Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1845-08-14
No. 9
LONDON, July 6

| -'DS'j ""'J ~
My DEAR MoRRIs.-I was taking my
slow-paced walk yesterday afternoon, on
the sunny side of Regent street, thinking
ofliule except the sore iron-wires not yet
physiclked out Of my brain, when, in a
shop-window CHANGED TO spy pIacard
of the opera. In large letters | read
"Tagloni in the Syphide!" lfyou re.
member my description, in "Penclings by
the Way" of the rery first performance
Of this ballet, (Which had the good for
tune 10 witness ten or twelve years ago
on my first arrival in Paris, and my ell
thusiastic description of Tagioni, you
will easily fancy how my blood is stirred
with the chance Of re-seeing the enchant-
ing pcture-lhe same ballet with the
same matchIess woman as the enchant-
rcss. 1t was five O'Clock, p. M.--with-
in an hour OF my prescribed bedtime
and the opera commences at eight and
last till twelve-but | ment. Let me
make whole letter about the evening Of
which thus "did" the Doctor.
| do livery oilenl guIp very hard at
the price of a thing | want. but the charge
of eight dollars "a guinea and a half for
a seat to see one opera-in the habit as
am editorially of paying nothing fer the
same commodity-certainly made me say
"ahem!" The seat | got for this little
price was in the middle of the first bench
behind the orchestra, in the pit-that is
to say in one of the "stals" or elbow
seats into which the first four or five ben
ches ofthe pit are divided. "The pit"
so called, which Is separated by bar
from these privileged seats, is so uncom-
Portable and crowded, that in my weak
condition, ! could not venture it, espe-
cially with the risk of standing all the
evening. So, away went the price Of
many good thing you can think of! If
! had been charged for the moisture of
the English climate because my hair curs
tighter here than in America, should
not have felt more like scratching my
head after the payment.
No one is admitted to the London OPP
era except in full dress, but | took my
cloak on my arm, fearful ofthe draught
Of cold air that comes over the warm pit
when the curtain is lifted The door
keeper stopped me. "You cannot wear
your cloak in, sir" said he. "But am
a sick man, and require it," against
the rule, sir!" at is very hard that one
who has stall to himself and no one to
inCommode, should not be allowed to keep
himselffrom taking cold" Can't be done
sir!' So saying he took off my cloak,
and charged me shilling for taking care
oft. Some nice things about England!
| found myself seated between lady
in full dress, and very fine, aristorcrat-
&c looking old man, whose seat was ell
eganty cushioned, and who evidently had
it by the season. He turned out to be an
useful neighbor, for overhearing me ask
ing question Of the musician before me
which showed that it was my first appear
ance at thegopera, he remarked to me
that | was apparently stranger, and
seemed TO take great pleasure in pointing
out to me notabiIities of the stage and au-
dience, | am glad to mention it is an ex-
ception to the usual English reserve.
The opera was the Robert Dever-
enx" of Donizet,i, and the prima donna
(who played "Queen EIsabeth") was
novelty in London, Madame RossI CAc-
GA. 1t was her second appearance
My first impression of her was very I'M
favorable. She came forward in solo
in which she drew her voice so sharpely
fine that it pricked the ear uncomforta-
bly,; and in the red hair and other unbe-
comingables of Queen Elizabeth, her
ooks, (Which are half the music, were
also against her. As the plot deepened,
however, she showed passionateness of
acting, which helped both voice and beau
y, and | began to discover that she had
| mouth like crack in rose-leaf, big
yes full of darkness, and voice that
vas mellow when she forgot the audience.
She was immensely applauded; but as
ure you | thought her very inferior to
'ico, both as an actress and a singer.
MoRIANI, the famous tenor, has the per-
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