the theatre continued open until the the King, with whom rests the final 14th, yet nothing occurred in that in- decision on the subject. But we reterval worth the trouble of relation. peat it—this plan will never answer. As to his views for the next winter,

HAYMARKET THEATRE. we are given to understand, and from The Bill of Fare.-Beggar's Opera. good authority, that he intends to re- This theatre has opened at last, model the interior of the house alto, and with all manner of novelties,gether, as if his past failure were to be new actors, new singers, new pieces, attributed to the brick walls, and his and a new ceiling, the soundingfuture success were to be ensured by board having been removed from over their alteration. If such indeed be his the proscenium; but, of all these idea he will find himself mest lament- novelties, the last is the only one ably mistaken ; such a novelty may, worth mentioning, or, at least, it is and no doubt will, attract the people the only one that deserves any sinfor a few nights, but it will not com- gular praise ; by this slight alteramand for him a permanent prosperity, tion, the interior assumes the appearnor will it even pay its own expenses. ance of an elegant, and even splendid, He must look to other and more solid drawing-room, where all is light, measures if he wishes for solid suc- gay, and sparkling. Little as the cess- to good actors—to good plays gain of this may seem to some, it is -to good management - in short, to yet of vital importance, for man is every thing that is exactly the re- in a great measure the slave of outverse of what he has done. Inde- ward circumstance; and if the mind pendent of all this, we much question is sublimed into devotion by the still the utility of the proposed altera- grandeur of twilight aisles, and tions; to contract the proscenium is shafted oriels, why may it not be well enough, but why change the warmed to mirth by the cheerful form of the house? Why not lessen play of lights, and the gaiety of the interior altogether? The house splendour ? To deny this, is to deny will be too large for its company un-. the facts of our every-day expeder any circumstances. Then too a rience; the lights, the music, the new Scene-room is to be built on the local brilliance, all are portions of scite of the second Green-room; but our pleasure, inasmuch as they couif such a building be necessary, this tribute to its reception; for it is these is not the place for its erection; if in- outward circumstances that tune the deed there were a similar room on the human instrument either to mirth or other side of the house, it would be melancholy, to harmony or discord. all very well ; but as this is not the The company, though tolerably fair case, it would be better that the in its numbers, is very far from being scenes should lie at the back of the so in its quality. Five or six good stage, where they are at hand for ei- names, indeed, are to be found ather wing, according as they are mongst a troop of miserables ; but of wanted. But in truth this is nothing what use are five or six good names, more than a rage to be doing—no if they stand alone? There they matter whether good or mischief; it twinkle, sadly and mistily, in the suris something for the manager to talk rounding dreariness, like a few faint about, and look wondrous wise and stars in a dull night, their lustre half busy-and hold meetings, and write eclipsed by the darkness that they in letters, and be most terribly industri- vain strive to brighten. This it is ous, while his prime minister, Wins, that is the bane of the English stage ton, will bustle about the theatre in in general ; individual parts are well all the importance of a hen about to played- perhaps better than with the lay. This scheme will never answer, French, but the effect of the whole notwithstanding the acknowledged is sure to be spoilt by the piteous igtalents of Mr. Beazley, who is em- norance and incapacity that is employed to make the alterations, liable, ployed on the minor characters. Your of course, to the superintendence of Coveneys, and your Ebsworths, and Mr. Soane in his capacity of honorary your Williamses, and your Pearces, architect to the establishment. The never ought to venture upon the plans have already been submitted to stage except to sweep it. To begin, that gentleman, and, having met with however, with the beginning; Mr. his approbation, will now be shown to Dibdin's new farcical sketch, called,.. The Bil of Fare, was the opening are obscured and overwhelmed by a attraction, and therefore ought to be multitude of faults, and he is now the first considered ; if, indeed, the little more than a memory of better term consideration can aptly be ap- days. He has not only fallen into a plied to such matters; for, to speak slovenly habit of acting, but he has the truth, it is a large phrase for so ceased to pay any attention to chaslight a business. The plot is simple racter beyond the mere outward cirenough, and may be told in very few cumstance of costume ; one unchang

words. Samuel Stingo, a provincial ing set of manners, like the ward. · innkeeper, and Solomon Strutt, a robe of a country actor, serves for all provincial manager, both take up parts and all purposes, or at best is their abode at the inn of a Mr. Hoax- occasionally relieved by a vile habit ley, the one for the purpose of hiring of mimicking the character he adservants, and the other for the pur- dresses. All this is the natural result pose of hiring actors. With this of his having played so much at miview, they advertise in the papers nor theatres, among a set of miserunder their initials only, S. S. ; from ables who had not the slightest which happy coincidence, their land- pretensions to the name of actors. lord takes occasion to play off a hoax The consciousness of superiority enon both parties, sending the actors to genders carelessness; besides that Mr. Stingo, and the servants to Mr. any thing short of genius is sure to Strutt. This admirable joke is ren- be warped by the bias of surrounddered more pungent by the manager ing circumstances. Talent is always having requested his candidates to a local quality, that borrows its vices appear in costume, as it keeps the and its virtues, its defects and its parties in error, and the audience in merits, from the good or evil that is a decent state of laughter, for the about it: genius, and genius only, is space of an hour, on the most mo- superior to outward circumstance; derate calculation. Still this is no and, like the sun-light, can give its more than a second edition of the own colour to whatever it may chance popular farce, Amateurs and Actors, to shine upon. There is hope then as performed at the English Opera, for Oxberry, if he chooses to attend and not a very good edition either, to himself; his talent is rust-eaten, for it is to the full as absurd, without but still it is talent, and it only wants the one half of its amusement. Nor the polish of better company to make was it much assisted by the actors, if it as bright as ever. we except Mrs. Chatterley and Mr. This is a small portion of The Bill Terry, who worked with a zeal and of Fare ; but the other dishes are ability deserving of a better cause; hardly worth serving up, unless to a with them “ materiem superabat very hungry appetite, and we had opus,” and well for the author that therefore as well pass on to the lady it was so ; he had been damned else. who made her first appearance in the As to Mrs. H. Johnston, we cannot part of Polly in the Beggar's Operá. well conceive why she is brought She strongly reminded us of Virgil's forward as the star of the Haymar- cautious admonition, “ nimium ne ket, for whatever light she might crede colori;" for though her features once have, it has been long ago promised wonders, her voice was far extinguished; the manager had much from performing any such prodigies. better look for support in the rising It is not, perhaps, deficient in comgenius of Mrs. Chatterley, who is pass, but she evidently wants scislowly, but surely, gaining on the ence, and that power over the organ affections of the public, and who, if which is only to be got by practice. properly fostered, will one day hold Her transitions are much too violent a distinguished situation.

and abrupt, her voice bounding up But while this lady is thus rapidly and down as if she were playing at marching onward to her zenith, Ox- ducks and drakes, or trying concluberry is hastening no less rapidly in sions with an echo. Her flourishes his downward course, and will soon were neither well-timed nor well be at his sunset, unless he pays a executed ; and, what is still worse, little more attention to himself as we are strongly inclined to suspect well as to his audience ; his natural that she has not a correct ear, or, if talents are of a high order, but they she has, there must be a strange de

ficiency of practice to do justice to them, they yet ought not to assume her intentions. But some allowances the first places on a Metropolitan ought to be made- perhaps more stage, till they have fairly past than we have made to the timidity through the drudgery of the lower of a first appearance, when female branches. A very little talent goes modesty may in reason be supposed a great way in a provincial barn; and to clog the powers of execution. hence it is that managers of the Fear, and the awkwardness incident soundest judgment are so often de to a novice, might have caused much ceived; they visit a country theatre of those deficiencies which we have for recruits, where they are sure to noticed, but then such experiments be taken in by the appearance of ought not to be tried on a London some glow-worm actor, who, the mopublic. The country is the proper ment he is removed to the brilliance place for novices; it is the regular of a London stage, is eclipsed by its school for actors; and, even when light, or visible only as an object of they have learnt all that it can teach detestation.

REPORT OF MUSIC. It would seem a singular asser. month, morning and evening, besides tion to one unacquainted with the the Opera, the theatres which were facts, to say, that although every performing operas, the Ancient, Philnight at this season of the year pre- harmonic, and Opera concerts,-hesents a fresh concert, there is little sides these, we say, there were in of musical variety to afford a subject these few open days at the close of for narration or remark. Neverthe- the month no less than ten concerts, Jess the assertion is perfectly true. viz. those of Begrez, Catalani, KnyArt advances, but the additions to vett, Bochsa, (an oratorio) Madame its parts are few and slow and mi- Caravita, Madame Obert, Rovedino, nute-so slow, that the finest tenor Bellamy, and Puzzi. singers in London for the last thirty None of these, however, presented years (Messrs. Harrison and Vaughan) any important novelty. Madame have not probably sung more than Catalani carried off the money (a a dozen favourite songs. A con- cause of hearty complaint amongst certo from Mr. Mori, Mr. John all her competitors); for her first Cramer, or Mr. Lindley, is much the four concerts averaged one thousame as heretofore ; and singers and sand persons each night; and we have players rise to real eminence in such reason to know, that very few indeed iardy succession, that the novelties obtained the gratuitous admittance are very soon exhausted in narration. so common at benefits, when, speakWere it not for the Italian Opera and ing moderately, one half are not unthe Philharmonic, which are impor- frequently the friends, as they consiters, we should be nearly stagnant ; der themselves, of the performer and yet we complain of the predomi- whose night it happens to be: to nance of foreign music and musicians, such a scope does this kind of friend---and justly too. England may well ship extend that, as we are assured, a be held in low estimation, when the celebrated Italian singer lately had a English language is almost banished private concert at the house of a from our concerts, and even from our Marchioness, where no less than oratorios, and when the greater pro- five hundred of the noble hostess's portiou of our leading instrumental intimates lent the Signor their counteand vocal performers are Italian, nance for the night upon these terms; German, or® French. Even in the while another was constrained to give city, the foreign compositions per away no less than seven hundred formed have been to the English as tickets of admission to the Opera seventy to three. Alas, poor Eng- house at her benefit, in order to comland!

pensate the services of the company, Yet never were concerts so nume- and to satisfy the eager desires of her rous as this year. Subsequently to acquaintances to be present; this our last report (up to the 20th of would seem a simple way of accountMay,) there were given in that ing for the otherwise unaccountable “flux of company," in these bankrupt she is sufficiently wealthy to satisfy times of tribulation and complaint. the desires of both herself and family.

However, it is not less true, that The public loss will be far less easily three concerts, the Ancient, Phil- supplied than her own contentment. harmonic, and City amateur subscrip- At Miss Goodall's Concert (who tion, have not raised less than ten by the way is of late greatly improvthousand guineas, and the Opera, ed in her general style) Mr. H. Field, seventy thousand. Music, therefore, of Bath, performed a concerto on the neither lacks patronage nor pecu- pianoforte. This professor came up niary support. Subsequently to the and assisted at one of the early Phil. concerts above mentioned, Madame harmonics, when his feeling and exeCatalani has given her sixth and last cution made a deep impression. He concert, as she retires, it is said, from was indeed considered little, if at all, public life. When this “ Foreign inferior to those who stand first. On Wonder” returned last season to this occasion, his choice of subject England, we gave so extended an was not happy--the excessive heat account of her powers and manner, of the room indisposed his hearers to that little or nothing remains for us attention—and the player hiinself was to add. If her style had undergone a little nervous, for upon the whole any change, it was, that she regu- he did not maintain the ground he lated more considerately the display had so decidedly taken. At this conof her various attainments. The cert, Master Ormshy also assisted. chief fault of most singers of the first His voice is rich and sweet, but is class is that they merge their judg- fast approaching its period of decay. ment in their anxiety to exhibit every This circumstance, however, has species of perfection at once. This changed the boy's destination, and he fault Madame Catalani has evidently has been sent to England to engage guarded against; and she was as pure, in the profession of music. We besimple, and majestic, in Comfort ye lieve the song he sang, Eveleen's Bower, my people, as she was ornamental, to have been the melody which so rapid, and forceful, in Rode's air with deeply affected the King. variations. Her voice is perhaps a

The Oratorio on Whitsun-eve comlittle sunk; for we observed that her prised a noble and very various sepreference inclined her to very low lection of ancient and modern comsongs, and that she obviously avoid. position, and was supported by a ed very high notes even in the most cento of the finest talents, both Engrapid parts of her execution. She lish and foreign. Mr. Vaughan, Mr. retires, however, in the fullest enjoy- Sapio, Mr. Pyne, Mr. Begrez, and ment of her most wonderful powers. Signor Torri, were the tenors. Mr. It would be difficult, nay impossible Bellamy, Signors Ambrogetti, Zuto ascertain which was the most chelli, Placci, De Begnis, and Carefficient agent in her triumphs-her toni, the basses. Mrs. Salmon, Mrs. voice, or her beautiful and majestic Bellchambers, Mesdames Camporese features—so entirely did “ each give and De Begnis, with Misses Stephens, to each a double charm,” in the ex- Goodall, and Povey, the sopranos. pression of passion. Take her for all Moscheles, Mori, Lindley, Bochsa, in all, the world has never heard or Dizi, and Nicholson, the concerto seen such a singer, and no other age and obligato players, made up a band will probably produce two such pro- that has rarely been exceeded. Some digies as Siddons and Catalani; for of the most splendid of Handel's the one can only be estimated in dra- songs, duets, and choruses, with matic art by a comparison with the Lord Burghersh's Bajazet, Rossini's other in vocal science. The prodi- Mose in Egitto, part of Haydn's gious sums Catalani has earned have Creation, and Beethoven's Mount of not greatly enriched her, it is said Olives, afforded the sacred and sebut as there is no inducement but rious parts. To these were added, a love of ease to allure her at this airs and duets, from Arne, Mozart, moment from the profitable exertion and living composers ; altogether of her talents, we are to conclude that presenting a mass of performance so

• Sec p. 393 of last Vol.

vast, that we almost wonder at the ture of music, as well as to the depatience of the audience to hear it monstrations of the particular branch out. The million must love quantity to which it belongs. It very philodearly, for no excellence of quality sophically marks the boundaries could keep attention alive during so which good taste has assigned to protracted a period.

gracing-that hitherto indefinite and Music for charity's sake, it seems, ill-understood term ; it classes and does not succeed so well as dancing. distinguishes the powers of orna

The grand Concert at the Mansion ment, and supplies an almost unli· House failed to attract; and the pro- mited combination of passages in all • vision in the bills by which the tick- keys. The method of arrangement ets were limited to 1200, was found is very simple, when understood. All quite unnecessary; not more than the intervals are classed and divided 160 persons attending, in spite of the from a single note to the widest distvery earnest endeavours of the Lady ances met with-as into seconds, Mayoress, of the two Duchesses, thirds, fourths, fifths, &c.; the orithe six Marchionesses, two Count- ginal interval is given in large notes, esses, and other noble ladies, the pa- and the grace notes, .or those to be tronesses, (a list almost as long as substituted, are put in smaller. The that in Leporello's Madamina) who keys are classed, and are the same as .doubtless exerted all their interest in the songs from which they are ac. and energy in the cause of the fa- tually selected, and by transposition mished Irish. Mr. Lafont performed, may be applied to any other key and justified the good opinion we had within the impress of the singer's entertained of his ability. But Mr. voice. Thus a diversity of twenty · Kiesewetter, whose Concert has just or thirty, or more passages, upon taken place, certainly surpasses his every possible interval which it may competitors as a concerto player, in be desired to ornament, is presented neatness and velocity of execution, to the choice of the singer. And it in delicacy of tone and expression, in is not only to singing that the book precision, and in general power. applies. "Instrumentalists will find How far these great qualities may be in it a great help to their invention compensated by Mori's boldness, vi- and imagination, while provincial gour, and grandeur of style, is per- teachers will have a fund of ornahaps a nice and doubtful question ; ment to apply to, which exists no the profession and the public appear where else. The practice of such a to incline towards the former. Thus book as Solfeggi, will, we are perthere can be little question that Eng- suaded, confer a facility that nothing land is now thoroughly engaged in else can give, and we therefore earnthe study, practice, and enjoyment estly recommend it. of music, and that the rewards held The published parts of the music out by the metropolis have this of The Law of Java (which the comseason-concentrated an immense pro- poser has presented to his Majesty, portion of the talents of all the great at court, by express permission) are European schools of art. At pre- very lively, light, and catching. There sent, we have been so much occupied are two duets, which, though they by the contemplation of the practical cannot be said to equal Mr. Bishop's examples, that we have neither time very beautiful and original adaptanor space for the general conclusions tion of Shakspeare's words, are nethat present themselves. Such spe- vertheless very pleasing and sweet. culations, however, will serve, when Dungeons and Slavery, a cantata, and facts are less abundant.

When Clouds of Sorrow, are agreeable The largest and most important songs. The one is written in a short publication of this month is the compass, to display probably Miss M. Grace Book, an anonymous, but very Tree's particular quality of voice; philosophical treatise on the science and the other, a slow introductory and application of the ornamental expressive movement, with a quick parts of vocal art; with nearly seven second part, mingles traits of Roshundred examples, drawn from com- sini's, with Mr. Bishop's own manposers and singers of all ages, and in ver. These, with a French Roall styles. This is in every sense a mance to English words, are all of very valuable addition to the litera- the Opera that are yet in print. They