The Express.
London, England, 1868-06-22 00:00:00

MUSIC.

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA.
The performances of the pa 4 week have been
lull of interest awl variety, having included Dom Oioraiou,
Afrirainer, and II liarbiere-- Afraisime for the first
time this season, having been postponed from Thursday
week in consequence of the indisposition of Millie. Pauline
Lu ea.
Mdlle. Lucca, who acted and sang with intense
dramatic power and fooling, guvc the slumber wait
in the 'event aet, "In greinlsi," with great effect,
and infused much passion into the duet with
Vasco in the same act. Madame Lemmens-Sberring-
ton was the same efficient Inc,. as before, and Signor
:main gave picturesque effect to the character of
biclusko, singiug iuhnirably in the air " Figlia dci
and being encored as usual in the Hong "Ail:teamster."
The splendour of the scenery and the whnir.ible stage
arrangements were again apparent, especially
die in the con-
t on board the vessel and the seizure of the ship by the
savages; the pageantry, prooessions, and varied co4tumes
of the court of the Indian Queen, and the moonlight gloom
of the final scene of the seashore and the deadly 111.11lat-
nilla tree being among the effects peculiar to this theatre.
The celebrated oriliestral unisonous passage in this last
scene war it, almost invariably encored.

MR. 11l NEIfIC'F'S c'ONCERT.
This gentleman gave him thirty-thinl eimeert
at St. James's-hall on Saturday morning, when the pro-
gramme was of that lengthened, varied, and special
interest by which these occasions have been for so many
years distinguished above most similar entertainments.
During Mr. Benedict's long residence among us he has
proved, by a series of productions in some of the highest
branches of the art, his great technical acemnplishments,
and his earnest thoughtfulness as a composer, fully worthy
to cull himself a pupil of Carl Maria von Weber. As a
pianist, too, fur nuiny years as a solo player and still as
one of the most refined and skilful of aecompanyists, Mr.
rknediet has earned great and deserved reputation. His
own merit,, then, should suffice to fill the largest concert-
room to which he might invite the public; but when to
these are :aided the attractions which he invariably pro-
vides, no wonder that his concert is always one of the
most crowded of the SPANOn.

NEW PHILHARMONIC CONCERTS.
The fifth and final eoneert of the aeries took
place last week, commencing, at a distance of some ten
miles, in lc,s than two hours after the close of a great
Handel Festival performance, the account of which hail
to be written simultaneously with the progress of the
concert rekrreil tu. As we can, therefore, offer no criti-
cism on the latter, we merely record the fact of the per-
form:am s having consisted of Weber's overture to Eu-
rg,nth. Beethoven's Pastoral aymphouy, Meudelssohn's
• ('ornelia.- March, Spohr's concerto in I) minor
(played by that clever violinist, Herr Auer) and a new
pianoforte concerto, composed :mil performed by Mr. J.
F. Barnett, which was favourably received, with vocal
pieces by Mane. Vanzini and Miss Fanny Holland. Of
the merits of Mr. Barnett's concerto we shall doubtless
Live an opportunity before long of speaking from actual
hearing.

DRAMA.

NEW QV EF-N* S.

Almost Moro the drama of Foul Play is known
to the Fr or ral public, Mr. F. C. Burnand has burlesqued
it:at thi, theatre under the title of Foul Play, or Chikkin
Jlazard, and the burlesque was produced on Saturday
night with perfcet MICCCI,S4. All the salient points of the
drama have been very happily, though extravagantly ri-
diculed, the burlesque extending even to the scenery and
dress( a. Without the aid of a ballet or any glittering pic-
tures, Mr. Buruand has produced a piece whirl, is more
like the old travesties of the Olympic and Strand five-and-
twenty years ago than the productions of the present day.
yearly all the characters are dressed in every-day tos.
tune, but the costume is made peculiar by the use of satin
instead of cloth, and the author relies less upon puns than
et en " comic busitiesa." To narrate half the amusing
absunlities r.f the piece would be useless and tiresome,
but it, success was indisputable—a result largely duo to
-114 e couriiy,