The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-07-23 00:00:00

THEATRE ROYAL

The German company of singers, we briefly noticed in our
last publication, have been the means of cramming the house
with fashionable audiences. On Tuesday, "The Marriage of
Figaro" was performed; Wednesday, "Beethoven's Fide-
lio" ; and last night, Kreutzer's "A Night in Granada."—
To-night will be played Meyerbeer's " Robert the Devil,"
and to-morrow evening, the last of their appearance, Weber's
" Der Freischutz." 'lt is difficult to convey an idea of the
excellence of sound ; but when we say that, taken altogether
the operas have been performed in a style unequalled for
effect, precision, and excellence, we only say what is the truth
as to the merits of the company, and the abilities of the
members of it. In the provinces, never has there such a
company appeared, so perfect in detail, or so capable, in the
whole, as this ; and we shall not be saying too much when
we prophecy that it will be many years before such another is
listened to. In the whole, including the orchestra, there are
80 persons engaged, all possessing excellent voices and great
musical knowledge. The prima donna is Madame Schodel.
She possesses a voice of great power, and displays a perfect
abandonment in passages where great expression and bril-
liancy are desirable. She manages her voice most admirably.
Her tones are like those of a bird thrilling upon the ear—now
swelling, till the theatre is filled with sound—now dying
away, like echo in the distance. Madame Schodel is a first-
rate chanteuse, and she will be long remembered by the
lovers of music who have heard her " warble the strains of
her own native land ;"—Madame Schodel is besides a good
actress. Madame Schumann is a pleasing singer—her voice
has much sweetness—she wants power, but the absence of
it she quite makes up for, by her neatness in execution,
flexibility, and above all her excellent acting. In the
" Marriage of Figaro," Madame Schumann played Cherubino
with much archness. Herr Tichatschek possesses a splendid
tenor voice—perhaps as good as any of the present day. He
is a complete master of his art,—knows right well how to
avail himself of any incident or passage where an effect can
be produced—more judgment it appears impoSsible for any
singer to possess. Herr Staudigl has gained so great a repu-
tation, and truly a most deserved one, in London, and on
the Continent, that it is quite unnecessary to speak of him,
except that his voice is a noble bass, of great Power and com-
pass, full of tone, and execution. Herr Stdugil besides being a
very good actor. There are others in the company who deserve
a notice, but we cannot spare space One Herr Herbold who
played the Gardener, in the "Marriage of Figaro," we could
have declared was poor John Reeve's double. When he
came forward we fancied we saw that " mad wag " as in
Baron Sowercroutzsen Sassengen. Last, though not least
worthy of notice, are the choruses. It is quite impossible
to describe the unity of voice that these singers posssss—it
is a chorus, indeed,—not the chorus that we hear on our
stage where every one sings and independant tune, and the
great matter amongst them seems to be which shall have
done first ; b'it these choruses appear like one mighty voice,
bursting upon the ear—rich in melody—full of harmony,
and extraordinary in power. In the " Freischutz "
the "Huntsman's Chorus" was given quite different to
anything we ever heard,--the effect was tremendous. The
audience applauded " till echo did applaud again." As
for encoring, we thought they never would give over, and
cry " hold, enough." As the " Freischutz" will be performed
to-morrow night, we earnestly recommend our readers to go
and hear it. The music and story of the opera being familiar,
makes it go off, in our opinion, better than any thing that has
been tried yet. Beethoven's " Fidelio" abounds in fine and
elevated passages, and is rich in harmonies. It is a noble
composition, and appeared to give very great delight. As a
stranger, the audience seemed to give it welcome, by fre-
quently indulging in tumultuous hursts of applause.—A word
for the orchestra. It is one of the most perfect imaginable.
Some, nay many of the members, are excellent instrumen-
talists. They play well together, and their precision is re-
markable.—And noiw a word for Mr. Clarke. Those who
are fond of music cannot but feel grateful to him, and admire
his courage and spirit in giving an engagement to eighty per-
formers, (and of course keeping his excellent and large com-
pany comparatively idle.) He deserves success, if he cannot
command it.—Next week, we perceive, Madame Vestris,
Harley, t'arren, Mathews, and F. Matthews make their ap-
pearance, when " London Assurance" will be produced.
This comedy has had an unprecedented run in London, and
whoever has seen the daily metropolitan papers need only
look back through some hundred or more publications to be
satisfied that it has been good policy to play London
Assurance." In fact, the whole time, seats have been at a
premium at the Theatre-Royal, Covent-garden.

The Rev. Win. D. Long, A.M., late curate of Davertown,
diocese of Chester, has been instituted to the united Vicar:
ages of Dummy, Marlinstown, and Parsonstown, in the arch.
diocese of Armagh, Patron—the Marquis of Drogheda.

THE PROCEEDINGS OP THE
ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY
OF ENGLAND.

(Continue:: from the Supplement.)

WEDNESDAY

This was the first day of public admission to the show
ground. In consequence of the judges being busied in
determining the prizes in the cattle-yard, that part of the
exhibition was a closed book. The exhibition of imple-
ments was announced to be open from eight o'clock in
the morning, until six in the evening—entrance ss.—a
very large sum indeed, when it is considered that the
field-working implements, the most valuable of all, would
be removed to Aintree for trial, a distance of nearly six
miles, to which parties wishing to see them might find
their way as they best might. Few or none of these im-
plements could be returned to the yard on that day, so
that parties paying their crown could not fail to be dis-
satisfied, unless indeed they had more money than brains.
But the ss. was not all. The policemen at the entrance
were instructed to tell those who enquired, as they paid
their money, that if they once entered and came out of the
yard, they must pay again another ss. No admission was
even given to the reporters of the press, but on this over-
reaching condition ; though all of them had done and
purposed to do their best, for the eclat and publicity of
the exhibition throughout. Our reporter, on remonstrat-
ing, was politely (it is true) referred to the Council at the
Mechanics' Institution ; but after dancing attendance there
for some time, he found it impossible to obtain access to
any of the magnates of the exhibition, the doors being
beset with applicants for tickets for the grand dinner in
the Pavilion on Thursday ; and, as he could make no sa-
tisfactory report on the implements there left, before the
trial at Aintree, (the time being too short,) and did not
think proper to pay an additional 5s.—evert if he could
' have seen the remainder of them after the trial, he de-
clined to enter at all that day-10s. being rather too
much, under any circumstance, to pay for one's whistle.
We manage these things better in Lancashire ; and we
notice the circumstance as an apology for any deficiency
in our notice of the many ingenious instruments produced,
to the owners or inventors of which we should have been
glad to do more justice than we could accomplish by the
visit to the yard yesterday only. Our reporter, of course,
proceeded to the race-course, to witness the trials of the
numerous ploughs, &c.
The weather was exceedingly unpropitious, which, as
friends to the general objects of flip Society, we much
regret. The morning was cloudy and drizzly, and the
day throughout, until towards the close of the show,
showery and unpleasant. Such, however, was the curi-
osity excited, that considerable numbers of persons had
congregated round the Show Ground at an early hour, in
carriages and cabs, and on foot. Tents were pitched for
refreshments by publicans in the adjoining waste ground,
a temporary wooden building had also been erected for
the same purpose opposite the main or northwest en-
trance. The whole, indeed, towards ten o'clock, assumed,
to some extent, the bustling and holy-day appearance of a
race course. Meantime, from an early hour, field imple-
ments, chiefly ploughs, loaded in carts, continued to be
conveyed along Bedford-street, northwards, in transit to
the Race Course ; and " the cry being still they go—
they go," a general inclination became manifest to follow
them with all possible expedition, to the neglect, pro tern.,
of the Show Ground, in which, in truth, there was com-
paratively little left in agricultural machinery to gratify
the curiosity that had been excited. The sittings of the
Council being at the Mechanics' Institution, about a fur-
long-and-a-half from the spot, a considerable traffic in
gentlemen walking or riding to and fro between them
was kept up. Cars to Aintree became more rind more
in requisition at both places as the time advanced, and
proportionably large fares were consequently demanded.
Parties were however made up, and wheeled off to the
more interesting scene of action. The members of the
Council were conspicuous by the small golden circular
piece of card, resembling a medal, which they wore on
the left breast or button-hole of their coats. These for
the most part started from the Mechanics' Institution,
round the doors of which there was considerable crowd-
ing. The anxiety manifested in the pass -ges adjoining
the committee or " Council" room to obtain tickets for
the grand dinner was great, and parties appeared to ob-
tain them as an especial favour. Of what occurred at
the Show Ground during the day we are not particularly
informed; but we learn that, from the amount required
for admission and the circumstances before stated, the
proceedings were not of sufficient interest to require
detail.