The Sun.
London, England, 1842-08-22 00:00:00

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.

Her Majesty's Theatre closed for thepresent year on
Saturday night; "the season" having, as our readers are
aware, closed with the previous Saturday's perform-
ances. There were two nights in the past week in
which the house was open, and the entertainments
were, if anything, more abundant in quantity' than
on the preceding evenings of the season ; and yeC•the
prices of admission to all parts of the house were little
more than half the charges made during the season.
On the night of Thursday the Puritani was offered
to one of the most crowded audiences of the year, being
filled to repletion, and not a single inch in its vast space
being unoccupied; while on Saturday night, the
programme presenting still more attractive features,
the crowd was, if possible, still greater. In short, the
last two performances may be termed the season of the
middle classes, and they seem to have availed them-
selves of the opportunity with an alacrity, and enjoyed
the treat with a gusto that do them the highest credit.
It is also creditable to the good feeling of the
manager, Mr. Lumley, to have thrown open
his theatre under such circumstances ; although
there may be some difference of opinion as to
the policy of making the Opera as popular, or
rather as common, as an ordinary theatrical enter-
tainment. That, however, is a question between the
manager's feelings and interests, and the prejudices
of a class or classes in the community ; and in any
case it does not impeach the credit due to Mr. Lum-
ley for good feeling towards those in the humbler
walks of society, and an honest desire to afford every
gratification in his power to what is known in common
parlance as " the public at large." The musical per-
formances of last night were the first act of the ever-
pleasing Cosi Fan Tutte—that most congenial
work of the immortal mind of Mozart, though it be
anything but congenial with the circumstances under
which it was produced, namely, bodily sickness, men-
tal misery, the pressure of debt, and the wearisome
load of grinding poverty : the second act of La
Sonnambula—the sweetest and the gentlest of the
sweet and gentle productions of poor Bellini's soft
spirit : and the last scene of II Pirata—this latter
being introduced expressly to afford Rubini an oppor-
tunity of singing his famous aria, "Tu Vedrai,"
which he did to the point of perection. Nothing
could have more completely hit the taste of the
audience than this combination : all through the
evening they were in a furore of delight : now tar-
ried along with the joyous current of melody that
a?arkles and flows through every scene of Cosi. Fan
Tutte, laughing up like a gushing rivulet in the sun,
now subsiding into the most sober sadness, as though
" the melting mood" was with them—
" Native, and to the manner born," .

the while the sweet but meretricious music of
La Sonnambula filled their cars ; and then bursting
out into a wild and tumultuous torrent of applause at
the energy and force with which the prima tenore of
the age, Itubini, poured forth the skilfully construc-
ted and not unmelodious combinations of Il Pirata.
As far as their enjoyment went it was, in fact, one un-
alloyed round of gratification and pleasure—the mu-
sical performance of the evening—and it would be
injustice to the artists engaged in it, as well as to the
manager, not to add that this gratification was well
founded, and the pleasure of the audience the echo of
good taste ; for at no period during the past " season"
did there appear more manifest a disposition on the
part of the one to put forth their powers, and on that
of the other to promote their application to the de-
lights of the thousands assembled within the walls of
her Majesty's Theatre on this occasion.
The Choregraphique portion of both evening's en-
tertainments was equally abundant and equally ex-
cellent. On the night of Thursday the gorgeous
ballet of Alma and an intermezzo of the Warsovienne,
and another popular national dance, gave the
greatest delight to the audience ; while last
night the ever agreeable Soiree de Carnival, the
Warsovienne, a pas de Trois, and the last
act of Alma, were introduced as parts of the
performance. The elasticity and grace of Cerito, the
lithe and elegant movements of Camille, the fancy and
finish of Guy Stephan, and the strength and youthful
energy of JE leury, were all called into full action,
and each received her due meed of the most rapturous
and unbounded approbation ; while the agility of
Perrot excited no small share of the general admira-
tion, and received, as it deserved, no niggard por.
tion of the public applause.
" God save the Queen," sang by all the company,
closed the evening's entertainment, and with it her
Majesty's Theatre for the year.
The ensuing season is expected to be of the most
brilliant character. We trust it will be correspond-
ently profitable to the manager, Mr. ,Lumley, who
has, during the season that is just over, been an inde-
fatigable caterer for " the subscribers," and to whom
the musical public of the country is also much in-
debted for the introduction to its notice of so many
new and accomplished singers. We wish his arduous
undertaking every possible success, sure that, if he
goes on as he has begun, he will well deserve all the
favour that can be bestowed upon him by a discerning
public.

-4 -0.- 4- r •
•
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SUS 9 LONDOIst, MOVDAY MORNING AL usT 22, 1842 •

NEW WORK BY MRS. HOFLAND.
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THECZ ARIN-A;
An HISTORICAL 'ROMANCE of the
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Now ready, and to had at all Bookseller•',
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Henry Colburn, publisher, 13, Great Marlborough-street.

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