THE THEATRES.
THE rival managers of the two Great Houses are resuming the old game of cross purposes ; which they play very much to the amusement of the public, though not without loss of some share of a quality that, however scarce in the theatrical world, one of the two at least enjoys the credit of possessing-highmindedness. The Drury Lane manager announces the production of ROSSINI'S opera of Guillaume Tell, which bad not hitherto been heard entire in this country, on a grand scale, and with as powerful a cast as the vocal strength of his company will admit of: KNOWLES'S play of William Tell is then advertised at Covent Garden ; and, as if to make the animus palpable to those who would willingly pass unnoticed the petty maticeuvres of managerial warfare, two or three choruses torn from ROSSINI'S opera are thrust into the play, which is altered by the author for the purpose ; and the rifacimento is brought out on the same night as the opera. Had " Monsieur Covent Garden" announced the first representation of KNowLes's play, and " Monsieur Drury Lane" got up for the nonce ROSSINI'S opera with CHARLES KEAN as the hero, we should not have been so much surprised. This is a reprisal, we suppose, for WIELAND'S rivalry of Miss HORTON'S flying. The best friends of the manager, who has done so much to refine the stage representations of SHAKSPERE, must regret to see his honourable career sullied by a recurrence to one of those " tricks of trade" that we had hoped were falling into disrepute. Viewing the operatized version of KNOWLES'S William Tell apart from this unworthy circumstance, we are bound to say that the musical additions blend with the drama better than we anticipated. Two of the situations chosen are apt for the introduction of musicand dancing,namely, the opening scene, and that preceding the setting.up of Gesler's cap in Altorf ; but broad, simple, choral effects, would have better harmonized with an assemblage of peasants met for merrymaking, than the elaborate operatic style of ROSSINI'S choruses. This was particularly apparent in the triple chorus sung at the gathering of the Cantons. Notwithstanding the powerful aids of numbers and actionthe multitude lifting their weapons at each swell of the harmony, as if their arms were reiody to second their voices-the progress of the play was interrupted by the introduction of something wholly foreign in its nature. In Macbeth and the Tempest, the music is confined to the supernatural machinery of the plot ; but here, an attempt is made to express by music the theme of the dialogue; and thc effect is consequently incongruous. It would have been not a whit more inconsistent for AllActtEADy to have sung the recitative, which we are told BRAIIAM gives so finely, before shooting at the apple. The performance of the music was throughout admirable ; the chorus is numerous and well drilled ; and the addition of MANVERS and LENNOX—the hater of whom, on this occasion, made a very satisfactory first appearance herestrengthened the force of the principal male singers correspondingly with that of the female vocalists. The orchestra, too, has received an increase of stringed instruments ; and the favourite overture was performed with a precision and fire that excited the furor of the audience to such a pitch that they encored it without waiting to hear out the finale.
.MACREADY'S William Tell is too statuesque and formal for the rugged mountaineer : both his dress and tnatmer tend to convey the idea of a man who stands aloof from his fellows, like a being of another class, than one superior to them only in greatness of purpose and energetic daring : but this defect is lost sight of in thd great scene where he calmly defies Gesler's power, and makes the tyrant quail be fore the kindling eye and dauntless front of the patriot. His expression of the silent agony of the father, confounded at the refined cruelty of the torture prepared for him, is heart-touching, and draws forth the most eloquent tribute to the actor's powers-tears. The effect of the play, and of this scene in particular, owed not a little to the cleverness of the little girl, Miss Isaacs, who personated Tell's sort: it was something more than mere parroting, and showed an understanding and feeling of the situation, that is not common in the acting of children. Mrs. WARNER, as the wife of Tell, Is the most natural figure in the family group : she wears the gay and picturesque Swiss costume, beside which the "duke gray" of MACREADY'S dress looks unnational, both in fashion :nod hue. The German painters supply is more characteristic and elegant costume. And how glaringly incorrect and unwarlike is the -light long. bow, that looks only fit for ladies to shoot with to en archery fête ! The absurdity is self.apparent, moreover, in the most critica point of the interest ; for even the toy.arrows that are used on the stage are too long for Tell to hide one in his dress, much less it cloth. yard shaft ; so there is the arrow intended for Gesler stieking out in sight of all: the "bolt " of a cross-bow 'night be readily -itereted, un
observed. It may seem hypercritical to notice such trivi 11 matters, but they materially interfere with the Unions'', and are in het ridiculous inconsistencies. Just as absurd, too, is the bringing iii of tile apple skew eled on the arrow, vel.eit it is obvious to common sense that the apple would have been shattered to pieces : what need show it at all, when the boy comes in unhurt ?
The play itself is not improved by the alterations. One intepraesrtti.: cular, by which the actual shooting of the arrow is separaied nom the
scene where Gesler confronts Tell and his son, di .ssevar, the in
is not replaced where Tell, piloting Gesler across the I..ke in the storm, leaps ashore when the boat nears the rock, (the historical fact,) but Tell first kills Sarnem, Gesler's million, and [het. shoots the tyrant himself on the battlements of his castle. The ciente svelte with the Seneschal and his stupid servant in the first act is tall our ; and all the comedy is supplied by ANDERSON, who plays the twit. hearted lover of the Seneschal's daughter with great vivacity. The costumes of the peasants have a good effect; and .0■He scenes of STANFIELD'S Diorama form very appropriate backgrounds .0 the gay groups.
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