The Sun.
London, England, 1844-04-19 00:00:00

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.

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Never from the day on which it was first produced at
the Teatro de la Fenice, at Venice, during the Carnival
of 1823, up to the present hour, has Rossini's chefd'auvre,
the Semiraniide, been so perfectly represented as a whole
as it was last evening at her Majesty's Theatre. The
following was the cast :
Semiramide
Arsace Mdlle. Favanti
Assur
Idreno Signor Corelli
Oroe Signor Lablache.
When it is recollected that, in addition to this strong
cast, the orchestra, perhaps the finest in the world, was
conducted by Signor Costa, and that the choruses were
full, complete, and excellently drilled, we think that our
musical readers will be inclined to agree with us in
opinion that the opera of Semiramide has never before
been so perfectly represented. It is a work of supero-
gation to praise the Semiramide of Grisi. Who
that has ever seen her in the character can
forget the dignified majesty with which she first enters
on the scene, who can forget the expression of inward
dread with which she utters the words, " E perche
tremi e palpiti misero cor cosi," and the efforts which
she makes to hide from her subjects her own feelings.
But she is a doomed and fated victim. Then again,
what can be more beautiful than her expression of joy
at the return of Arsace? And then, in the last scene of
the first act, what can be finer than her expres-
sion of the utter despair with which she is
overwhelmed at the appearance of the shade of
her murdered husband? - What a magnificent scene,
too, is the opening of the second act, in which Assur
threatens Semiramide, the partner of his crime. How
majestically doess he express her contempt for his threats,
and with what dignity does she bid him respect in
Arsace his sovereign—yet, while she affects to contemn
Assur, she dreads him, and this feeling of fear is ren-
dered still more manifest by her uncontrollable
exclamations of joy at hearing the shouts with-
out, which proclaim the triumph of Arsace.
Then what can be finer than her acting in the beautiful
scene with Arsace, in which she discovers that he
is her own son, commissioned by the gods to
avenge his father's murder. With what an expres-
sion of utter despair does she utter the words " quale
orror," as she covers her face with her hands
on making the horrible discovery ; and then when
she has recovered her self-possession, with what calm
dignity and firmness does she offer herself as a victim
to appease the manes of her murdered husband, and
call upon her son to avenge his father by punishing his
guilty mother. In this scene she was admirably sup-
ported by Favanti, who threw into the part of Arsace an
exquisite pathos and feeling which contrasted admirably
with the unbending dignity of Semiramide. At length
the haughty soul of Semiramide yields ; with the most
imploring accents she exclaims,
" La tua bell' anima
Ha ancor di me pieta,"
and, throwing herself into the arms of her son,
gives way to all the feelings of a mother. This
scene concludes with the beautiful duet " Giorno
d'orrore," and never has this exquisite morceau
been more exquisitely and feelingly given than it was
last night by Grisi and Favanti, and we say this with the
full recollection of Pasta and Pisaroni in the same cha-
racters. It was, of course, rapturously encored. Taken
altogether, Semiramide is, perhaps, Grisi's most mag-
nificent impersonation. She was never in finer voice
than she was last evening, and never sang or
acted better. Our young countrywoman, Favanti, ap-
peared- to great advantage in the part of Arsace.
Her opening scene was given with great power, and,
what is more to the purpose, with great accuracy of in-
tonation. The aria "Ah ! quel giorno" was beautifully
given, and afforded many opportunities of exhibiting
the wonderful power and compass of her voice, of which
she availed herself freely, always exhibiting, however,
the most admirable taste in the embellishments which
she introduced. Her fine rich contralto tones told with
great effect in the concerted parts, and harmonized deli•
ciously with Grisi's fine soprano in the beautiful duet
to which we have before alluded. Her expressive, but
somewhat pensive cast of countenance, and her fine and
commanding person, were admirably suited to the part.
Her costume was rich, elegant, and appropriate. She
looked completely the boy-hero. Fornasari, who has
quite 'recovered his voice and his health, threw himself
with all his accustomed energy completely into'the part of
Assur. His Assur of last season was -a glorious sketch
—his Assur of last night was a finished picture. He
is now completely at home in the part, and
consequently gives us those lights and shadows and mi-
nute tones of colouring which last season he could only
faintly indicate. Lablache made a character of Oroe.
This part has usually been entrusted to inferior artists,
so that we were not aware of its capabilities until last
evening. In the scenes with the Queen nothing could
be finer than- the quiet dignity which he infused into
the character. As compared with the dignity of
Semiramide, it was the dignity of repose con-
trasted with the dignity of action. Very fine
was he in the scene in which he invests Arsace
with .the symbols of royalty, and when he informs
Arsace of the secret of his birth, and bids him avenge
his father's death, he seemed an impersonation of the
spirit of justice, majestic, implacable, calm, yet terrible
from its very calmness. Corelli as Idreno was infinitely
superior to Conti, who sustained the part last season. He
had but little to do, but that little he did well, and sang the
music of the part with great taste and sweetness.
Signor Corelli is evidently making his way with the
habitues of the Opera, and bids fair, at no very distant
day, to become a great favourite with the Opera audience.
At the fall of the curtain, Grisi, Favanti, and Fornasari,
were called for, and received with the usual honours.
Between the acts of the opera the Polka was danced by
Carlotta Grisi and Perrot ; and after it the beautiful
ballet of Giselle was revived, in which the fair. Carlotta
resumed her original-character. The house was crowded
te suffocation •-long before the commencement of the
opera. The boxes presented a most brilliant appearance,
as they were almost all occupied by ladies attired in the
magnificent costumes in which they had attended her
Majesty's Drawing-room in the morning. The display
of diamonds was quite dazzling.
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