The Sun.
London, England, 1844-03-26 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, MARCH 26, 1844.

THE THEATRES.
DRURY-LANE.

E uprez appeared here last evening in the character of
Fen dinand in Donizetti's opera of the Favourite. This
opet :a has been so repeatedly performed at this theatre
during the present season, that it must be familiar to all
ply ygoers. It was originally composed for the Aeadenie
Ref yal de Musique, the character of Ferdinand was writ-
tesa expressly for Duprez ; and as no composer knows
bet ter than Donizetti how to " fit" the artistes who are
to i create his characters, it is to be expected that Duprez
wo; tld achieve a perfect triumph, and he certainly more
tha n realised the highest expectationS that could have
bee n formed of him. The opening duet with Borrani,
the Superior of the Convent, was exquisitely given.
Dv prez was the very beau ideal of a young, energetic
nna n, passionately desiring to exchange the quiet and
gle om of a convent for the tumult of active life. He
is a lover, too, an ardent and impassioned one, and
his manner of giving the words, "I love her," in answer
to • the remonstrances of the Prior, was• beautiful ex-
ceedingly. He was admirable, too, in the grand martial
ace ne with which the act concludes, when, having oh-
tai tied his commission as an officer in the Guards, he
joins his brothers in arms. In the third act we find
tha the is married to his lady love, not knowing that she
is i .he favourite of the King. He is spurned by his old
exit npanions in arms—he knows not wherefore. Indig-
i; a at at this treatment, he is about to attack them, when
tbs T! Monk enters and informs him of the disgraceful nature
of the alliance he has contracted. His bride enters at
tlu .t moment, accompanied by the King, and Ferdinand
sir urns her from his presence, casting to the earth flat
ccs liar of knighthood which is the badge of his dishonour,
au d breaking that sword with which he had heretofore
fls tight so valiantly in the cause of his ungrateful sove-
rm gn. The acting of Duprez throughout this scene was
I gnificent. The struggle between love and duty was
fit •ely delineated, and there was something very beauti-
fifil in his manner of throwing himself into the arms of
the „Monk—appealing, as it were, to religion to fortify
:ban the execution of that duty which he owed to him-
ste2lf'
lan,,d seeking refuge from the miseries which over-
him in the calm and quiet cloister, from which
he m
eheadef;%%-merly been so eager to escape. The burden
of the last Act falls almost entirely upon him, and nobly
did he sustain it. The beautiful opening scena in
the cloister was given with the most exquisite
pathos. There Was a holy calm, the calm of despair, in
his manner of entesjng the chapel to take the vows; and
then, when he was as ,it were dead to the world, when
Le onora again seeks hiii, and his former love was gra-
, dtzally awakened, there war: a subdued tenderness about
his; acting that was most pathetic. His Ferdinand is a
peo•fect triumph, and we are only sorry that ho can ap-
pear only twice more in this character. As a whole we
prefer it even to his Arnold. His reception was most
enthusiastic. The house was crowded to the ceiling
lovg before the rising of the curtain.