7 JULY 1849, Page 12

THEATRES AND MUSIC.

After seeing a battle well fought., it is some satisfaction to find that the object of that -battle is worth the fighting; and this is certainly, the case with the divertissement of Lea Plaisire d 1.1; rer, produced on Thursday at Her . Majesty's Theatre. We may now confess, that while. admiring M. Paul Tagliopi's very diplomatic announcement last week, we had some. misgiving as to what the debateable territory might turn out to be; recol-, lecting that the greatest adepts at chess almbsninvaliably play for nothing. Butall such misgivings were.dispelledlon ThursdaY; for the divertisseMent

prOves.a little gem in its way. . -

Lela Plahrirs &Myer is, if possible, something even less than an ordinary, iliVertleiement. Two pictures, in which nostoryist.olds are presented to the Spectator: there are a Iluugarian deuce twoeinavhich Mademoiselle Rinsed appears remarkably happy and delighted as well.as.delightful; and then there is -a frozen Danube, on-which the whole corps de ballet skate in eves 'direction'. Nothing can be more diverting than this scenes:if Magyar merriment. A motley throng dressed in the beautiful costumes of Hungary is perpetually dispersing and- gathering; and the forms and movements of thitsessembty offer-an unceasing variety packed into the briefest duration of time. - The audience are kept Ma constant state of mirth; which, we fear, is not a little heightened by the manifest timidity of the young danseuses, forced to trust themselves not merely -to their own faety feet but to arti- ficial skates. As the heroes of a time or- countty ehould be picked out aiming their fellows, we would give. especial -commendation- to a young gentleman (we believe M. Charles) who most audaciously varies his atti- tudes and darts from corner to corner of the stage, with even an. ostentation of courage. The sports terminate with a graud battle of snow-balls, na- turally enough; for it seems to be a theory implanted in the human mind, that-Mie of the chief purposes of the material called snow, is to be rolled

into hard masses, and pitched at the bead of a fellow creature. '

The electric sun, that lighted up the scene on the Danube,- though very remarkable as an 'effect of light, was less satisfaCtory as a work of art. It was'bnt t to bright for the canvass atmosphere-hr-which it appears; as the real birds were uncongenial to the operatic forest in-Addison's time._ The musical interest of the Operahouse now centres in the reappearance' of Sontag,—restored for a time to the-stage by the troubles in Italy,' which have impaired the fortunes of her husband, Count Rossi. Madame Sontag performs at Her Majesty's Theatre this evening, iu Linda di Chamouni. As she was nineteen when she first came to this country, twenty-one years ago, she must now be forty; and her comingfortla.again from' rom the uncritical sphere of amateur-music caused some solicitude haler former admirer's. The anxi- ety was much abated by her performance at the rehearsal yesterday : Madame Sontag leeks much younger than she is; her face has the glow of health, with the open engaging expression that it always wore; her voice, a pure soprano, seems to be unimpaired in quality and freshness; and her execution retains that perfect finish, unattended with the least, appearance- of 'effort,' Which, among all the singers of the day, Jenny Lind alone has rivalled. The in- teresting heroine of Douizetti's best opera is a part quite suited to Madame Sontags powers, in acting as well as singing.