31/ noir.
There have been, in the past week, two interesting novelties at our Italian theatres—a new Don Giovanni at Her Majesty's, and a now Regina (in the Barbiere di Siviglia) at Covent Garden.
The chef-d'eeuvre of Mozart—the master-work of the musical stage— is, of all operas, the most difficult to perform. It demands a whole cost- stellation of talent ; almost every character must be filled by an actor and singer of the first class; and the hero of the piece requires, in his representative, a combination of qualities very seldom to be found. Hence, it is often impossible to produce Don Giovanni, even in the great- est opera-houses in Europe ; and in London, though repeatedly attempter; it has not once been successfully performed during the last twenty years, The ultimus Romanorum—the last of the Don Giovannis—was Tambn- rini : since his day, every one who has attempted to bend the bow of Ulysses—and some eminent men have done so—has only exposed his own weakness. We had long given up the hope of ever seeing another Don Giovanni, when we unexpectedly found him, last Saturday night, in the person of Signor Everardi. In him the public have met with a per I former, possessed of all the gifts of nature and all the attainments of art requisite to give a true and vivid picture of the noble gentleman, the gay, voluptuary, and the reckless reprobate, without heart, remorse, or fear To his powers as an actor, Everardi adds the accomplishments Of a: finished singer ; and his whole performance of this most arduous part, vocal as well as dramatic, was nothing less than a triumph. The opera was well performed on the whole. Titiens was noble and beautiful al. Donna Anna, and Borghi-Mamo, as Zerlina, was as captivating a rustic' coquette as could be imagined. Donna Elvira—a character which scarcely: ever receives justice on the stage—was respectably sustained by Made._ moiselle Vaneri, a young performer of considerable merit. Vialetti, ass Leporello, sang well and acted tolerably, but he was tame and weak afte, Lablache and Roneoni.
The performance of the Barbiere, at Covent Garden on Tuesday, war a delicious treat. The new Rosina was Madame Miolan Carvalho, mut
the character was most charmingly performed ; youth, beauty, and ele,t gent gaiety made her picture of the Spanish maiden perfectly captiva-}- ting ; and her vocal execution was a splendid display of brilliancy elms-. toned by good taste. Mario's Almaviva still sets all rivalry at defiance no one can act the part with such consummate grace, or Burg the murier with such exquisite sweetness. Ronconi's Figaro was a piece of rich and genuine comedy ; and Zelger's Bartholo was a clever imitation of Lablache.
The " Mendelssohu Festival," at the Crystal Palace, on Friday last week, was an elaborate affair, sedulously got up on the ad captanduin plan ; and, in this point of view, it was no doubt very successful. Some sixteen or seventeen thousand people were drawn together ; and the re- sult in pounds, shillings, and pence, must have been highly satisfactory. Besides a performance of Mendelssohu's greatest work, Eliiah, by three thousand voices and instruments, there was an "inauguration" of his statue with an immense torchlight procession in the grounds after dark, formed chiefly of Germans, with other demonstrations of Teutonic enthu- siasm; all well-bestowed, for few men have been more worthy of homage than this illustrious musician.
In regard to the performance of E/Wah., the full remarks we made en the "Handel Festival" in June last, leave us very little to add upon The subject. We hold that these monster-gatherings which have come inte fashion in our day, where the voices and instruments are oo. only by hundreds but by thousands, are destructive to ecoefinement, cacy, expression—to all the qualities which constitute the real power and charm of music. In a spore so vast, nothing makes an pression on the ear but the combined roar of the multitude ; and #1/0, when the notes are slow and simple, is occasionally sublime; but Mo. it reduces the effect of single voices to insignificance. Even Sims Reeves, to make himself heard, must shout at the full stretch of his voice ; and does this deserve to be called singing ? If such was the case with the plain, broad, simple music of Handel, much more is it the case with the modern and complicated harmonies and melodies of Mendelssohn ; and the failure of the effect of Elijah, compared with that of the Messiah, was the subject of general remark. We believe that the present rage for these overgrown performances will not be lasting; and that it will be found, in music as in other things, that mere bulk does not consti- tute greatness. The principal Concert of this work has been that of the Philharmonic Society on Monday evening. When we say that the symphonies were Haydn's seventh in D, and Beethoven's Pastorale ; that the overtures were Weber's Euryanthe and Herold's Prd cur Clercs ; that Mendels- sohn's Concerto in G minor was played by Lubeck, one of the greatest pianists of the day; and that Mademoiselle Pampa and Mr. Santley sang several fine scenes from operas of Mozart, Weber, and Rossini, we have said enough to show that the Concert was an entertainment of the highest order; and we need only add that it drew a crowded assem- blage of the most musical people in Loudon.
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