THE T EATRE S.
Mn. WELSH has followed his usual course with his theatrical pupils, who have generally started with .111andane and then adventured Polly: Artaxerxes is now laid aside, and the Beggar's opera woe revived on Monday at Covent Garden, in order to introduce Miss .1 esux as its heroine. Not, indeed, GAY'S ilefulars' Opem, but an arm:piece made Out of it. Yet, in one respect, it WM really and indeed a revival. This extraordinary composition, which drove 11ANont. amid the Italian opera into temporary oblivion, and prepared the way for the resuscita- tion of English dramatic tousle, has lung becn so represented as to deprive it of all resemblauce to treth and nature, and sometimes to make it a mere burlesque of the orie had. Bat the charecters are true to nature—or rather were, for their originals no longer exist. The
a
Lor of the present day is lint accustomed to " drink hard with his prisoners ;" nor does Mr. COPE let out his fetters " at all prices, from one guinea to ten." Gangs of highwaymen have long ceased to moister in Moorfields, and Macheath has no prototype. Vet every Kachcath :within our remembrance has been dressed as a dandy of' the day, and the other characters after a similar fashion. This absurOW y VEsTi; is has reformed altogether, and the characters on Monday m.i v.ei-e habited in the costume of the time, as perpetuated in I foes. es n's We saw the personages of a century ago; and therefore their loneuege, characters, habits, were all appropriate. The representation we. rfect. Miss Ateetex's personation of Polly was not calculated to cern for her the place of prima donna at Covent Garden. Ike voice is pkasing, but it is " vox et prteterea nihil." Her singing wants the charm of enunciation ; a defect which she shares 'ivith several of our female vocalists, who arc merely titterers of notes. Singing -without distinct enunciation is but a performance upon an iustrunk mit : and vocal music of which the words are not uttered, loses its character and its hid:me:Ice. Whether in Miss At:sris this defect is natural, or the effect of laal teaching, it is not the less fatal to her success. in the character of Pell it is more perceptible aed more injurious than in ti et of J' uIuuc. The s:mgs in the /3tegoe's Oeer(t are a continuation of the dialogue, introduced in order to terminate a speech with epieeenneille E:rce. They arc, in thet, a series of epigrams, of -which not a word should be lost upon the hearer : whereas, when sting by Miss A :"STIN, scarcely a word could be understood. She fell into the comnion error of stopping the progress of a melody by continue! breoches of time, with the intent (a mistaken one) of thereby giving what is called idlest to partienlar pas- sages. hut in order to meth' this end, the words so dwelt upon must be audible : if not, the flow of melody is arrested without any com- pensating advantage. To theee defects she must attribute the coldness and indifference of her audience : vhmile to the poesessioe of a clistinet and clear utteraece, Mr, Ile ;sox, who was the Copt:till's representa- tive, may chiefly ascribe his success. Every word of his onee was heard, understood, and thereli:re enjoyed : the result was that almost every song wits encored. 1 b.:: mo sox at preseut laeks many Of the requisites to form an ace:al:ph-hut singer, but he pussesses two im- portant Ones—a good voice mmd ii di i articuirit inn : these are quite sufficient to carry him successfully ihmeeli the sieging part of ifite- heath. Of' W.11.1:111, the original .1.1,021.,..1h, his emitemporary salys--" He knew no more of music than barely singing a soug in tune : but his singing was supported by his inimitable action : the humour, ease, and gayety he assumed in Captain Macheath, establish._ d I I repu- tati am, Nm as a principal cause of the success of the L'efffor's In truth, Mac/wadi is no test of a singer's powers, and the defects of BAunrsos's singing would here be undiscovered. The relimenents and polish of the art would be rather out of place where the scene is Newg:tte and the singer a highwayman.
Vessaus played Lucy; and sang as well as acted admirably: she was not a mere singer in masquerade, but entered heartily into the spirit of the character, end kept up the illusion throughout by her expressive
by-play. Mrs. C. JoNns personated Mrs. Peachuni to admiration : she ss-as completely the vulgar huswife, off-hand and business-like in her
manner, and insensible to the criminality of her vocation. She gave the snatches of song, too, with their full meaning, as dialogue delivered with musical utterance. Felines, in Pcachum, wits too polished a
vilhamn ; he seemed more of a lawyer than thief-taker : and illmerixv looks too honest and good-natured for Load. llanLav as Filch is nothing but HARLEY.
The opera was received with applause by a house crowded in every part.
The same piece was brought out at Drury Lane last night ; but, save in the two characters of Peachum and Filch, in every way inferior to
the Covent Garden performance. Mrs. ALBAN CROFT, the Polly, looks
pretty ; but her voice is more powerful than agreeable, and her execu- tion false alike in tune, tone, and taste, and moreover wanting in true feel-
ing. Mrs. WAYLETT, in Lucy, played the vixen eon anion; and FRAZER got through Mac/teeth tolerably well. Mrs. SELRY, as Mrs. Peachum, overdid the part : but W. BENNETT'S .Peachunt Was excellent—far better than FARREN'S; and HastmoNn's Filch was a genuine personation. The audience seemed better pleased than we could be, and applauded the faultiest passages of Mrs. Cnorr's singing with great vehemence. Drury Lane has gone further than n Covent Garden n restorations—in some respects, we think, too far ; and the absurdity of dressing up Ihe players in the orchestra in wigs and coats of the fashion of GAY'S time, is not merely ridiculous but impertinent.
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