311usir.
The nine extra performances of Lurline, after the regular close of the English Opera season, terminated on Wednesday last, when Miss Louisa Pyne had an overflowing benefit. The Lessees must have had a suc- cessful season; for, though Mellon's Viotorine and Leslie's Dick Arpin have proved less attractive than (in our humble opinion) they deserved to be, yet WallPee's opera has had a success beyond all expectation ;—a success, moreover, not unmerited, for this work is a large step in advance of Mr. Wallace's previous efforts, and has much enhanced his reputation. If, for his next piece, he will endeavour to obtain a libretto tolerable in a literary point of view—if he will write more for the stage and less for the music-shop, abstaining from stuffing his score with things literally and palpably made to sell—he may produce an opera not unworthy of companionship with the works of the great German and Italian masters. The two Italian Operas open on the same day—Tuesday week, the 10th of April.—Mr. Smith the new Lessee of Her Majesty's Theatre, has put forth his programme of the season ; Mr. Gye's has not yet appeared. Mr. Smith's list of engagements exhibits a multitude of great names, quite unprecedented. There are ten prime donne, among whom are Titiens, Piceolomini, Borghi-Mamo, Lotti della Santa, Alboni, and Marie Cabel ; and above a dozen tenors and basses' all men of a certain note, and in- cluding Giuglini, Mongini, Belart, Romani, Vialetti, Corsi, Aldighieri, and Gassier. To find employment for such a host, will be no easy task ; and what is Marie Cabel, the very clever, but thoroughly French, fa- vourite of the Opera Comique, to do on the Italian stage, of which she knows nothing? In regard to operas, the only novelty of importance promised is an Italian version of Weber's Oberon. This is certainly in- teresting; and we hope that the revival of this work will be happier than its first production. Brought out at Covent Garden under Webees own direction got up with the utmost care and splendour, with Brabam, Miss Paton, direction, Vestris, Fawcett, and Miss Lacy, among the per- formers—it was received with a furore of excitement, and, in a little month, performed to empty houses ! The other operas spoken of are the Naze di Figaro, the Praise/lilt; Semiramide, Bigoktto, La Favorite, Martha, and the Trovatore ; all of them pretty familiar to the public. But where are the works of the great old masters, revivals of which would really be novelties ? Perhaps, we may hear of some of them when Mr. Gye tells us what he has to say about his season. Some rumours are current respecting his intentions on this head, but it is needless to repeat them when his own announcements must now appear imme- diately.
There have been several concerts during the week, particularly the Monday Popular Concert, and the concerts of the Vocal Association, of the London Quintet Union, and of Henry Leslie's Choir ;—all of them good, but none of them at all remarkable.
At the Grand Opera, on Sunday last, Meyerbeees Robert is Diable was performed for the four hundred and twenty-fourth time. There is little doubt that this opera will, after all, be recognized as the author's master- piece. Last week, at the Theatre Italien, Madame Pena) the charming prima donna who was so great a favourite at our Royal Italian Opera, last season, narrowly escaped a dreadful death. In the third act of the Tro- vatore' her veil caught fire, and she was instantly wrapt in flames, which were happily extinguished so rapidly that she was not seriously injured, though the fright brought on a nervous affection which confined
her, for a day or two, to her bed. ,
A new German opera, entitled Christine, by Count Redern, a noble amateur, has been produced with success at Berlin.
The prospectus of the Royal Italian Opera season has just appeared, and shows that Mr. Gye has not been remiss in his preparations. Next week, we shall have a few remarks to make on his arrangements.
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