The Sun.
London, England, 1844-11-28 00:00:00

r DRURY-LAN E THEATRE.

We were led to expect great things from the pro-
duction of Balee's new opera, The Daughter of St.
.11ork. et Drury- len, last evening, and we have riot
eisepeemied. Bunn has surpassed all his for-
and has produrA the most splendid, the most
1.e., in ,stt SpeCta7le that has ever
repee.t.nte 'he 1n of any theatre. The
, hien i. by Mr. Burin biffe.elt, is based on the
p ef hi. de SA/ia. Georg, s, but the author has in-
. tr ,uee alt,ratiens as the requirements of the
•we reeidered requisite. If we mistake not,
a drailielie vt.r.ien ef the saute story was produced
some years s:nce at the Adelphi, under the title of
The Queen (if Cyprus. It is somewhat curious that
this same plot should have been recently chosen by
four eminent composers as a subject—Lachner, in
Gt rmany ; Halevy in France; Donizetti in Italy; and
Balfe in England, have each composed an opera on
the story of Catarina Cornaro. But to the opera of
last evening. The opening scene represents a festive
hall in the Villa Andrea, near Venice. Catarina
Cornaro (Miss Rainforth), niece to Andrea Cor-
naro (Mr. I3orrani), a rich Venetian noble, is
about to In united to Adolphe de Courcy (Mr. W.
Harrison). Andrea has joined the hands of the lovers,
who have left him to prepare for their nuptials, when
Moncenigo (Mr. Weiss), one of the Council of Ten,
enters and informs him that the State has deter-
mined that Catarina shall become the bride of the
King of Cyprus, and commands him to forbid the
nuptials. Cornaro is horror-struck, but dares not
disobey. The guests arrive—the priests are there—
the bridemaids commence their chorus—the proces-
sion is on its way to the church, when Andrea ap-
pears and commands the nuptials to stop. All is in
confusion. Adolphe threatens revenge. Catarina
entreats in vain—Andrea is inflexible. The friends
of Adolphe and the partisans of Andrea are a:)ont to
rush on each other, but, are restrained by Catarina,
who,' overcome by the agony of her feelings, falls
senseless, and the act-drop falls on the tableau. The
first act consists almost entirely of concerted music ;
in the second act we meet with several gems of me-
lody. The first scene is the oratory of Catarina, a
beautiful Gothic chamber, looking like one of Trout's
most finished architectural paintings. We be„-.r
a very pretty chorus of gondoliers in the distance.
To this succeeds a barcorolle, beautifully sung by
Miss Rainforth. In her prayer-book she finds a letter
from Adolphe, in which be tells her that he will come
at midnight to set her free, and the gondoliers' song
shall be the signal of his approach. Andrea enters,
and tells her not to peril herself and Adolphe by re-
fusing the match which Venice has proposed. In this
scene is introduced a fine solo, " When all around our
path is dreary," which was most touchingly sung by
Borrani, and deservedly encored, and which will no
doubt be the bass song of the season. As soon as he
has left Moncenigo enters, and shows her three
assassins concealed in her oratory, who have orders to
murder Adolphe if she does not at once reject his ad-
dresses. Adolphe immediately enters, and here
oc-
curs another of those beautiful melodies, in the com-
position of which Balfe is so successful ; it is the air,
"My bark which o'er the tide." It is exactly suited
to Harrison's peculiar powers, and was rapturously
encored. She rejects him, and he leaves her, believing
her false. In the next scene we find Moncinego congra-
tulating himself on the success of his plots of revenge
against Andrea's family; and then follows the concluding
scene of the second act, and by far the most mag-
nificent scenic effect ever accomplished on any stage.
The scene represents the battlements of the Palace
of Famagosta, in Cyprus, with a view of the port
seen under them. The stage is crowded with
people making merry in honour of the mar-
riage of the king. There is a grand procession of
the clergy ; the clergy and the people join in a
preghiera ; then in the distance is heard a chorus
of sailors. The Venetian fleet pass in the distance,
and salute; the bells ring; there is a flourish of
trumpets. The king, preceded by his pages, squires,
and heralds, and followed by his court in grand
procession, descend the steps of the palace ; the
State galley with Catarina arrives; the pages lay
down a rich carpet, which the bridemaids strew with
flowers. Catarina, who is accompanied by Moncenigo
and Andrea, is received by the king, and presented
to the people ; and amidst the waving of the
banners, and the shouts of the people, the proces-
sion still continuing to stream down the
battlements, the curtain falls. The opening scene of
the third_ act, the gardens of the Royal Casino
at Nicosia, is also very superb. It is filled with guests
merrymaking. When the guests leave, Moncenigo '
enters, accompanied by a band of masked assassins,
whom he directs to murder .Adolphe, of whose arrival
in Cyprus he has been informed. A clashing of
swords is heard, and Adolphe enters, accompanied by
the king, who has saved his life. A beautiful duet
ensues, and the king leaves him, without disclosing
his rank. Catarina enters—the lovers meet. She
entreats his pity, and Adolphe replies, in one of the
most beautiful morceaux of the opera, " Oh! smile as
thou wert wont to smile," a ballad, in which Harrison
is quite as great as he is in the far-famed "When
other lips," and in which he will be quite as popular.
It is needless to say he was encored. She explains to
him that, on the night she rejected him, assassins
were in waiting, who, on the least sign from her,
would have taken his life; and then follows a beautiful
duet, " Despite this tortured brain." Moncenigo enters,
attended by the guard, arrests the lovers, and conducts
them to the citadel. Moncenigo hastens to the king
to accuse them, and, notwithstanding the entreaties
of Andrea, they are condemned. The last scene re-
presents a public place in Nicosia, with a scaffold
erected, and the headsman ready ; monks are kneeling
around, and the stage is thronged with soldiers and '
populace. Catarina and Adolphe are led in. Andrea
rushes to the feet of the king, who is on the throne,
and entreats for pardon. Moncenigo urges the execu-
tion, when Andrea tells him that Catarina is his own
child, and gives him such proof that he cannot doubt
the fact. Adolphe is led forward and questioned by
the king, who not only pardons him, but gives hint
Catarina in marriage. The finale, by Catarina, " This
spell too bright to bear," admirably sung by Miss
Rainforth, and the chorus, " Envied for ever be," fol-
low, and end the opera. All the performers were called
for at the close,. andl richly did they merit the
honour, for- they one , and all exerted themselves
to the utmost.--.Mr.Balfe was called for, and then Mr.
Bunn ; and both author. and composer were received
with loud plaudits. We have particularised the more
important portions of the music as we have proceeded.
The who: of the music is in recitative, and Balfe has
in general overezitne the difficulties of adapting Eng-
lish words to recitative admirably. The opera has
been most expensively put upon the stage ; and we
must conclude, as we commenced, by repeating that
The Daughter of St. Mark is by far the most gorgeous
spectacle ever produced. The house was crammed
to the ceiling long before the rising of the curtain.