The Sun.
London, England, 1850-06-10 00:00:00

THE SUN,

gleaming in her hand. An infernal chorus repeats
th, warning- in bursts of wild and fivul music. :'bee
To; atel
w sieseetALng, whet, _taking tniuugh
lint'cipatory pause, is heard again the Bacchanal
chorus of the sailors, led by Caliban, as they approach
the grot. Ferdinand starts from his sleep as the sea-
lors kneel around him, acknowledge in him their fu-
ture King, and, better still, in Miranda their future
Queen ! Caliban rages with impotent spite. Once
again the scene changes to where Prospero, his re-
pentant brother, and the King sit glittering on their
thrones. The last bright gleam of glory plays around
the charmed tale. The enfranchised Ariel gambol,
aloft! The doom of the baffled Caliban is pronounced;
it is to remain in the island alone with his rock-pent
dam. Suddenly a brave fleet appears upon the sea,
newly equipped, to carry Prospero back to his re-
covered dukedom—Ferdinand and Miranda to their
prospective kingdom. Spirits rejoice in air and
men on earth ; the glittering pageant flashes before
all senses ; and thus, in glory and in triumph, the
music-clad poem ends with an uncontrollable outburst
of choral harmony !"
Proceed we now to describe the scenic development
of this plot. After an impressive introduction, full
of dramatic spirit, the curtain rises for the prologue.
The scene represents the deck of a vessel; the King
(Signor Lorenzo) and Duke (Signor F. Lablache)
are discovered sleeping. A chorus of invisible
genii is heard singing a sort of incantation to the
storm ; Ariel (Mdlle. Carlotta Grisi) appears during
this chortle, and inspires the sleepers with horrid
dreams—the chorus also reproach them ; by the words
they utter in their dreams, it is evident that they are
stung by guilty remorse. The genii then ap-
pear, and run about the vessel and promote the
tempest. Ferdinand (Signor Beaucarde) and the
terrified mariners rush from their berths, and finding
that all chance of safety is gone, join in prayer; the
ship strikes—the seas overwhelm her—and as she
sinks Ariel and the genii soar triumphantly through
the air. The music of this prologue is enegaificent,
thoroughly melodramatic, in the best sense of the
word, being at the same time descriptive and sugges-
tive—descriptive of the terrific tempest which rages
without, suggestive of the agonies of conscience
which rage within the breast of the guilty King
and fratricide ; and all these magnificent effects
are produced in the most legitimate manner, with-
out the slightest approach to trick or quackery.
The"mise en scene was superb, and the sinking of the
ship was admirably managed. The applause at the
fall of the curtain was most enthusiastic. The first
act represents the cave of Prospero, and is a marvel
of exquisite landscape painting. At the rising of the
curtain sleeping sylphides are seen dispersed about
the stage, a chorus of genii is heard, the sylphides
awake and dance to the chorus, which is light,
graceful, and spirited. The chorus ceases, and Arne's
beautifu'. air, " Where the Bee sips," is heard as the
herald to Ariel, who appears in a cleft in the rock,
descends and dances a pas, supported by the cory-
phees. The introduction of Arne's well-known air
was beautiful and appropriate, and elicited three
rounds of applause, and M. Halevy has most judi-
ciously made it the leading idea, as it were, of the ballet
music throughout this exquisite scene, and, indeed,
throughout the opera. Miranda (Madame Sontag)
then appears, and in a beautiful aria, "Parmi
uno voce it mumure," describes the emo-
tions which she feels of love first trembling in her
heart ; this expressive aria was deliciously rendered
by Madame Sontag,who introduces into it some of the
most delicately-finished and exquisite cadences we
have ever heard, and which elicited the most enthu-
siastic and rapturous applause. Prospero (Coletti)
then enters, and is immediately followed by Caliban
(Lablache). The Caliban of Lablache is without ex-
ception the greatest, the most original, the most per-
fect impersonation on the stage. His making-up is
a thing to ace and to study. His head is
covered with thick matted red hair, a
matted red beard descends from his chin,
his arms and legs are covered with red hair, his feet
are bare, and his nails, both of fingers an d toes, are
like birds claws ; his countenance has an expression
of dogged and stolid malice and sensuality. The
trio which immediately follows the entrance of Ca-
liban, and the subject of which is taken, almost word
for word, from Shakspere, was magnificently
sung and acted by the three great artistes, and the
applause at the conclusion was vociferous. Caliban
having quitted the scene, Ariel announces to Prospero
the approach o f Ferdinand ; Prospero retires,
and Ferdinand approaches, led by an invi-
sible chorus of genii. The first interview
between Ferdinand and Miranda is also almost a
transcript from Shakspere. The duet with which
the act concludes was deliciously sung by Beaucarde
and Madame Sontag, who were both called on at the
fall of the curtain. The orchestral accompaniements
to this duet are exceedingly beautiful. The second
act is the great act of the opera, and is the• act in
which the character of Caliban is fully developed.
The scene represents the forest outside Prospero's
cave, Caliban enters, bearing logs of wood, and utters
a vehement burst of anguish and violence, which told
with most thrilling effect as delivered by Lablache.
The dialogue with Sycorax, who is confined in the
rock, was magnificently given, and there was some-
thing awful in the horrible leer with which he re-
garded Miranda after he had possessed himself of the
flowers. The duet with Miranda was one
of the finest pieces of acting ever seen ; the
air of careless scorn with which he disregards her
commands, his disgusting attempts at tenderness, and
his look of odious brutal triumph as he bears her off,
including the entreaties of his mother for assistance,
are things to be seen not to be described—the most
skilful word-painting must fail to carry the re-
motest idea of the perfection of Lablache in this
magnificent scene. Very exquisite, too, was the act-
ing of Madame Sontag, and her action as she yields
to the spell of the charmed flowers, as though she
were fascinated by their gaze, was exquisitely true to
nature; there was a slight convulsive tremor through
her frame, as though she had been stung by a rattle-
snake, and then she sank. The next scene
introduces us to the sailors carousing, and
this is the gem of the opera. The chorus
of mariners is full of energy, and their costumes and
attitudes most picturesque. Stephano (Madlle. Pa-
rodi) joins them, sings a Brindisi, which will be to
the full as popular as the far-famed Brindisi in
Lucretia Borgia. The melody is of the most joyous
character, and it is sung by Mademoiselle Parodi with
infinite gusto and spirit, and was rapturously and most
deservedly encored. It is by far the best thing
that Mdlle. Parodi has yet done. Caliban enters,
leading Miranda as his slave; he announces himself
king of the island, to the great amusement of the
mariners, who make him drunk. While this is pro•
ceeding, Miranda, whom he has forced as his slave to
serve him with liquor, gives vent to her feel-
ings in a beautifully pathetic solo, "Deli !
togli o Signore," which is the commencement of a
concerted piece in which the action of the rapid in-
toxication of Caliban is carried on, and which ends in
the huge monster roaring out a Bacchanial ditty and
dancing after his uncouth fashion. This was the
greatest triumph of the opera—never before has La-
blache appeared so great. At the fall of
the curtain he was called on three times,
first with Parodi and Sontag, then with Sontag, and
then by himself. In the last act we have a fine ti i.
for Coletti, Lorenzo, and F. Lablache, a delicious
duet for Beaucarde and Madame Sontag, and the
finale " \Tinto ha nature," which, as rendered by
Madame Sontag, was the very perfection
of florid vocalization. The scene of enchant.
ment with which the opera concludes, in
the way of spectacle, far surpasses in splendour and
magnificence anything that has hitherto been at-
tempted on the stage. The aerial palace of Prospero,
with its magnificent illuminations, and thousand
brilliant stars, far surpassing even the last scene of
the Lost Pleiad, which we have hitherto considered
the ne plus ultra of scenic magnificence ; and the last
scene of the ship, with the genii swelling its sails, is
perfectly novel, and is as unique as it is unapproachable.
At the conclusion all the performers were called on.
Mademoiselle Carlotta Grisi, who was the very
" tricksy sprite" that Shakspere intended Ariel to be,
being received with thunders of applause, a compli-
ment which she richly merited, for never has a more
" dainty Ariel" been seen than she. Then there were
calls for Halevy, who was led on by Lablache ; for
Scribe, who bo wed his thanks from a box ;
for Balfe, who had conducted the opera
admirably, and who on his appearance on the stage
was immensely applauded; and for Mr. Lumley, who
on bowing his acknowledgments from his box, was
greeted with reiterated plaudits, accompanied by the
waving of handkerchiefs. The house was crammed
to suffocation in every part, there was not a single
place unoccupied from which there was the remotest
chance of obtaining even an occasional glimpse of the
stage.

LONDON,

quenle, believed to be tho person upon whose head a
price is tixr.d. The Haymarket version of this
'f,?•.!o t,ml
tre,thel tl unar.toters
Mr. Welister, who personates the extempore Husband,
Mr. Buckstone, Mr. Selby, Mr. Howe, Miss Rey-
nold:l and Mrs. Buckingham. The comedy is put
upon the stage with every sufficiency as regards
scenery and decoration. It was quite successful, and
Mr. Webster announced its_, repetition amid consider-
able applause. .