314 THE MUSICIAN' ABOUT TOWN. 



At Drurv Lane Theatre, the operatic department has signalized 

 itself by one reproduction and one novelty, both creditable to the 

 orchestral and vocal resources of the establishment ; and, as they 

 deserved to be, both were successful. These were, Mozart's " Zau- 

 berflote," and " The Gypsy's Warning," the music composed by 

 Signor Benedict, pianist to the King of Naples. The story of 

 " The Magic Flute," which, in its original state, can be compared 

 only to the delirious dream of a German enthusiast ; love, incanta- 

 tion, the Egyptian ritual, and mere buffoonery struggling on in ad- 

 mired perplexity, was reduced to something like common sense upon 

 the present occasion ; while the performance of the music was, upon 

 the whole, respectable, the concerted movements scarcely so through- 

 out. Miss Romer was the Pamina ; Mrs. Seguin, as the Queen of 

 Night, distinguished herself in the beautiful scena, " Non paventar" 

 (we do not remember the words of the English version) ; and Phil- 

 lips, although inferior to Dobler in the part of Sarastro, sang the 

 " Qui sdegno," and •' Possenti Numi," with exquisite purity of 

 style and devotional feeling. Balfe and Giubilei, in Papageno and 

 the Ethiop Monostatos, were equally zealous, and deserve honour- 

 able mention. The great drawback from this very creditable repro- 

 duction was the singing of Mr. Templeton, in the part of Tamina- 

 Inefficiency with diffidence at once makes an appeal to the acerbest 

 of critics : when we even suspect that the latter quality accompanies 

 Mr. Templeton's deplorable ignorance he shall derive (from at least 

 one of his critics) all the advantage of a generous consideration ; 

 but it were a misprison of justice to pass over his delivery of the 

 exquisite aria, " O cara imagine," to say nothing of the alteration 

 of Mozart's passages upon other occasions. 



Mr. Benedict's opera would, in all probability, have retained a 

 longer reign of popularity, had its plot been more interesting and 

 less confused. The composer, who is a pupil of Weber, was already 

 known to the English public as the author of some elegant songs ; 

 considerable expectation was, therefore, excited from the production 

 of his opera, and neither the scientific musician nor the amateur was 

 disappointed. Mr. Benedict has a thorough knowledge of the re- 

 sources of an orchestra, and he may, perhaps, be charged with avail- 

 ing himself somewhat ostentatiously of those resources, almost to 

 the suffocation of his melody. This objection, however, does not 

 hold good as connected with the duets " Tell me, youth," and " Ob, 

 do not give way !" which, being distinguished by gracefulness of de- 

 sign, are chastely and soberly accompanied. Among the concerted 

 movements. " The Students' Glee." " Blest be the Home." and 



