ITALIAN OPERA BUFFA.
THE second season of this entertainment commenced on Thursday evening, in the Lyceum Theatre. We are glad that Mr. MI TCHELL has found the success of last season so encouraging as to induce him to resume it. The resumption, however, should have been accompanied with some features of improvement, which, as yet, are not visible. DONIZETTI'S Elisir &Amore was performed, not by any means so well as last season. Madame FR A NCESCHI NI was very inferior to Mademoi- selle BLASIS in Adina. She is short and stout, with a round good- humoured face; and her acting was easy and unaffected, but it wanted point and archness. As a singer, her pretensions are evidently not high. Her articulation is iedistinet, and she occasionally betrayed an unmusician-like unsteadiness of time. Her voice, however, is pleasing; and she has the qualifications of a respectable second woman. Mr. LABLACHE junior does not inherit either his father's magnificent voice, or his rich vein of humour; but he sings like a good musician. He laboured under the disadvantage of a first appearance, and will of course acquire, by means of practice, greater ease of manner. But his face appears to be incapable of comic expression. CATONE had his old part of Nsmorino, and sang and played delightfully. His voice has gained additional strength and body since last year : he sings with greater force and passion ; and, as far as we can judge from a single part, be has preserved the simplicity of his style. BELLINI, too, was in his old part of the recruiting sergeant, which he made effective. His loud voice and rough manlier are well suited to it. The chorus- singing was execrable, and poisoned every scene into which it entered ; and this, unfortunately (such is the structure of the modern opera) was almost every scene in the piece. The chorus seems to have been mustered at a very moderate expense. The orchestra (conducted by Bk:NEDICT, and led, pro tenipure, by Tom:Et:4;0:E in the absence of Moat,) was excellent, and gave the fullest effect to such points of the instrumentation as the composer would suffer to be heard through the din of his drums and trumpets. Drums thundering and trumpets bray- ing, sans intermission, in an Italian opera buffs—shade of CI NIA ROSA
The house was well attended ; and the boxes bad a gay and fashion- able aspect, quite novel in a public place in the month of November.
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