King's Theatre.
The Times, 1824-01-26T00:00:00

The aibhiensb,le world and the lovers of music were in movement eA -3i Saturday evening, to be presenit at the opening of this thea. tre -for the seaoni, under circmstancees of much pleasurable expec. '-on. A new management hias been announced; and new managers, Z2new iin-'s, especially when their predecesors hiave been upaskil- .fit] fe-'ble " carles of pblic opion, always excit6 the lively eY cage for the bettr. In general, fthse who are, and those -ko ntyl- themselves, the "1privilezed claisses," in this metrpoliR. r-U=a appea in the microcosrn of fashion before the Performance hktael- terminatea ; bitt so different a feeling prevailedl on the pre. maZltC ccasion, that before the early hour of six o'clock, there were 11uaicrous apprants for admission at the pit as well a% the galIlery 60?n Unfortunately. the new adraiuisttation', in-the first specimen i.ayc:re to give, in the mere arrngement foradeniission, of their f4eight ead nttentioa'to the convenience of those whom.itwas CIallzytlsidrduty a-nd policy to keep in good humour,.conumitted art cares-v;hch nprearel butani indifibrentomnen for the-future. The Opening of the doors,instead of taking. place at six, as usual on Satuir- ?Yay in former reasns, wias delayed till full half an hour later. Delicate females w~ere consequently expose-d to the cold airt end to the irrpertinent gaze of the populace during that pc. s-ted ; and whben the doors wvere thrown open, slifferedI dread. ftJl presure in gaining admission to the bady of thle theatre. *Wha~t increased the struggle, was the impression that prevail- cdi among the - company, that the pit would be found nearly OcZcupied by persons who had privately obtained admission.- This belief wre are glad to Bay, provedi unfounded, huit while it h-L'tcd, which sins till the pit had entirely filled, it produced very dIrMressing consequences to the femrale portion at least of the crowu Wec have little doubt that in the conftusion (for the clheck-takerswere r.t one time completely-overpowered) many person4 obtained entrance without paymrent, All thisincoonveniencemlghsthave been obviated bY a mnore early, adifission. Whiatever may be said in behalf of the management, w-ho may allege that the understood time of opening the daoor is only half an hour before the commencement of the per- fermance, we think that, considering the class of visiters by whom thecy are cupported, it is their duty to be prepared to onen the doors co mow as a number of persons are collected without, likely to cause 'flconvenient presure o0 entering. Within the house however, and In the pr-eparatorv arrangements3 foar the performance, allI looked well. Before seven o'cock, Spagno. letti, the le--der of the hand, was atliis post, the orchestra complete, and the Instruments in tune, waiting the signal to commence the introauction to the opera. At this moment Rossini Ztims-af, the composer, to whose great name and exquisite t:ilcnts the present season is to owe its chief distinction, was szca entering from the door that opens from tl-e orchestra under Kit? stage, to take his seat at the pianoforte, and the most livwdyapplause instantan3eou.ly followed from all parts ofthe theatre. whowc repeated a thI copsr, in the best manner his 'tuatioo, amidst the erowa of perfrest oh eri, etfe ~-,A sEnse of the homage paid to his genius. This interesting scene bng over, the orchestra, as if aztimated by it to the highest pitch of exertion, struck into the introductory movement in a style,andwith a degree of spirt we never recollect to have heard eurpassed. The oper was Zeirnira, one of the most recent compositions of Rossini, liaving been brought ouit at Naples in the sprinF of 1822 The so g sabsurend improbable,and In itself as little worth recol- letn,as ay which hanve ever formed the ground-work of muisical compoi;~tioni; but the merit of the latter raises it into imaportance, end renders a sketch of the plot necessatry to comprehend the situa- tioam and the passions the composer has aimed at describing, We Pdidra,sovrein oftheislnd f Lebos, has a daughter, named Zelmre,mariedto fn, Trjanprice. In revenge for having beenrefsedthehan of elmra,thekin ofthe ineighbouring islnd f ilitlen, i te asene o Paidoo,had invaded and madehimelf astr o Leaos.Pafdoro whseaeath was neces- sary to confii te new coniquest, wascoead by his daughter in the tomb ohianetr,wotoedrdiscovery more difficult, presentedhrefbfrthuspr,ad pretendingt wish the death of her fathe,dvrdhiatnio by pointing out a different place of concealmn Tocnprtr,Antenore and Lezccippo, having put to deat teknofltyne, the farmer succeeded to the dominion ofbohilns Inti state of affauirs Ito arrives in Leabos with an armny to restore Polidrt-o to his throne. Various at. tempts wrere made by the agents of Antcnore to paralyse hiis efforts, by making it appear that. Zelraira is the murderess both of her fa- ther and of her infant son, and that she has even formed a design againsqt the life of Ito. Mieimr is thrown Into prison by Antenore on the former of these accusations, but her innocence of all being fully established, Ito der-oies the usurper, and the retreat of Polidorei being discovered, he is r pl iced on the throne. The characters were thus revresented : Zelmira . . Madame COLIBmAI Rossueer, (the, drst appearance in this counitry.) Emma (her attendant, Mladame VEsSTMs. rie. Signor GAisCTA. Antenore.CUnRoeme. Polidore.PLACCt. Leucippo.PORTO. Eacide.FRAWCHEscHr, (his first appearance.) These is, properly speaking,, no overture to this opera. After a few bars played by the orchestra, they are found to be part of a movement terminating in a chorus, and the curtain rises en a scene peculiarly, animated and striking. No dull preparatory recitative tells the spectator what he has to expect; but the composer, in the true spirit of the H{oratian precept~ rashes at once into the mnidst of the action. He describes the agitation of the royal guards at the suppose-d death of the infant son of Zelmira, their belief oftbe accu- sation aga-inst her, and their consequent concurrence in the accession oefAntewore to the thxrone. The whole of this introduction is a happy effsion of genius, full of effect, and distinguiished by vor n DriFinalitv. A scenie follows, in which Zel7nirac, attended hr Emma, visits Pohidoro in his place of concealment, and wvas the first intro.. ducetianaof Mzladse.-Colbran to the audience. Contrasted with the previous piece, this whole scetie was somewhat fist and inisipid. The cavatina given to Polidoro, "1Ahr ! girt trascoraic il di," is a fine coin. p3ositioni, beit it reqaires a better voice and more impressive style than that of Placci to give it effect. re arec relieved by a light f'estive march, announcing the arrival of _Ito at the head of his army. lHere Garcia, in inost inimitable style, gave the beauti- fui air of " Terra anzica, ove respira," accompanied by the' horus. The allegro mnovement, " Caras, tded attendimi," opens wvith an original and striking subject, but would perhaps express the situa- tion more truly if distinguirhed by greater tenderness and passion. It will still rank among the. masterpieces of Rossini. The d'Iet wuhich follows, " A che qze i tronc-id accenti," between Ito and Zel. sln,is also extremely beautiful ; the expression throughout is remarkably just and appropriate. The next air, by Antenore, "Meets-c qutalfera hingesrda,' was too difficult for Curioni, who cesuu not thrfre cause it to he felt and understood by the au- dience. The succeeding chorus movement into which it mnodulates, ,is extremelr- fine. A duect between Zclmira and Emma, in which the Yennmer confides her son to the care of her faith.- f1l sattendant, should follow here; but it has been most absurdly, iand to theyjreat confusion of the action, tr-ansferred to the secondi aLct. It is in a strain of mournful tenderness, but languid unless auporsed hy much passion and delicate expression in the singers-an aid hichRHossini unfortunately did not obtain. It hias a remark. able le-adinLg accompaniment, wiritten for the horn, but which was injured int e&fft by being played on the tenor oboe, an instrument of an Lnoseusical and disagreeable tone. A beautiful fl.iale ter. msinates the first act, the mnost striking movement of whichl is a quite, La sorpre.sa, lo stapore," in whiceh Garcia gave with euiar force the passage CC gia m'inigezbra uni tetr' Otrare. composer always feels perfectly at his case, and is sure of the effect of his best Tassaes, whien in. trusted tb so much real judgment and taste. But Rossini, it must be confessed, for one pleasure like that described was comnpelled to undergo many mortificationis. The second act opens with a short hut beautiful chorus for female voices, and which, to the great sur- prise Of the am-ateurs, was sung in tune. The air which succeeds, by Emma, who id cotnmittin", the child of' Zeimira to the care of the ch-orus, is also a very june comiposition. The next piece is a duet, " In estasi di giaja," betwreen 1ko and Polidiero, crowded with notes and of: difficult execution, but deficient in meaning and Miusical effect. It is relieved, howe'ver, by a quintet, "1 Ne laeic qliici eadieci," in the composer's best style ; the slow movement is pecularly striking. The finale of the second act opens with a shiort movement for Zelntira in a bolder style of display than any before ~.4ndfor this the principal chrctr and the same description ap iIie,, to two E0obS for the same voice, which occur in the intervails o h o,ldn chores. As comnpositions, they are inferior to the rest, and app-'5gr 59 have been written with a view to the Ieuhitar powers of ex ecu~,40 possessed by the binger. on the whole, te opt- ra4ofZelmiraisoine7'ftthe finest worksof Rossini. His imitations of himself, and repetitiori'i of former passages, whLich ar'c characteristic of hs gnesl syle~occY lss req entyhan in most of his other opeas.Thepricipl mv~'nens ae oigial,varingincharacter andtheabsrd ulri tle ithwhih te music is-united teds to di'- tpiah its effect, except with an audience not purel musical, is not to be found in this country, whatever may be asserted t.bcontrary. Ii Besr-ere di Sidgflia,or even .1!Tasrcoi,cztalia, ~.ithaively intelligible story, wiJl find ten times the n'umber of 7Mramizvrs. Should Rbssini, as it is said he will, compose operas ,exaressly for this theatre, hiis present high and merited popularity -r,ill he inceased by his giving music of. the gharacter of those two pics,aplied to some subject with which we are already fieniliar. Nhingu this respect could be more felicitous than 12 Blarbiere di ingi; and as it was the first of his operas attemipte here, it was maihosdoubt the basis of his reputation with us. He must not, b,'Wce5r, assign t'he part of the heroine to Mladame Colbran; for-the trtfi-~ cannot be concealed, that the placing that lady in the character of 7,&-drasfibrrii an ebstacie,besides those we lhave jujst muentioned, in te p?nuari? oftheoper. Aterthe succession ot bright stars iblc hae thnn lire,comencng ith B~iligton and -Ctalani, anticosinud,4bouh wth omehatdinsinished splendour, in the Fodre,Ilelohsi,' auddeBegis f'their day, a female singer of thefirt casshasbe~.Ow inispnsaleto the success anid estima- tias o Ib Itlia shsCr inLonon;and if to lbe found in Europe, tewnmutb upit-yamaaeet that would deserve rosoe.I wold e ivio~~ t pusuethi remark by an ana- s-eisa a use olbrans saied~ shemay hve possessed the voice and style suited tosa p-item io,i-ur bat the perod has passed and we ca now only reCommend that Sifelor Benelli'pIPge her on his retirng pcnsion-list as speedilv as possible. Of Signor Franchtschs, tbe'other singer who made lfisfirst appesar. anmc on this occasion, it is only necessary to say.that hisVchief ambi. sloU must be to escape notice; and if he never ventures on characters mnore important tian that in which lie appeared, he may perhaps at- t-in that envied obscurity iherecriticisti does not enter. The.other performers are already known to the public; we discern no change since we last heard them, and can sincerelv congratulate the lovers af music that Garca mis as great as ever. The performance of Satur- day owed its chiefsupport and attraction to his exertions. The orchestra of this theatre is decidedly better than last season; not that the performers, tken separately, are superibr, but that -the ealzbic is mtoret erfect; which is owing, withoutdoubt,'to the per- sEnal supedlrten ence of a man of real talent. The new oboe i's ex. elent. he has a fine, thou-gh rather thin tone, and great execution' The new bassoou has neither; .aiud a much better player could certainly have been procured without amission:toltaly-. 'Tihenew leader ef the ballet is a good player but not near so fimn as his pre- decesor, Ioar: he should be careful only to attempt'passages Vwithin his power of execution. The isuprovement of the chorus, under the sbort sule of Rossini, is as conspicuous as that of the orchestra; but there Is still room for both to become better.. After- thc opera, according to the custohm of the theatre on the first night of performance for the season, "God save the King" was sung en thae stage by the whbole of the company. The sole verses were rrang by eDlamede Begnis, Signora Caradoris and Madame Vestris. thbe audience stood up while the national ant?sem was sung, and the buse, being crowded sri every part, presented ope ofthe finest specta- cdes to beseen in tlisnmetropofis. A call was then iPade for Thssini who, after a considarable delav, was led on the-stage byGar'ia, and made his obeisance ' the audiente, amidst a:shower of applause. The opera, with the ceremonies which folldwed it, had not terrni. nate. tillhalf past 11,-then the balletcommenced, and in defiance of the injunction against trespassing into the morning of Sunday, continuedt till half-past 12. } ;xcept Albert,we did,not notice, either in the divertisement o'r the balet, any performer of the first class. Vestris apd Madame Ronzi di Vestris were conspicuous anmong the group, and both pieces, which are pleasing; though simple of their kind, were rell perforrned. The evolutions of the corps de ballet ere formed with taste, and executed with unhty and precdsion. It was obvious, however. that the interest of the night was ,concen- trated inmus}c and in Rossini. Altogether, the evening was productive of high gtatification to one of the most numerous and fashionable audiences that everat- tended this theatre. ' ' KING'S THEATRE.