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PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

VOL. 108. JUNE 29, 1895.

_edited by Sir Francis Burnand_




OPERATIC NOTES.

_Monday._--Tannhaeuserites disappointed. Signor VIGNAS indisposed.
_Tannhaeuser's_ understudy _Faust_ put up. House good. Performance
better. PLANCON,--once _Jupiter_ now _Mephistopheles_, the extremes
meeting in one singer,--excellent. MELBA quite the German Fraeulein.
BEVIGNANI, C. B., _i.e._, "Conducting Beautifully," in the chair.

_Tuesday._--Many other attractions, yet heart is true to Opera. M.
VICTOR MAUREL, as _Iago_, adds another leaf to his victor's wreath of
Laurel. MAGGIE MACINTYRE makes distinct advance, and sings, "O Willow,
we have missed you" most melodiously. TAM AGNO as _Misther O'Tello_,
the Irish <DW54> singer, uncommonly powerful. RICHARD GREEN, _Montano_,
greener than ever: quite fresh. PERCY MORDY a good _Roderigo Randomo_.
The highly Pole-ish'd OLITZKA a fair representative of _Emilia_. And
this cast, with Merry MANCINELLI manipulating musicians, makes the
Opera a delight to the _fine fleur_ of the Covent Gardenian Hot House.

[Illustration: Pagliacci.]

_Wednesday._--House crammed to see and hear ADELINA PATTI as _Rosina_
in the ever delightful _Barbiere di Siviglia_. ROSSINI for ever!
"Whar's your WULLIE WAGNER noo?" PATTI'S acting worth a third of the
money; her singing makes up t'other two-thirds. "Bonus" to audience in
"_Home, Sweet Home_." Wrapt attention! Here we are all of us out for
the night, so to speak, in silks and satins and jewels rare, and with
feathers and diamonds and all our war paint on, off afterwards
to routs, balls and supper-parties, and yet all hushed,
conscience-stricken as it were, in the midst of our gaiety, by sweet
voice warbling so distinctly "Home! Home! Home! Sweet Home! Wherever
(including the Opera Covent Garden) we wander (and we can't wander
when our attention is riveted on _la Diva_) there is no-oh-o-o place
like Ho-ome!" And then, second verse finished, a storm of rapturous
applause bursts over the singer! Yes! those are our sentiments. "Home!
Home!" by all means. Only--excuse us--we "_won't_ go Home Sweet Home
till morning, till daylight doth appear." But why, ADELINA
_mia_, didst thou sing at the end of the Opera that remarkably
anti-climaxious waltz of TI-TO-TUM MATTEI'S? TI-TO-TUM all very well
in his way, but not a ROSSINI. And then you sang it from a paper
in your hand as though doing penance in a music sheet? A mistake,
ADELINA, don't do it again, spin your TI-TO-TUM at a concert, but
not in ROSSINI'S _Barbiere_. BERTHA BAUERMEISTER obtained a rapturous
encore, but shook her finger at the audience as who would say "too
late! too late!" So BEVIGNANI bowed, and on we went again merrily.
PINI-CORSI good as pantaloon _Bartolo_. ANCONA a capital _Figaro_,
looking like one of _Cruikshank's_ comic characters. 'ABRY MUNDY,
fine _Basilio_ done in Italian oils; M. BONNARD, light and airy
French count, more of larker than lover. All Home-Sweet-Home-ing (or
elsewhere) about midnight, many being detained by the singers at the
Opera from getting to the SPEAKER'S "at Home," Sweet Home.

_Thursday._--_Pagliacci_, with Miss PAULINE JORAN appearing as
_Nedda_, and playing it in first-rate style. "Gee up! _Nedda!_"
_Query._ PINI-CORSI good as _Tonio_? _Answer._ 'C