THE THEATRES.
EASTER is the midsummer of the dramatic world, when life is at its prime: audiences have grown to their proper dimensions ; the theatres mark with some novelty the completeness of their gathered strength ; and the Italian Opera, which has usually had but a dreamy existence before, awakens to its fall day.
The reappearance of GRIST and LABLACHE, in Norma, drew a crowded audience to the house at its opening on Tuesday ; and the favourites were received with a warmth of welcome that evinced itself in long-con- tinued plaudits. The Arch-Druid, like huge Plinlimmon, bowed his hoary bead for some moments before silence permitted him to unloose the mighty voice; and GRIST'S silver notes were in like manner sus- pended by the interchange of courtesies after her two years' absence. This hearty commencement was followed up by oft-repeated applause from the usually apathetic audience ; whose satisfaction overstepped common sense in an encore or two that somewhat marred the progress of the drama. GRISI has grown stouter in the two years—and she could scarcely have been expected to alter for the better. Her reappearance naturally provokes a comparison with the accomplished singer who re- cently introduced the Druidess to the English stage ; and, sooth to say, the comparison is not altogether adverse to the Englishwoman. That her performance was in many respects an imitation of the Italian's, the return Oa GRISI only makes more palpable : particular notes and parti- cular gestures recur in both versions. Yet the conception of the part was not identical. The strength of GRISI lies in an entire abandon- ment to the instinctive feelings of the woman in Norma's position : love, jealousy, rage, grief, devotion, sway her by turns—rule unchecked ; and the emotions of human nature are seen in the same primitive ve- hemence in the artist as in the most untutored of Eve's daughters, find her where you will, from Calabria to Connaught. Such primary emo- tions are impressive in themselves ; they are beautiful when embodied in a form of youth and grace, and uttered in a voice of native honey ; and while Guist retains her beauty and her voice, her full abandonment to the passions of Norma will be an engaging spectacle. Her increased person, however, and possibly some slight share of maturer vigour in her voice, just sufficed to remind us that the loveliest may lose their delicacy ; and we observe some of her stanchest admirers cautioning her against a redundancy of action—not in itself, we take leave to doubt, more emphatic now than before. ADELAIDE KEMBLE'S con- ception of the part was more critical—more mechanical if you will ; but it was not less vehement in gesture, perhaps even greater abruptness was less relieved by natural symmetry of form : yet there was a sterner consistency in it as a whole, greater self-possession ; and if tbe actress seemed to suffer the passion less—if the performance was less " na- tural," a more careful art permitted the circumstances and accessories of the character to come out more. The priestly dignity, the injured pride, the power not of mere revenge but of retribution, the exalted nature of the final sacrifice, were more distinctly if more artificially marked. Gann better portrayed the wronged woman, KEMBLE the outraged priestess; and, considering that her mission was to make an English audience acquainted with a vocal dramatic poem—as a whole, an innovation on the English stage—disadvantages of voice and person were probably counterbalanced by a discrimination which better fitted the more dramatically and less musically critical nature of her audience. LABLACHE'S Oroveso, as everybody knows, is majestic and solemn : his vast powers suffice to themselves, and enable hint to impart force in repose. Nothing can be more touching than the paternal grief which struggles through the austerity of the condemning priest, though almost its strongest expression is the restless motion of the hands. The Po//io was CONTI ; whose alleged cold proves so chronic that people begin to suspect it is one of those maladies that some persons always happen to have : he was hoarse, and he did not endow the part of the shabby Roman with more than its due share of dignity ; but he sang with taste and spirit, and a happy expression of that wayward passion which fickle voluptuaries take for love. Mormixt's lovely voice and pleasing style rendered the part of Adelgisa a prominent figure in the composi- tiou, as it ought to be. Thus cast, the opera told in all its points ; and the " Casta diva," the trio which closes the first act, and the duets " Deh con te," and " Quel cor tradisti," perhaps never went more satisfactorily. The strong cast of Semiramide, on Thursday, brought a still greater multitude : the crowd at the pit-door extended some way up the colon- nade on either side ; the crush at entering was terrible, and some pretty little screams now and then rose from the distressed nymphs carried along in the obstructed torrent of people ; and those who came a quar- ter of an hour too soon, found the pit full—so full, it is a mercy the walls of the house did not burst. Within, there is more vicissitude. LABLACHE has undertaken the part of Oroe : the opera begins—priests march in—the high priest is to speak ; when lo ! "a dreadful stillness first invades the ear, for the voice of the actual singer was as silence compared with the promised Oroe. All went on pretty well for a little bit ; the audience curious to see the new performers in their new parts. CONTI appears, his voice in better order than on Tuesday, and bringing out well the beautiful music of Idreno,—which, though auxiliary to the rest rather than of substantive importance, is so essential to the effect of the whole that it ought to be intrusted to no unequal singer. FOR.. NASARI joins the group as Assur ; his commanding form a worthy im- personation of barbaric aristocracy—stern, puissant, and arrogant. His voice, potent but agile, pursues the melody which Idreno has started ; and the audience, satisfied that FORNASARI sustains his newly-acquired name in the Assyrian chief, applaud. GRISI again charms them as the imperial intrigante. But dissatisfaction grows apace : a suspicion is whispered that LABLACHE is jealous, and will not play with FORNA.SARI in an inferior part ; and some of the more indignant call out for the truant. The performance is arrested : an inaudible apologist bows to the vociferous mass of visages, and at length they are silent to hear— but hear not ; for the worthy gentleman, in his agitation, bath left his voice behind. LUMLEY himself is invoked; and states that LennscrrE, for whose indisposition a premonitory apology had been placarded, had been desirous of playing, but found himself so ill as to make it impossible. The hisses revive, and LUMLEY retreats, evidently disbelieved; though LABLACHE is not usually considered a man of pretences. The performance is resumed: BRAMBILLA. appears as Arsace, after an absence of four years, and in the gratification of her return the vexation is forgotten. Henceforward all went smoothly. The reappearance of BRAMBILLA suggests a similar comparison to Gaist's in reference to Mrs. ALFRED SHAW. Time has not spared BRAMBILLA'S voice ; the lower parts especially are much worn away : in that particular, the English singer's full and perfect organ may be set down as past compare. Like Mrs. SHAW'S, BRAMBILLA'S perform- ance of the young general is quiet, and even feminine; but still it is more instinct with life and energy, a greater loose is given to the feeling, and the exquisite delivery and finish of execution not even the inroads of time could impair. The duet with GRISI, in which the youth discovers himself to his enamoured mother and his knowledge of her crime, was in all things perfection : in the light and shade of emotion, the blending of the voices, the dulcet rivalry in which the treble and contralto echoed each other, it was like the contest between the Musician and the Nightingale'-.only the nightingale, GRIST, seemed to derive new life instead of death in the conflict. Her manner was more subdued than in the part of the priestess on Tuesday, and therefore more effective. This was very perceptible in the great duet of recrimination between the Queen and her more criminal accomplice, Assur; and the close, where to martial strains the Assyrian Queen recovers " la sforza pri- miera," was triumphant. The duet, and that with Arsace, "Bella imago," brought out all FORNASARI'S well-marked declamation and acting ; and to both his magnificent voice gave due strength and em- phasis. Altogether, though LABLACHE was wanting, Semiramide will not readily be beard in higher perfection.
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