The Express.
London, England, 1860-04-11 00:00:00

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA.

Covent-garden likewise opened for the season
last night. The opera was Dinorah, the run of
which last season, it will be remembered, was cut
very short by the closing of the theatre. It then
had only six representations ; but then the curiosity
of the public was in a considerable degree satisfied
by its many excellent performances, in its English
dress, by the Pyne and Harrison company on the
same board. This circumstance must have taken
off the edge of appetite for Dinorah ; but its attrac-
tions axe so great, we apprehend, that it must form
a prominent feature of the present season.
It was performed in the same manner as last
year, with only two alterations of any moment.
he one was the appearance of M. Faure in the
character of Heel, w 'chi (in theatrical parlance)
was " created" by him at the Opera Comique. He
is a great improvement upon Grariani ; for though
his voice is not equal to Grariani's, he is that per-
former's superior in every other respect—in style,
execution, and expression, and above all, in his
reading of the part, which gives an intelligible and
consistent idea of the dramatist's conception of the
character. Faure is a great actor as well as a great
singer ; and his reception last night showed that
his powers were fully appreciated. The other
alteration was not for the better. It was the
substitution of a Mdlle.Giuditta Sylvia for Madame
Nantier Didiee in the part of Capraio, or Goat-
herd. We cannot understand why this change has
been made, for Madame Didiee sang the Goat-
herd's song—one of the loveliest things in the
opera (and, we believe, composed expressly for her)
most exquisitely, while the new singer failed to
give it any effect. Madame Miolan-Carvalho, as
the interesting heroine, was as delightful as ever,
and was received with enthuaiasm. Gordon threw
a great deal of genuine comedy into the part of
Corentin, and sang with all his usual grace and
sweetness. The orchestra was incomparable, and
everything belonging to the miss en sane was mag-
nificent.

Hun Maritimes THlATlti..—Among the members
of the aristocracy and personages of rank present at the per-
formanom last night we observed his Excelleacy the Ruasian
Minister and Baroness Brunnow, the Duke of Leinster, the
Marquis and ?darchionessof Clanricarde, Maria Marchioness
of Ailesburv, the Earl and Countess of Rosebery and Lady
Louis Primrose, the Earl and Countess of Mountcharlee,
the Countess (Frances) Waldegrave and Mr. G. G. Har-
court, M.P., the Earl of Loran, the Countess (Dowager) of
Harrington, the Fart of Lonsdale, Viscount Ranelagh,
Viscountess Pelmerston, Lady Trinileston, Lord Otho Fits-
=Lord and lady Edward Thynne, Colonel the Hon.
and Mrs. Macdonald, Hon. Otway Toler, Hon. Ge-
ne& Cavendish, Hon. Captain De Roe, Sir Ralph and Lady
Howard, Sir Proby Cautley, Sir George and Lady Charlotte
Chetwynd, General Sir Alexander Woodford, Mr. and Lady
Mildred Hope and Mills Hope, General Sir George Bowles,
Lieutenant-General Ramsay, Major Lyon, Major Pole,
Captain Hamilton, Captain Mildniay, Captain Maddox,
Major Blake, Mr. Hubert de Burgh, Mr. Trelaway, Mr.
Dekfield, Mr. E. James, Mr. ['alai, Mr. Ralli, ke.
THE ROYAL ITALI•N OPERA.—His Royal High-
ness the Duke de Montpemier honoured the performances
yesterday evening with his presence. The Queen's box was
occupied by Lady Elizabeth Bulteel and the Hon. Mary
Suited and party. Among the fashionable company at.
tending the theatre were the Baroness Brunnow, the Earl
and Countess of Hopetoun, the Earl Cawdor, the Earl
of Listowel, Viscount Ranelagh, Viscountess Campden,
Viscountess Dillon, Baroness Rothschild and Miss
Rothschild, Count Louis Corti, Lady Augusta Wentworth
and Miss Wentworth, Lady Hielop and Miss Elliot,
Hon. Mr. and Mrs. Spencer Ponsonby, Hon. Mr. and Mrs.
E. Russell and the Hon. Mrs. Colville, Sir John and Lady
Pakington, Sir George Arinytage, Sir John and Lady Har-
rington, Sir A. Bannerman, Sir It. Aire y, Sir Coutte
Lindsay, Sir Richard and Lady Bethell, Dowager Lady
Shelley, Lady Antrobus, General Monteith Douglas and
the Misses Douglas, Colonel Ailey, Colonel de Bathe,
Colonel Brownlow Knox, M.P., Colonel Vandeleur, M.P.,
Major Graham, Captain Knox, Captain Daniel, Mr. Baring,
M.P. Mr. Start, M.P., Mr. Wickham, M.P., Mr. Caven-
dish Bentinck, Mies Byrne, Mr. Erskine, Mr. Edwards, Mr.
C. Webster, Mr. Whiteside and the Misses Whiteside, Mr.
Bonamy Dobree, Mr. and Mrs. Delarue, Mr. and Mrs.
Wickens, Mr. and Mrs. Arabin, Mr. Reginald Vyner, Mr.
Woodgate, Mr. Webster, Mr. and Mrs. H. Vyse, Mr.
Alpheus Billings, Mr. Eaten, Mr. Ewer, Mr. Norbury, fcc.
ARCHITECTURAL AMSOCIATION.—Yesterday even-
ing the tenth annual exhibition of this society took place
in their handsome and commodious set of rooms at
No. 9, Conduit-street. A collection of beautiful draw-
ings and watercolour paintings, representing either cele-
brated existing specimens of various architectural styles
and schools, both ancient and modern, British and foreign,
secular and ecclesiastical, or else representing approved
designs for projected edifices, was displayed upon the walla
Amongst the latter, none attracted more attention than the
gorgeous designs for the new Assize Court House at Man-
chester. A set of curious and beautiful pictures by Mr.
Wilson, intended to contrast the respective merits of clas-
sical and medieval architecture, by showing, in the one
case, a congregation of English churches and cathe-
drals forming a towered and steepled city, and
in the other case the Forum of Rome surrounded with
temples, arches, and colonnades of the antique character,
was looked at with much interest. An assortment of tee-
*elated flooring, stone and marble chimneypieces, cornices
end mouldings, carved and stained wood*, paper.hangings,
metal ware, with all sorts of fittings and furniture, useful
and ornamentaL.also*oocupied the curiosity of the visitors.
The ladies and gentlemen present were briefly addressed by
Professor Cockerel' and Mr. Edmiston, who directed their
attention to the different classes of objects in the exhibition.
Allusion MY made to the regretted death of the Ear! de
Grey, the kind and obliging late president of the society.
It was mentioned that the Prince Consort, who has become a
patron of the society, would have attended this soil* if the
Court had been in town. The financesl of the society were
reported to be in a tolerably steady position.
Grotooters' ASAOCIATION.—The committee of
this association, having determined upon conducting a series
of excursions to different places of geological interest, a
large number of the members availed themselves on Monday
last of the facilities afforded by the South-Eadern Railway
Company to visit Folkestone, with a view to examine the
strata of this particularly interesting part of the coast. The
=was under the guidance of the president, the Rev.
Wiltshire, Professor Tennant, and others. They
spent several hours on the shore investigating the chalk,
greenaands, and gault, and procured a considerable number
of the characteristic founds. In this manner the peculiari-
ties of the above named formations were practically brought
before the student, affording him a more correct idea of the
rocks and their contents than he could gain by the perusal
of a library of geological works,