The Sun.
London, England, 1814-12-16 00:00:00

ENGLISH OPERA.

MR. EDITOR,--Some of the Public Prints have
expressed the discontent manifested by the old
Frequenters of the Theatre, and yours among the
rest, on the manner of defacing the sterling Operas
of this country by the omission of the established
airs, and the introduction of"Songsovhich have no
connection with. the respective pieces. This com-
plaint is very reasonable, and the Conductors of
our Theatres ought to have more respect for the
feelings of the Public, and snore regard to the me-
mory of departed genius, than to give- -their
sanction to such a practice, in order to gra-
tify the vanity of a Musical Composer, or
favourite Singer. The established-Operas which
were admired by our ancestors, and which, by
keep rig their stations on the Stage, while most
modern productions of a: similar kind are every
day hastening into oblivion, spew that. they pos-
sess intrinsic merit, and are conformable to truth
and nature. Such Works, therefore, ought to be
kept pure from interpolation ; and it is insulting
to the honest prejudices of the Public, as well as
to the memory of great talents, to disfigure them
in compliance with caprice or vanity. lf modern
Composers and Singers are so ambitious to dis-
tingnish themselves,..let the Conductors of our
Theatres revive the former practice of intro
ducing ,Songs between the, acts, which, not
to go so tar back as the
..time of old LE-
171:EDGE, was. in frequent use within the me-
mory of many of our contemporaries. BEARD,
Lows, VERNON, and many other Performers, ce-
lebrated in their day, were in the habit of intro-
ducing Songs between the acts. " The Early
Horn" of TOMMY LowE was always sure to con-
tribute powerfully to the general attraction of the
Theatre on the-night when announced to be sung
by him in this manner. The omissions, altera-
tions, and additions which have been made in Love
in a Village, The Maid of the Mill, Lionel and Cla-
rissa, and 'lice Duenna, are glaring violations of
propriety that ought not to be tolerated ; and
in order to preserve in their original state those
sterling old Operas which do honour to the me-
mory of some admirable Musicians of this coun-
try, it to be hoped that the Public will, on the
representation of these pieces, or any other that
are sanctioned by time and general approval, re-
sist, by some decisive marks of censure, every
attempt, to injure their beauties by obtrusive in-
novation.
Piazza Coffee-house, Dec. 15. SQUARE TOES.

P. S.' It may be proper• to add, Mr. Editor,
that though the Managers of Drury-lane Theatre
desersve the warmest approbation of the Public
for the splendid manner in which they have re-
vived the play of Macbeth (not to cavil at the
anachronism of the costume, which the prevaleni
taste for magnificence and shew may excuse), it is
painful to hear the liberties whith are taken with
the fine old music of .MATTHEW LOCKE, as some
of the vocal- performers are not content with its
beautiful' simplicity and genuine grandeur, but
"endeavour to improve it by decorations and ca-
dences totally inconsistent with its nature and cha-
racter.

Mr. YOUNG has had the misfortune to lose an
Aunt, which is the occasion of his not performing
this evening,

Some People may recollect the notice which
was taken in the British Parliament of one JOHN
HENRY. We were charged with having employ-
ed him to intrigite for a separation of the F.astern
States from the Union: The worthy citizen re-
ceived a bribe from the American. PRESIDENT of
50,000 dollars to bring thatcharge against tis, and
was then withdrawn from justice by his employer,
beibg sent in a public vessel of the United States
to France.

Many of the Capital Prizes in the last Lottery
were sold the very first day the Tickets came out ;
this circumstance Will in some measure account
for the extraordinary demand which took place
for the Tickets of the present Lottery as soon as
they were issued, though, in our opinion, Fifty
Czipital Prizes, including Two of Twenty Thou-
sand, and Two of Ten Thousand Pounds each, in
a Lottery of 12,000 Tickets, present- other and
better reasons for an Early Purchase.