13 MAY 1843, Page 14

THE THEATRES.

THE Italian Theatre is crowded whenever its doors are opened; which is now regularly three times a week ; so brilliant and varied are its at- tractions both in opera and ballet.

FORNASARI is extending his circle of parts; appearing every weekin a new one, and displaying great versatility of talent. Belisario, Figaro, Don Giovanni, the old soldier in the Gazza Ladra, and (next week.) the stern Roundhead in the Puritani ; a goodly range—too extensive, perhaps, for uniformity of excellence. FORMASARI treads the same walk with TAMBURINI—who, however, confines himself within a narrower space ; and they frequently become objects of comparison. About TAmnurstra there is an ease of manner, a gentlemanly smoothness, in which FORNASARI is deficient. He is somewhat rough and unpolished; and, in-parts where high breeding is requisite—as in .Dos View assai.-.

sometimes absolutely awkward. But these defects, incident partly to inexperience, are redeemed by great energy, freshness, and genuine feel- ing. In the expression of tenderness he is peculiarly happy ; and it is this expression which gives such a charm to the whole part of Belisario, and to the scenes between the old soldier and his daughter in the Glum Ladra, which he rendered exceedingly real and affecting. His singing partakes of the character of his acting. It is less polished, less uniformly finished than TAMBURINI'S , but it is far fresher. His orna- ments are more varied, and have less appearance of premeditation and study; and in passages of intense emotion, he rises to a height beyond that.of TADIBITRINI'S sustained and level flight. On Thursday, in the scene where the father and his doomed child are torn from each other, FORNASARI'S expression of agony, in look, voice, and action, was ter- rible, and produced a visible effect on the audience. His voice is an organ of a great variety of stops ; sweet and flexible as a tenor, but of immense power. Nothing could be more striking than the softness of the tones with which he began the prayer, " 0 Nume benefico," and the voice of thunder with which he hurled defiance at the head of the astounded Magistrate. He sings, too, with greater simplicity and a closer adherence to his text than TAJEBURINI was wont to do : but this is said to be a new style, gaining ground among the Italian singers. It is to be hoped that it may lead them to a better acquaintance with MOZART.

A great charm was given to the performance by Baemausa in the part of Pippo, which, small as it is, rarely meets with a fitting repre- sentative. The beautiful duet, " Ebben per mia memoria," so fre- quently omitted, was sung most charmingly by her and Gum. Ninetta is one of GEM'S best parts, and she performed it even better than usual. Her singing of the cavatina, " Di placer mi baize it cor," was an illus- tration of the way in which florid embellishments may be made con- ducive to true expression. Towards the conclusion of this air, her vo- cal flights seemed merely to be the exuberance of uncontrollable joy. In the last scene, where Ninetta is led, or rather dragged, to execution, her inability even to kneel was a stroke of high dramatic art. MARIO made all that could be made of the cold-blooded ninny her lover, and certainly sang beautifully. LABLACHE made the old Justice an inimit- able picture of brutish sensuality and total absence of feeling. The re- presentation in itself is sickening, but it serves as a foil to that of the simple but high-minded village girl and her father : no actor can like to perform it, yet none but a great actor could make any thing of it. As a whole, this fine opera was probably never before represented with such a combination of talent.

The performance was for the benefit of M. St. LEON, the extraor- dinary new dancer ; who, not content with performing unequalled feats of agility with his lower limbs, must needs take the audience by surprise with his expertness of hand in playing the violin : clever as it was, however, his emulation of PAGANINI will not gain him such a reputation as he has acquired by eclipsing PERROT. On this occasion the fascinating FANNY ELSSLER danced for the last time this season ; StLveng, with whom she executed a pas de deux, was lamed in the hopeless attempt to vie with her surpassing achievements ; and in the Cachucha the sparkling eloquence of her looks rivalled the scintillations of her feet. But as one star sets another rises; and CERITO is now- in the ascendant. Less etherial than DUNILATRE, and less dazzling than FANNY ELSSLER, CERITO has a captivating style that wins more than it astonishes. She threw an air of playful naiveté into that arch, buoyant Pas Styrien, that made its coquetries perfectly delightful.