THE ITALIAN OPERA.
THE repetition of such an experiment as that of producing La Coutessa LASIZE in Desdemona, would go very far to shake our confidence in Mr. MASON'S judgment. Never was failure more absolute. She has not a single requisite for the arduous situation which she attempted to .fill. Her voice is thin, wiry, and disa- greeable, and her intonation defective. And to fix upon Desde- mona for her debt, with PASTA'S execution of the songs yet ringing in our ears 1—if Mr. MASON designed to extinguish this lady's hopes of success at once, he could not have hit upon a more effectual expedient. We say all this reluctantly, because the noble lady's situation . would invite us to an indulgent, a favourable criticism; but to bold out hopes where there is no ground for hope, would not candour, but cruelty. In a drawingroom, per- haps, she may sing as well- as most noble and, fashionable vocalists; but the training which a public singer has to undergo, is of a very different kind to that which suffices to enable a lady to warble for the amusement, of her friends. The public are inexorable judges ; and though they may be at- tracted once to witness the first appearance of a lady of quality on the stage, this is a power of attraction which lasts but for one night, and with that night all indulgence ceases. Thenceforth she will be judged by her rank not off, but on the stage,—like the Duke of LEINSTER when placed in an orchestra below DRAGO. NETFI ; and she will find the imtnei1se difference which exists be- tween a singer amolig ladies, and a lady among singers. We ad- vise Mr. MASON instantly to retrace the false step he has made, and to indulge us again with Madame Da MERIC. WINTER'S Otello was a noble piece of declamation. In fact, the opera rested. entirely upon him. A sort of protest was made for Madame ALBERTTNI, who, it seems, feared her dignity might be compromised by the performance of Emilia. We are sorry to differ with the lady, but really, instead of the part being below her, we thought it rather above her. She was better than poor old CasTELLI, and that was all. CURIONI supported the charac- ter of Roderigo very respectably.
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