histrionic
talent than to vocal proficiency, and hence her ad-
mirers, whose name is "legion," were delighted this
Year to observe the great progress she has made as
a singer. The voice and the management thereof
had both advanced since the summer of 1856, and
not only has dramatic expression been applauded,
but execution, considered apart from the utterance
of s-ntimsnt, has been theme of admiration. If the
idolatry of Mademoiselle Piccolomini is to be attri-
nuted to some inexulscable ftvcirestion, the fascina-
tion, at any rate, is proof against w.-ar and. tear,
and the look and smile of Madetnoi, elle Piccolomini
Are as notemt, now as they were when they first shone
upon the revived fortunes of a newly resuscitated
-stablishment. The productien of "Lo Nozze di
Figaro" proved a fortunate even• for this charming
art- st, as Susannah has been one of her most suc-
cessful impersonations.
Madame Alboni has varied the performances at
her Majesty's Theatre by exhibitions of that per-
fect vocalisation that seeks for opportunities of dis-
play in the earlier productions of the modern
Italian soh' of rather than in the works that have
sprung irvo et.kbrity under the Verdi dynasty.
Hence ihr evenings have, as it were, stood apart
from ,hose of the general company, save in the case
of "Il Trovat ere," in which she has most efficiently
co-operated with Giuglini ant Spezia.
Signor 13,11 n ti, a loyal adherent to the establish-
ment since the days of Jenny Lind, has been ser-
viceable as ever this season, secure in the good
opinion of all who can appreciate a careful, con-
scientious, and thoroughly educated artist. Sigror
Beneventano has rather advanced that, receded in
public estimation, and Signor Rossi, whose visit to
us was somewhat late, has ma,intaineil his character
as a careful wearer of the mantle dropped by Lab-
ache.

The decreasing ability of Italy to furnish the
theatres of other countries with new lyrical dramas
has long been a matter of note. Of ephemeral
successes in the native land of the composers we
hear much, but the shouts' incident to the several
ovations are seldom echoed in any Cisalpine region,
and we read of laurels profusely bestowed in Venice
or Milan, without caring to inquire into the pro-
portions between merit and its reward. Net a
single new Italian opera has been produced in Lon-
don this year. At her Majesty's Theatre the favou-
ite works of the Verdi collection hems still been " Il
T. ovatore " and "La Traviata," and Bellini and
Donizetti are still represented by their most popular
operas. From the very frequent performance
of Don Giovanni during the season, and the great
succe,s that at ended the revival of Le Nozze di
Figaro in the extra season, we may infer that
classical music is more highly valued in this country
than the generality of modern compositions.
Some years since the ballet was almost as im-
portant in the eyes of operatic patrons as the
lyrical performance by which it was preceded. In-
deed, the acclamations with which triumphant
vocalists were greeted; though perhaps more re-
spectful, were less enthusiastic than tho-e that
followed the achievements of the less successful
dancer. But Terpsichore is no longer in the as-
cendant, and if she is honoured as a pleasant
auxiliary to the lyric muse she may deem herself
sufficiently fortunate. No ballet on the grand old
scale has been produced this year, nor was any-
thing of the sort requ'red, and yet there has b>ee
great abundance of choregraphic talent. Midile.
Pecchini, who opened the season ita an abridged
version of La Esmeralda, was not only a perfect
mistress of her art, blt a thoroughly original
genius, whose Truandaise, if executed a dozen
years ago, would have enhanced the price of
b,.uquets. Nt.darne Rrsati, who so exquisitely corn-
biues the qualities of the dancer and the actress,
Mademoiselle Mario Taglioni, who represents the
svere school of Terpsichorean art, and Madlle.
Boschetti, who has risen to unwonted eminence,
have all c.,ntributed to make the past season illus-
trious ; and as stars of the second magnitude
we have had Mesdemo'selles Rolla, Salvione, and
Katrine, sparking on all beholders. Moreover,
there was a Peninsular party tlrit took delight in the
I he, ian graces of Senora Perea Nena.
In clo drier our brief record, let us not omit to
state that a strong sympathy with the manager of
the old establishment has been a leading sentiment
with the whole body of his patrons. The " resto-
ration," bailed with such enthusiastic cheers in
1856, bas turned out to be the commencement of
a permanent state of things, and the operatic
" cavaliers" find cause to rejoice in the unshaken
solidity of the ancient institution.

THE GREAT SHREWSBURY CASE.--Another important
paper has just been laid upon the table of the House of
Peers. It consists of 16 pages folio, and is entitled
'• The Case of Lord Edmund Bernard Howard, an
infant, by his father, the Duke of Norfolk, petitioning
to be heard against the claim of Earl Talbot to the Earl-
dom of Shrewsbury." It follows up seriatim, the various
genealogical points brought forward by Lor
co ld Tal,umns,
ot in
his " case," which has already appeared in our
and more especially adverts to the fact that the identity
bi far from being satisfactorily established between f
ham
William Talbot, the father of the Bishop of Dut o
that name and the William Talbot from whom the noble
claimant asserts his direct descent. The quehtion has
now begun to assume a very intireate appearance, and
there is little doubt that no decision on the matter will
be given by the Committee of thsesHsie
on ouse of Lords during
the continuance of the present .