THE THEATRES.
THE Parisians have revived GRETRY'S opera of Richard Coeur-de-Lion, and the managers of Covent Garden have followed their example. GRETRY, usually claimed by the French as one of their school, had very little affinity with France : a Fleming by birth, and Italian by educa- tion, it was only accident that connected him with Paris. Richard Caur-de-Lion, one of his most popular operas, was brought out there in 1785; and two versions of it at the English theatre in the following year, one by Mac NALLY, and the other by General BURGOYNE. Of its success in Paris GRETRY thus spoke—" Ii eat inutile de parler dii succes de cette piece: il parvit que cent representations, toujours ex- tremement nombreuses, sulfiront ii peine è. l'empressement du public." (Essaie sur la Musigue, Vol. L p. 376.) Both the English versions were alterations of the original ; for in the one the discovery of Richard's place of confinement was given to Matilda in place of Blon- del, and in the other new characters and new music were introduced. The music of the Covent Garden version was arranged by SHIELD; who selected several airs and concerted pieces from different authors, in ad- dition to the music of GRETRY; introducing also some songs of his own, especially the music of an entire added character, written for Mrs. BnutuoToN, and containing two bravuras, at which the singers of the present day can only stare, for one of them reaches to E flat and the other to F sharp in alt.
The present Covent Garden version adopts the text of General BURGOYNE as far as it agrees with the original libretto, but restores to the part of Blondel its designed importance. The music is simply that of GRETRY, with additional accompaniments by ADOLPHE ADAM. In this the pure taste and genuine feeling of GRETRY are often beautifully conspicuous, but sometimes these are exchanged for subserviency to the then popular phraseology of the Italian stage. We question whether the vocal strength of Covent Garden at the present time is sufficient to insure for the piece a long run. The female singing cha- racter (for Matilda has only to speak) is ably supported by Miss RAM- FORTH ; but such singers as Mr. HARRISON and Mr. TRAVERS are out of their place as principals. The melodies of GRETRY demand a re- fined and delicate expression, and their meaning is not to be conveyed by mere dint of lungs. Nor, in fact, are they likely to hit the taste of an English audience of the present day. The revival of some English afterpiece would restore to public notice music equally good, and more to the taste of its hearers.
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