Muir.
The music of the past week affords little room for remark. The French company at the St. James's Theatre have produced Le Domi- no Noir, another joint work of Scribe and Auber, and strongly stamped with the genius both of the dramatist and the composer. It has Scribe's wit, satire, and ingenious construction, with Auber's melodious and sparkling music. The performance is such as we described last week in speaking of the Diatnants de la Couronne : agreeable in its ensemble, without any remarkable display of individual excellence. It has been favourably received, and is well worth going to see and hear.
There was a "Popular Concert" at St. James's Hall, on Monday evening, conducted by Mr. Benedict, and good of its kind, though with- out the slightest novelty. The only noticeable incident was the absence of Mr. Sims Reeves, which, as (unfortunately for himself) his absences have been frequent of late, gave rise to considerable discontent. This feeling was groundless, for it is certain, not only that Mr. Reeves has been very seriously indisposed, but that his wife has been labouring under an illness which has nearly brought her to the grave. A gentle- man connected with the concert, in addressing the audience in explana- tion of Mr. Reeves's absence, mentioned the remarkable fact that the singer's inability to fulfil his engagements on account of his illness had during the last three or four weeks, been attended with a loss to him of five hundred pounds. At this rate, what does our English tenor gain per annum ? And do Mario, Giuglini, or any of the foreigners who are said to reap such extravagant harvests to the prejudice of native talent," gain more ? We very much doubt that any of them receives so much.
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