The Press.
London, England, 1857-08-15 00:00:00

THE PEES S, Auc4rugT 15, 1867.

usual splendidly executed, under Costa's masterly
guidance. When there is a company collected in
the habit of playing and singing together for years,
the characters being rarely altered, the band and
chorus remaining nearly the same, a perfection is
insured for the ensemble. But if a troupe undergo
constant changes, there must be confusion and dis-
order, for the amount of rehearsal and preparation
in the thick of an operatic season must necessarily
be limited. During the eleven years of the exist-
ence of the Royal Italian Opera the leading features
of the establishment have remained unchanged ;
hence the coherency and consistency of the per-
formances, with one mastermind like Costa directing
them, which have so won the admiration of the
severest judges as well as the general public. Mr.
Gye has been tested during the most trying period
of a director's career—namely, in the midst of ad-
verse circumstances of the most disheartening
nature—and he has maintained his position with
courage and dignity. In now entering upon his
new undertaking, he will doubtless ponder well on
the experience of the past, for the opportunity will
be afforded to him of considering whether the old
system of opera management in respect to the
admissions before the curtain may not be susceptible
of important changes, through which the public will
gain materially and the capitalists substantially. We
have been favoured with a view of the model of the
new theatre. It will be an edifice worthy of the
vast ; metropolis, in which such improvements
are yearly seen in our public buildings. The future
audiences will not sit as in the old theatre, on the
south side, with the stage to the north, but they will
be placed at the eastern extremity, the stage being
on the western side. To effect this variation the
Piazza Coffee-house and the houses in Prince's-
yard, as far as Hart-street, will be pulled down. The
Grand Flower Conservatory, extending from the old
market by the side of the Bedford Hotel into Bow-
street, was a colossal ccnception, forming of itself
from the rentals the nucleus of a building fund. We
understand the only change in the entire theatre
will be the Duke of Bedford's private box as the
ground landlord. The new opera-house will be
opened without incumbrances of renters and other
charges, which so effectually ruined the patent
houses.

CRYSTAL PALACE POULTRY SHOW.
THE Crystal Palace Poultry Exhibition has taken
place during the week, and has been very success-
ful. The show of poultry was extremely good, the
birds were numerous, and of a high degree of excel-
lence ; the scale of prizes was liberal, and the
facilities for the exhibition were such as the
Crystal Palace only can offer. Nearly one thousand
pens of poultry, all birds of the present year, were
exhibited, and among them were some remarkable
instances of what may be accomplished by breeders
in bringing birds to early maturity. The pens of
bantams, Spanish fowls, Dorkings, Cochin China,
Brahma Pootra birds, and Hamburgs, were all ex-
tremely good and very interesting to amateurs or
professional breeders. Among the bantams, a perfect
little specimen belonging to the Hon. W. Vernon, of
Wolsey-hall, Rugeley, undeniably attracted most
attention. Among Dorkings, the birds exhibited by
Mrs. St. John (95), Mr. F:ost (50), and the Rev.
Stephen Donne (31), were remarkable for their
beauty and fine development. The exhibition of
Spanish fowls was one of the best ever seen. The
Cochin Chinas, and Brahma Pootra birds, freely
sustained their high reputation ; while the Ham-
burgs, with their beautiful gold and silver pencillings
and spangles, were as near perfection as could he
expected. Ducks and geese, with pigeons and
rabbits, supplied a fair portion of the remaining part
of an exhibition most snecessfully accomplished,
which may now be accepted as a " great fact " in the
entertainments offered by the Crystal Palace, and
which every succeeding year will gain in interest, and
prove mire attractive to the public, as well as advan-
tageous to the company. Much credit is due to Mr.
Houghton for his excellent arrangements and classi-
fication of the specimens exhibited.

CHRISTY'S MINSTRELS, ST. JAMES'S THEATRE.—^TIIB
performance of this troupe of singers and dancers,
whose favourable debut has lately taken place at
this popular theatre, would appear to increase in
popularity and attraction. A full and, for the season
of the year, a fashionable audience attended the St.
James's Theatre last Saturday evening. The whole
of the performances were favourably received and
warmly applauded, and several of the melodies and
dances were encored. Amongst the audience we
observed the Marquis of Donegal' and party, the
Earl of Kilmorey, the Countess of Essex and Miss
Johnstone, the Viscount Cranbourne, Sir Henry
Webb, Hon. Major Calthorpe, Colonel Martyn, Mr.
Sturges, Captain Lyon, Captain Ponsonby, Mr.
&c. The performances will extend only
over the ensuing week.
VIZIER, the greet corniste, has started to the
United States,.