The Sun.
London, England, 1845-05-30 00:00:00

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.

A new grand ballet, entitled, Rosida, ou les Mines de
Syracuse, was produced here last evening, with that tri-
umphant success which attended almost every work,
operatic or chocrographic, that has been produced at her
Majesty's Theatre by Mr. Lumley. The new bal-
let is, we believe, the work of St. Leon,
and it does infinite credit to the talents of its author,
who has shown that he possesses poetical feeling, a
thorough knowledge of pictorial and stage effect, and
constructive powers of a high order. Rosida (Madlle.
Cerito) is a young Sicilian girl, in love with Alman (St.
Leon), a sailor, and the first tableau of the ballet is on
the deck of a ship on a gala day. The
masts are hung with wreaths of flowers—the
sailors are rejoicing on deck—a bevy of Sici-
lian damsels, among whom is Rosida, arrive on board,
and of course a dance ensues. There is, first of all, a
most effective bullabile, and then comes the new " pas
de charactere, La Siciliene," by Cerito and St. Leon.
This is an exquisite dance. Cerito displays in it all the
pretty coquetting of a village beauty, and gives us those
arrowy rushing steps which are so peculiarly her own.
She may indeed be called " The Muse of the many
twinkling feet." Alman has been condemned to the
mines. Rosida resolves to follow him—the only method
of accomplishing this, is by assuming the disguise of
a miner—a miner's dress is brought to her, and the
pantomime of Cerito is exquisite. She dances round
the dress—she touches—flies from it alarmed, and rushes
round the stage in a series of rapid steps, so rapid that the
eye can scarcely follow the motion of her feet.
She approaches and takes it up, tries on the coat in
the most fascinating and espiegle manner imaginable,
and at length takes the dress up, and rushes off the
stage with it. The second tableau exhibits the interior
of the dark and gloomy mine. The miners descend one
by one, and proceed to their work ; among them is
Alman. He is left alone. Suddenly the mine is illu-
minated—the black masses disappear, and in their place
we see the splendid abodes of the fairies of the mine.
The Queen of the Mine appears, and encourages Alman.
He approaches to worship her, when instantly the
abodes of the fairies close up, and the mine resumes its
pristine gloomy appearance. This is a most magnificent
scenic effect, and told admirably. Rosida descends, dis-
guised as a miner. This, we believe, is the
first appearance of Cerito in male attire, and
she certainly looks most fascinatingly in her
miner's costume. In this tableau she dances the
pas de mineur with St. Leon. Her pantomime was most
expressive, her dancing delightful. The applause was,
of course, rapturous, and at the end of the pas there was
a perfect shower of bouquets. The mine again becomes
a fairy palace. Again does the Queen of the Fairies and
her court appear, and poor Rosida, terrified at these
supernatural appearances, rushes from the mine. At
this late hour (for the ballet did not conclude until one
o'clock), it is impossible to follow minutely the adven-
tures of the lovers, who are, of course, at last made
happy. The last scene is a triumph of art. It repre-
sents the harbour of Syracuse. In this tableau we
have the Pas des Villaoeois by Cerito and St.
Leon, in which the latter displays some of
the most astonishing tours de force that ever he has per-
formed ; the " pas des quatre. Nations," a characteristic
pas by the corps de ballet, and " La Wollinienne," by
St. Leon and Cerito. Never has Cerito appeared to so
much advantage as in Rosida, she exhibits throughout

feeling, expression, and poetry—not unworthy of Tag- '
lioni herself, while, at the same time, there is no lack of
that neatness of execution, of that gushing flow of exube-
rant spirits which has hitherto been her great charm.
The scenery was magnificent, and the noise en scene per-
fect. Cerito and St Leon were called for at
the fall of the curtain, and honoured with
the usual testimonials of public approbation.
The opera was Don Pasquale, but we had, in addition,
Castella, Brambilla, and Moriaui in a scene from Linda
di Chamouni. Ihe " I►anseuses Viennoises" in several
of their favourite pas—Carlotta Grisi and 'Toussaint ;
the pas "de la Favorite," and Lucile Grahn, with
Ferdinand, Demelisse, and Casson, in her own 44
pas de
quatre." The house was crowded before the rising of
the curtain, every nook from which even an occasional
glimpse of the stage could be procured was occupied, and
the greater part of the audience remained until the con-
clusion of the ballet. We are nit surprised at this, for
it is the most interesting, and aho the most magnificent
ballet that has been produced fora long time.