THE ITALIAN OPERA.
Ricciardo e Zorcti. de, which we noticed hastily in our second edition last Saturday night, was performed again on Tuesday ; and though it is not, to us, a very attractive opera, we wished to take the earliest opportunity of again hearing and more fully stating our opinion of Signor DAVID. We confess that he does not win upon .us. There is no richness or volume in his voice. Unlike his predecessor, DoxzEma, who always appeared to have power to spare, DAVID is working, in passages of energy. at the highest pressure ; and, aS -a necessary consequence, his intonation is frequently imperfect. He does not appear to possess the power of sustaining with firmness in any part of his voice ; at least no such power was developed. His execution is great, and principally displayed in his falsetto, in which he ran up to E, and which he uses very liberally. His action is impassioned ; and he often helps out a deficiency of vocal power by extravagant contortions and grimaces. The lower notes of his voice are weak ; and his roulades frequently executed so sotto voce, as to be almost inaudible. Though most unsparingly used, these are not remarkable either for novelty or variety. His school will at once be recognized as that of VELLUTI ; and those who regard it as the perfection of the art, will admire DAVID. We confess to the crime of scepticism on this article of belief, and therefore award him a lower rank than some will think him entitled to. In one respect he had not fair play. The opera was the very worst exhi- bition that has disgraced the King's Theatre during our recollec- tion. Mademoiselle BECK (whose performance on Saturday we witnessed but in part) is hardly, except as a debutante, deserving of individual notice—her style is vulgar, her pronunciation bad. The first duet between her and Miss FANNY AYTON was in no respect superior to the average rate of amateur singing ; and " Cruda sorte," strange to say, finished amidst a storm of hisses. How infinitely inferior, at this moment, is the female vocal talent at the Italian Opera, to that of Covent Garden Theatre !
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