At Her Majesty's Theatre, Bellines serious opera I Capoletti ed
I Non- tumid has been attempted, with the purpose, we suppose, of bringing out again the stars eclipsed by the ran of La 7bnpeeta. But it did not enable them to shine very brilliantly ; being one of the very poorest operas on the Italian stage. The tale of Romeo and Juliet, with a perverse in- genuity truly wonderful, has been stripped of every vestige of interest ; and the music is a tissue of the merest commonplaces, without force, cha- racter, or expression. So weak has it been found, that, when it has hap- pened now and then to be performed, it has been mixed up with another unsuccessful opera by Vaccai, and some passages from old Zingarelli. But on the present occasion it was performed in all its original purity and po- verty ; and anything more fiat and insipid we have never witnessed. Parodi and Frezzolim made some little impression in the last scene; but poor Gardoni was utterly lost in the paltry part of Tebaldo,--rather hard, considering. that it was his first appearance after a long absence. The choice of the Natrimonio Segrete was more judicious and success- ful. The female trio, in particular, was very capital: Sontag and Frezzo- lini as the two sisters, and Parodi as the prim aunt, were perfect each in her several way. We agree with a contemporary, that in comic parts like Parodi will probably be found to show more original genius than in those to which she has too obviously been trained.
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