DRURY LANE THEATRE.
ON the 4th of June a nondescript piece, called The Students of Jena, or The Family Concert, was produced here, the principal character by Madame MALIBRAN but it was a decided failure, and the theatre was shut very shortly after.
COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE.
THIS theatre closed very early last month, the lessee declaring that, as the performers declined acceding to the terms he proposed, he could no longer carry on the concern, without incurring the most ruinous loss. The company then obtained the Lord Chamberlain’s permission to open the Olympic, and transferred themselves to that theatre, where they have since continued to perform. Shortly after, this theatre was re-opened with the German company, brought hither from Drury-lane, in consequence of an agreement between M. LAPORTE and Mr. BUNN! Their first performance was MOZART’s Zauberflöte, M. HAITZINGER as Tamino, who sung the airs with great feeling, but was occasionally too loud and turbulent,—M. DOBLER, a fine deep, musical base, and a very superior singer, as Sarastro,—Madame SCHROEDER DEVRIENT as Pamina, who did the most ample justice to the part,—Madame STOLL BÖHM, a soprano with an indifferent voice, whose deficiencies as a singer are not compensated for by her acting, as Astrifiammante,—and M. UETZ, a very excellent actor, and a singer of great merit, as Papageno. Though much of this opera was performed remarkably well, parts of it disappointed our expectations: the two lovely trios, best known here by the Italian words, ‘Te guida a palma nobile;’ and ‘Già fan ritorno,’ were executed in but a slovenly manner, and the fine religious march lost some of its effect by being played to an empty stage. This, however, we believe, was afterwards corrected. The Zauberflöte has not drawn, in spite of its many beauties, and the German Opera is not in a much better condition in London than the national, the legitimate drama!
THE MUSIC OF THE PRESENT NUMBER.
THE titles of the pieces in this number leave us little to add, for as four out of six of them are of modern date, their authors are well known, and no history at all interesting is connected with those compositions.
The cavatina is in the last scene of The Pirate, sung in the character of Imogene, who addresses it to her young son. The words are thus translated into not very good English verse, in the printed book of the opera:—
Thy innocent smile and thy glances of love,
To mercy and pardon thy father will move:
Oh! tell him thy life has been purchased by me,