The Sun.
London, England, 1841-02-23 00:00:00

MUSICAL CHIT-CHAT.

The Philharmonic Society had a general meeting last week
to take into consideration a communication from Mr. Costa,
at the desire of Laporte, that such of the performers as wished
to be engaged at the Opera for the ensuing season must do so
under an agreement to attend at all times when required,
whether on the mornings appointed for the Philharmonic re-
hearsals, or otherwise. After much discussion it was resolved
that matters should take their course.as heretofore; but nearly
forty of the performers, who belonged to both orchestras, and
who had already signed their agreement with the directors of
the Philharmonic, were given to understand that they must
snake their election which of the two orchestras they would
give up, should Laporte insist on their attendance whenever
he thought fit to call them. This was a most distressing
situation to the performers, and they assembled at the Opera
House on Friday, to meet Costa, who behaved extremely well
throughout the unpleasant business,!and the result of the con-
fnence was that the whole of them were re-engaged by Costa
for the present season ; and' we trust that no collision of re-
hearsals will take place if it can possibly be avoided.
7'he following artistes have been engaged for her Majesty's
Theatre : —Grisi, Persiani, Pauline Garcia, Rubini, and La-
blache, but not Tamburini yet. Both Taglioni and Cerito
have also been engaged; so that we may anticipate a most
brilliant season, which will commence on the 6th or the 13th
of March, at the last.
TilE GERMAN Os ERAS.—Drury-lanc has been engaged by
Mr. Bunn for four months, for the German Company, who
will commence its performances about the middle of Starch..
The principal singers are to be of first-rate talent, with a band.
of forty, and a chorus of sixty, which Herr Schumann will
bring with him from Germany. The Director is to be the
composer Marschner. Weber's splendid opera, Oberon, is to
be brought out; and in June 11Ieyerbeer will come over to su-
perintend his celebrated opera of Les Huguenots, with Ger-
man words. The season will close on the 6th of July, when
Eliason w 11l resume his Concerts d'Ete on a very extensive
scale.
A NCIF.NT CONCERTS.--T4C first performance of ancient
music this season (being the sixty-fifth) will take place on the
10th of March, under the direction of his Royal Highness
the Duke of Cambridge : 'conductor of the evening, H. R.
Bishop, Mus. Bac. Oxon.
ENGLISH OPERA HOUSE.—We are glad to hear that Balfe
is progressing most satisfactorily with his arrangements for
opening the Lyceum on the 6th of March. The subscription
from those who feel it a duty to support native talent is daily
increasing, and it will, we hope, at least keep pace with that
for the German company, which, it is reported, amounts to
about 6,0001. ,

THE NEWSPAPER PRESS AND THE POST-
OFFICE.—From one end of the country to the other the
proprietors of newspapers are complaining that proper care
is not taken by the Post-office authorities to ensure a punc-
tual delivery of their papers, though they are as fully en-
titled to protection as letters, than which they fuinish a
much larger revenue. Complaints are constantly arising
of the non-delivery of papers, as a e have ourselves expe-
rienced, and the only answer which can be given to the
disapppointei and cheated subscribers is—" We regularly
post our papers in due time and by the proper mails, and
the fault must be in the Post-office." We have a right to
demand a temeldy for this injurious negligence, and we
hope our contemperariez will take the sub;ect vigorously up
at their next annual meeting in London.—Bristol Journal.
THE ITALIAN OPERA.--The numerous ru-
mours which have been afloat with regard to the supposed
differences between Laporte and nearly every one of the
" gifted Five," we arc enabled to extinguish by stating
that Griti, Persian', Rubini, and Lablache, are under en.
gagements to the lessee of this establishment, and will
make their debut at the accustomed period, the Easter
week. As regards Tamburini, negotiations are still
Fending. However, we conceive that ero long, probably
ere many days have elapsed—for Laporte last evening left
this country on his return for Paris—we shalt have an an-
nouncement of the adhesion of the Signor to the corps of
her Majesty's Theatre. The season will commuesda
such, at at least, are the present arrangements—on T
whichy
,
the 9th of the ensuing month, with an opera, inorted by
Madame Viardot (late Pauline Garcia), supp
Mario, as the tenor, will put forth her claims for asrenewalher
cf the favours which were so lavishly bestowed upon
when in this country before. In the ballet departmeneyes,
t,
Taglioni and Cerito will respectively glide before our
sustained by the beat talents the continent will afford,.
Sunday Paper.