YESTERDAY’S NEWS.

Evening Star, Issue 3102, 28 January 1873, Page 3

YESTERDAY’S NEWS.

THE ITALIAN OPERA.

Nothing hut the extremely disagreeable weather last evening could have caused such a poor attendance as there was to w'ituoss the second representation of “I Puritan},” which is in every respect, the finest effort of the company. We feel convinced that, under other cirouinstances, there would have been full benches out of compliment to Signora Coy. whose Elvira must take the premier place among the many admirable impersonations of that gifted cantatrice. The limited attendance, however, had very little visible effect on the performers, for the opera, from first to last, was given with as much spirit as if the house had been tilled ; indeed, we are almost inclined to believe it went better last night than on Friday week. It is unnecessary to mention in detail the vocal beauties with which the opera teems , and we shall content ourselves by remarking that the polacca “Si non vergin’' secured for Signora Coy a unanimous recall 5 that in the aria and quartette, “ A te cara,” and in the final duett, “ Nel miranti,” Signor Coy’s fine voice was heard to advantage ; while a more spirited piece of singing than the martial duett “ Suoni la tromba,” by Signori Dondi and Coliva, has not been heard by a Dunedin audience. Without disrespect to Signor Tournerie, whose place Signor Coliva filled, owing to the former s illness, we should prefer always to hoar the latter as Riccardo.

This evening, Verdi’s opera of “Macbeth” will be produced for the first time in Dunedin, with Signora Zenoni as Lady.Macbeth, said by the Australian and Northern press to be her freatest impersonation, and Signor Coliva ai the bane of Cawdor. The plot of the work is taken from Shakespeare’s tragedy of the same name, and the characters, incidents, and situations are similar, although, of necessity, the dialogues are materially shortened. For to-morrow evening it was the intention of the promoters to have produced “Les Huguenots,” but, through the illness of Signor Tournerie, which we regret to say is severe, have been obliged to substitute “ La Traviata.”