311nsir.
Her Majesty's Theatre opened for the season on Tuesday evening, without any remarkable éclat. The opera was Flotow's Martha, fa- miliarly known to the public, and performed nearly as it was by Mr. Smith's Italian Opera company at Drury Lane last year. Mademoiselle Titiens was the heroine ; Giuglini—Lionello, the young farmer, and Via- letti—Plumkett, his friend. The only novelty was Madame Lemaire in the part of Nancy, which she acted well and sang indifferently. Her voice is thin, and has those peculiarities which are comprised in the epi- thet—French. But allowance must be made for a first appearance, and Madame Lemaire may be useful in light and sprightly parts. Titiens was more charming than ever ; and Giuglini, though he aeemed some- what indisposed and out of voice, sang his principal morceaux with much grace and beauty. The orchestra and chorus were satisfactory ; but it requires music of greater depth and solidity than that of Martha, to put their qualities to the test. The opera was elegantly put upon the stage ; and (we may add) the whole theatre, including the entrances, staircases, and corridors, has been so renovated and embellished, by rich carpeting, chandeliers, mirrors, painting, and gilding, that, on entering the old house' one hardly knows it again. Covent Garden opened on the same night ; and there, too, there was very little of the excitement which is derived from novelty. The opera, as was to have been expected, was Dinorah ; for its run was stopped last season, after only six representations by the closing of the theatre ; it was natural to begin this season by its reproduction. It was per- formed as last year, with only two alterations—one of them, however, of great importance. This was the appearance, in the character of Hod, of M. Faure, for whom it was written, and by whom it was originally per- formed at the Opera Comique. He had to contend with the disadvantage of being deprived of the use of his own language, and of singing Italian recitative instead of speaking French dialogue. But he gave—what his predecessor could not do—a consistent and impressive reading of the character ; while his vocal execution was that of a finished artist.
The other change in the cast was the appearance of a new corner, Mademoiselle Giuditta Sylvia, for Madame Nantier Didiee, in the part of the Goatherd. This seems strange, as Madame Didiee has not left the company ; and her manner of singing the,Goatherd's song (expressly composed for her) was one of the most delightful things in the opera. Madame Miolan Carvalho's picture of the poor crazy wanderer was, if possible, even more pathetic than ever. Our Louisa Pyne rivalled her in the brilliant execution of the music, but not in the intense feeling of the whole representation. The comic part of Corentin is scarcely in Gardoni's " line " ; but he tries to be comic with all his might, and not altogether unsuccessfully. In all other respects, he is admirable. Costa's orchestra is, as it always has been, incomparable ; and the clearness, energy, and attention to the moat delicate shades of expression and effect, with which Meyerbeer's most dramatic and picturesque music is exe- cuted, could not certainly be excelled either at Paris or anywhere else. The Monday Popular Concert of this week derived great interest from the circumstance that the whole of the music was English. The instru- mental pieces were a Quartet for two violins, viola, and violoncello, by EnAlfred Mellon; a Sonata for the piano and violin, by Pinto, a young glish composer, violinist, and pianist, who died at an early age about
half a century ago, and whose short but brilliant career is still remem- bered by many ; Sterndale Bennett's pianoforte pieces called "The Lake, the Mill-stream, and the Fountain" ; and a Trio for the piano, violin, and violoncello by G. Macfarren. The performers were—violins, Sainton and Ries; viola, Doyle; violoncello, Piatti ; and piano, Lindsay Sloper. Sims Reeves sang songs by Smart, Hatton, and Balfe ; Miss Eyles sang " Sad was the hour" by Henry Smart, and the old English ditty, "Near Woodstock town," which she has lately made so popular. Santley gave Wallace's " Bellringer," and a song by Mr. J. W. Davison. And there were several English madrigals and part songs. This excellent concert, and the warmth of its reception by a crowded audience, showed that there is no necessity for resorting, so exclusively as our concert-givers generally do, to foreign composers and foreign performers.
The last concert of the Amateur Musical Society, on Monday week, showed continued improvement. The programme had variety and fresh- ness ; and the hand acquitted themselves in a manner honourable to themselves and their able conductor Mr. Henry Leslie. In their execu- tion of Beethoven's fourth symphony, they achieved an arduous task to the great satisfaction of the audience. Leslie's Overture to," The Tem- plar," and the finale to a MS. opera, called Out of Sight, by.M. F. Clay, were warmly applauded ; a Miss Augusta Thomson, a young vocalist of rising reputation, made a great impression in Rossini's Romance from Guillaume Tell. The room was full of the most fashionable company in London.
Mademoiselle Piccolomini has been singing at the Crystal Palace daily during last and this week. Though the weather has been far from favourable, the captivating little lady, whose attractions are more easily felt than described, has drawn great numbers of people to Sydenham. The well-known French composer, Felicien David, whose descriptive work, Le Desert, was so popular some twenty years ago, has arrived in London. A new opera by him, entitled La Captive, is about to he pro- duced in Paris.
Female violinists are rare, the violin being, we do not know why, deemed an unfeminine instrument. No one, after seeing and hearing the two charming Italian sisters, Theresa and Maria Milanollo, could retain such a notion. Female violoncellists are rarer still, and we have never met with one. But a young German lady, Mademoiselle von Kato w, is delighting the Paris public by her performances on an instru- ment which must certainly appear unwieldy in female hands.
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