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    and rock , the broken lights on the fall and foreground have , also a good effect . Sonie of his other pictures are chargeable with the blemish of monotony in colour , while Mr . Clint has rather the opposite fault of too many positive colours and hues . No . 130 , a fine sunset , by A . Clint , is deserving of especial mention . Mr . J . Camp bell , jun ., merits praise for the fine touch of nature in the face of the old blacksmith reading a letter from his son at Lucknow . Mr . J . B . Burgess has only two half

    lengths in this exhibition . The " Senhora " ( 185 ) , a study of a Spanish girl , is unmistakeably national and well painted ; and '' The Nun" ( 485 ) , a very sweet face indeed . Mr . J . O'Connor ' s little " Court of the Cadi" ( 499 ) is admirable for its effect of blazing sirashine . Mr . Woolmer ' s . " Mariana in the South " ( 545 ) is a prettily composed picture , and the mateless dove , billing at its own image in the mirror is well introduced to tell the story . Mr . Duffield ' s " White Turkey and Still Xife" ( 580 ) is marked by good arrangement and harmonious colour .

    The water-colour exhibitors- , of Suffolk-street must not be utterly ignored . Their room is much richer than usual , and shall have a corner of our space in a future number .

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    ¦ . —?¦——IT-AXI-VS * OPERA , DBUKY LANE . We assisted ^ of course , at the inauguration of ' this gallant enterprise , about which we took occasion to offer a few remarks in our List . It took place on Monday , thus gaining a fair fields-giving opportunity for the regular kabitiies ofCovent-garden to be present , and securing a fair proportion of holiday patronageforpit and galleries , now open at the Old- ( riot recent ) Playhouse prices .

    The opera of the evening was the ever-charming " Sonnambula , " and Miss Victoire Balfe was the Amind . This interesting young artiste * whose parentage and personal attractions are many points in her favour , was as warmly received as might be expected . She displayed as much taste and feeling in her delivery of the music as grace in the action of the part . Nature has endowed her with less power of voice than flexibility , and her performance is , therefore , mainly characterised by profuse ornamentation , in which she is perfectly successful . This of course does not apply to the delicious " come per me sereno , " where she sang with true softness and

    simplicity , though the band seemed inspired with a contrary view , and much injured the effect of the plaintive strain . Signor Mongini , the new tenor , will be found , if his physique fail him not , a remarkable acquisition . His voice is , in parts , extremely rich , and he is an excellent actor . Suffering under an English , cold , which is something terrible to an Italian vocalist , he seemed fairly exhausted by the immense exertion demanded by the glorious jinale to Act II ., and had the entire sympathy of all discerning persons . His Elvino was , notwithstanding , an admirable one , and we look with anxiety for his recovery and re-appearancc

    We must not omit to speak highly , as we think , of Signor Badiali , the Drury-lane favourite of last year , and the capital representative of Count Rodoljo , or , as . one may say , of the Count ' s one great song , « "Vi ravviso , " On Tuesday tho " Favorita " Donizetti was presented , and as nightly performances demand ; at least , a treble troupe , an entirely new list of singers demands a continuation of our notice . The Signora Guarducci , whose journey from ILa Scala has been outsped by the fame of her triumph there , was the Leonora . A mezzo soprano of excellent quality , she is distinguished for dramatic energy and facile vocalisation . Not yet used to the theatre , she fell not unnaturally into a little

    exaggeration ; but excess of power must be admitted to be a fault on the right aide . Her debut was , still , not the event of the evening . The return of Giuglini , as Fernando , was hailed with rapture , as well by those connoisseurs who assisted at his triumphs of the last two seasons , as by the miscellaneous crowd who , as renters ' - admission holders ( the beta $ noirs of poor Mr . Bunn ) have , no doubt , a desire for a long season of opera , with a fresh bill every night . It is enough to say this popular artist sang and looked his best , and with his fair Leonora was thrice summoned to the lamps at tho full of tho curtain , then and thoro to oe smothered with flowers . ROYAL ITALIAN Ol'KUA , OOVMNT OARUKN . The " Gascsja Ladra" of Kossini , the announcement of which had caused a flutter in the inner musjical circles of London , was produced on Tuesday , we may say . to their entire satisfaction . Tho intereating Xiottl , whoso excellence the profoumlor critics now take credit for having discovered on her first appearance , took the part of Ninetta , and displayed enough of every quality desirable ana admirable in a first-rat © ginger to sanction her bolng nt once so

    classed . Young , fresh-voiced , and clearly full of poetical feeling , this young artiste only requires , we are sure , opportunities and practice to achieve an European celebrity , and become an European necessity . The Fernando was De Bassini , whose qualifications we have already fully described . His most important and successful efforts in the " Gazza Ladra" are in the concerted pieces . Nan tier Didiee is as admirable in JPippo as she is , to our thinking , in every part she undertakes . The rentree of Signor Gardoni , as Giannello , was very warmly welcomed by his many admirers , and the gratified artiste returned the compliment by a very excellent performance . Though the enterprise of the Drury-lane

    management has succeeded in capturing the grandest gold fishes in the vocal ocean , it must be confessed that in those grand requisites to perfect ensemble—band and chorus—Gye ' s opera is unapi > roachable . No exertions of Mi-. Benedict , able as he is , can compile the fragments under his bdton into a semblance of the magnificent whole that , having grown year by year under Costa and Mellon at Covent-garden Theatre , the Philarmonic Concerts , and the Orchestral Union , has just been handed over to the direction of the former of these eminent conductors , after a winter ' s uninterrupted practice uuder the latter . The " Gazza Ladra " overture was so magnificently played as to . extort unbounded plaudits from a brimming houseful of the highest rank and intensest fashion . . .

    CRYSTAL PALACE . The Directors have favoured us with the following outline of their arrangcinents , which we gladly avail ourselves of , no less for their advantage than for that of our readers : —The new season will open on Monday with a Military Musical Fete , in commemoration of the suppression of the Indian rebellion , the G eneral Thanksgiving for which has been appointed to take place on the day preceding , viz ., Sunday , May the 1 st . The great orchestra fortheHandel Commemoration will be completed before that date , and it is intended to bring together on this occasion a larger wind band than has been before heard in this

    country , and to produce several compositions which are either new or rarely performed . Amongst these may be named Meyerbeer ' s " Marche anx Flambeaux , " written in honour of the wedding of the Princess Koyal ; Beethoven ' s Battle Symphony ; Invocation to Battle , from Cola di ltienzi , byltichard Wagner ; the Prayer from Mose in Egitto , by Kossini ; &c , &c . The price of admission to persons -not holding season tickets will be half-a-crown . There will be six flower shows , at different prices , in , the months of May , June , September , and November . The directors have made arrangements with Mr . Gye fora series of six Grand Concerts , to be supported by the artistes of his troupe . The Saturday

    promenades and concerts will be continued as during last season , and for these the directors have entered into arrangements for the services of some of the most celebrated artistes , continental and English , amongst whom will be found several who are highly popular with the public , and who have not yet appeared at the Palace ! Other concerts will take place during the season ; and of these due notice will be given . In the meantime the directors ina ' y state that they will be favoured with Mr . Henry Leslie ' s choir ; the Vocal Association , under Mr . Benedict ; the Metropolitan Schools Choral Society , conducted by Mr . G . "W " . Martin , aiid the Tonic Sol-fa Associartion , under the same able conduct as before , will be

    pressed into the service . The Saturday Winter Concerts will be resumed in November , as during the last season , and we are pleased to observe that the directors dp not forget their obligations to Mi * . Manns , for the popularity thqse entertainments have attained . Every opportunity , wo are assured , will bo taken to widen the range and increaso their attractions , and to add to the convenience of the visitors who attend them . Performances of music by a : band of wind instruments in tho open air having , during former seasons , afforded much gratification to the public , it is proposed to ' resume these performances during the coining summer months , at frequent intervals , and at such times of the afternoon as will bo most convenient for tho largest

    number of visitors . To enter fully into tho various ppints of pormanont interest within the Palaco and grounds in tho present connexion would bo impossible . Suffice it to say , that the maintenance and dovqlopomont of tho Fine Arts Courts , and their beautiful contents , will receive tho utmost consideration—that tho valuable floricultural and botanical collections of the park and grounds , increasing as they do in vigour and beauty year by year , will bo thoroughly kept up—that , tho various specimens of mechanical ingenuity in tho machinery and agricultural departments will bo efficiently maintainedthat every possible exertion will be made to improvo tho exhibition department—and that tho special collections in the Palaco , including tho Industrial Museum , tho Indian and Naval Museums , the Gallory of Engineering Models , tho Coramio Court , &n ..

    will be carefully watched and attended to . Spetial notice , however , is claimed by the management £ l * ^ T ? f ~ Gallery ; the Trade Museum ^ 5 Technological Collection ( daily advancing mcoT pleteness and interest ) , and the Ceramic Court * winch latter , . under the direction of Mr . Thomas Battam , jun ., *\ S . A ., continues to receive additions of beautiful works in the various departments of ancient and modern fictile art . Her Majesty the Queen *™? the Prince Consort have been . gracfously PWd to allow ^ some remarkable specimens of foreign porce lain , from the cabin ets of Bucking ham Palace to hi deposited in the Court . Numerous fresh works W been lately received through the kindness of other d l 1 Stm f ™ sh « d colI ?? tors > and « ?? Court is now S

    . . . one the really great attractions of the Palace . The Art Union is fast becoming an important institutionand an inspection of the original works in ceramics ' photography , bronzes , and other branches of fine and industrial art , already selected for the subscribers and for prizes , shows how excellent these works are , and how extended the operations of the society may ultimately become . The great Handel Ochestra will be completed in its generalarrangemenfs by the opening day of the season ; and the grand military fete in honour of the Indian victories , on Monday the 2 nd of May , will afford an admirable opportunity for testing its musical capabilities . There can be no doubt that numerous "Occasions will arise for making use of it , so as to impart considerable eclat to the

    whole season . ; Hitherto a limited number of days in each year has been reserved from the guinea tickets for special occasions . It is now . proposed to admit them on all occasions throughout the year ( except the rehearsal and performances of the Handel Festival ; but subject to the payment of an extra 2 s . Gd . upon fete days , when the admission is 5 s . ' or upwards . In addition to the above , season tickets at two guineas will be issued , to admit on all occasions throughout the year , excepting the performances of the Handel Commemoration , but available fur the full rehearsal on the 18 th June . st . James ' s iiall > —mgnd . v y popular concerts . Last Monday ' s selection was entirely from the works of English composers , and was a delightful

    one . The first instrumental piece of the evening was a noble quintctt by the gifted and prolific author of the beautiful English opera , "Charles II . " It was charmingly played by Messrs . Wieniawski , Schreurs , Piatti , Howell , and Charles Hallo . The first three of these gentlemen , with Mr . Ries , took Loder ' s somewhat tedious , though sometimes harmonious * quartet t in D major , which opened the second j ) art of the concert . In this Wieniawski displayed to great advantage his command over the violin . The vocal stars of the evening were Miss Palmer and Mr . Sims Beeves . The former was in delightful voice , and sang so beautifully in Mr . J . W . Davison ' s " Swifter far than Summer ' s flight , " as to be very to

    warmly encored . Mr . Reeves is , we are happy say , himself again . In the first part he sang the " Ah ! non lasciarini , No ! " by Macfarren . Of . this song , tho amusing handbook to the popular concerts ( which , by the way , is the very creme da la creme ol programmes ) tells the following little story . It was first published in the British Vocal Album in 1843 . Mario , who happened to hear it soon after , remarKeu that "it must either have been composed by a German who had passed half his life in Italy , or l ^ an Italian who had passed half his life in Germany , intending the compliment that it muted barman harmony with Italian melody . In the second part Mr ., Reeves sang , with the greatest effect , it was ft vnnn < T itnirvht Trnubadour . " bv John Bennett , oi

    " Mountain Sylph" renown . It was , ot pourse , encored ; but Mr . Hooves , who , contrary to a-stupiu common practice , chose in this in stance to assunietliac an cnoora meant an encore , and not "lrctty Jane , proceeded to repeat the Troubadour song ana us beautiful burden , " Alia Oolomba , " when a party _ oi decently clad roughs caused a riot by galling wrww tune ol their predilection . The singer demurred , antf , being supported by all the gentlefolks jprc 8 ont , wun drew . Messrs . Hallo and . Wioniawski mounted Ho orchestra to play a trio of Storndalo !* " ¦»<* J a ,, vw the agitation still continued , and bid lair , but wr tho Intervention of the adjacent pohcomnn , toimvu nltain 6 d important dimensions . It m , novmu , RnHsfuntnrv trt rnnnrfc that the vagabonds , V "OS "

    indecently claimod to hear four songs when tnoy pay for two , were forced to retire , wi , th the low » part of the good things that had been , bo »» JJJ"J provided fur them . The Chamber trio just ftUwWj * to is full of beauties , and was very nicely ylayou-With a caution to Miss Thorosft JoflbrcyB ttgftlnjB clipping lior words , a fault she sometimes runs low . Inquest Qf clear enunciation j and a vory bu m » lluous sUtomont that Bishop ' s " Blowffon ^ e 9 , SJdf and « Cliough and Crow , " wore intonaoly toI sjoa » wo must conclude this account of our own piuticuw Easter Monday ovening .

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    564 THE LEADER , [ STo 475 , April 30 . ift ^ G

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• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), April 30, 1859, page 564, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2292/page/20/