The Sun.
London, England, 1827-11-26 00:00:00

COVENT-GARIAN THEATRE.

Mozart's Opera of " The SePaglio;' therausic
arranged by Kramer,,was bronieit' forCvard on S-a-
turday night at this theatre. -The,.plot, .which, is
less complicated than usual is sothethina to'the
fal-
lowing effect : Constanza, `Hughes) a Si-
cilian lady, lies fallen into the hands of Ibrahim,
(Wearde) Paella of one of the Cyclades; Ibrahim
is a Mabometan, originally Christian, but captured
in childhood by Turkish pirates. de falls in love
with Constanza, to whom Belmonte (Mr. Sapio)
was also attached, and whe happens to' land on
the island in search of her. He introduces himself
to the natives as a travelling artist, is favourably re-
ceived by them, and 'discovers his old valet Pe-
drillo, (Wrench) who had been taken together
with Constanza. These two concert an escape,
which .however is frustrated, chiefly by the
vigileUce of. Ossuyn (Mr. Penson), Ibrahirn's
steward. After a variety of surprises, by which
the action of the Opera is rather lumbered
than lightened, Ibrahim discovers in Constitute his
sister, who had been,separated from him in earliest

infancy. In constquence of this he consents to her
union with Belnicnte, .and the usual finale ensues.
The music of this Opera, which is its chief re-
commendation, is rather too critically scientific to be
popular. The serious airs are decidedly the best,
being tender and impassioned in a very high degree,,
though the comic ones are not deficient in versatility
and richness. Throughout the Opera there re
traits of first rate genius, to which Mr. Sepia, so
far as lie was concerned, did ample justice. Miss
Hughes, as Constanza, proved that she is capable
of executing the most intricate melodies. We think
she will, ere long, become a first rate vocalist. • Her
Love lift thy torch" produced great effect. The
scenery was magnificent, particularly the ruins oz
the Temple of Bacchus by Moonlight. The Opera
was fully successful.

DESCRIPTION OF CROCK FORD'-i -
CLUB- HOUSE.

The external appearance of the building (lees
Lot lay claim to any particular architectural

mauty ; but yet there is much judgment displayed
some of its COmbinatiOns. Four Corinthian

pilasters, with a correspondiug entablature, sur-
mounted by a balustrade and pedestals, form the
iiTade. The body of the building consists of
two principal stories, independent of .the base-

nent story. The entrance door, and four win-
lows of the first or grOund floor, •are of the Ve-
oetian style ; the windows of • the upper floor in

le French. The three centre ones of the latter

.ange, being protected by the projecting pilasters
tnd the entablature over head, have each merely

n architrave, frieze, sand cornice ; but the two
Inter ones on the same floor, having no such

screen, are surmounted by pediments. In some
public structures we see pedimented wiudows
;order porticos ! The authors of such mon-
strosities may take a lesson from the example
before us of the advantage of consulting utility a
little, in the insertion of such appendages.
The entrance to the house is by a flight of
stone steps ; and instead of iron rails along the
Cront, such as deform so many fine buildings, we
have stone balustrades and pedestals. The en-
trance-hall is divided right and left by a screen
of Roman lonic • columns, the shafts of which
are of verd antique scagliola marble; the capitals
and bases of white marble. The abacus And
scrolls of the capitals are hollow on, each. face.
On the right
.entrance.hall Coffee-
room, of a piAlti ikoug4 cominodio"us descrip-
. a iihrt a.ry, crsnstructed after
the mannerOnthoei
with a greater luxuriance of ornament. The
shafts of the columns and. ant are of Sienna
marble, . and the chimney...pieces of black marb/e•
inlaid with gold.
The staircase wltichleadsto the upper rooms
next attracts our attention. It is of an oblong
.onstruction, the stairs occupying three of . its
sides, and terminates in a gallery supported by
lonic verd antique columns, similar to those
before-mentioned. From thisiallery the, ceiling
tbove is supported by columns of same ma•
renal and colour, but ofthe Corinthian order; these
columns stand on pedestals, and. the intercolumni-
:itions are filled by balustrades. The curved
surfaces or shafts, which are wholly of veined
marble, are elegantly carved, exhibiting an ex-
tremely rich foliage. The walls of the staircase,
as high as the cornice, are cased with: scagliola
marble, in imitation of Sienna ; the balUsters of

she stairs are metal with a, French foliage richly
chased. The staircase ceiling rises from a cor-
nice, the principal member being a large cove or
cavetto, above which is an enriched phaneer and
cornice. The angles in the flat of the ceiling
are ornamented with spandril pannels, enriched
with trophies. The central part is pierced with
411 elliptical dome ; the diarnetet., in proportion,
is three-fifths the width of the entire ceiling.
The concave part of the. dome ,is also very richly
ornamented. The lights in the dome are 'formed
into two divisions ; the upper division is 'of
stained glass, and the lower has a Lich paters al-
ternating with the glass. The lower part of the
ceiling is supported by tresses, each surmounted
by a female head.
WO DOW proceed to the saloon, which occu-
cea.
pies in length the three central windows in front ;
a space of between forty and fifty feet. The
' ceiling is divided into compartments, each hav-
ing its trophy or ornamental centre, and bounded
by a
large en
coveare v';:ltohst superblyrnie top
ea ry and
aco
bottom (also enriched)..--The walls are literally
the priancluleelds
covered with plate glass ; and the styles which
divide
Some (,f the plates measure • six feet by ten feet.
The end of this magnificent 1,
sa oon, on the right,
opens to an ante-room, of an t
oc angular pleb,
-,Nrith 'niches in its
additional sides ' • the four
square sides being occupied• hwindow with a place,
saloon door, and a door communicating with the
supper room.
Great as is the splendour which we have (0-
'nest vainly) attempted to describe, as l'el"giN
to the other parts of this edifice, it is surpassed
by the supper room. It seems, at the first glance,
to realize our ideas of the enchanted places of the
Genii. The walls, like those of the saloon, are co-
..rered all over with plate glass. ,The ceiling it would •
'ae a difficult task to give •any thing like au ade-
:pate idea of. At each ganle is a very rich shield ;
ind a border of Several - ornamented members is
lontinued round the ceiling, and forms, for the
central part, an oblong, with its angles hollowed
out by a quarter of a circle. The centre of the
ceiling is decorated with an oval patera, display..
ing a most beautiful arrangement of the grape
vine ornament. The remaining space of the ceil-
ing is filled by lozenge pannels, with a patera
occupying the centre of each. The
, whole of
this richly variegated roof is superbly gilt. The
iirincipal part of the ornaments are manufactured,
in a paste composition, and exhibit workmanshko
of a very superior character, reflecting
the hisii-
st credit on the taste and ability of the u -
r. Jackson, •acturer, kof Rathbo )
c5-p ace.—
Nothing, we believe, on so large a scale, has
giver been before attempted in this kind of corn-.
tPosition.—Mechantes itricvrazino.

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