Jan. 15, 'Tfaz visit of the Italian Opera' Company at the Olympic is memorable in several respects, first, perhaps, for the extiraordinary success it has achieved. By that we would not be thought so rude as to imply that the Company does not deserve to succeed far from it. But the theatre-going community of Shanghai does not number more than a few thousands; the music-loving proportion of it is still smaller; and even among music-lovers there are many who would rather not hear opera unless they can have it in tip-top style, and not a few who only enthuse over it in the form of Wagnerian music drama. Finally, there are all sorts of rival attractions at this time of year, and one remembers that, only two winters ago, a Russian opera company, certainly not inferior to the present visitors, failed wretchedly. Yet night after night the Olympic has been able to put up the rare notice "house full'' and to buy a ticket: at Moutrie's was almost as bad as getting registered at the Consulate. The audiences consisted very largely of Continentals, but there was no lack of the reputedly unmusical British and Americans. One thing observable was the number of Chinese and Japanese who would appear to enjoy the music of the West more than almost any other of its products. Their presence in the foreign theatres is very welcome, for the bigger audiences Shanghai can offer, the better the travelling companies it will be able to attract. It must also be confessed that, for punctuality, considerateness of others and quiet attention, the Chinese and Japanese "patrons of opera set an example which some others would do well to follow.
Looking back on the performances as a Whole, one may say unreservedly that they were exceedingly good, not only giving an excellent idea of what the composer meant to those who had never heard opera and went religiously night after night to be
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.