The operatic melodrama at Covent Garden, called the Sexton of
Cologne. written by FITZ BA LI., with music by RODWELL, is a very trashy affair; and hut for the beautiful scenery by XI aasuat.t., would have been intolerable. The incident on which the piece is founded might have been made effective by a clever play-wright ; but as it is, the story itself is marred, and its meagreeess not enriched by dramatic in- vention. The plot of the piece consists in the attempt of Laban, a y01111g Jew—(we are getting tired of these Hebrew heroes)—to obtain possession of Adelheide, the beautiful daughter of a rich Burgomaster, by means of an opiate ring, which keeps the wearer in a deathlike sleep. This ring he places on the finger of A delhaide on her wedding- day ; and she being supposed dead, is consigned, like Juliet, to the tomb; whenee she is delivered by the furtive Sexton, who steals the ring from ben finger, and thus unwittingly frustrates the purpose of Lillian, who had planned to coevey her away before she awoke.
The improbability of this story is rendered more absurdly evident by the clumsy and ineffective way in which the denouement is broueht about.
The music is feeble and commonplace; and, with the exception of the scene at the end of the first act, where the bride drops down life- less, it is not dramatic even in form,—that is, it does not assist to carry forward the action of the scene.
Miss Rosiest, as the bride, sung and acted agreeably and effectively ; and VALE, as the Sexton, was comical esiough : the rest of the per- formers were at best mediocte.
The opening view of Cologne, a drop-scene, representing the Cathe- dral by moonlight—and the last scene in the ruined church, with a distant view of the Rhine—are as picturesque and beautiful efforts of scenic art as STANFIELD ever .painted. The truth of nature is not sarrificed to stage effect. The Interiors likewise are in good character, butt not new. The "gigantic winding staircase," that the bills an- nounce in large letters, is a straight stair-ladder of some half-dozen. steps ! These managers never know how to rely on what is good. SHERIDAN KNOWLES has a short engagen:snt here: but it is shame- ful to play the Hunchback and William Tell as afterpieces, especially to such a poor production as this new floe.
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