Rinsir.
Our great musical theatres are doing nothing at present. They have incurred great expense in getting up their pantomimes, and are trying to reimburse themselves by "running" those intellectual entertainments till the public are well nigh weary of them. The revival of Balfe's Bianca at Covent Garden has improved the receipts of that theatre • but it seems pretty plain that neither the one house nor the other will do well till they discard their pantomimes, and devote their attention to their own proper business—opera. The Parisian musical theatres, on the other hand, are most active in the production of novelty and variety. Verdi's last opera, Un Ballo di Maschera, which we mentioned last week as forthcoming, has been pro- duced at the Theatre Italien, and has been entirely successful. Its his- tory is curious. The drama, on the subject of the assassination of the Kinf of Sweden at a masked ball by the conspirator Ankerstroem, was originally written by Scribe for Rossini, who had actually set about the music., when, from some caprice or disgust, he threw up the task; and the libretto was then confided to Auber, who produced his magnificent opera, Gustavue the Third. After five and twenty years, Verdi has taken the same drama for the subject of an Italian opera-a piece of presumption and disrespect to a contemporary master which could be justified only by success. The Neapolitan censorship prohibited its production at San Carlo in the winter of 1858 ; and when it was performed the following year at Rome, the scene and the characters were changed : the scene being laid in America, and the King of Sweden transformed into an Earl of Warwick, the English Governor of Boston ! As now produced, the subject of the piece has again been changed. The scene is at Naples, and the King becomes the Spanish Governor-the Duke d'Olivares. Much absurdity is thus introduced; but the opera has been successful nevertheless, the Parisian critics describing it as one of Verdi's best works. When it comes to be pro- duced here, as doubtless it will, we trust that Mr. Gye, or Mr. Smith, will have the good sense to produce it according to its original design. There will be no reasons of state to induce our dramatic censor to prevent them.
Scribe and Auber's new opera, now in rehearsal at the Opera Comique, is to be called Le Cireassienne. Some weeks ago (as we mentioned at the time) its title was announced to be the same with that of one of the most notoriously licentious books in the French language. Whatever may be the character of the piece, the change of title, at all events, is a sacrifice to public decency. Another successful Parisian novelty, an operetta, called le Mari sans le Savoir, has been produced at the Bouffes Parisians. The music is announced as being by M. de St. Remy ; but there is no such composer ; and it is confidently affirmed that the real author is no less a personage than-the Count de Moray ! The piece is lively, and the music, with- out being original, is melodious and agreeable.
The charming danseuse, Mademoiselle Pochini, who created such a sensation when she appeared at Her Majesty's Theatre four years ago, died last week at Turin. She was one of the last survivors of the great school of Terpsichorean art, now decayed, to which Taglioni, Cerito, and
Carlotta Grisi belonged. • At a recent concert of the Conservatory of Leipsic, no less than four young English performers distinguished themselves. Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto was played by Mr. Albert Payne ; the same composer's Fugue in E minor by Mr. Franklin Taylor, of Birmingham; Miss Rosa- mund Barnett sang an air from Handers Sande ; and Miss Clara Bar- nett performed a portion of Chopin's Concerto in F minor. These two young ladies are daughters of one of our most distinguished composers, Mr. John Barnett.
Madame Clauss-Szarvady, the celebrated pianist, so great a favourite here a few years ago as Mademoiselle Wilhelmina Clause, during a recent visit to Hanover, received from the King a magnificent bracelet as a Christmas gift. Why has not this most accomplished artiste repeated her visit to England ?
We are sorry to learn that the Amateur Musical Society has ceased to exist. At a general meeting held last week, its dissolution was agreed upon ; a circumstance which has caused considerable surprise, as the Society is of fifteen years' standing, and appeared to be established on a firm basis. Among its members were many persons of high rank, in- cluding the Prince Consort ; and not a few of them acquitted themselves ably in the orchestra. Its concerts have always been among the most brilliant entertainments of the season, and certainly contributed much to the diffusion of good musical taste in fashionable society. Its dissolution is therefore to be regretted ; the more so as it seems to have been caused by differences which might have been reconciled, and not by any decay in its prosperity. Mr. Ella, well known as the able director of the Musical Dnion, has founded an institution in connexion with that body, which promises to be of benefit to music. It is called " The Musical Union Institute ; " and its chief objects are to collect an extensive library of music and musical literature, to provide lectures on music as a science and an art, and to publish a musical journal. It is estimated that 20001. will cover the outlay incident to the formation of the institution, and that its cur- rent expenses will be provided by annual subscriptions. William Tite, Esq., M.P. and Thomas Brassy, Fag., have accepted the office of trustees, in whom the property of the institution is to be vested; spacious apart- ments have been engaged and fitted up in Hanover Square, where the opening of the institution was inaugurated last Saturday evening, by a brilliant conversazione, at which all the leading members of the profes- sion, and many of the most distinguished amateurs of both sexes, were present.
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