The French operatic company at St. James's have performed La
Pro- mise, by Clapisson ; a piece which was brought out at the Theatre Lyrique a few months ago. It is performed here exactly as at the Thea- tre Lyrique, every character having the same representative. Monsieur Clapisson is one of the third-rate Parisian composers,-a degree below Adam, and many below Auber, whom they all imitate to the best of their power. They all have an easy, fluent, flippant, very French style; their music goes trippingly on the tongue, and is often pleasant enough to the ear ; but it is utterly destitute of originality or depth. The subject of this, his last opera, is somewhat amusing at present as a picture of French nautical manners. Imagine a drama made out of the loves of an English privateer skipper with some "sweet Poll of Plymouth," seasont.d with coquetry, flirtation, jealousy, and salt-water claptraps ; and then carry the scene and the characters across the Channel, and you will have an idea of La Promise. The hero is capitally enacted by M. Junca, a tall handsome man, with a fine baritone voice, and much the best singer of the company. Madame Marie Cabel makes a very pretty and engaging grisette; but the music put into her mouth is sadly out of characte_,r, being loaded with brilliant vocal flights and ornamental pas- sages. We suspect that the florid style is the only one in which this very clever vocalist excels. The other performers are mediocre ; and their united appearance in this opera certainly does not say much for the strength of the company of the Theatre Lyrique.
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