THE OPERA.

Auckland Star, Volume V, Issue 1377, 9 July 1874, Page 3

THE OPERA.

» i LA SONNAMBTTLA. v . t .jt d ) ct , -, r«o^r'''^:';-n:'' ;'•• ■■■■'::> ■:?■ ' * ??? -aiW " iThis £ayorite English. opera--Waß;iire|Siehte.d'; evening at;the ; ?rinc6?Q|.'^Weii'^teatre' witlx; succeaa,,' iThe "scenery and mraicial. accompaniments- were, 'in-harmony with, the,ZocaZ,e, and, spjrit of ? Ija 3 Sdnftamifalaj kn&h\ke& mendation for the completeness of the periprmance. An opera^ of this character is litnore acceptable ,tp an English audience than -th£ best of either 'the productions' of Italy 'and Germany simply; without speaking in disparagement -.ol^hese- an -/English ,a,udi,ence can "understand tie language of, the English ■'opbra which •"' giVes it'; "an" additional ch^irm. It was for this reason, in, a great -meaaure, as well as,f pr,,Bellini's ; -splendid smusieiaf'aßs!6eiations^hat;,?^L&.Sq^ ;pjeased the Englisii people'st; iriuoh on its -first representation in tPndon. The viewsalsd have at*^English rusticity abbut th^m p'ertainin'g,i;os Village5 life, kbd: the chara^e^s, ,'ftre mostly peasants. .TTEe, opening scene' is a village, and Lisa 7 sings/ the prjetty.ballad, "Sounds so jpylul, bliss-revealmg,'V<rwhich 'she gaT.e..with much tasted Touching theoperaaara wprkfpf art it) hap very liiifcle An lM The charm 6t» "tLa Sonnambula "hangs upon J ione v/ main ) inciderifc; beautiful, almost faultless? Amina, whp r walkß^ciajOKer sleep,-and-is found in Count Rodolpho's apartment afrthe >;' village inn. Atnina, therefore, is the prominent character, ?cf th«;opera^^^•"and;"was' represented: By' Miss /Alice May with •trnijuestipned" a|)ility., > Her appearance, as tne. heroine. pf the opera, was 'the 3' great !fe'atur€sj of.,attr{ibtip'n; ~; , Thiß '.cliar^er',^seemed- suilied vtbr-.ter; stylSr and. .;the cJiQipeJWias ; so;far) justifiiedt«in." tte; Result' that there does not appear" be' '&''" part" better calculated,..to have^brpught,.into-pro^, *m'ineifiJe" sihe' r'!chiracteriatibs.'!.'which i , this. artistre''ip6ssfe^sbsr' '^Judging; .solely^Vby her, capacity^fpi; representing Amina it< must b e Mffirm'ed aa Vb&V'' she'1 w&s successful'" in her representative, 4 herpine. /s ~,^lie. t intCTegtf. ing ;'jpft;;':!;pf;^i-^isa,,a.was;:.i:yeryu;; fairly: "pei'sonlfied'-'-by^''Miss and* the' small'" .peepliaritieS !bf ! that ..^rbj'pKn^; little lady^ were/exc%llent, but is, a singer, she'is4iot;,,oJ? th,e«first) rank. Her voice iai'vo^f average compass-in the "middle :registei', ;arid of agreeable .(juaTit^y .^r,;Kainfprd,;;as ,o,onnt. Rodplph'o', "was excellent V his person, de'meanouEj'oaadi voice,-■ were all'- in !;. faithful' peeping -with';ifrh^jb':we'3^QW\! i pf;^li?;\poUTi't'?'.'. His v6;ice.is;§bjmmanding,: and hianrenderipg of the retrospectiye lines, "As I view those isceneff so charming,^-yiras yery/effe^ctivey'and' 'foi;fe T'the:!apprp:vaT pi;;theI,w,eU-filled Jhouae!" ißmrio was grjK«£ullisr represented by^ Mr Hallam, vjrhq.was highly successful as :the lover of sAmina./j'Ehe;ipoetic<gemtof the opera >2-" Still so: gently o'erme stealing "=was-; i«fen#it^rutJh axid feeUrig byxMr:< Hallam. \ iliessio (Mr Vernon) the extravaganj;, careless of Lis*, 1 striking m% lighter features, and kept the audience in good ihnmbur. Miss Howe, as Dame_Theresa, had ;fe>o young an appearSnce/Ptherwise she was equal to he^positiom as tnejpo* mother v«f 'Amina. The scenery and effects were good, fift the moonlight scene, jwhere-Ainma walks •across the plank which bends with her weight was iwell represented^iiwhilef.stthes oihusio tfhigepjj Ws the company wUl' appear & Offelibaoh s and greatly admired sami^opera of the strand Duoboas^ .yr X <jtkwt#