31/usir.
Grid's reappearance at Covent Garden on Saturday last, drew the fullest house of the season. The opera was the Huguenots, and her Valentina was supported by Mario's Raoul, She was welcomed with acclamations, and well deserved her reception. We shall not be so un- gallant, as to inquire into her age; but, be her years what they may, it is not always by years that age is to be estimated and, judging from the state of her powers, mental and physical, GAY is not an hour older than she was ten years ago. She is still—and long may she continue to be—the Queen of the lyric stage—Mario, since his reappearance, his shown some fluctuations of vocal strength ; but he is still able, thous& his voice occasionally shows signs of fatigue, to assort his suPrsnney over all his rivals. On Saturday, and on Tuesday, when the same epees was repeated, he was entirely himself; and Meyerbcer'e grand lyric
tragedy, not only in its two principal parts, but in the whole cast of the drama, was never, probably, more magnificently performed.
More debuts at Drury lane ! When will Mr. Smith exhaust his no- velties ? We are tempted to cry with Macbeth,
" What! will the line stretch out to the crack of doom ? "
After, we don't know how many stars, rising one by one since the be- ginning of the season—Miss Balfe, Madame Guarducci, Titiens, Giuglini, Mongini, Badiali, Fagotti—we have this week had two more, Made- moiselle Sarolta, and Signor L. Graziani, who made their first appearance on Tuesday, in the eternal Traviata. The lady, who has been heralded by a prodigious flourish of trumpets in the shape of puffing paragraphs reprinted from the Paris papers, is a girl of eighteen, said to be the daughter of a Hungarian baron, who, (like Piccolomini) has taken to the stage in consequence of her strong propensity towards it, and made her first public appearance only in January last at the Paris Italian Opera. She turns out, as might be expected, to be a more novice on the stage; with precious gifta of nature, but as yet quite unformed as an actress and a singer. Her singular beauty—for she is really a lovely creature—and that unspeakable charm which lies in the bloom and freshness of youth, may serve her for the present in lieu of the requirements of a cultivated artist, until she has had time to add these to her present attractions. Signor L. Graziani is a tenor—the brother of the baritone, who is figuring net now in the reports of Chancery instead of the critiques on the Opera. His voice is very good, and he is evidently an artist; but he abuses his vocal power by shouting till he gives positive pain to the ear. There is yet another deb It spoken of—a lady, of whom (in the usual phrase) "report speaks highly," is to appear as Gilds in Rigoletto. Mr. Smith is reputed a politic manager ; but we are unable to understand the policy of engaging such a host of " sujets," who must clash with each other, and cause a great and needless expense.
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