The Express.
London, England, 1857-05-02 00:00:00

MUSIC AND THE DRAMA.

On Tuc.sday next Mademoiselle Piccolomini
appears at Iler Majesty's Maitre, in the character of Lucia
in Luria & Lammermoor.

Lucretia Borgia will be produced to-night, at
the Royal Italian Opera, Lyceum. Mademoiselle Cerito
appears in a isms ballet.

A new farce, entitled Fearful Tragedy in the
Seem Diet*, will be produced at the AdolpLi on Tuesday
night, Wright and Paul Bedford taking the principal cha-
racters. On Wednesday a "grand new and original
Adolphi drama," called Joseph. Chary*:; or, Under the
Threnb, in tube performed.

fir. Buckstone will appear every night next week
at the Sadler's Wells Theatre.

Mr.ltobson in Daddyllardarre continues to be the
great attraction at the Olympic Theatre..

Mr. Flexmore takes a benefit at the Royal Surrey
Theatre next Wednesday.

Mr. and Mrs. Leigh Murray are about to make a
tour through tho province..

Mrs. Eliza Lee expired on Saturday last, at the
residence of her daughter, Mrs. Leigh ?Caney. Thedecemed
lady (says the Era) was the relict of Henry Lee, Esq., author
of the character of Caleb Quotern (introduced surreptitiously
by G. Colman the younger in the farce of The Resits° ; or,
The Wogs of Whams), and also the literary parent of
Echoisur.," " Gay', Chair," and many other poetical works.
Mr. Honey Lee was for several years the manager of the
Theatres Royal, Taunton, Wells, Bridgewater, Barnstaple,
Ice., and the intimate mad attached friend of Edmund Kean.
Mrs. Lee woe considered a very excellent soubrette (playing
repeatedly with Mrs. Jordan, lneledon, &c.), and afterwards
obtained much credit fur her personation' in the line of cha-
racters known as "old women," her last part being Mrs.
Nickleby. Mrs. Loa had for many years retired from the
stage, and leaves four daughters to lament her death.

A correspondent addressee to us the following complaint :
A few days mince, at the Auction Mart, Mr. Rubins disposed of
a 600/. renter's there in Drury-lens Theatre, paying en
annual dividend, with • marketable free admission, trans-
ferable yearly, which produced 461. fie., and fifteen 1001.
proprietary shares, with • flee life admission, produced
341. 3e. 6d.; so that theatrical property which originally
cost 2,0001. sold in the public market for 801. 9s. 6d.,
bring but • fraction over 4 per oent. of the original est.
This great depreciation in value may in part be attributed to
some circumstances attending the property, for it seems to be
its fate, whenever it has become valuable and paying, arrays
to have some obstacle thrown in the way on the part of the
committee, or committees we should say, for, with a rental
of only 4,0001., there are flee sub-committee., then a general
committee then • secretary, then • property mu-
ter, then an architect, then a party to take charge of the
music—all these to have the management of the theatre.
When Mr. Macready was bases be was obliged to give up
the theatre through the caprice of those concerned ; then
Mr. Bunn, then Mr. (lye, and latterly, through some differ-
ence of the renters and Mr. Gyro, the proprietors, renters,
and public have been deprived of a eplendid treat in Italian
opera. We have had wild beagle on the stage, and her
Majesty has attended the feeding. Wo have had every kind
of entertainment, and • first-rate American company have ,
offered to take the theatre for equeatriea performances.
They have been several time at the theatre, sod done no
harm. The thetas islet for promenade concerts by the
sanction of the committee, and horsemanship is considered
not to be on art and amusement teethe :public. Great, very
great dissatiefection is expressed by the renews at these de-
lays in letting. By the theatre being open they receive 61.
extra over 200 nights; indeed it will be found that they
receive 6001. for extra rent over and above 4,0001. paid by
Mr. Smith, and would not have received one penny bat for
them extra nights; yet the committee, who are merely
trustees for flak body of gentlemen, do all they can to prevent
money coming into the house, and keep the theatre closed,
which is doing more damage than all the promenade con-
certs and horsemanship possibly could do. The proprietors,
who have the power, moat alter this, or else they will And
. .

no Ivaco who will undertake to pay 4,0001. a year foe fin
theatre which is subject to the control of persona whom
interests seem opposed to the bunk fide owners of the pro-
perly. . . .

It w•as intended to erect in Vienna a monument to
Moran, the expenre of which would hare amounted to at
leant fifty or sixty thousand Burins; but, notwithstanding all
the efforts of the committee, and their sppeals to musicians
and dikttateti in Germany, the mama collected did not
gaits reach two hundred Burins. The censequence is, that
instead of a magnificent mausoleum worthy of the great tem-
po..r and the imperial city in which he breathed his lost, a
simple memorial stone will be placed in the St. Manor's
churchyard, which, according to oral tradition, is probably,
and only probably, the lest rooting-place of the beloved Ger-
man mtudtian.

Violin players in Vienna are in the habit now of
wing liquid eolophonium, instead of the solid resin, which is
in vogue in the other pert, of the world. The liquid mix-
tale is applied with a camel's hair brush, is said to led
during one hundred hours' playing, and neither to injure the
strings of the instrument nor the bow. The strings, it
affirmed, too, give out a clearer tone than when the solid
resin is used.

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA CONCERTS AT TUE
CRYSTAL PALACE.
Theme concerts, which were set on foot last year
by the manager of the Royal Italian Opera, have been re-
sumed this season ; and the ant took place yesterday. They
originated in the destruction of Covent Garden Theatre.
When Mr. Dye suddenly found that magnificent temple of
the Moses reduced to ashes, and was compelled to take
refuge within the narrow walls of the Lyceum, he soon dis-
covered the inadequacy of that small domicile to meet
the expenditure of his immense establishment, and
conceived the happy ides of adding to his resources by
a Berke of concerts at the Crystal Palace. The
plan was entirely eurveirful ; and he had the satisfaction of
starting a course of entertainments which proved so attractive
that they amply made up the deficit in his exchequer. The
mine nectesity still continuer, and is mot in the same man-
ner ; though it seems probable that, even bad the necessity
ceased, the concerts would nevertheleas have been carried
on ; for they have been found so welcome an addition to the
ptomains of the London summer season, that it would be a
pity to let them drop ; and therdotte they will in all proba-
bility become permanent.
The mouse.s of the Royal Italian Opera—its host of
great vocal performers, its unrivalled orchestra and powerful
chorus—are quite sufficient to furnish inexhaustible materials
for great musical entertainmentr, without any occasion for
resorting to extraneous aid. The following programme of
yesterday's concert will show that this is the case, sod will
at the same time give an idea of the plan of than per-
formances.
lull I.
Ora
Arta." ah,_vor ssolar Pews essaasl Parissal..
Dmatto. n Maims and sal Maw
R0(11.31 LDA Kai "W. Idadrini. .M 0
tars
Arta. Ira stair air air dialuerar,' lams
_ soft Tonle ttriebuts)

WONG
D;etTo mmora4m;C7riatirMieridia
eirMo omoreamte .
. IL
271 4rte"M r 12." m ere
Duette. •
Doer°, roirVdOs. rd
oil ifrird Clormsdi_ _ . ...... it=
A.M." eft Orr" Madre OiliaiLdrtita=
liTle.ll Of i=ogirsrle India Ifiair Madam
Oldr. Orr Ihr bardi. Orr Boldl. err
fiord. Oar Smarr,. rd dr= Warr .... Y.
No objection ran be made to any of these pieces, Wm se-
parately ; but the selection, taken collectively, Is by no
means invulnerable to criticism. In the that place, It sadly
lacks variety. The second part—save the overture, and the
short finale which served to sing the company out—is all
made up of airs and duetts by Donizotti. Seoondly, too
much of the vocal music consisted of pieces from two or three
operas which at present are given every opera night at the
Lyceum. Thirdly, Merl* wad absent. And lastly,
them was by far too little instrumental music; instead
of a couple of overtures, the powers of the superb
orchestra ought to have been employed in • sym-
phony of one of the great masters. Last season
the selections were made with much moso attention to
variety. Setting ands them objections, however, there was
meek to the antert that was wry delightful; and the
wens syphon bestowed upon moat of the pieces showed
that sash vas the folio/ et the audience. Grid was in
*solid voice, coned hermit greatly, and eau equally
happy in Ma airier and omit styles—in the lofty Arras of
Ilemissamils Ind Om playfulness of Noir. Net Baraldi,
whom sods r a boor re becoming more and more
apport, nag the air be. Maria di Raise beautifully, sad
ear wasrh socored. Porealf al madrigal also rarer tba
demur compliment of as our. It la a toy quint end
elms imitation of the style it the Skialimemnago. ,

Thri' concert was given in the Central Transept of the
building, where a great orchestra was erected. The apace
assumed tho forte of a vast music-hall, which afforded
' " "

comfortable accommodation to an audience which moat 127;
numbered upwards of throe thousand persona. The weather
war propitious; the bright sunshine and the milducee of the
air, compared s ith the temperature we have had for mine time,
added to the pleasure of the day, and heightened the cheer-
fulness of a smite unequalled in the whole world for brilliancy
and beauty.