... OUR CAPTIOUS CRITIC. HARD HIT. IT is all very well to be wise after the event-- to claim to have prognosticated an inevitable failure, or to add one's tributary brick to the laudatory pile erected over a secured success. A writer who has leisure to watch the course of events and nous to gauge the issue of paper before penning a criticism has a better opportunity of posing as a correct ...

... . THE fifth concert of Messrs. Novello's second season pre sented great attractions in Mr. Cowen's cantata The Sleeping Beauty (conducted by the composer) and Beethoven's magni ficent Choral Symphony. Extra exertions had been made to ensure unusual excellence of execution. The choir of 300 selected voices had worked hard at rehearsals; the fine band had been increased in numbers, and was led ...

... MUSIC. ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA. ITALIAN OPERA dies hard, Four years ago we were informed by some of our German friends that two years later there would be no performances of Italian Opera in London, and that its place would be filled by German Opera. People should never prophesy unless they know, and in this instance the prophecy was ignominiously contradicted by events. German Opera lived through ...

... . THE sixteenth of these concerts brought the series to a close, and was worthy the occasion; the programme including Schubert's Great Symphony No. 9 in C, Raff's Jubilee Overture, Wagner's Emperor's March, and Lohengrin's Farewell scene. The orchestral works were capitally executed, under the skilful guidance of Mr. Henschel, who has during the season established himself in general esteem ...

... . THE sixteenth of these concerts brought the series to a close, and was worthy the occasion; the programme including Schubert's Great Symphony No. 9 in C, Raff's Jubilee Overture, Wagner's Emperor's March, and Lohengrin's Farewell scene. The orchestral works were capitally executed, under the skilful guidance of Mr. Henschel, who has during the season established himself in general esteem ...

... . The Viennese Lady Orchestra on Monday last made their rentrec for the season at the Westminster Aquarium, and played dances and more important orchestral works with the spirit and expression for which they are renowned. They were aided by the band cf M. De Bono, who in their red uniforms formed a capital background to the ladies, who wore their customary dresses Of white muslin with sky blue ...

... DRAMA. OPERA COMIOUE. IF Miss Kate Vaughan is to make of her season at the Opera Comique the success which she fairly deserves, she must secure the services of some stronger and more judicious manager than any apparently associated with her productions. Her revivals are not cast as well as they ought to be, and sufficient care is not taken to make the rendering smooth, symmetrical, and ...

... THE revival of Mr. Tom Taylor's Lady Clancarty at the ST JAMES'S Theatre will be memorable as well for the powerful acting of Mrs. Kendal as for the beauty and completeness of the historical setting w ...

... GULES upon Gules is proverbially bad heraldry, and burlesque upon burlesque is obviously not less open to objection, on artistic ground. Ruddigore. at the Savoy, is avowedly designed to burlesque th ...

... . FOR the last fortnight of his stay at the Olympic Mr. Terry revived, on Monday evening, Mr. Pinero's eccentric comedy, In Chancery, following it with My Cousin, a comedietta now given for the first time in London. Mr. Pinero's play, though less finished and neat than some of his other humorous works, and though not so well fitted to Mr. Terry's peculiar method as is The Rocket, is ...

... . AT the thirteenth of these concerts, given on Saturday last, Mr. Ebenezer prout's fourth symphony was performed for the first time in the metropolitan district since the fine performance cf it given last year, under the direction of the composer, at the Covent Garden Promenade Concerts. The work improves on further acquaintance. It is remarkably fresh and clear; the melodies-- especially in ...

... . ANY work produced by Dr. Stainer merits immediate and respectful attention. He writes little, but always writes well, and has composed admirable music of an ecclesiastical cha racter. He has also distinguised himself, both while organist of Magdalen College, Oxford, and during the fifteen years that he has been organist of St. Paul's Cathedral, by zealous and suc cessful efforts to improve ...