4 JANUARY 1845, Page 14

THE THEATRES.

AT the Princess's, The Italian in Algiers, an English version of Rossini's famous opera buffs, appropriately enlivens the present merry season. It was produced for the first time on Monday; and, though the first act somewhat hung fire, the piece went off with a very decided explosion of laughter and applause in the second. The chief credit of this success must be attributed to the male performers—to Allen in Lindor, Leffler in Taddeo, and P. Corti in Mustapha; whose spirited performance throughout, and admirablyeffective singing of the trio " Papataci," warmed the audience to enthusiasm, and confirmed the fortune of the piece. The broad humour of this thoroughly Italian extravaganza forms in the translation a very amusing musical farce: even Allen, who is not remarkable for his impersonations, seemed moved by the oddity of the situations, and entered into the spirit of the Scene; while Leffler was almost as grotesque as Munden. Nor are the changes of costume which love produces, making the poor Dey feel so 'very tight" in his pantaloons, mere burlesque or nonsense—a truthful moral on the fooleries of the tender passion rides triumphant over the laughter. The words of the concerted pieces are well adapted to the music; and sound in the vernacular so exceedingly odd and ludicrous, the opera huffs being but lately naturalized on our stage, as to give quite a new

character and in t to the composition. Mademoiselle H. Condell, the prima donna, exist great liveliness and volubility of throat in the part of

Isabella. We cannot, however, call her a pleasing singer: her execution is deficient in elegance, and her passages are far from being perfectly in fame. She, however, fills the stage well, and possesses the most perfect confidence and self-possession. Her defects are, perhaps, hardly noticed by the audience at large; nor would they perhaps be by us, but that the excellent performances sometimes heard at this house render it obnoxious to criticism of a somewhat high standard. Miss Grant, who is generally very efficient, sang lamentably false on Monday night. We do not remember to have noticed Mr. P. Corti, who appeared on this occasion as the Dey. He has a baritone of singular flexibility and power of articulation, and a most capital shake. The voice, though not remarkable in the quality of its tone, has properties which may be turned to excellent account ; and we hope to discover more to its advantage on making further acquaintance With it.