The Sun. — 1860-06-04 (London, England)

GAITE. The list of novelties this week is rather worse than nil, seeing that the only production it has brought forth is a lugubrious affair entitled " Une Pecheresse," being the adventures of a young lady of the class of " La Traviata," " Marion Delorme," and many others, all of which are so perfectly known to the play-going world that there is not an incident or scarcely a passage in the present piece which is not anticipated by the spectator. The principal character is a furiously virtuous young man, by name Andrew Stevens, a sign-painter by trade, who having the good—or ill-:—fortune to Preserve a young woman from suicide, incontinently goes and marries her. He speedily discovers that this was a mistake, as she turns out to be one of the unhappy tribe, familiarly known to London policeoffices as " unfortunate." The results of the singularly hasty union may easily be divined—ceaseless jealousy on the part of the husband, and misery to both. Two or three comic roles are introduced to enliven the dulness of the proceedings, one scene of which is laid at Musard's ball, which rather relieve the heaviness of the piece, and at the close Monsieur Andrew has the grace to acknowledge that he has been wrong, and his suspicions of his wife unfounded. Full of commonplace sentiment, absurdity, "and improbability as this piece is, there is a vein of interest running through it which somehow, in spite of all defects, keeps the attention and sympathy of the audience alive. It is fairly acted ; and the names of the writers, Mg. Prebois and Barrier°, were received with a warmth that promises " Une Pecheresse" a fair prospect of a run.  During the performance of "Pierre de Medicis" on Monday evening Mme. Ferrais had the misfortune to sprain one of the tendons of the heel, and was totally unable to continue her performance. The opera is in consequence postponed for a few nights, to allow her a little repose. Miss St. George, a special favourite of the Londolt theatres, has arrived in Paris en route for the other principal capitals of the Continent, whither she is proceeding with a view to give musical and dramatic entertainments ; a species of representation to which the sprightly talents and voice of this young lady are most admirably adapted to give effect. Miss Cushman, the justly celebrated American tragedian, is at present in Paris on her return from Rome, where she has been passing the winter. MM. Binfield's Soirée Musicale passed off brilliantly. The programme commenced with their trio on Oberon. Then came an old favourite, Stevens's glee Ye spotted snakes," new to Paris, and sung with good expression and ensemble by Mlle. Fa.lconi and the madrigal party. Mr. H. Binfield performed a charming new harp mazurka, and his variations on the " the faro" and Parish Alvar's " Mandoline" study with his usual brilliant fingering; his Agnus Dei was very well rendered, and was warmly applauded. Bach's fine organ prelude in E fiat, and Schubert's " Hark, the lark," ar ranged and performed in masterly style by Messrs. W. R. and Augustus Binfield, were followed by " 0 Thou that tellest," from the Messiah, capitally sung by Mlle. Falooni. The elegant audience and the number of artistic celebrities pres:ent at a concert so late in the season showed how highly these conscientious artistes are esteemed in Paris.  Tamberlik is at present engaged at Madrid, after which, some of the journals state, proceeds to ltio Janeiro, where he remains for eight months, receiving the enormous salary of 1;8,000. We are awure that Tamberlik is a prodigious favourite in Rio, but £l,OOO a month seems an exorbitant sum, even considering the extravagant manner in which Italian artistes are usually overpaid in Europe. We believe, however, that he is engaged at Covent Garden for at least a part of the present season, so that his visit to South America wilt not take place for some time.  A Paris letter in the Independence gives some curious details relative to the opera of " Semiramide," which is about to be brought out at the Grand Opera in a French form :—" In preparing for the coming representation, it was impossible to find a complete partition of the opera. When Rossini composed it, music was not engraved in Italy; but the parts were copied by hand at the theatre, and those copies, being executed by unintelligent persons, were often very incorrect and incomplete. The copyist furnished the other theatres who applied to him, and, as the orchestras of those houses were limited to only a few instruments, they, from a principle of economy, merely sent for such partitions as would suit them. The quartettes of the stringed instruments were always more complete and more carefully copied than the rest. Rossini told me the other day that even at the Italian Theatre of Paris, they had never had the partition such as he had written it. In order to procure it for the French Opera, it was necessary to make long and difficult researches, to consult the libraries of several theatres in Italy, and at length the work was recompleted. On the clay of the first representation of " Semiramide," Galli, who had the part of Assur, sang constantly too high ; he perceived his error, but found it impossible to come down to the proper tone. At the fall of the curtain he dared not present himself before the. maestro, whom he knew was in the house; but Rossini, perceiving him, approached with open arms, and exclaimed " Yeni, porco, that I may embrace you; you have sung admirably false during the whole evening." So much for the letter of the _lndependence. We may add that it was in this opera Mme. Malibran made her debut in Paris. She appeared as Arsace—Mlle. Sontag being the Semiramide. The representation was for the benefit of Galli, the baritone above mentioned, and took place at the Grand Opera. The success of Milibran was so great, that she was engaged on the spot for the Italiens by M. Laurent, who -was then Director.