The Sun.
London, England, 1850-04-03 00:00:00

HER MAJESTY'S TrIEATRE.

An event unprecedented in the annals of the
Panel' musical drama in England took place at her
Majesty's Theatre last evening. I'Ve had an Italian
opera performed, in which the 'prima donna, the printo
tenore, and the conductor of the Orchestra were all
English, and performed, too, in a style of such sur-
passing excellence as no lyrical establishment could
exceed, and few, very few indeed, could equal. Once,
and once only, have we had an English prima donna
and an English primo tenore appearing together in the
same opera on the Italian lyrical stria, in
and that we, abot,i. halt a century since, when Mrs.
Billingten and l3raham appeared together in Gli
Orazzi e Curia zzi, but the event of last evening is
altogether unprecedented. The opera was Lucia di
Lammermoor, which was produced for the debut of
Miss Catherine Hayes in the character of Lucia, on
which occasion Mr. Sims Reeves sustained the cha-
racter of Edgardo for the first time on the Italian
boards in this country, and both performers achieved
a most brilliant triumph. Miss Catherine Hayes has
greatly improved since she was last heard in London ;
her voice seems to have gained in power and compass,
without having at all deteriorated in expression or
sweetness, and both her acting and singing is replete
with expressive: delicacy and feeling. Nothing could
exceed the exquisite beauty of her jioriture ; the orna-
ments she introduced were quite novel, and as
beautiful as they were novel, and the closeness of her
shake has never been surpassed. She rose to the
very highest altitudes of the scale without effort,
and in the very highest notes her voice was of a deli-
cious flute like softness, there was not the slightest
approach to shrillness dining any portion of her per-
formance, and she has this great merit over the
greater number of her comnetitors in the representa-
tion of the character of Lucia, she is always ex-
quisitely in tune—indeed, a more finished perform-
ance than the Lucia of Miss Catherine Hayes it is
difficult to imagine. We rank her Lucia immedi-
ately after that of Jenny Lind, and far far before that
of any other prima donna who has attempt-d the part.
Her acting was full of pathos and feeling, yet die-
' anguished for its grace and its delicacy, and its truly
womanly tenderness. She was called on four times
during the course of the opera, and achieved a suc-
cess at once most brilliant and most deserved,
a success worthy of the pupil of Sapio,
of Filippo Ronconi, and of Manuel G,:rcia,
The Edgardo of Mr. Sims Reeve is by far the best on
the Italian stage. He has all the power of Fraschini,
without his coarseness, and all the finish of Mario,
with infinitely greater power. lie WI in excellent
voice, and never have •we heard or seen the
character of liadgardo so magnificently per-
formed. The malediction scene was rendered with
a terrible and awful earnestness that was perfectly
sublime, and the whole of the last scene (the celebra-
ted Fra I'cco) was given in a mournful yet
sweet, exquisitely sweet, and touching accent
of despair that went at once to the heart.
The audience exp essed their admiration by loud
and enthusiastic plaudits, and he fairly shared
with Miss Catherine Hayes, what our French neigh-
bours would cell the honours of the sitting. Mr. Sins
Reeves is, without exception, the most peifect Edgardo
that has ever appeared, and (with the single
exception of Jenny Lind) Miss Catherine Hayes
is the most perfect Lucia. I3eletti was the
Enrico, and sang and acted admirably, as he al-
ways does. We have never heard the opening
duet of the second act so effectively rendered as it
was last night by I3eletti and Miss Hayes. At its
conclusion they received the honour of an immediate
recd.. The excellent singing of F. Lablache in the
comparatively unimportant character of Raimondo,
contributed materially to the completeness of the
cast. Between the acts, Madlle. Amelia Ferraris re-
peat, d the pas which she performed on Saturday week,
and more than confirmed the favourable opinion which
we formed of her on that occasion. She is the first
dancer of the day who has attained the highest posi-
tion in her profession per saltum (we do not mean this
as a pun), and who will maintain it against all cora-
petitors.

Good-nature, like a bee, collects 'honey from every
herb. 111-nature, like a spider, sucks poison from the
sweetest flower. Eliza Cook's Journal.

SOUTH WALES RAILWAY.—Mr. Brunel is having
constructed a great iron bridge to be thrown over the Wye,•
at Chepstow, 600 feet in length, with four arches, one of 300
feet, and three of 100 feet each, so as not to interfere with the
navigation.

Tim BARIMEAD AND NEILSTON RAILWAY.—The
half-yearly meeting of the Glasgow, liiarrhead, and Neilston
Railway Company was to have taken place at noon on Satur-
day, in the company's office, at 40, George.square, but a quo-
rum of shareholders not having come forward, no business
was proceeded with, and the meeting WAS adjourned sin die.
--,North British Mail,