Omit.
Tzz delay in the opening. of Her Majesty's Theatre, at which people, as we said last week, were beginning to wonder, has been ex- plained by the lessee himself. He has announced that, owing to the enormous expenditure in which he has been involved, and for which he has no prospect of any adequate return, he has been induced to abandon a hopeless speculation, and that, therefore, there will be no performance of Italian Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre, under his direction, in the course of the present season. We might speculate upon, and probably account for, Mr. Smith's want of success. But it is easy to be "wise behindhand," and to prophesy after the event; and, therefore, we shall only say that we are sorry for Mr. Smith, whose spirited, liberal, and honourable management—though he may have committed errors in judgment—deserved better fortune. It is not thought, however, that the theatre will remain closed. Various reports are current about combinations among the principal per- formers for carrying on the establishment jointly ; but we have reason to believe that the house will be opened under one manage- ment, and with a company of extraordinary strength. It appears, too, that the English Opera are, after the present week, to be discontinued at Drury Lane, the other theatre under Mr. Smith's management.
For the time, then, the lessee of the Royal Italian Opera has the musical field to himself. Since he began his campaign he has gone en successfully. The Prophhte,i3roduced on the opening night, drew great houses last week. Last Tuesday Rigoletto was performed; but an opera, hackneyed till it has lost all freshness, and presented with- out a single feature of novelty, could not be expected to make a strong impression. Ronconi's fine tragic acting in the character of the Jester, and Madame Miolan-Carvallae,s sweet and graceful im- personation of the heroine, were duly appreciated, and the opera was well received, though with little warmth. On Thursday,. La Favorita was produced for the debut of the new tenor, Tibernu, of whose merits we shall say something next week.
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