suit.
The Royal English Opera at Covent Garden, though it has not yet produced any of its promised novelties, has not been idle. During the past week The Rose of Castille and The Crown Diamonds have been per- formed for the first time this season, with well-merited success. 2714 Rose of Castille is the gayest and pleasantest of Balfe's productions, and is one of those pieces in which Miss Louisa Pyne and Mr. Harrison ap- pear to the greatest advantage, besides being, as a whole, perfectly adapted to the strength of the company. On Monday it was warmly received by a crowded house. The Crown Diamonds, the most brilliant, sprightly, and graceful of all Auber's comic operas, was received with equal warmth on Wednesday. We have no hesitation in saying that, numberless as have been the performances of this opera in London, both in French and English, it has never been got up with such completeness and elegance, or acted and sung with so great an amount of individual ability, as it now is at Covent Garden under Miss Pyne and Mr. Harri- son's management. Dinorak continues to be performed twice a week, alternating with The Rose of Castille, The Crown Diamonds, and Satanella. Mr. Mellon's new opera, Victorine, is almost ready for performance. The Promenade Concerts in Drury Lane Theatre, which began last Saturday evening, are going on merrily. The theatre has been full every night during this week; and it is satisfactory to observe that the audiences have been not only attentive but perfectly quiet and orderly. Au rests, the concerts are facsimiles of Jullien's, to which they are not a whit inferior. Indeed, we are inclined to give them the preference ; for the orchestra, which consists of the Crystal Palace band, under the able direction of Mr. Manna, though not so strong as Jullien's used to be, plays with more finish and refinement. As formerly, the first part of the concert is "classical," the pieces being selected from the works of some one great master, while the second part is more popular and familiar, being chiefly made up of brilliant dance music. The eminent solo per- formers hitherto employed have been M. Wieniawski for the violin, Herr Pauer for the pianoforte, and Madame Lemmens Sherrington, Miss Dolby, and Miss Clari Fraser, as singers. It is announced that the series will consist only of fourteen nights, but, in the event of success, the number will doubtless be extended.
The Amateur Musical Society, a body which has existed for fourteen years, and belongs to the world of fashion as well as of music, began its season on Monday evening by a concert at the Hanover Square Rooms. The following programme will give an idea of the taste which governs the selections of this aristocratic Society—
PART I.
Symphony in A minor Mendelssohn. Song (M.S.), " Na}, smile not thus," Miss Dolby Lord Gerald Fitzgerald. Glee, " Ye spotted Snakes," Mies Fosbroke, Mrs. Dixon, Mr. Regaldi, sod Mr. Hodson B. J. S. Stevens. Concert-Stuck, pianoforte, Miss Freeth Weber.
PART U.
Instrumental movements from '‘ Judith," Night and Military Music Henry Leslie. bong, " Broken Vows," Miss Dolby Francesco Berger. Air from the "Bohemian Girl," Miss Freeth
Arranged by hidnie Ouzy.
Glee, " The Fisherman's Good Night," Miss Fos- broke, Mrs. Dixon, Mr. Regaldi, and Mr. Hod- son Bishop.
Overture (" Les Diamans de la Couronae") Auber.) Conductor—Mr. Henry Leslie
An excellent bill of fare, which we think could hardly have been improved. In regard to the performance there was much to praise, with no small room for criticism, though the imperfections of amateurs are not to be sternly visited. The instrumental band is, numerically, as strong as that of the Philharmonic Society; but the number of violins is disproportionately great, being more than all the other instruments put together. The violin being the most difficult of all instruments, many of the amateur players are necessarily incompetent and make more noise than music ; and the result is an impression of roughness and indistinctness which pervades the whole. On the other band, they play with animation and vigour ; and, when great delicacy and nicety are not required, the effect is often admirable. They owe much to their excellent conductor, Mr. Henry Leslie, who, himself an amateur, is one of the most accomplished musicians of the day.
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