THE OPERA.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 154, 1 July 1874, Page 2

THE OPERA.

The Opera Company last night performed La Somnambula before a fair bouse. In some respects this performance gave us more pleasure than that of Maritana. Miss May's voice was heard to tbe greatest advantage in the delicate music assigned to Amina, in rendering which the most perfect vocalisation is required; and it is no small advantage to the Company, when giving this opero, (hat nearly the whole burden of the piece should devolve upon incomparably the beat performer in their troop. Knowing the want of space on shn stage, we confess that we looked forward to the " bridge " scene with some misgivings. The difficulty was got over, however, not discreditably, and ao as to escape the ludicrous, on which it closely borders. Mr Rain ford aang quite as well, and acted no worse, than he did in Maritana. Mr Hallam's li«ht tenor seemed better suited to Bellini's music than to the bolder and more martial strains in Mariiana, to which he is altogether unequal. "Still so gently o'er me stealing " was sweetly aad toucbiogly sung by him. The fragmentary band did all that energy could do to make up for want of numbers, and the meritorious efforts of the conductor to play upon several instruments at once brought forcibly to our recollection the saying " that a good man struggling with difficulties is a eight moat pleasing to the gods." We are not quite sure, however, whether we could not have dispensed with two or three of the chorus-singers, substituting for them the instruments that we still raies. When a " grand opera "is being performed, it is hardly safe to remind the satirically disposed cf the ingenious showman at a country fair, who contrives <o keep going dram, < paadean pipes, and triangles. The frequent interpolations of Mr Vernon as Allessio, left a very disagreeable impression upon us, and, we are 3ure, upon many others. The words of most operas are stupid enough without the addition of atupilities of the performer's own -invention. People may laugh at the time when comedy is turned into broad farce, but their mirth is not heartfelt, and they do not laugh after war tis when they have time to think the matter over. Let us have humor by all means, but preserve us from the humor of the stage "funny man." We trust that in giving us the Grand Duchess of Gerolstein tc-night, the performers will not over-do their parts. A smile is just as effective, and far pleasanter to look at than a broad grin, nor do actors, we fancy, usually give their audience sufficient credit for quickness of perception. People who are worth playing before at all can see the poiut^of a joke without being helped by nods and winks and nudges. The opera for to-night is new to most of us. There is, however, a pleasure in novelty differing in kind from, but not less than that derived from, familiarity. Few of us know much about the Grand Ducheas of Gerolstein, but we do not anticipate leas gratification from this opera than we have already received from our old favorites Maritana and La Somnambula.