The Sun.
London, England, 1845-10-20 00:00:00

DRURY-LANE THEATRE.

The announcement of a new opera, of an English composer
—the libretto written by an Englishman, and the opera
itself supported entirely by English artists—drew a crowded
audience to this theatre on Saturday evening. The title of
the opera is the Fairy Oak; the composer is Mr. Henry
Forbes, for many years the conductor of the Societa Ar-
monica Concerts; and the author of the libretto is Mr. Henry
Coe Coape, a gentleman connected with the theatres.
The following is the cast of the characters:—
Duke Rudolph
Haco
Alphonso
Albert Mr. Allen
Arnold Mr. Howell
Fritz
Kuno
Seneschal
lanthe
Queen of the Fairies ' Miss Fitzjames
Orchus
Fair Star .
The overture, which is a carefully instrumented composition,
was received with three rounds of applause, and when the
curtain rose and discovered the first scene the applause was
renewed, and well was that applause deserved, for the scene
is beautiful. The fairy oak is seen in front, occupying
nearly the whole of the stage. On the right is the en-
trance to the castle of Lowenstein, the feudal seat of Duke
Rudolph, a powerful Hungarian noble; on the left is the,
cottage of Arnold, the ranger; and in the back-ground,
crowning an eminence in the distance, is seen an ancient
convent. The opera opens with a drinking chorus of
foresters, a spirited composition, although perhaps some-
what too Weberish to lay claim to the praise of origi-
nality. Albert, the foster-son of Vie ranger, has been
sitting apart, musing during the merry-making of the
foresters. He is aroused from his reverie by Arnold.
He has been musing on the mysterious appearance
of a beautiful fairy who has captivated his heart, and
he expresses his feelings in a recitative and song, which,
given by Allen with exquisite taste and science, and into
which he iefused a degree of expressive feeling, of which the
air, in less skilful hands, would not have been susceptible,
he was rapturously applauded, and, in obedience to the
vehement call of the audience, repeated the last stanza.
Of all our tenor singers Allen is now undoubtedly the first.
Season after season has he been gradually making his way
by his exquisite taste, and his skill, and science as a
musician. his voice, which was at one timenaturally weak,
seems of late to have acquire greater power, or, rather, he has
acquired greater mastery over it. There was no cause to
complain on Saturday night on the score of feebleness. He
could be distinctly heard in the remotest part of the theatre ;
and all that skill and judgment, and taste and execution can
do for music, was done by Allen for the music of the Fairy
Oak. Arnold endeavours to laugh him out of his melancholy,
but without success, and leaves him. A chorus (.f invisible
fairies is heard from the oak; gradually 'the flowers
which ornament the bank -of turfs at the foot of fairy
oak rise into rich blossoms, and in the midst of the flowers
appears Loathe. The scenic effect was very beautiful. In
the aria " The nursling of a fairy band,"- Twine gives a
description of her past life among the furies of the forest.
This aria, which is a pleasing composition, was very effectively
given by Miss Rainfiirth. As Albert rises hastily to approach
her, she disappears, and lie rushes out in despair. Kuno then
enters from the castle, followed by Rudolph, and we learn
that lanthe is Rudolph's daughter, confided by him to the
fairies to ward off a prophecy that she would love the man
who should dispossess him of his dominions, which he had
acquired seventeen years Were by the murder of his brother.
The night has arrived when the faries are to restore her to
him. and he commences his incantation to summon them to
him. The opening recitative, "This night restores me to
my child," and a scene which follows, "Le, 'mid clouds of
dusky red," was magnificently sung by Borrani, who was in
very fine voice, and who, throughout the opera, exerted him-
self to the utmost. As the incantation proceeds, the scene
becomes brighter ; the oak, expanding its branches wider and
wider, shows itself peopled with faries, who flutter, play,
and swing among its branches, others entering beneath,
and dancing. This, which is a miracle of magnificent
scenic effect, was enthusiastically applauded. Ru-
dolph retires. and as lanthe appears the fairies vanish.
lanthe declares her love, and the Queen and fairies advance.
The Queen announces to her that she is to be restored to
her father, who will bestow her in marriage. She expresses
her hope that it is to Albert she is to be given, and gives
utterance to her feelings of joy in the aira, " Oh ! brightly the
day-star of happiness glows," which was beautifully sung,
and vehemently encored. The Queen waves her wand, part
of the castle dissolves, and the Duke is discovered at a table,
where Alphonso is signing a contract by the torch of Kuno,
the elfin page. Alphonso is to be her future husband. At
the sight she falls senseless into the arms of the fairies, and
is by them conveyed to the door of the castle, where she is re-
ceived by Kuno and Fritz, and conveyed to her father.
Albert enters in a state almost of frensy, calling on the
name of lanthe. He is answered by Orchus and Fair Star
from the fairy oak, and here is introduced an exquisite trio,
" Oh ! list again, lanthe's name," which was beautifully given
by Miss Collett, Miss Helen Lane, and Allen, and which
is certainly the most beautiful thing in the opera.
The marriage procession of Alphonso enters. lanthe is
veiled; she lifts her veil, and, seeing Albert, ruhses to his
arms. They are separated, and Albert is conveyed
to the dungeons of the castle to await his doom. This con-
cludes the first act. The finale to this act, " Prayer of mine
would fail to move," was well given by Allen, and was
honoured with an encore. The opening scene of second
act is very beautiful. It is moonlight on the borders of the
forest near a lake. The stars are seen reflected in the lake,
the waves of which are slightly agitated. Fairies are
dancing around. On the right is a romantic cavern, within
which, at the foot of a cross, illuminated by the rays of the
moon, Haco is discovered sleeping. The act opens with
a chorus, followed by a trio, alternating with a semi-chorus.
This is the weakest bit in the opera, and might be advan-
tageously shortened. At the conclusion the larks disappear,
and Haco advances to meet Arnold, who has been to demand
aid of the Emperor to release Albert from the tyranny of
Rudolph. He has also roused the foresters, and Haco de-
clares his intention of placing himself at their head, and
marching against the castle of Lowenstein. Haco retires
into his cavern, and Arnold leaves him, when Rudolph
and Alphonso, accompanied by Kuno, enter. A ballad
for the basso, "My heart grown old in misery,"
which is introduced into this scene, was splendidly given by
Borrani, and was deservedly rewarded with an encore. This
• was followed by a trio," I have gazed upon the star," which
was given very effectively by Borrani, Burdini, and S.
Jones. Rudolph, who seeks to know his destiny of Haco, is
repulsed by him. The foresters, accompanied by Arnold,
enter, and 'Taco marches at their head towards the castle of
Lowenstein. The scene then changes to the interior of the
castle; lanthe, by the assistance of Kuno, escapes from the
vigilance of Fritz, and procuring the keys of the dungeon of
Albert, hastens to set him free. Albert is alone in his
dungeon ; his thoughts are of lanthe, without whom liberty
and life itself would be valueless. Allen, by his beautiful
and expressive execution of the aria, "The captive sad
unloved who pines," excited the enthusiasm of the audience,
and was encored rapturously. his manner of giving the
second verse was full of pathos and feeling. lanthe
enters, and a duet from the tenor and soprano follows.
As iey are about to escape they are met by the
Duke and his guards. He aims a blow at Kuno,
who laughs and disappears in the goblin-like manner in
which Weiland alone can disappear, and lanthe is ordered to
a convent, and Albert to instant execution. The last scene
is the fairy oak, and here again Allen achieved another
triumph by the pathetic manner in which lie gave the ballad,
" I know my fate, I know I part." The Duke orders his
archers to shoot at Albert, who is bound to the oak. They re-
fuse; he seizes a bow himself, and is about to shoot, when an
armed knight appears, and raises his shieldoveirds Albert.brotherl,st
is Bertram, to whom Rudolph had committed
son with a charge to murder him, but under the name of
Haco had watched over his youth, and who now proclaims
Albert the rightful lord of Lowenstein. Of course Albert
and lanthe are united, and all ends happily. This, we be-
lieve, is the first opera that Mr. Forbes has ever com-
posed, and as might have been expected, he has not
ventured to trust so much to his own re-
sources as he no doubt will do in his future compositions.
He is certainly an accomplished musician ; let him,
however, avoid imitation. It is the rock ahead on which
many promising composers have made shipwreck. All
the artistes concerned in the production of the opera
exerted themselves to the utmost, and at the conclu-
sion they were called before the curtain—an honour to
which, in this instance, they were entitled. The miss en
scene was superb, and Mr. Forbes had every justice done to
him by both manager and artistes. In no theatre in Europe
could an opera have been more superbly maunted, or more
effectively given. It was announced fur repetition amidst
'lt'd applause.

Lpp.
STORM IN THIS BAY OF BISCAT.—VIGO, OCT. 12.
—The, Pasha, which . sailed from Southampton on Tuesday
last, the ith inst., has just arrived here in safety. on her way
to Lisbon and Gibraltar, after one of the most perilous pas-
sages remembered in the Bay of Biscay for several years past.
From Wednesday to Friday
.she encountered the most severe
gales from the S.W., which increased in intensity until on the
latter day it blew a perfect hurricane. Most unfortunately,
on the Wednesday night one of her engines became entirely
disabled, and in this state she continued imperfectly battling
with the elements for fourteen hours, when her intelligent
commander, Captain Burney, having investigated the cause
of the accident, discovered that it could be repaired by very
slight means, which happily proved effective. It was the
condensing valve that had become disengaged, and by insert-
ing an iron pin this accident was at once repaired, the commu-
nication between the two engines made complete, and the
hearts of the passengers raised at once from a most gloomy
and desponding state. That slight, but serious negligence
might have cost us all our lives. The period of effecting
the repair was most timely and providential, for
almost immediately the gale rose to a hurricane, and
the most experienced sailors and engineers on board
the Pasha, some of whom have been regularly cross-
ing the Bay of Biscay for a period of twelve years, declare
that they never witnessed such bad weather. For twelve
hours sea after sea struck the steamer aft with tremend ma
force, mary tames dashing over her, and shaking her to the
very extremities of her iron framework. The principle of
construction in iron was certainly well tried, and the Pasha
proved a fine sea boat. It is impossible to conceive anything
more tremendous than the shocks we sustained, and the
shrieks of the female passengers (amongst the least timid of
whom were General Bacon's two daughters) were very
alarming. The want of ventilation and general discomfort
of the I'asha occasioned general disgust. Had the accident
to the engine not been repaired, it is the opinion of every
competent person on board that the vessel would have become
waterlogged, when every soul would have probably been lost,
and we should have left as little trace behind us as the Pre •
sident. The storm has completely abated, and the weather
is now delightful. General Bacon and Colonel Fitch came
out by this packet, in connexion with the now about to be
defined railway projects for Portugal. Mr. Mauby, with
three assistant-enpneers, were left at Comma, for. the coin-
tnencement of the works on the Madrid and Valencia Rail-
way.. Some carriages and horses were likewise landed there
-for Mr. reel at Madrid.
THE Music RAT.—This obnoxious vermin is
common throughout Bengal, and is one of the most offensive
of the mural tribe. It, like the common rat, affects dwelling-
houses, and perambulates at night kitchens, and other like
offices, in quest of such food as those premises may afford it.'
The effluvium from this creature is so powerful, that its pre-
sence will scent the whole room into which it may enter
with musk. Few dogs will attack it on account of the
musrose secretions which it throws off, and to which they
have a loathing abhorrence. It is a singular and well-at-
tested fact, that whatsoever this animal runs over becomes
so permanently tainted with musk, that the object proves
for a considerable length of time intolerable. Should a
musk rat make its way into a cellar, and run over the
bottles holding wines or spirits of any kind, the effect of it
trespass is such, that the contents are strongly impregnated
with impure musk; and so odious do they become, that they
cannot be drank, and are thrown aside and condemned as
"musk bottles." ,
DECREASE or CRIME IN WlLTS.—There was not a
single prisoner for trial at our Borough Sessions on Monday
last ;• and at the County Quarter Sessions, which commenced
at Mailtiorimgh on Tuesday, the number of prisoners for trial
was less, by one half than the average number tried at the
corresponding sessions for, the last seven years.—Derzcs Ga-
zette.