• COVENT GARDEN THEATRE.
TIIE revival of STORACE'S opera Tine Haunted Tower, attracted a large audience last night; and the performance was very successful on the whole. It combined the vocal abilities of the young ladies Miss INVE- RARITY and Miss SUIRREFF, and the veteran BRAIIAM. Miss SIIIR- 'MIT'S part requires considerable animation, and with the manner in which it was played we were rather agreeably surprised. Miss IsvE- ItAniTV, however, bore away the palm as regarded singing—she had better and more effective music. " Whither, my love," is very pleasing as an aria di camera, but on the stage it has no character : yet, whether from the necessity some people feel of encoring a particular singer, or the size of the type in which the name of the song appeared, it was en- cored,—though it appeared to us, that what was taken for a renewed demand was but the dying cadence of the plaudits excited by the per- formance. We were much better pleased with Miss SIIIRREFF'S sing- ing of "Be mine, dear passion," although, when an attempt was made by some zealous folk to have it repeated, the house, in a moment of caprice, put a decided negative upon it. The manner in which Miss INVERARITY gave "Sweet hope" was irresistibly beautiful, and accord- ingly she obtained what was denied to the other. Both ladies intro- duced in the third act Italian songs of the present day—for what pur- pose, save that of displaying flexibility of throat, we are at a loss to guess. Most certainly they were not essential to the business of the opera; and however pleasing the music of ROSSINI and Nicouxx may be, still we question the propriety of its introduction in such an opera as the Haunted Tower. Has not the degree of applause which attended the performtmce 'of both ladies already convinced them of this? We admired very much the lively style in which they executed the duet " Begone ! I discharge you." Their voices accord well, and we trust we shall have many opportunities of hearing them together.
Of BRAIIAM it is unnecessary to say more than that he sung in his very best theatrical manner. The first part of "Spirit of my sainted Sire," was equal to any thing of the kind we ever heard even from him ; and indeed, his whole performance was such as we might look for in vain in any other singer now on the stage.
The getting up of the opera appeared to us rather slovenly, if we may judge from the manner in which the chorus went through their part. We would recommend a little more attention to time ; and we say so leniently, because inaccuracy in this respect is not often a fault with the vocalists of Covent Garden. We rejoiced to find that Mr. Wat.sit ltnns, to a certain degree, profited by the advice offered to him regarding his unruly instrument the pianoforte. Still we now and then heard it tinkling, and marring the orchestral effects. He surely does not require to be told what the proper business of a conductor is ; and that the pianoforte was never intended either by STORACE or AnNE to form one of an orchestral band.
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