The Sun.
London, England, 1829-01-01 00:00:00

NATION AL OPERA.

In the remark: that bet,n indneeti to
make upon the deeademt'e of evtio that rp,flty of
Opera which the English nation have hew, -,,ppomfd

to have been in the 100CSVSRillfl of for the last 4pi:irter,,
of a century, we hare, we are di,p.oseil il;ink,
been fully borne out by facts which every unpreju-
diced mind will admit are incontrovertible. We
shall briefly re-enumerate them, before we proceed
to the further discussion of-that which, to our re-
flections, appears to be the only remediable alterna-
tive. The Ar(arervcs of Dr. ARNE was, and still

continues to be (when efficiently executed), our most

popular musical Drama or Opera, properly so called.
At the period in which it was brought before the
British public, the Theatres were not more than one
half the dimensions of the present theatrical e:4lllc-
drals. The lore, or taste, for such exhibitions can
not surely be said to have degenerated since that
time, for the popula:)n has been at lea.t doubled
in amount, and the cultivation of Mus:c has like-
wise proceeded in an equal ratio with other arts and
sciences, equal to that accumulation. But, with the
two-fold encrease of theatrical accommodation for

the pnblie, it will' scarcely be denied that, with a
few exceptions, a mile stone sort of progression has
distingt&hed the operatic endeavours of both of our

vast National Theatres'. There has been no dearth
of musical talent either since the era in which

the pride of his country, Dr. ARNE, produced nt its
theatrical bar the beautiful Opera, which may be
said to have introduccd in an English garb the more
perfect musical drama of the Continent; for our
ATWoOD and BISHOP are living refutations of such
a supposition. There can be little doubt, however,
that er,e superior attraction of the foreign Opera has
materially contributed to injure, when it ought to
have served as an additional stimulus to British

industry and talent. The undivided attention, how-
ever, that is beitowed upon the latter, has proved
one cause of its enviable superiority—hence, too, ap-
pears a stronger necessity for the establishment of an
English Theatre, to be exclusively devoted to the
production of this delightful species of musical en-
tertainment. If it be not generally known, it is
surely high time that the public generally, and the
musical portion of it in particular, should be in-
formed not only of the meins by which the end may
be attained, but likewise of the various causes thit
w:11 prevent our ever competing with the conti,
nental nations successfully. The monopoly, the
lamentable and detestable monopoly, enjoyed by the
two dramatic Leviathans of our metropolis, are of

themselves appalliNg enough, seeing that they have
hitherto entirely prevented the foundation of an in-
dependent English Opera-house. The supe-
rior pecuniary inducement that tempt our vocalists
can never be neutraliied, whilst they are suffered to
hold this exclusive and paralyzing domination ; and
what is still more to be deplored, our enjoyment of
this kind of musical entertainment must depend
upon their caprice, or the circumstances which their
exclusive system of management creates ; a system
that deprives the public of a large share of pleasure,
and may be, of an entire, if not a distinct species of
=pieta enjoyment. For by their creation GC what
is technienlly termed etere, they have tied them-
selves to a system which they are themselves now
suffering by; for it is utterly impossible, we know,
to persuade two vocal stars to shine in the same
hemisphere—in plainer terms,if Madame S. is allotted
a part in a certain new Opera, 'elfiss N. cannot pos-
sibly brook that such part should be considered as
princiPalf. Now, as the foreign Operas of celebrity
often contain in their dramatis Persona, two, nay,
three and even four principal female characters, the
difficulty of arranging the cast (as it is termed), of
our English Operas at the great Theatres, may be
more easy of conception than it is of any thing like
an adequate description.
But this not all, it so happens that the ewe/mire
direction and management of a company of Operatic
performers ought to be tinder the equally exclusive
controul of a musician—of course one of well-tried
talent—it is notoriously true that this is not the-
fact, as far as appertains to our National Theatres.
There are sub-managers or " musical directors" it is
true; but, it is as undeniable, that these gentlemen
do not possess that exclusive controul in the allot-
ment of those parts, which their judgment is pre-
sumed to be the only efficient guarantee that they
shall be properly distributed
The public are thus too frequently cheated of that
expectation by the tyrannous caprice and ignorance
of a stage-manager, who permits his private resent-
ments or personal dislikes to interfere with the legi-
timate right of a talented musical director, depriving
it of the more perfect operatic enjoyment, as well as
compromising the prOfessional reputation, of even the
cleverest director of music that it is possible to at-
tach to any theatrical establishment whatever. A
very remarkable example of which, although of re-
cent occurrence but few may he acquainted with,
comes opportunely to our recollection, and which ex-
cited at the time the genuine surprise and regret of
the initiated. It being neither more or less than
the most absurd allotment of a principal vocal part
in a great Opera of MOZART'S to a "light Come-
dian I" who knew as much about singing as a cow
may be presumed to recognise of the merits of a
Spanish fandango. The manifest absurdity of this
disarrangement in another Opera composed by
BOILDIEU, led to that which was even vet more mis-
chievous; namely, that the Incal part of the male
character, or prime tenors, was conferred upon a
female, or soprano! need it be added, that the bar-
barous inversiow thus created were almost sufficient
to have raised the illustrious and immortal com-
poser from his tomb, and brought the French-
man post haste from his 'metropolis, in order
to enter his solemn protest against eo wanton and
outrageous an injury done to his fame ? Of one
thing it is impossible to entertain a reasonable doubt,
it must have caused the adapter of MOZART'S
Opera the most serious annoyance, and no small
mortification to the worthy director of the musical
department, whose well-earned reputation would
acquit him, in the estimation ofjudges, of the blame
dud must necessarily attach itself to ao anomalous
a proceeding.
It is also lamentably tree that the soprano
alluded to holds a kind of tyrannous domination
in this theatre, which in itself constitutes an in-
surmountable barrier to the perfect arrangement
of an opera wherever she is concerned ; and
but that the managers, in their insatiable desire ;
to circumvent their rivals, have themselves created •
this nuisance, they might elicit an effectual com-
miseration for the deplorable predicament they are
placed in, from that public which seldom deviates
very widely from justice when their judgment is
fairly exercised upon a broad question. The taste
of the public, for music of some sort or ether we pre-
sume to be unquestionable. Assuming this very na-
tural position, it next becomes a question how far

blame is attachable, and to whom—the vocalist
or the public? We arc disposed to think not
much to either. It is true that taste for what

is considered vain.fAe, by reason of its being
I the offspring of the man of genius and termed
conceptions, must geneially be first disseminated
through the medium of such persons as in some de-
gree partake of the kindred rapnrk of ethereal fire,
• that gives birth to beautiful ideas, and who, more or
less, sympathize by habit and education with the
illustrious composers of Music.
The majority of visitors to the National Theatres
are led thither in order to beguile a leisure hour,
after a hard day's laborious drudgery in some profeS-
sion or calling. These habits of close attention to
the pounds, shillings, and pence transactions of life,
necessarily exclude them from participating generally
in a course of study that might constitute them
amateurs of Music. We can scar:ely be surprised,
then, that to such an assemblage of individuals a
perfect Opera, however much it might excite their
curiosity and brief astonishment,'yet it is by no means
natural that they should prefer such music to the
more tangible vulgarity of " Hurrah for Me Bonnets
of Blue," with its spirit stirring accompaniment of
the familiser and easily understood drum and fife,
especially too, when such " row de dow" trash is
warbled in so insinuating a manner (as it cet-
tainly is) by Sopranos, who are capable of embody-
ing much more elevated conceptions. Alas !
that the sordid God Plutus should so completely
triumph over the veritable Apollo. But, the fear it
must ever be the case, until the English nation can
say, "we too have a national and independent
Opera House," where the undivided attention of its
proprietors, as well us their capital, can be exclusively
directed to the cultivation of that which (with the
exception of Mr. ARNOLD'S brief season of only
three months, and his almost entire dependence
upon the resources of the greater theatres, in con-
sequence of the brevity of his licence) we cannot,
at present, be said to be in the possession of.
The division of-lab Our, it is now well known,
produces the greatest excellence; and we cannot
conceive that this axiom is one iota more inappli-
cable to the production of that, which is so inti-
mately blended with profound science, in one art
more than that of another.

We do not visit the Italian Opera Howe and
its talented company, to witness a regular Comedy
or Tragedy; and as soon should we anticipate to
hear the Den Giovanni of MOZART, or the Barbiere
of ROSSINI, perfevily given at either of our national
theatres, as to see the efficient performance of
SHAKSPPARE'S hamlet, Or SHBRIDAN'S School for
Scandal, represented by 'the Italian company in the
Ilaytnarket.

(To be continued.)

FASHIONABLE INTELLIGENCE.

CIiANGES,

The Duke of Leofla, at his seat, Hornby Castle, Yorkshire,
firm a tour; the Duke of Devonshire, for the Royal Lodge,
Windsor; George Harley Drummond, Esq. and family, from
Paris, in Piccadilly; the lionour.ble George Agar and Lady
Georgiana Ellis, from their house in Spring-gardens, on a visit
to his Majesty, Windsor Castle; Captain Harcourt, at Crawley's
Hotel (late Cook's), Albemarle street; Walter Strickland, Esq.
from ditto, for the tie of Wight; Captain Brymer, 13th Dra-
goons, at the Royal Hotel, St. James's-street, from loch.
dale ; Colonel Fitsclarence, at ditto ; the Reverend Mr. Sneyd,
at ditto, from Oxford ; William Palmer Esq. at ditto, from a
' tour • G. Knox, Esq. from ditto, for Brighton ; W. Lumley,
Esq, from ditto, for Brighton ; Colonel and Mrs. Hicks Beach,
from the Burlington Hotel, Old Burlington and Cork-streets,
for their seat near Sonthampton ; Mr. and Mrs. Grmsley, from
ditto, for Litchfield ; Mrs. and Miss Forbes, from the Bruns-
wick Hotel, Jerrnyn-stieet for tho Isle of Wight ; Captain Scrie,
from the British Hotel, Jermvu-street, for Bath ; J. Jackson,
Esq. from ditto, for Oxford ; Thomas Stonor, Esq. at .Fladong's
Hotel, Oxford-street, from Stonor Park ; S. Groves, Esq. at
ditto, from Derbyshire ; G. G. Gilt.ert, Beg. at ditto, ftom the
Continent ; R. E. Hoathcote, M P. from ditto, to Staffordshire ;
Robert Got, Esq. frcm ditto, on a tour; John Markham, Esq.
from ditto.