THE ENGLISH OPERA.
MR. ARNOLD'S company, having no house of their own, are still in lodgings at the Olympic ; where the Spectator paid them a -visit a few evenings ago. Were their pretension to the title of "the English Opera" to be judged of by what they are doing at present, it would be found exceedingly small. At the English Opera, we have nothing that deserves the name of opera, either as regards the music or the performance. We have those nonde- scripts which go by the convenient name of "Musical Pieces," -with French plots, Cockney farce, and genuine English music,— music composed by Englishmen whose taste remains uncorrupted by vicious German and Italian models. But we must remember that Mr. ARNOLD has for many years managed the English Opera-house; and we heartily trust, that, when he has another English Opera home, he will manage it for many years. To Mr. ARNOLD the musical public is more indebted than to any man -who ever conducted a theatre in London. He gave the impulse to the current which has now set in so strongly in favour of good dramatic music. He first made us acquainted with the name of WEBER; and brought out, in succession, many of the gems of the Italian and German stage. He taught the public to like such music; and compelled his gigantic rivals to follow his example. We wish heartily to see Mr. ARNOLD established in a theatre worthy of "the English Opera ;" and we are confident we shall have no deficiency of classical productions.
Meanwhile, his entertainments, notwithstanding their present* misnomer, are exceedingly agreeable The new piece of the Climbing Boy is a good mixture of the pathetic and the humor- ous. The story, said to he founded on fact, is the restoration of a high-horn climbing boy to his family ; and it is helped out by a very well-imagined dramatis persona?. The little outcast himself is very cleverly represented by Miss HENDERSON. BARTLEY is amusing in a benevolent country gentleman, come to town to take his seat in Parliament, and labouring under the horrors of a maiden speech ; and REEVE is grotesque and whimsical in a sen- timental street-sweeper. Miss SOMERVILLE looks interesting, and would sing prettily if she had any thing pretty to sing. The Evil Eye is still carried on triumphantly, by Miss KELLY'S power- Rd acting, and REEVE'S " fun :" there is little more in it.
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