The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1835-03-20 00:00:00

THE ITALIAN OPERA.-SIG. DEVAL'S BENEFIT.

On theatrical benefit nights audiences are proverbial for their
kindness, and critics for their forbearance, and in the present
case, in order not to break the statute "made and provided,''
we shall content ourselves with being historians only. For the
b'enefit of Signet•Deyal on Tuesday night " 11 Corradino," the
(*era iu whichle made his first appearance on our stage, and
qh any stage in England, was performed. The total failure, not
°tilt of Deval, but of almost that whole operatic corps in every
scene, induced us to make some inquiries as to the causes of
theie defects. They were, we are told, attributable to a move-
ment of the company to Chester, instead of rehearsing at Li-
verpool; hence the passage to and from, and their exertions at
that ancient city, where they 'performed twice, disordered their
vocal organs, as well as precluded them from acquiring the
necessary degree of pet faction in their several parts. Owing
to this absence the whole of Tuesday was occupied in rehears-
ing, and when the curtain was raised the principal performers
were, from bodily exhaustion, in an unfit state to appear before
the public. The second act of the opera was reduced to one
scene, for which Signor Boisragon bespoke the indulgence of
the audience. The house was literally full in every part.
On Wednesday night "Il Corradino" was, or, snore properly
speaking, was to have been repeated, for, in consequence of
some unfortunate circumstances, it was again doomed to suffer
Dearly the same degree of mutilation to which it had been sub-
jected on the previous night.
Mr. Herrmann, the leader of the hand, was absept on a pro-
fessional engagement elsewhere, and the Marquis de Muti Pa-
pazurri, who was to have supplied his place, was very unex-
pectedly prevented from doing so. Some time after the usual
period for the commencement of the performance the audience
became rather impatient, and cries of " the\ cause," "the
cause" because general. Some of the gentleinei, subscribers
to the opera, then went behind the curtain, in order to ascertain
"the cause" of the delay, and if possible to provide the remedy.
This they soon discovered to be the absence of au orchestral
leader. Mr. George Byton was requested to assume that post;
but, not having rehearsed, or even heard the music performed,
he was unwilling to undertake the task. However, he at last
complied with the request made to him, and it would be an act
of injustice not to acid that he led the orchestra iu an able and
effective mangier.

The cause of the marquis's absence, we regret to learn, arose
from some pecuniary difficulties connected with his manage-
ment of the company. They are, we are informed, but of a
trilling character, which it is hoped his benefit next week will
altogether remove. We believe Monday night is fixed on, and
on that night. the lessees make no charge for the rent of the
theatre, and all the performers, both vocal and instrumental,
have tendered him their services gratuitously. The expense of
preparing these entertainments has been, necessarily ,very heavy;
its general excellence is in some degree proved by the liberal
support it has received; and we therefore bolo., as the benefit
nights of the principal performers have been well attended, that
the appeal of the marquis will be equally successful. Of thi.,
indeed, we cannot and will not entertain a doubt; to do so,
would be pre-supposing that those who encouraged the opening
of an Italian Theatre here, are disposed to sin ink from the pro-
per support of it.
Giulietta e Romeo, and 11 Corradivo, will be performed this
evening, for the benefit of Mous. Devin, the stage-manager.
That up inconvenience may be felt from the length of the per-
formances, the theatre will be opened at six, and the opera will
commence at seven o'clock.