SONTAG AND PISARONI.
Soarrao is, in our opinion, much improved. She does not now labour under the grievous task of supporting an exaggerated reputation—she is relieved from the straining effort of acting up to a standard of fame. existing only in the regions of romance. She has ceased to be a wonder, and she is beginning to be charming. Her style now is totally different from what it was last year. There is a repose and tranquil grace, the very opposite of the anxious display, flutter, and glitter, which formerly made us marvel at the taste that had filled Europe with reports of the performer's rare excellence and powers of fascination. Her execution we thought front the first faultless, when considered only withreferenee to the achievement of the difficulties proposed; it is not so much paraded for mere technical 'admiration, and is kept more strictly within the bounds of good taste. All mankind have a proneness for converting means into end. The author sacrifices matter to the composition which should serve to set it forth. The scholar attaches himself to the niceties of grammar, and disregards the trea- sures to which it should but act as key. The lawyer, intent upon jargon, never wastes a thought on justice. The soldier makes the smartness of his uniform the main object of his professicinal aspiring. The singer is not exempt from this pervading blunder, and the neces- saries to musical effect are turned into the grand objects of ambition. In reading MILTON or SHAKSPEARE, there is no coxcomb so hardy in self-sufficiency as to interpolate his own conceited improvements ; but modest, gentle, blushing singers, make no scruple of preferring their own emendations to the masterpieces of MOZART and Rossini. The impertinence is one which ought to be repressed by the taste of the public. We rejoice to repeat that this offence is not of the former frequency, or extravagance, in the performance of Mademoiselle SONTAG; and as, when she chooses to decorate, there are no botches in her work, and the ornament is perfect in itself, however ques- tionably applied, her style altogether contrasts most advantageously with that of another artiste who so unluckily associates awkwardness with ambition, presumption with failure. Mademoiselle SONTAG'S personation of Semiramide, while the im- pression of PASTA was yet fresh on the public mind, may appear a hardy essay ; but the success with which she acquitted herself, fully justifies the attempt. Though there was not the tragic force of PASTA,—the bold lines of pride, and deep colouring of passion,—thole was yet so much equal dramatic propriety of performance, as has not left us room to object any specific fault. Had not the ground been oc- cupied by another, of (we may say) dictatorial genius, we should pro- bably have pronounced SonfraG's Semiramide excellent ; and we now do not hesitate to style it extremely good. PASTA is, however, the established queen of our minds : and by her standard we cannot help trying the merits of the new aspirante. PISARONI, for whose benefit the opera was revived, filled the cha- racter of Arsace ; a part in which she has acquired great and deserved reputation. She threw a new spirit into the character, and gave it the prominence of her own genius. To the music she generally did ample justice ; but we must object, that in the beautiful duet " Bel imago;' she frittered away its effect by an addition of petty ornament. Hers is a part of passion; and it should be borne in mind that pas- sion is always simple in its expression. When we are dwelling on our devotion to another, we never think of setting forth our own accom plishments. BORDOGNI played ldreno, and looked and sang as if completely pleased with himself; a singular sentiment, in which no one else ap- peared to participate. The fine choruses, which give a character of originality and gran- deur to the piece, were infamously ill howled.
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