THE THEATRES.
THE Italian Opera increases in attraction as the season draws towards its close : not only on the extra Thursdays, but every night, this immense theatre is crowded almost to suffocation ; the temperature of the higher regions is but a few degrees removed from that of the Black Hole of Calcutta, and scarcely a performance passes without some one fainting in the pit. The fame of the new tenor-singer, Mo- nism, has no little share in exciting this extraordinary interest. Mo- MANI appeared on Thursday in another part—Percy, in Anna Bolena ; but with less success than in Edgar Ravenswood. Not that there was any falling-off in his high qualities, but there was less scope for their exhi- bition. With the exception, perhaps, of DUPREZ, MORIANI is the most complete exemplar we have yet met with of the new school of Italian singing,—a school which, discarding all florid ornament, affects a Quaker-like simplicity of dress, and a still more rigid observance of the composer's text than we find even among the Germans. That this is the true vocal school cannot be doubted ; and it is peculiarly suited to the fine voices and impassioned expression of the Italians : but it is ill adapted to much of their music, which will not bear exhibition in its native poverty and nakedness. This is more apparent in MORIANI'S performance of Percy than of Edgar, in consequence of the dramatic inferiority of the former character. In Edgar, we are carried away by the deep interest of the scene, and the tragic power of the actor. In Percy, our attention is not withdrawn in this manner from the poverty of the music, when its poverty is not concealed. We have no doubt, from the comparative coldness with which the well-known air " Vivi tu" was received, that the audience would rather have had it clothed with the prettinesses of Rumba and IVANOFF. Monism's next part is to be Gennaro, in Lucrezia Borgia; a part in which, we think, he will produce strong tragic effects. Otello has been performed, upon the whole, very finely. Gauls Desdemona is exquisitely beautiful ; Memo sings charmingly, and dis- plays considerable energy ; LABLACHE gives fearful effect to the father's malediction ; and FORNASARI looks like the Mephistopheles of RETSCH : lag0 is quite a part for a performer whose force and vigour are mingled with a good deal of coarseness.
The second act of Guglielmo Tell was performed on Thursday, after Anna Bolena. The cast was the same as last year's : for that reason— and because we greatly dislike to see a part of the master-work of Rossncx produced at the fag-end of a long evening—we did not witness its performance.
The admirers of the ballet enjoy a tantalizing treat in seeing two consummate artistes—the fascinating FANNIES, ELSSLER and CERITO- dancing the Polka and Spanish dance in different divertissements, instead of being delighted with a display of their pantomimic powers in a grand ballet. Giselle is to be revived for FANNY ELSSLER ; and we hope Ondine will also be performed, for the sake of CERITO'S charming " pas de l'ombre." So late in the season, a new ballet is scarcely to be ex- pected; yet we cannot help asking, what has become of Joan d'Arc, which had been talked of for ELSSLER?
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