The Sun.
London, England, 1850-04-19 00:00:00

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.:

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Last night was a " long Thursday," and by far the
most brilliant " long Thursday" of the season. The
opera was Le Nosze di Figaro, with Madame Sontag as
Susanrah, Mademoiselle Parodi as the Countess, Miss
Catherine Hayes as Cberubino, Coletti as the Count,
Belletti as Figaro, Calzolari as Basilio, and Lablache
as Bartolo. Of the Susannah of Madame Sontag it is
almost a work of supererogation to speak, it is the most
perfect of, perhaps, all her performances. Whether consi-
dered as a piece of acting. or of vocalization, her Susannah
last night was faultless. Nothingcould exceed the grace-
ful coquettry of her manner in the duet " Caudel
which was rapturously encored, as was the other beautiful
duet "Sall aria." The great vocal triumph of the
night was, however, the " Deh Vieni," which was a
rerfect chef-demure, and drew down the most rapturous
applause. We know of no higher musical treat than to
hear Madame Sontag sing the music of Mozart. Miss
Catherine Hayes appeared for the first time in the cha-
racter of Cherubim), and has won for herself golden
opinions by her graceful, tasteful, and artiste
like manner of rendering the music of Mozaft.
Mozart is to the lyrical drama what Sbakspere
is to the acting drama, and as no English
actor can be considered an accomplished artiste until he
has been tested in a Shaksperian chat acter, so neither
can any performer of the lyrical drama be so considered
until he or she shall have succeeded in an opera of
Mozart. Miss Catherine Hayes was last night submitted
to this test, and the success she achieved was most
triumphant. Never have we heard that most impassioned
of airs, " Voi the sapete," so thrillingly, so beautifully,
so faithfully rendered, as it was by Miss Catherine
Hayes, and never was artiste greeted with a more en,-
thusiastic encore than she was at its conclusion. A
bouquet was thrown to her from one of the boxes, and
seldom, indeed, has bouquet been so well merited.
Mademoiselle Parodi was admirable as the Countess,
and never have we heard the "Dove sono " more beau-
tifully or perfectly given. Belletti was full of life and
spirits as Figaro, and was, of course, encored in the
" Non piu andrai." Coletti, as the Count, was excellent,
and Lablache was full of unctions humour as Bartolo.
His " LaVendetta" was a magnificent piece of vocalization.
The quartette "10, Io," was, as usual, honoured with a
double encore. In the wedding scene the Zarabanda in
A (which WAS originally composed for the opera) was
excellently danced by Madlles. Carlotta Grisi and Marie
Taglioni. At the conclusion of the opera Madame Son-
tag and the principal artistes were called before the curtain.
The Truandaise was danced at the conclusion of the
opera by Mademoiselle Carlotta Grisi and M. Charles,
and never has the fair Carlotta danced this most grace-
ful coquettish of dances more gracefully or more coquet-
tishly than last evening. After the Truandaise, Mr.
Sims Reeves sang the finale to Lucia di Lammermoor.
the far-famed "Ira Poco," with that heartrending in-
tensity cf feeling which he always infuses into this most
pathetic scene, and which secured to him last night the
enthusiastic applause of his audience, and the
honour of a call. The entertainments concluded with
the ballet of Les Paieneurs (the successful ice ballet
of last season) which was revived last evening, and in
which Madlles. Carlotta Grisi, Marie Taglioni, and
Amelia Ferraris appeared together for the first time.
Mademoiselle Amalie Ferraris appeared in a new pas,
which for brilliancy and gracefulness has never been sur-
passed. She concluded one of the portions of the pas
by a pirouette that was perfectly new. She gave the
pirouette, while performing a pose (if we may be allowed
the expression) which conveyed an idea of lying grace-
fully through the air. The revolving steps were won-
derful, and were at the same time tours de force and de
grace. The applause throughout the ballet was raptu-
rous. The house was crammed to suffocation.