311noir.
Edward Loder's opera, The Night _Dancers, to be revived this evening at the Royal English Opera, Covent Garden, was originally produced at the Princess's, in October, 1846, when that theatre was an opera-house under the management of Mr. Madox. It ran for forty-three nights with- o interruption, though under the disadvantage of more than one change of prima donnas. The character of Griselle, the heroine, was performed by Medina Albertazzi, till she was disabled by illness. Then the, part was filled for a,short time by a Miss Smithson, and lastly by Miss Annie Bower, afterwards Mrs. Brough. The .caet, in other respects, was not strong, and the orchestra and Chorus—important accessories in an opera remarkable for the excellence of its instrumentatilm and roorceaux d'en- semble—were indifferent. On the first night, poor Albertazzi's dress caught fire, to the great alarm of' the audience, and she narrowly es- caped a dreadful death. This opera has nearly fallen into oblivion, and its revival may be regarded as a novelty ; but its beauties are remem- bered by the more musical portion of the public; and, with the magnifi- cent orchestra and chorus, and' splendid miss en scene, of Covent Garden Theatre, its success may, with some confidence, be anticipated, The new opera written by Balk for this theatre is eompleted, and in active rehearsal; so that, with it and Mr. Loder's opera, Miss Pyne and Mr. Harrison, it may be expected, will have somcthipg wherewith to balance the extraordinary and still continued success of Robin Hood at the other house.
The winter concerts, given weekly at the Crystal Palace, have begun for the season. The first took place on Saturday last. It was very good and very- successful. The principal pieces were : Beethoven's sym- phony in D; Weber's concert-stitch, the pianoforte part admirably exe- cuted by Mr. W. G. Cusins; Liszt'a Reminiscences. of Lucia di Lammer- moor, played by the same excellent pianist ; the overture to _Robin LhOd, and the tenor song from that opera, "My own,, my guiding Star,"sung with much sweeliress by Signor, Palmieri; and several favourite
vocal pieces—particularly Bellinrs "0 Lune di Quest' Anima" and "The Last Rose of Summer "—sung by Madame Catherine hors with great and deserved applause. The Crystal Palace band, under the able direction of Herr Manna, is excellent both individually and eql- lectively ; indeed, for its size, there is not a better orchestra in London.
Choral music is receiving increased attention in France and Belgium, thanks to the labours of the Qrpheon Societies. At the great interna- tional competition at Liege, on the 28th of October, fifty choral societies, each about a hundred strong, took part in the coldest, and the Paris and Belgian journals speak in high terms of the excellence of the singing. We are, it is said, to have enother.visit of,the French Ospheonists to the Crystal Palace in the course of next summer.
Guillaume Tell is about to be produced at the Grand .a, nd Operwith the celebrated sisters hiarchisie in the characters of Metbilde and Jemmy.
We learn, with much regret, that the celebrated pianist, Leopold de Meyer, has been struck with palsy, and it is feared that he will not be able to reappear in public. This is the more distressing, as M. do Meyer is not an old man, and, when here last season, seemed in the full enjoy-- meant health and strength.
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