The frst performance of the Verme Opera Company, which took place on Thursday evening at the Lyceum Theatre, must be regarded as of a very successful and encouraging nature, The house was excess sively full, and the audiones most appre-dative. It is a considerable time now since we have had any opportunity of hearing lyric drama in Shanghai, and it was only to be expected that the appearance in our midst of an Opera troupe which was believed to rise above mediocrity should be very warmly welcomed. Any opportunity, indeed, of listening to the music of the Italian masters is pretty sure to be taken full advantage of, and we may congratulate Signor Corti upon the inauguration of what bids fair to prove a prosperous if not brilliant season. It is perhaps almost too early to pronounce any very decided opinion upon the merits of the {individual members of the troupe. In other respects, however, the music of the Trovatore is 80 well known that the selection of that opera to introduce the singers to Shanghai was so far judicious, It contains some very effective choruses and many beautiful and touching airs, The orchestra, which was under the able direc tion of Signor Vela, consisted of piano, violin, violoncello, clarionet, and har: monium, Occasionally, the instruments almost drowned the voices upon the stage, and this isa defect which we think should be avoided in future, On the whole, however, this partof the music was highly satisfactory, We venture to suggest, too, that the prompt ter, who occupied a somewhat prominent sition, should not shout quite so loud, was heard with disagreeable distinctness in many parts of the house, and this detracted somewhat from the effects of several of the best-rendered arias.
'The' title-rule was confided to Signor Luigi Vanzetti, a gentleman who possesses a tenor voice of rare power and capacity. What it lacks in a Ginglini-like softness and lusciousness is amply compensated by its resonant and thrilling tones, The passage of music allotted to Maprico before entrance upon the stage was splendidly, given, and the concluding notes, as they rang through the house, secured for the yet unseen singer a burat of well-deserved and most enthusiastic applause. Equal praise, too, must be awarded to the baritone, Signor Ciocci, who has a noble voice, and. who divided the honours of the evening with Signor Vanzetti in Santley's part of the Conte di Luna, Both these gentlemen have organs of great excellence, and were heard to high advantage in their respective parts. The basso profondo—Signor Patierno—received also © most Alstering meed of approbation as the Cape dei Zinccari, and will no doubt sing with greater freedom and effect when he becomes more accustomed to the house; while the choruses were delivered uniformly well, The prima donna, Signora Maria Lubicci, has a well-trained and musical soprano, and tive of Leonors. Sie was called and was in every way a very fitting representa. re-called at the end of several scenas, her trio with ignore Vanzetti and Ciocci being the signal for an irrepressible burst of applause at the end of the second act, With great good sense, however, the encores, of which there were not a few, wore simply acknowledged, and the action of the opera permitted to proceed uninterruptedly. It is more difficult to criticise the Acucena of Signora Aunuvziata Silini. Of the acting and singing of this lady we have great pleasure in speaking very highly; but the music of Asusena ts empbattoal'y contral to music, and Signora Sil voice is scarcely deep enough to suit all the exigencies of the score. It is a pleasing and well-trained mezzo-soprano, but, a5 such, not quite so well adapted to the music that she had to sing as the deep, soft, rich tones of a Trebelli, Perhaps a really pure contralto, such as that of Leonows, the Russian singer who came here some years ago, is a kind of voice which is not possessed by any of the members of the troupe, and as we all know it is certainly one of the rarest and most difficult to
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.