17 AUGUST 1850, Page 12

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The lady -whose expected appearance at Her Majesty's Theatre in the characters of Norma and Donna Anna we mentioned last week, has per- formed those characters; and, though it was rather an exaggeration to announce her as "the celebrated soprano of the Italian Opera in Berlin," yet she has by no means produced disappointment, but, on the contrary, has made a highly favourable impression as a young and very promising performer. She is, it appears, a native of Seville, and the wife of an English officer, though by stage convention passing as "Madame Fioren- tini." Her musical education has been received entirely in England under the able and experienced Crivelli ; and it was only at the end of last year that she made her first public appearance on the Berlin Opera stage. She performed several leading characters of the opera eerie; and was so well received, and so favourably spoken of by the critics, that Mr. Lumley, always on the alert for the discovery of talent, gladly availed himself of an opportunity of introducing her to the London public even at the end of a season. Her appearance here, therefore, may be called an ex- periment on Mr. Lumley's part and a debt on her own; and the experi- ment and deliat have been quite successful. The manager has given fresh interest to the last days of his season; and the debutante has shown qualities sufficient to justify the highest anticipations of her future career. Madame Fiorentini is a fine young iveman, with a Spanish cast of beauty,—a dark complexion, ebon hair, bright flashing eyes, handsome features, and a light and elegant figure. Nature has given her a magnifi- cent voice, and it has been well cultivated by art. It is sweet, power- ful, and full of that youthful bloom and freshness which are ill ex- changed, after all, for the highest development of riper years. Her in- tonation is faultless, and her style has the purity to be expected from her instructor. She sang the music of Bellini and of Mozart in the man- ner appropriate to each; embellishing the one with taste and moderation,' and in the other preserving the severe simplicity of the German school. It was in Bellini's music' however, that she was most successful; as its effects, depending more than that of Mozart on physical powers and qualities of voice, demand a smaller amount of high art and refinement. In singing, as well as in acting, she shows great feeling and intelligence. Her elocution inreeitative is clear, emphatic, andvaried ; andin great bursts of passion she sometimes, following the strong impulses of her nature rises to the height of her most illustrioussisters ; but she yet lacks the strength to sustain herself on the wing. Her representation of Norma had some passages of great power, and some strokes of exquisite pathos; but it was not a personation of a character according to a distinct, consistent, and individual conception formed in the mind of the actress. It was here that she betrayed the debutante; but it was also easyto perceive that she has all the means, in this as in every other respect, to reach themunmit of her art.