534 



Monthly Theatrical Report. 



[Mat> 



singers all engaged \vith Coven t-garden for 

 the oratorios. Wliether the protecting Star 

 of Drury-lane cautioned them against thus 

 rashly pledging themselves, or acquainted 

 them with the probability that their ser- 

 vices would be required for the oratorios, is 

 not stated in any authentic form ; but the 

 fact is, that when the Drury-lane manager 

 began to fix his mighty mind upon the pre- 

 paration for his oratorios, he found every 

 soul that could turn a tune engaged to Co- 

 vent-garden. The oratorios were, of course, 

 indignantly dropped ; but the indignation 

 has since found its way, if not its revenge. 

 Benyowski, a drama, founded on the story 

 of the famous Siberian exile, was now brought 

 forward ; it was from Mr. Kenney's jien. 

 This is enough to say that it liad a great 

 deal of dexterous adaptation, that it was 

 gracefully written, and that it exhibited 

 talent. It was all this : but the story is 

 not powerful enough for the British stage ; 

 it succeeds in France, where half a dozen 

 hons-7nots are enough forthe wit of five acts — 

 half a dozen sentimental sentences for the 

 pathos — one situation for the incident. Our 

 continental neighbours totally want nature ; 

 they have no desire for variety ; and they 

 have no capability of force on their stage. 

 The comedies of Delavigne and the Vaude- 

 villes, of Scribe, which enrapture all Paris, 

 would net be endured here after the first 

 act — they utterly want dramatic materiel. 

 Benyowski relied too much for its success 

 on Miss Foote's popularity ; but the acci- 

 dent which had raised that actress into 

 popularity had already worn out its pun- 

 gency, in a long country tour ; Miss Foote 

 was no more the persecuted and the tri- 

 umphant heroine, and the public had neither 

 tears nor triiunphs for her now. 



Covent-gai'den had begun the season 

 brilliantly. A succession of full houses was 

 filling its treasury, and until Christmas it 

 carried all before it. But the pantomime 

 was a failure ; the old glorj' of Covent- 

 garden was shorn of its beams ; and Mr. 

 Farley, the great magician, was stripped of 

 half his laurels : he now lies blighted, never 

 to recover, till next Christmas shall give 

 him a chance of vegetation again. Easter 

 passed over his devoted trunk, and produced 

 no sign of life — neitlier melodrame nor 

 spectacle ; neither the pleasantries of 

 Punch, nor the witcheries of the fairy tale. 

 Is there to be but one Shakspeare and 

 one Mother Goose ? 



The failure of the pantomime was the 

 beginning of sorrows — Covent-garden from 

 that hour went down ; empty benches, with 

 all their desperate consequences, followed ; 

 and all eyes were turned to the hope of 

 Oberon, by the celebrated composer of 

 the Freischutz. A^'on Weber, after long 

 expectation, at length arrived ; lie was re- 

 ceived with the homage due to a man of 

 ability— he was fcied and di?icd out in innu. 

 merable directions. Under the wing of tlie 

 Countess St. Antonio, he hovered through 



the circles of fashion ; and at the rate of 

 thirty guineas each, shewed himself at seve- 

 ral routs a night ! The usual contrivances 

 for stimulating public curiosity were dex- 

 terously applied ; but Von Weber's fame 

 outran all stimulants, and all the world 

 longed to see what Oberon was to be- 



In this breathless interval, a gallant at- 

 tempt was made by Drury-lane to relieve the 

 public appetite. The name of Oberon was 

 a charm which had bound all the theatrical 

 world to the wheels of Covent-garden : it 

 was the purpose of the neighbour theatre 

 to dissolve the charm, and for that bene- 

 ficent purpose it brought out a little Oberon 

 of its own. The story was taken from Sothe- 

 by's translation of Wieland's poem. The 

 scenery was painted withbecomingpru'crc?/; 

 the piece was cimningly compiled by one 

 whom nobody suspected of being a writer, 

 and whom nobody will ever susjiect on 

 such subjects ; and by the help of carpen- 

 ter, painter, and fabricator of music, all 

 sworn to solemn secresy ! a little half pan- - 

 tomime, half melodrame, was suddenly 

 flung out before the public. It was, at all 

 events, a fortnight before the promise of the 

 grand Oberon, and a month before its actual 

 appearance. It would be burlesque to call 

 this little affair a rival to Von Weber's opera ; 

 but it was devised, with no very doubtful 

 ingenuity, to take off the public edge forthe 

 production. Such are the wars of " genius," 

 in our day ! 



This ruse was looked on as trenching too { 

 far upon the legitimate province of rivalry ; 

 but an attempt has been since made to pal- 

 liate it, by alleging that it was a mere reta- 

 liation for the ruse which had plucked 

 Drury-lane of its oratorio featliers. To us 

 it is all the same, which is the success- 

 ful rival. We care not " whether Cas- 

 sio kill Roderigo, or Roderigo kill Cassioj" 

 though we should not go to the extent of 

 the poetic ivsousciance, and care not whe- 

 ther " each kill the other!" 



But the result of this pleasant experiment 

 has been of actual advantage to both — to 

 Drury-lane, in the direct way of giving it a 

 showy entertainment, that still lives ; and 

 to Covent-garden, of previously putting the 

 public in possession of the story of its 

 •' grand opera," which no ear alive could 

 catch from the " grand opera" itself. 



At length the long-promised night drew 

 on. Miss Paton had gone to the country, 

 and retunied from the country; had lost 

 her voice, and recovered it ; and, in short, 

 had played off all thenecessaiydilhcidties of 

 a prima donna ! Von Weber had confined 

 himself to a week's solitary regimen with 

 Sir George Smart, to prevent any ob- 

 fuscalion of his faculties by luauriovs living. 

 Braham had forsworn public festivities, and 

 the delightful hazards of a turtle and cham- 

 pagne life; and even Fawcett himself mur- 

 miued a sullen approbation of tlie state of 

 things. 



The theatre was closed on the previous 



