5 NOVEMBER 1853, Page 8

The St. James's Theatre is open at present for theperforraance

of Eng- lish operas, or operas in English. Attempts of this kind are made it one theatre or another every year and they always fail, simply because they cannot succeed. The Sonnambe;la has been produced at the St. James's. The Amine is Miss Lowe, a young singer who has made a respectable figure. at concerts, but she is a novice on the stage ; the Elvino can neither act nor sing ; the other dramatis persome—except Mr. Drayton, who is a good Count Rodolpho—are nobodies; and the orchestra and chorus are poor in. the extreme. It is the constant repetition of such abortive attempts which ruins our national opera ; for they prevent that combination of Mgr lish musical strength which would be quite sufficient, .properly.direeAssi,' to establish a theatre equal to those of our Continental neighbours.,