rfn 

 tJHi 



Theatrical Review.' 549 



trumpets and rolling of drums, whose clang and thunder assist all the 

 singers to express their horror. 



In the second part " Belisarius'' appears exiled, and deprived of 

 sight, as a punishment for his offences. " Alamiro," his new friend, 

 vows vengeance for his wrongs, and departs to execute it, while his 

 daughter, " Irene," becomes the companion of his exile. 



In the third act " Belisarius" recognises his son "Alexis" in "Ala- 

 miro," who is at the head of a horde of barbarians, and induces him 

 to quit the command, and is shortly after himself slain by an arrow 

 in the moment of a victory achieved by the magic of his redoubted 

 name. His repentant wife loses her senses, and the opera closes. 



Inchindi, who appeared as " Belisario," is a respectable bass singer, 

 but without any extraordinary pretensions. In a duet with " Alamiro'' 

 he was encored, and we may here mention that this duet is either the 

 parent or offspring of the famous duet in the u Puritani," or they are 

 both sprung from the same source ; at all events the resemblance was 



ore striking than is usual, even in plagiarisms. The part of " Ala- 



iro" was filled by Signor De Val, who assisted a few weeks since 

 *at the slaughter of Rossini's" Donna del Lago," which cruel massacre 

 we spared ourselves the pain of criticising. He has, in his present 

 part, preserved the high reputation for mediocrity he had previously 

 acquired. Signora De Angioli as " Irene/' looked well, and sung 

 badly. She has been well-trained by her father, who, though an in- 

 different singer, is an excellent musician, and may bye and bye im- 

 prove. Let her make less noise, fewer grimaces, and remember that 

 the appearance of too much confidence in a young and fair debu- 

 tante is as disagreeable as too great a want of it is painful. Gian- 

 noni played u Antonina," and exhibited the same j up"gment and taste 

 she had previously displayed at the Lyceum ; but her timbre is not 

 on a sufficiently large scale for this great stage. No doubt the voice 

 may be heard, for there is no theatre in London, be it ever so small, 

 which is equally well adapted for the diffusion of musical sounds. 

 But, though heard, it sounded small, and her delicate form and sub- 

 dued action were lost in a great measure to those who were near, 

 and we conceive those at a distance can have received very little gra- 

 tification from her performance. When she becomes more accustomed' 

 to a large stage, or at all events in quiet parts, this defect will vanish ; 

 and, as it was, nothing could be better conceived than her part, though 

 wanting vigour in its execution. 



The first act of" Beniowsky" was the Ballet, and stale as it has be- ; 

 come, it is not yet worn out. Duvernay and Mabille danced a pas de, 

 deux in the style of Taglioni and Perrot, in which the grace and 

 elegance of the one, and the activity and neatness of the other, could 

 scarcely be pronounced inferior to those of their prototypes, and 

 would be equally meritorious were they equally original. Duvernay 

 only wants a little more a plomb to make her as perfect as any thing 

 we have yet seen. She afterwards swam through the delightful, 

 though somewhat licentious, Cachoucha (a fault this, by the way, pe- 

 culiar to Spanish dances), which seems to enjoy an unfading popu- 

 larity. Erminie Elsler did not appear to}$o much advantage as here- 

 tofore. She does not grow upon us. Her activity and spirit are very 



