The Sun.
London, England, 1866-03-20 00:00:00

lIER MAJESTY.

WINDSOR CASTLE, March 19

The Queen, with Prince Leopold and Princess
Beatrice, drove out yesterday afternoon, and went
out in the grounds this morning, accompanied by
Prince Leopold.

Prince Alfred, accompanied by Prince Hermann
of Hohenlohe, and attended by Lieutenant Haig,
went to London this morning.

THE ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA, COVENT-

GARDEN.

Programme of Mr. Gse's New Season.

The coming season of the Royal Italian Opera
for 1866 gives rare and brilliant promise, judging
from Mr. Gye's recently issued programme. And
Mr. Gye has . hitherto, as a rule, kept such good
faith with his subscribers and the public generally,
that we have come to look upon his annual prospectus
as a document carrying to us no mere pie-crust
promise, or promise merely made to be broken.
Deferring to the announcement put forth towards
the close of the last prospefous season, the
season of 1865, to the effect that the Royal
Italian Opera would in all human probability
be forthwith transferred to a P üblic Company--
remaining no longer as hitherto in the hands and
under the sole direction of a single individual—
the Director of the Royal Italian now announces,
almost, as it seems to us, apologetically—and, if so
(we must add), quite unnecessarily that because
of certain unfavourable circumstances having inter-
vened, that promised arrangement has not been
carried out, Mr. Gye remaining Proprietor, Lessee,
Manager, what you will, of that magnificent Lyrical
Establishment. That things have so fallen out,
let us say at once, we for one are heartily rejoiced.
A vast and complicated establishment such as that
of the Royal Italian Opera requires, as it seems to
us, peremptorily requires, for its judicioui manage-
ment, the firm and resolute direction of a despotic
government. And the aptitude evidenced during so
many years past by Mr. Gye for the exercise with
consummate tact of that supreme authority, affords a
guarantee to the musical world that the interests of art
are safer in his keeping, so far as his noble establish-
ment is concerned in the furtherance of those inte-
rests here in England, so long as his own unfettered
judgment and discretion are allowed fair play in
the regulation of the whole of the complex organi-
zation, but more especially of the administra-
tive organization of Covent Garden as an Opera
House. That he is in the fullest sense of the word
qualified for the proper discharge of the duties and
responsibilities devolving upon him in his continued
capacity as that great social magnate—potentate we
might even call him—an Operatic Manager, it is
only necessary to glance at his newly-published
programme for the season now immediately approach-
ing to recognize and that moreover upon the in-
stant. Conspicuous among the announcements con-
tained in it is one to the effect, that during the season
of 1866 no less than EIGHT ARTISTES hitherto unheard
in England, will at intervals, as opportunity arises,
make their first appearance. Two from Berlin and
two from Paris, the other four coming respectively
from Naples, Hanover, Madrid, and Copenhagen.
As for the old-established favourites, those Kings
and Queens of Song, without whose co-operation
the fame of the Royal Italian would not be what it
is—namely unsurpassed in Europe—as a temple for
the Lyrical Drama—their services have been as a
matter of course secured. The mere mention of their
names amounts of itself to a magnificent prospectus
including among these the peerless names of Madam-
oiselle Adelina Patti, of Signor Mario, of M. Faure,
and of Signor Rouconi, together with the names also
of Madlle. Pauline Lucca, of Madlle. Carlotta Patti,
(hitherto only known in this country as a concert
singer) of Madlle. Artot, of Signor Graziani, of
Signor Naudin, of Signor Attri, and of llerr
Schmid, who as a basso-profunao takes rang
as the legitimate successor of Staudigl and
Lablache. Then as to the operas, we have
here catalogued for us as the magnificent repCr-
toire of the Royal Italian—five-and-thirty of the
great lyrical masterpieces of which one is by Beet-
hoven (Fidelio), one by Gluck (Orfeo), one by
Gounod (Faust), one by Mercadante (II Giura-
mento) one by Herold (Zampa), one by Mozart
(Don Giovanni), two by Auber (Fra Diavolo and
Massaniello), two by Flotow (Martha and Stradella),
three by Bellini (Norma, Puritani, and Sonnambula),
three by Verdi (La Traviata, Rigoletto, and Il Tro-
vatore), four by Rossini (the Barbiere, Guglielmo
Tell, Otello, and La Gazza Ladra), six by Meyer-
beer (L'Africaine, L'Etoile du Nord, Les Hugue-
nots, Dinorah, Roberto Il Diavolo, and the Pro-
phete), and as many as eight by Donizetti, those
eight being Lucrezia, Don Pasquale, Maria di
Rohan, La Favorita, L'Elisir d'Amore, Linda di
Chamciuni, Lucia di Lammermoor, and La Figlia
Regimento. Added to this glorious list, we have
promise now of hearing the new comic opera, Cris-
pino e la Comare, and of having another added to
the repertoire of the Royal Italian, as the ninth
opera of Donizetti's, to wit, Don Sebastiano. The
castes of some of the pick of the operas above
enumerated are foreshadowed by Mr. Gye before
the close of his programme, and several among the
number will be found calculated to excite and stimu-
late a large amount of delightful expectation. Among
the more choice of these anticipations naust be included
of course the premised first appearance of Maddle.
Adelina Patti as Caterina in " L'Etoile du Nord,"
and as Susanna in "Le Nozze di Figaro." That
prince of musical conductors, Mr. Costa will still,
from his elevated post in the orchestra, wield his
magical baton as Operatic Director or Conductor at
once of the Chorus on the Stage and of the Instru-
mentalists around him—a Chorus and an Orchestra
well entitled to the epithet here applied to them in
the official programme as unrivalled. The stage
management being still left to the direction of Mr.
Augustus Harris, and the scenery to the brushes of
Mr. William Beverley and his assistants, the sub-
scribers to the Royal Italian may now, from every
point of view, look forward with confident anticipa-
tion to the commencement of another brilliant sea-
son in the annals of Covent-Garden upon the ris-
ing of the curtain on this day fortnight—Tuesday
the 3d of April, the evening upon which the season '
of 1866 will be inaugurated.

THEATRICAL LICENSES AND REGULATIONS.—The
Parliamentary committee recenty_appointed to in-
quire into the present theatrical licensing system, prepare;
tory, to improve legislation on the subject, sat yesterday
afternoon in room No. 17 of the House of Commons. The
committee was composed of the following gentlemen :
Mr. Goshen (chairman), Lord Ernest Bruce, Sir A. Buller,
Lord Eustace Cecil, Mr. Clay, Mr. Clive, Mr. Locke, Mr.
Du Cane, Mr. T. J. Miller, Mr. Lusk, Mr. O'Beirne, Mr.
Powell, Mr. Selwyn, Colonel Sturt, and Mr. Walpole.
The Hon. S. C B. Ponsonby, Comptroller of the Lord
Chamberlain's Department, was examined at some length,
and in his evidence stated that at the present time there
were 25 thegres in London, but he was not aware of the
number of music halls, nor had the Lord Chamberlain any
knowledge of the number. Mr. Locke asked the witness
whether he was aware of the fact that spirits and beer
were kert in nearly all the theatres, and taken round to
persons in the pit by women. Mr. Ponsonby replied in
the affirmative. He did not think any of Shakspere's plays
or any ballets or dances, if performed in music halls, would
elevate the ideas of those present. He thought the drama
should be kept apart from music halls. He had been to
the Alhambra, and certainly the audience was no; over
respectable, but he saw nothing improper there. The Lord
Chamberlain had the power of withdrawing licenses for
dancing, music, &c., if he found anything improper. In
reply to Mr. Goschen, Mr. Ponsonby said he thought the
power of granting or refusing licenses to theatres and music

halls should be vested in one person. In replying to Mr.
Powell, the witness said the police always reported any-

thirtg wrong, and the newspapers were closely watched for
anything requiring investigation. The presence of aban-
doned women at music-halls depended very much upon the
locality. This class of persons frequented the Alhambra
and Strand in numbers, while the Cambridge Music Hall
at the East-end contained but very few of them. The in-
quiry was then adjourned.

GEORGE SAND read recently at the Vaudeville her
new comedy, in three acts, entitled "Le Don Juaa de
lage."

THE HEAD-CENTRE.—ROWIaaId'Ii Alacamar.