Muir.
Mr. Gye has succeeded in opening the new Covent Garden Theatre on the day announced for many weeks—Saturday last, the 15th of May, when the season of the Royal Italian Opera commenced. This Hercu- lean labour, we are told, has been accomplished at a cost of exertion and anxiety which has for the present prostrated his strength and seriously injured his health. His eventual success was much doubted—the ques- tion was everywhere a subject of gossip—the English fashion of treating disputed points, betting, was largely resorted to, and it seems that the opening of the doors involved an amount of money lost and won that would have done no discredit to the St. Leger or the Derby. The theatre is a stately pile, and must rank high among the architectural ornaments of London. It cannot be called chaste or severe ; but we are not sure that extremely classical purity is desirable in buildings for public amusement. Richness and variety are more essential, and these have been obtained in the form of this theatre. The Bow Street front consists of a central portico, and two wings; the portico is composed of five great Corinthian pillars, sur- mounted by a richly sculptured frieze. The bottom of the portico forms a covered way leading to the different doors, five in number; so that the visitors to every part of the house are sheltered from the weather. The whole exterior of the building, if not strictly regular, is striking and imposing. The theatre, inside, is larger than the former house, and ap- parently equal to Her Majesty's Theatre, though very different in form. The area, which includes the pit and stalls, is not so deep as that of the other house, but broader ; and the stage, too, is broader, giving " ample room and verge enough " for the magnificent "spectacular" displays for which the Royal Italian Opera has always been so famous. There are only three tiers of boxes, but each circle is of greater height than in the former house ; and the whole distance from the floor to the ceiling is equally great. The decorations are splendid. The great centre chandelier, in particular, is a magnificent object, con- taining three tons of cut crystal, lighted by seven hundred gas-burners. The prevailing colours are white and gold, contrasting well with the dark crimson draperies of the boxes. The seating and ventilation are unexceptionable; and—the greatest point of all—the house is found to be admirable for the development and transmission of musical sound.
' On Saturday night there was an immense influx of visitors : but before the hour of opening, the purlieus had been cleared of all rubbish and confusion, and the access to every part of the house was quiet and easy. About the performance itself there is little to be said, because it was en- tirely void of novelty. The Huguenots was the opera, and all the parts were filled by the old and familiar performers—Grim, Mario, Didiee, Zdger, Tagliafico, and Polonini. Costa was in his place, at the head of his magnificent band ; and everything was exactly as it used to be. Grisi looked, acted, and sang, as well as she did ton years ago ; and is apparently, in this new theatre, about to enter upon a fresh career of triumphs. Mario was not less happy, and is still the greatest Raoul on the stage. The performance went on with warm applause, notwithstanding impatience manifested at the long entr'actes, till the third act was over. When the curtain again rose, and the company, assembled on the stage, began to sing "God save the Queen." This raised a great clamour in the upper regions, and the fourth act was loudly called for. The stage- manager endeavoured to explain that the delays had been unavoidable on the opening night of a new theatre; but that it was past midnight, and therefore impossible to conclude the piece. The performers went on with the national hymn, which was sung amid a hubbub of noises which probably never accompanied it before. The malcontents, however, left the house without further disturbance.
There was a pleasant variety at Her Majesty's Theatre on Wednesday, when the gay and brilliant Barbiere di Siviglia was given, with Alboni in the character of Rosina. As a musical entertainment nothing could he more delightful; for Alboni sings the charming music of her part with a finish and beauty which puts all rivalry out of the question, and the other principal characters were well sustained, especially by Belart, as Count Almaviva, Rossi as Bartholo, and Belletti as the Barber. We must add that the house was not so good as such an entertainment de- ser.ved. We doubt the policy of giving performances on Wednesday and Friday (as Mr. Lumley is now doing) in addition to the three nights which for time immemorial have been sanctioned by custom and fashion. The opera public may be divided into those who are fashionable and those who wish to be thought so. Fashionable people will not go on an unfa- shionable night ; and if they will not, neither will those who copy them.
The third New Philharmonic Concert was given at St. James's Hall on Monday evening, and numerously attended. Its novelty was Men- delssohn's pianoforte concerto in G minor, most exquisitely played by Madame Szarvady, (Wilhelmina Claus,) now on a visit to London. The whole priggramme(taki en chiefly from the works of Mendelssohn) was very interesting. M.'ss Dolby and Mr. Lindsay Sloper gave their Joint annual concert on Monday afternoon at Willis's Rooms, which Were filled to overflowing, as is always the case with the entertainments given by these favourite artists. Pauer, the eminent pianist, gave his second musical soirée at the Hanover Square Rooms on Wednesday. Besides himself, there were Joachim and Piatti as instrumentalists, with Madame Pauer (a charming singer, rarely heard in public) and Miss Kemblo as vocal performers. The music was most classical and re- cherche. This, too, was a highly successful concert, the room being crowded to the doors.
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