The Sun.
London, England, 1845-04-15 00:00:00

THE THEATRES.
DRURY. LANE.
Dupree appeared here last night in the character of Ed-
, g'ardo in Donizetti's opera of Lucia di Lammermoor. Beni-
setti composed the music of Edgardo expressly for Duprez,
and he created the character on the first production of the
opera some ten years since at the theatre of San Carlos at
Naples. The admirable talent which Donizetti possesses of
exactly suiting his music to the peculiar talents of the
artistes who are engaged in the production of his
Operas is well known, and he has certainly been more than
usually felicitous in the present instance. To speak theatri-
cally it is the best fit he ever made, and we think that all
who have heard Duprez will agree with us in opinion, that
it is also his greatest character. He perfectly embodies the
ideas of the maestro, and does him more than justice. It is
seldom that be has occasion to have recourse to his falsetto,
his voice is never strained, and his full rich tenor tones tell
beautifully. His acting too was magnificent, and as a
aPeeisnen of what the highest order of lyrical tragedy ought
to be, the Edgardo of Duprez is perfect. Nothing
could be more beautiful than the duet at the
close of the first act, " Vevianna a to sull aura," as given by
Ilisprez and Madame Garcia, whose Lucia is already well
known to the play-going public, and who made her debfit at
this theatre last evening. There was something sublime in
the energy which Duprez threw into the concluding scene of
the second act, in which he bursts in upon the bridal festival.
Awe-inspiring was his manner of asking Lucia if the signa-
ture, to the marriage contract was hers—low, tremu-
lous, subdued, yet energetic, and intensely impassioned—
of his tone thrilled to the soul; and then his burst
frtrY, as he accuses her of perfidy, and
I,3Purns her from him, was absolutely terrific. The
_agt Scene was a perfect triumph. The strong man is
°,r9hen down—the impassioned man has become weak as a
He woos death as he would a coy mistress—his
great want is to die, and to be at rest. Never has the utter
12,ro4tration of despair been more beautifully delineated—
ise nothing on the lyrical stage more intensely pathetic
than Duprez's " Tombe degli avi miei." He was loudly ap-
plauded throughout, and was of course honoured, in union
with Madame Garcia, with the usual call at the fall of the
edtutain' He Was excellently supported—the Lucia of Ma-
:al" Eugenie Garcia is by far the best on the English
4e-, and the Enrico of Bu-rdini was a more than creditable
ertortnance. The house was crowded in every part long
e
fo re the rising of the curtain.
FR
ho Tr
PLAYS.—ST. JAMES'S THEATRE.
that
not heard rYs any attention to French theatricals has
European, (3,`, Ravel, the Prince of Farceurs? His fame is
but 1;isl-e'r.n".18 name has long been "familiar in our ears,"
ile'.F.'intaii(l 17-n was unknown to us until last evening, when
actor, inut atovthinigs:heatre in the new vaudeville of
amusing, n_
aw u. Verily he is worthy of his fame; a more
ghterethhhileirrite°riumorous a lively, bustling, humorous, aye,
asd v notis ed y n r appearedhu in
nounr this itsh
the
stage.
distinguishing lre us
b roll;
teristic of the acting Of M. Ravel. Wit is more com-
mon among our neighbours across the channel than. it among as islanders, but they are deficient in humour, in that
diene eh unctuous humour, we mean, which keeps an au-
No_ e in a roar from the rising to the falling of the curtain.
evening . Ravel possesses this power, and for two hours last
thieng did he by his acting keep the aristocratic audience
St. James's in a roar. At first the laughter was
llesrtrained--they laughed as 'twere despite themselves, but
the lapse of a few minutes nature overcame etiquette,
ch; Peal followed peal of hearty laughter, because, as old
it.rles Mathews would have said, " hey could not help
whn,-L'Eoueneau is an admirable farce,—and who and
eertgit`inis L'Etourneau? Why, L'Etourneau is M. Ravel—a
orees r,eliz, a scapegrace of a junior partner in a broker's
yo ~;',,.wou must needs fall in love with Madame Dunois, the
inotr-s°27ite of one of his old clients, and who can find no
that of mode of telling her the story of his love, than
writing it in a letter, and presenting it to her in a
c,illet• The bouquet with the letter is presented. The
sesl law The
simpers—the ladylaughs still more. Felix
thellects
seine eontre temps, looks at the letter he has given
add 'IV, and finding it is a letter of business which he had
ivhpressed to the husband that he has inserted in the bouquet,
t the billet-doux for the wife has been regularly posted
taltier husband, and his best of clients, M. Dunois, he
ens to
11:, the post-office to endeavour to get the letter
1-.; .4e cannot succeed—he is driven nearly mad.
Aate ,ns about from pillar to post in search of this unfortu-
letter—he gets into all sorts of scrapes—and at length
ill'enrids the letter in the side-pocket of his coat, where he
the bow deposited it when he placed the business letter in
dee•ii Nutt- l'hese are slight materials for a three act vau-
we 'a; neverthelees, in the bands of Monsieur Ravel, they
th re,, all. sufficient. He is all life, and bustles and keeps up
r -e.illn gloriously the whole time he is on the stage. We are
iilleleed to have made the acquaintance of M. Ravel, and
supe he will remain among us a long time, and when he does
snit us, we shall say to him from the bottom of our heart,
4„ semis. The house was well and fashionably attended.

PRINCESS'S THEATRE.
theAnbees opera, the Due d Olonne, was produced at this
„„atre last evening, with great and deserved success. It is
-"ecessary to detail the plot, as the piece has already been
ThrePresented under various names in a dramatic form at so
ertheatres, that the story must be familiar to every play-
The music is light, pleasing, and thoroughly Auberish.
lAllen. as the Chevalier de Vilhardoin, sung and acted de--
ightfullv, and was much applauded; and Leffler, as the
uoc d'Olonne, was in excellent voice, and went through his
Part admirably. The piece was well put upon the stage.

SURREY THEAPRE.
Mr. Marble, the American actor, made his debdt at this
ctpatre last evening in his favourite chat acter,of the Game
side
(f the Wilderness. He bids fair to become as great a
si,yourite on the other side of the river as he already is on this
Irg• After the play, the American Sampson exhibited his
ho"°!lafeats of strength, which were truly wonderful. The
use was crowded.