The Press.
London, England, 1855-07-28 00:00:00

zip pram.

HAVIARKET.—A new play in five acts, Wife or no
Wife, has been brought out at this theatre during
the week. It is written by Mr. Heraud, and in so
high-flown, wordy, and artifical a style, as proves
him in stilted verbosity to have even out•Herauded
Heraud—if such a feat of authorship were possible.
The play was damned with faint applause the first
night, and will probably preserve but a brief exist-
ence. It will be remembered only as having intro-
duced to the public the daughter of the author, an
extremely promising young actress, to judge by her
graceful and intelligent performance on Monday
evening. We shall hope to see her soon in a less
conventional and more natural character than that of
Olympia. The Spanish Dancers conclude their
present engagement this week.
OLYMPIC.—The School for Scandal and The
Wandering Minstrel have been repeated to very full
houses during the week.
ST. hatEs's.—Mdlle. Rachel will commence her
short series of four representations upon Monday
evening, as Camille, in Corneille's tragedy of Les
Horaces. On Wednesday evening she will perform
as Phedre, in Racine's famous tragedy of that name ;
on Friday, as Adrienne Lecouvreur ; and on Satur-
day, as Hermione, in Andromaque. In addition to
these performances, M. de Premaray's new comedy
of Let Droits de IaJOIMI6 will also be played as the
first piece.

THE PRESS.

rusit.

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA.—The succeeding perform-
ances of the Etoile du Nord have been, if possible.
even an improvement on that of the first night. The
length of the opera has been diminished by three
quarters of an hour, and thus the audience are spared
the fatigue and exhaustion which the finest perform-
ance must produce if it is too much protracted. The
house has been as crowded as on the first night,
and the audience equally warm in their demon-
strations of pleasure. Meyerbeer, on being called
for at the end of the second act on Saturday
night, was led forward by Costa, to whose zea-
lous and indefatigable exertions we are indebted
for this perfect performance of one of the most
arduous works ever brought on the musical stage—
not merely bis exertions on this particular occasion,
but that admirable course of superintendence and
discipline whereby Costa has rendered the band of
the Royal Italian Opera undeniably the finest theatri-
cal orchestra in the world. To Meyerbeer himself it
has been matter of astonishment that the few weeks
passed in rehearsals since his arrival here have been
equally efficacious as the six months thus employed
before this opera was produced in Paris.
DRURY LANE.—The success of the Italian opera at
this house has induced the lessee to commence the
autumn with an English opera at similar moderate
charges for admission. Balfe's popular opera of The
Bohemian Girl was brought out last Saturday, and
has been continued during the week with very great
success, Miss Lucy Escott, as the heroine, achiev-
ing a great triumph in the famous song, " I dreamt
that I dwelt in marble halls." Mr. Braham as
Count Arnheim, Mr. Galer as Thaddeus, and Mr.
Corri as Devilshoof, were very effective. The opera
has been well put upon the stage, and appears to
have lost none of its attractions, for the house has
been crowded and the applause very enthusiastic
every night. New operas are in rehearsal, and the
speculation promises to be highly successful.

OPERATIC PROVINCIAL. TOUR.—A vocal company
has been organised for the performance of opera in
the provinces during the autumnal months, under
the management of Mr. Beale. The female portion
includes Grisi, Bosio, Viardot, Marai,
Sedlatsek, and Gassier. The male performers are
Mario, Tamberlik, Gardoni, Graziani, Tagliafico,
Polonini, Susini, Lorini, Galli, Monterasi, and
Gassier. The talents likewise of Mr. Mellon, Mr.
Frank Mori, and Signor Li Calsi, are employed as
conductors. Grisi will appear in Norina, Semira
mide, and Lucretia Borgia; Mario and Gassier in
Don Pasquale, La Sonnambula, and Lucia di
Lammermoor; Bosio in the Puritani, the Trovatore,
and Don Giovanni; Viardot in the Barbiere and
°tato ; and Tamberlik in Masaniello. During the
three months of August, September, and October,
this powerful company will visit Manchester, Liver-
pool, Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle, Hull,
Birmingham, and Hereford.