The Sun.
London, England, 1845-08-22 00:00:00

icIER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.

Last evening brought to a conclusion one of the most
Zetorable seasons ever chronicled in the history of her
jesty's Theatre From the commencement of the
0:73°0, to its conclusion there has not been one single
ta4tse-tenps. Every promise made in the programme
been fully ped, y , and y
Orti.,
114 ''e mentioned inerform it, hasever not onlynovelty appeared,ever but
appeared in the manner and at the time
°taised. This is, we believe, a circumstance
ki
ihoparalleled in the history of any management, and
• a's that Mr. Lumley has been not only indefatigable
IQ is.
-Ls exertions to please his patrons, but that his zeal
ktenlpered with judgment ; that his calculations are so
thebrate that they may be thoroughly relied on and
ahltt 11°w a programme is not a mere " work of fancy,',
su eh was top often the case under former manage-
Os, but a contract entered into with the public by
manager, to which the latter considers himself
tlnd and on the faith of which his subscribers may enrol
tt,t
Nselvcs, satisfied that everyth'ng therein promised
\be performed. Nov let us recollect for a moment
t,h was promised in the programme at the commence-
1t of the season, and see what admirable faith Mr.
al,ll-'leY has kept with his patrons. In the first place,
poillvtre promised a new opera by Verdi, a young com-
bilier, whose works bad never been heard in England,
Ca'llose Continental fame was great,;and whose operas
)14', Lumley had been accused the previous season of
Its,,tlng neglected. Well, the season opened with the
s,,,,""netion of Verdi's confessedly greatest opera, Ernani,
thr," the fate of this opera proved that Mr. Lumley had
kii2lvn a sound judgment in preferring Mozart, Rossini,
;13i, and Doiiizzetti to the new maestro. Ernani
valuable, rather because it proves that the co
toter will be one day capable of better things, than for
4.tientrinsie merit of its own. It met with a moderate
it i„ 3,3 at first,:but towards the latter part of the season
ts,VIK completely into oblivion. It was very strongly
for under Mr. Lumley's management the nominal
latss') the real commencement of the -season, and it
ira°4steed to au English audience, for the first time,
)4,-,."3tue Rita Boric, an excellent artiste and a very
stt"tY woman, and who at asubsequent period raised the
ita°ndary character of Elvira, in Don Giovanni, into the
t,fl3,a•tance of a first-rate one by her artist-like manner
ving it. Moriani, too, appeared for the first time
velitt regular member of the company ; and Fornasari
talltbe prime basso, so that Verdi's opera was per-
or-Led as it could be performed on no other stage in the
; and with an orchestra led by Costa, the excel-
ts„,"e of which is confessedly unapproachable. On the
aitie evening the new ballet of Eoline was produced.
th° Lucile Grahn as the heroine. To dilate at this
cit upon the merits of Lucile Grahn would
to Indeed indeed "to gild refined gold." She has
e 7,11 her station as one of the Deesses de
ts,„'-'cinee, as the only one perhaps who may at
1.0,e future period hope to occupy the throne of
ceal" art, vacated by Taglioni ; but to Mr. Lumley is
114:;the credit of having perceived her merit, and of
111.,,ag introduced her to the audience of her Majesty's
*ll-4tre ; then came the debut of Madame Castellan,
layt,te transoendant merits ate now acknowledged even
tai;"°e most prejudiced, and who has been installed, by
to vernal consent, as the successor of Persiani—an honour
is,%Thicla even the most ardent admirers of the latter lady
144 reluctantly compelled to acknowledge that Castellan
dis44l,, Ply vindicated her claims. The same week that saw
eitihmetnit of Castellan saw also the production of Feli-
411J, bavid's far- famed symphony the Des& t. Never
khi;" We forget the breathless attention with which that
Its 'ale composition was listened to the first evening of
production. It was performed f air times, and the
Itye,rB of music are under great obligations to Mr. Lum-
h.:or having produced it in such a perfect manner.
came the Enfans Viennoises—those wonderful
bt, 'I'M of whom we had all heard so much that
tat Were almost prepared for, a disappointment,
Gs, who more than came up. to their fame.
diet were the difficulties in the way of
ittie, engagement. The aid even ot religion was
14444 in to prevent their setting foot in heretical Eng-
-Os,Z; but Mr. Lumley, by enterprise and tact, triumphed
1114,i all obstacles, and secured the services of those
Ilis-ren for the greater part of the season. During
46. engagement was produced Lucile Grahn's de-
ft%) tfal little ballet of Kaya. La Nene, the Spanish
440:43e, also appeared about this period, but her
41E1;113 was not great, and the habitues of the
%11 kre
scarcely thought her worthy her high
Aartl fame. At this period the operatic
ht.rnent was in its zenith. It was supported
444)1131, Brambilla (who had been re-engaged for this
n), Castellan, Rita Borio, the Lablaches, father and
1141;:ornasari, Moriani, Mario, Corelli, who were in the
.ttetli of appearing frequently altogether the same
tlg• Gradually too, the choerographic department
lbsbaPProaching its culminating point. Cerito and her
ez,44(1, St. Leon, were amongst the earliest arrivals—
it came Carlotta Grisi, and at last Taglioni
fo4t/tll3 an unparralleledEcircumstance to have
Gs46auch artistes as Taglioni, Cerito, Lucile
Illttp,": and Carlotta Grisi engaged at the
a tneatre—but that any manager could induce them
be itptipar in the same pas, was by every one thought to
eser unposaibility. This apparent impossibility, how-
alleee' Mr. Lumley accomplished : by what means he
4ettlioeded it is not for us to inquire, although the pos-
%at: Of his secret would be a mine of gold to any
ever ger. Suffice it to say, he did succeed, and the
ttkelnemorable pas de quay tre was the consequence-
4te the recollection of which, those who were fortu-
ki i„ enough to see it glory in, as giving them
Withfontestible superiority over those less fortunate
itetitti.' who have only seen these unapproachable ar ti.stcs
06e,.(1,te1Y• At this period of the season the opera of
a~ein'° Devereux was revived for the purpose of intro-
ANtcit to us Baroilhet, the barritone, from the
%ts •elnie Royale de Musi ue and Madame Rossi
14 ,el 5, the q
prima donna of the Lisbon opera. This lady
t:,litiot°,l°,3_t accomplished artist—evidently loves her pro.
kn;na a proof of it we instance the manner in which
t,mtled que up the part of Queen Elizabeth), and is des-
ea
it: at
~no distant day to take the very highest rank
e,„.8 uer Norma, on Saturday night, was very
° fine, that the absence of Grisi was scarcely felt,
a - nothin*theg.could exceed. her playfulness last evening
radictory prima donna in La p, ova d un Opera
4 • She
4,l'.kept the audience in a constant roar of laugh-
a, La Prom was preceded by Lucia di Lammermoor,
11eth--4eteeded by Ondine, and thus ended this most
444,1°4bl
e season. It is satisfactory to know that Mr.
)icesLet eft „_ orts have been appreciated by those for
if 1404 bas so exerted himself. The season has been
'4llsilie_Pri?fitable one; and we are glad to find that Mr.
:artit;Y_l,Will not only derive profit but honour for his
";?eie and that his subscribers are about to testify
v°)%tbatonlion of the admirable manner in wbich he has
'q the affairs of this great establishment in a