THE MUSICIAN ABOUT TOWN. 299 
sic of this opera would be heard in England: the fact being that, 
only a few years ago, a very considerable portion, and all the finest 
of the movements, were performed in the same theatre in an opera 
entitled ‘‘ Hofer.” So curtailed, with Miss Stephens, Mad. Ves- 
tris, Sinclair, and Phillips, as the principals, it did not then remune- 
rate the manager: and now, we apprehend, the chance is not more 
favourable for the treasury, although it has been got up with great 
care and pains, and that the principals, Misses Romer, Betts, and 
Poole, Messrs. Braham, Allen, and Giubilei, exerted themselves to 
the best of their abilities. The cause of the public lukewarmness 
appears to be that, fine as the music is (for it is avowedly Rossini’s 
master-piece as classical composition), the audience become wearied 
with its length and disgusted with the libretto: the lessee has, 
therefore, acted wisely in retreating to his citadel of wild beasts. 
They have been his preservers this season ; Wan Amburgh is, there- 
fore, re-engaged. The chorusses in the Tell at both houses were a 
credit to each establishment ; the general opinion, however, is, that 
at Covent Garden there was not only greater vocal strength, but 
more precision, with attention to light and shade in the perform- 
ance: and indeed we have rarely heard a finer piece of dramatic 
music than in the celebrated conjuration chorus upon the assem- 
bling of the patriots. There were more than two hundred people 
on the stage. Mr. Land is entitled to high commendation for the 
zeal and assiduity he displays in his department of chorus-master. 
What the operatic company most needs at this house is, a tenor 
singer. The ladies Rainforth, Horton, Serle, are equal to all that 
may be required of them, and Leffler is a good substitute for Phil- 
lips, and a better actor: Manvers, with practice and care, will be- 
come essentially useful to the establishment; but Mr. Frazer is 
positively injurious to any composition that may be entrusted to him. 
His manner of singing—for style he has none—is vulgar, and the 
incorrectness of his intonation formidable. Nothing could possibly 
exceed the horror of his concerted singing in the opera of Barbara ; 
and indeed it was the general opinion that the manifestation of dis- 
approval against the piece might principally be traced tothe per- 
formance of the person so preposterously engaged to fill the situation 
of principal tenor at the principal theatre in the country. 
The Sacred Harmonic Society gave their first public concert for 
the present season on the 14th of November, when the spacious 
area of Exeter Hall was crammed to an overflow. The audience 
must have comprised at least two thousand persons, Very many 
