THE ENGLISH OPERA.
Aeaceen is retrite nig his character, and we hope recruiting his tteasury. A seeonti I':eglielt opera, the Mountain Sylph, composed by Mr. Ilatteearr, was broeght out on Munday ; and its musical sueeess has been complete. The story of La SfJpIthr, is familiar to the frerpenters of the King's Theatre :1:1.1 there, we think, it had better have remained. The faselnetions (If the 'Loyola° are oldressed to the eye rather than the ear evett it the present. version, her admirer confesses him- self te have beet: captivated it her "ai.:rial grace," and not by the tones of her voice. Tide unfortunate edmission recalls Tatatom to our memories: the Seiph of the Lyeettin being personated by Miss HOMER. As, in Elie oi era a e live in Fairyland, no such awkwardness ought to imve presented iteelf S lphs tiny Os well bo goad sineers tts el:A delivers: in the ballet, the heroine was rightly the TA GL[ON I, but in the optea she ought to have been the LI 13 AN U V the Sylphie dominions. The author has tild his seene in one of the Western Islands of Scetland. Donald (WI es.ox), on the poiet of marriage with Jessie (Miss Sommtv leek), lacemee enamoured of Eolia (Miss ROMER), who visits him in his sleep. He enconnters an implacable wirer- sary in Hela (Pin Late-) ; by whose arts and spells Eolia is carried to some "gloomy vetilte and dungeons dire," a hence she is libe- rated by the courage of her lover and the power of her Queen. She finfoits her seirittiality and becomes mortal, to obtain a hus- band. The fereilten Jessie bestows her hand on Donald's good- natured rival (Keetasv), and, the story winds up to the satiefac- non of all parties. Theatrical usage, in these cases, requires that (heinous should le! sent to their regions below, smoking and howling—" vanielt in a clap of thuniee," or some similar and appropriate device: but Bela, in this case, is allowed to make a quiet. exit in a trio, between himself, the Sylph, and Donald. /Ida is, altogether, an extraordinary personage. At first he seemed a regular Scottish wizard, &lased something like lhascuaav in Macbeth, or a Highland edition of GRAY'S Bard- " Loose his heard, aiid hoary hair
Stream'd like a meteor to the tronbled air,"
breathing revenge (on very slight grounds) towards poor Donald: anon,
" Altliongh of monstrous shape, his manners change to those of gentle kind :"
he becomes a dainty &Pinola a warbling wizard, a sentimental sorcerer,—in short, " a delicate " and most melodious " monster;" singing
" Farewell to the mountain, and sun-lighted vale,
The moss-bordered streandet, awl balm breathing gale."
and chanting of bees, butterflies, and convent-bells. After all, he turns out to be another Zinnia or a Si ties the second, fore- man anti prime agent to Astarotle—who, according to MILTON, was calted " the Queen of heaven, with crescent horn," but who in Seteland appears to have changed his sex : at least (for we always speak hesitatingly upon these points) he was dressed in dtemoniacal male attire, was personated by Mr. SUTTON, and was speken of' as "our Master.- Such was the story on which Mr. BARNETT had to work ; and we do not think his task a peeuliarly ens iable one. The coiteti- deuce of fairies and dientoes in the same piece certainly affinds ronsiderable scope and variety to the composer (take Oberon as an Illustration); but 'tele dame:nisi-in was too prominent. He is constantly driven to labour after " something new and strange ;" and when the party are thy the poet) first mustered to the sound of the gong, it is dear that the cemposer has reached the ne plus ultra of noise. These infernal sounds bhoula be sparingly ham- duced, not reiterated till they become either outrageous or simply tiresome. This, however, is the poet's fault, and the poor musician has to overcome the difficulty in the best way he can ; fortunate if Ile escape the charge of plagiarism frotn WEBER or SPOHR, at the risk of sinking to the level of that barbarous din which usually accompanies the infereals in their progress through an Easter piece or Christ Was pantomime. That Mr. BARNETT has studied the dramatic compositions of the great German writers, is clear and palpable : that his invocation scene has an affinity to the similar one in Faust, and that Wanset has often been present to his mind, will not be denied : but we heard nothing on which to found a charge of plagia. isna To purloin from WEBER and SPOHR, is no easy matter—their gold cannot be fused into a mass with metal of inferior value. In this portion of his opera, Mr. Bain:err displays great resource, grant instrumental power, and a capability of following in the track of melt who, in this branch of their art, are unrivalled. The music of the piece, throughout, has a Scottish flavour, which is appropriate and characteristic, without ever descending to that maudlin affectation of national peculiarity which is all that many English writers have reached in similar attempts. The employment of the air "Roy's Wife" as an accom- paniment to one of WiasoN's songs, was very happy. Several of the airs are marked by great sweetness of melody ; but the com- poser has been most successful in his concerted pieces. "And Low your kiudness to repay," is admirably constructed for dramatic
effect; and the trio (forming a pert of it) "And Jeesie gave," full of beauty.
NVe have long wished that BARNETT should have a fair trial of his strength as a dramatic composer; and the Mountain Sylph has satisfied us that our anticipations of what he could do were well f ainded, lie has had to contend with it great deal in the absuitlity of his story anti the inconereity of his characters. All the merit of' the opera is his own. The singers did him justice. Miss Rnmeet advanced herself in our opinion by her (singing) performance of the S ipiu. The part of Jessie was not precisely fitted for Miss SosteneatLI.E, who shines most as a ballatbsinger ; but her singing was pleasing and correct. We never heard WIL- SON to so much advantage : he had the prineipal male character,. and he sustained it with excellent effect. One of the most grace- ful songs in the opera was, strangely, allotted to the nondescript personage of whom we have speken. It suited Pu ILIA PS'S SI110061 and level style, but was not in accordance with the character of' Held.
The complete success f this piece is, of itself, a sufficient evi- dence, that if the English Opera 1161 of success, it is not owing - to any want of talent itt ing composers.
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