... . Under the skilful direction of Signor Arditi,the Promenade Concerts given recently at this theatre have proved worthy of attention. The first classical concert of the season was specially meritorious the performance including Mozart's E flat symphony, the Larghetto from Sphor's symphony in C minor, the lovely Scherzo from Mendelsrohn'a Midsummer Night's Bream music, the overture to Anacreon, ...

... OUR CAPTIOUS CRITIC. A SECRET FOE. A DEEP and profound know ledge of human nature is an essential qualification on the part of a playwright. Con struction and language count for something, but an ability to trace the hidden springs of thought and to show their logical outcome in action de notes powers of the highest order. I Bay logical outcome in action advisedly, because such action ...

... . Sophia returned to the 'Vaudeville for its four hundredth performance on Alonday last. Its hold over the public has proved far greater than the impression which it made upon its first night critics, and its artistic defects as an adaxitation of Fielding's famous novel may fairly be said to have been out weighed by its broad merits as an acting play. These merits, too, have been emphasised in ...

... OUR CAPTIOUS CRITIO. DEVlt CARE3F00T. IN course of a fairly long experience of the acted drama, I have noted two diametrically opposite tendencies on the part of play-writers equally carried to excess. The one is the tendency to tell you too much, and the other that to tell you too little. There are authors who insist upon explaining to you a great more than you really care a jot about ...

... . THE promenade concerts given at Her Majesty's Theatre, under the management of Mr. J. H. Mapleson, have not been largely patronised by the musical public; possibly because the programmes have been chiefly devoted to the lighter kinds of music, to the exclusion of those more sterling works for which there is a large demand amongst the music-lovers of the metropolis. At the moment when we ...

... HEB AIAJESTY'S THEATBE. The Promenade Concerts recently given here have met with less patronage than they have deserved the performances of the orchestra, under the skilful direction of Signor Arditi, being well worth hearing. He has trained them to play with unanimity of expression, and to obey every indication made by then- accomplished director, who knows how to make the most of musical ...

... . IT is of well-worn materials that Messrs. Manville Fenn and Darnley have constructed the new piece presented by Miss Melnotte at the Comedy, under the title The Barrister. Their construction is, however, sufficiently workmanlike to make their fabric hold well together, and sustain a very fair amount of interest. Of course we are, most of us, already familiar with the hero of farcical comedy ...

... . To the extensive repertory of this company an important addition was made last week by the production of the English version of Auber's grand opera, Masaniello. The success achieved on this occasion will no doubt ensure the revival of Masaniello at Drury Lane next spring. It has not been heard in London-- either in French, Italian, or English-- since it was produced, many years back, at ...

... . IN Shadows of Life; or, the Hand of late soma very strong meat is provided by Mr. Arthur Shirley to suit the vigorous appetite of Air. Cave's patrons at the Elephant and Castle Theatre. This melodrama has, we believe, seen some provin cial service since its original production some three years ago, but will doubtless be new to most of its metropolitan spec tators. The shadows which give Air. ...

... . Mlle. Vanoni, who, on Monday liBt, made a highly suc cessful debut at the Alhambra, has rapidly won popularity in France, Icaly, Spain, and elsewhere on the Continent, and is likely to achieve similar successes during the limited stay which she is enabled to make in London. She is a well- trained vocalist, and although her solos are of the comic kind, her singing is worth hearing. Her ...

... . We recently took occasion to contradict the reports that a six weeks' season of Italian opera, at theatre prices, had been arrarged to take place at Covent Garden, under the management of Signor Lago. We are now in a position to state, on the best authority, that Signor Lago has entirely abandoned the idea of an autumnal season in London, and has departed for St. Petersburg, where he will ...

... . MR. JOHN A. STEVENS, the great American author, actor, and manager, who has come to us in A Secret Foe, seems to deserve a heartier welcome than he obtained on his appearance at the Opera Comique the other night. If the Mastodon were to return to our midst he would receive attention as a curiosity, even if he were not hailed as a useful addition to our fauna, or as a pleasant domestic pet. ...