With regard to the French theatre, as matters were not going on very prosperously, the direction was taken out of the hands of M. Deville, and the company continued to perform to the end of the season on their own account. Under these circumstances, many new operas were not to be expected; one only was given, Auber’s Liebestrank (Le Philtre). The company consisted of Mesdames Lamotte, prima donna, possessing a rich voice, but often out of tune; Langlade, an agreeable second singer and excellent actress, Demouchi and Després; M. Vernet, principal tenor, with a flexible but thin voice. The rest were scarcely above mediocrity, and the wretched apologies for choruses were below criticism.
LEIPZIG.
Under the management of M. Friedrich Seb. Ringelhardt, the Stadttheater has lately enjoyed much of the public favour and patronage; the music director, too, M. Stegmeyer, is an active young man and a thorough musician, and the Regisseur, M. Hauser, who is also a clever musician, is a very good bass singer. M. Eichberger, the tenor, is excellent. Of the female singers of the establishment Madame Steinert ranked first; then came, after the departure of Dlle. Nina Sontag, whose place she supplied, Dlle. Livia Gerhardt. If want of novelty in the productions has been a fault to be imputed to the management, for new operas have been scarce, those which we have had have been given in such a manner as to compensate for what might otherwise have been a matter of regret. For instance while Madame Schroeder was here we had Fidelio, Don Juan, in which she performed Donna Anna, and Otello; she was great in them all and efficiently supported.
Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s overture to Shakspeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, was played for the first time in Leipzig, at a concert for the benefit of the poor, and received with great applause; on the same occasion Beethoven’s symphony in A major was given, and M. Poland played a violin concerto by Pechatschek with delicacy and spirit.
The Euterpe, the season of which is now closed, has given various symphonies, overtures, and concertos. In the last selection were a new symphony of M. F. Kähler, Beethoven’s overture to Egmont, Weber’s overture to Der Beherrscher der Geister, &c.; M. Sipp placed a violin concerto of Rode, and M. Faulmann a concerto of Hummel on the Oboe.
Dlle. Henr. Graban gave a concert on the 21st March to a brilliant audience. The selection was good; among the instrumental pieces was Marschner’s overture to Hans Heiling, which, it is said, will shortly be produced on our boards.
An interesting sacred performance lately took place in St. Peter’s church, conducted by the organist, C. F. Becker; the selection comprised a fugue by Handel, and fugues and choral subjects with variations by Sebastian Bach.
PRAGUE.
Gretry’s Blaubart (Bluebeard) has been once more produced here for the benefit of M. Strataky, and experienced a favourable reception, notwithstanding the fact that the whole of the characters were not well sustained. Demlle. Lutzer however as Maria was all that could be desired; her voice has acquired increased strength, and she may soon prove a dangerous rival to the gifted Madame Podhorsky. Zampa has also been given again, and Die Unbekannte. The performance of the old opera, Der Lustige Schuster (the Merry Cobbler), was attended with little success. Demlle. Lutzer has lately performed Zerlina in Fra Diavolo, Helena in Das Fraulein am See, Desdemona, Semiramis, the Princess of Navarre, and Camilla in Zampa, in which latter opera she shone particularly.
There has been a concert given by the pianiste Dlle. Nina Trenkler; one by the pupils of the Conservatory of Music; and a third by M. J. B. Hüttner, the professor of that institution: they were all good and attractive.