TgEA.THES AND MUSIC,,

The war between the rival Operas, which has- lasted for nearly. three Maims, ban been-distinguished by some amusing- poinesof generalship since the production of Afeyerbeer's Prophite at Parhu,-Thamopera, with a avon derful mice en scenei hes long been exp:e0tecl lay khelintatne of Covent Garden, as the grand coup -With 'which their seristm is td :terminate. Other works may have been more or less successful, but thePrOPhete is to come like the glorious concluding tableau, of a fairynepecteacle, which is sure to be splendid whatever may have preceded it.,„ , The tactics employed by the old establishmeiwnuiaetioipation of this formidable accession of strength to the enembriaraitettitsekstble for their Ingenuity. The common manceuvre would have lseen.tur, .in first .forthe original score, or to produce some rival kind of Pi,wpfi4p,:biell should em- barrass the poblie in its choice. But, as far as ave.:ono. judge from foreign reports, the last work of Meyerheer does not se rauchseeese a sensation by its efficiency as a musical whole, as by an intrOdactienr0 certain novel effects addressing themselves to the eye. Such effeete are- a- rising lumi- nary, represented by electric light, and a "pits des patineurei" These are not.so completely attached to the main body of, the opera: that they may not be opposed singly; and hence .Mr.:-Lturdey'a pulley has. been to gain a victory by instalments. He does not, on the ancient plan, oppose " Pro- phet" to "Prophet," but he takes the little. isolated" 'effectii, one by one, to that when the grand work is•-•out at Covent Garden this -novelty will have been destroyed. Thus, whew/the electric- sunaika at Covent Garden, the public will recollect that there has already been tin electric pleiad at Her Majesty's Theatre; and now, it seems, the " pas des patineurs" is likely to he done at the elder establishment as a separate divertissement, before it can be seen as part of a whole elsewhere. l'he announcement of this last- named attraction hae: led to a little COnprOyersyetween the Covent Gar- den 'authorities and M. Paul Taglioni. The -nyal Italians," as sole proprietors of The Prophlte, issue the following :protest against the Hay-

market Patblesers— • .

"The Directors of the Royal Italian Opera beg to announce, that the Pas des Patineurs, advertised by a _rival establishment, is not the original Pas now per- forming at the Academic de Musimp in Paris, in Meyerbeer's Opera of Le Pro- phete; the sole right of representation of which is the exclusive property of the Rojat-Italiair Opeeti.; The'Pas des Patineurs the music by M.Sleyerbeer, has been-in rehearsalfor some time at the Royal Italian Operas' apilnny.Other per- formance of this Pas, or of any other portion of the ProphltecCea.ealy. be executed in an lair-effect form." . . Although the above document declares, as an' independent proposition, that the Haymarket Pas is not the Pas proper, the reasoning evidently is, that it cannot be the true one inasmuch.as-the sole right of performing The PrOpkiie belongs to Covent Garden. This would aeem unanswerable; as, lkordivary cases, the possession of .wholeimpliee-apOisession of all the

Pena .situt, just as in the map of Eaglited w&tiledustlitillelfit Derhant

geographically placed in Northumberland, so does it seem,: by Mr. Paul Taglionrs answer to Covent Garden;-that he has a little bit-of private pros

• . party sticking in the middle Of Meyerbeer's :opera, with titlesdeede of its

Own, and totally independent of the sin-Min:Kling tertiterY, . We give dochliation--= "In answer to an advertisement from Covent Garden Theaere;MiPaisi TeAliani begs to announce that the-Past/es Patineurs is his own estaual composition and plea. ty. From regard for Iii. Meyerbeer he agreed to go tu Paris, on his way to London; and there he furnished, gr4tuitously, all details,. models, and in • struetions neeeseary for the introduction of the Pas des rotinears into The Prophite. As Ballet-master to Her Mniestfit Theatre; be deemed it his duty to mount it there, as an attractive novelty, alreadyperformed Witlimecess at Berlin, Hamburg, Breslau, and Warsaw. It is-to be danced with the original national Hungarian and appropriate airs ; and he received particular instruotiene to leave

the music of The Propketc to its ern. merits." . . ,

The Word "gratuitously," showing that M. Paul Taglionhis hot only free from all obligation to John of Layden,lnit-tiort-theaforesaid John is some- what - Indebted to him, Paul, is-A,znasterpieee of diplomacy, implying that Paul has equity as *ell as lavr.on his aide.. The generous concession of Meyerbeer's music, with the somewhat satirical phraie that it is to_be to its own merits," i e. not to be touched—and the, Itint,Most gently con- veyed, that the substitution of' the national airs for the,PrOphite harmonies will-be-rasher an advantage than-otherwise—brings this piquant little an- nouncement to a Most happy conclusion. WhileMr. Lumley thus .emple■ya .his light forces, in skirmishing, he Makes Ilia grand _charge. With. Madante Soctag, the delightful vocalist who turned the Mods of all the Pedon.aristoeracy years ago,. and who in a few days will return to Der •-hlajesty's, Theatre. Report says that her organ,and beenreecution are-lc as good.condition as over; and oven if, roe port should:be wrong, curiosity tosee -*vocalist so celebrated; and, by the diplomatic position other husband, Count so, intiewitely associated With the highest circles of: Europoi, Min' hardly fail , to draw crowded

houses. - . _

By the way, we 'suggest t*,theCo'pApiler of, the official posters et Her Majesty's Theatre should adopt a more terse and simple mode of expression in communicating his' information to the public.: The INInelloWeatept that Madame Sontag has. consented "to leod her invaluablaaiebto the exposition Of lyria'art-,".;is rather a bombastic peripluseeisi where's leatisettely,word or two would answer every puepoiie.

In the mean time, Alboni has-added another part to her *pending re•- pedoireses-Norina in Dots Pasquale; a: part expressly written-10r Grisi, and "created" by her, as the French say. This, We understied„ was the first time of Albonrs performing it; and she certainlyrivalled.Gliai herself, both in comic humour and in brilliancy of vocal execution; singing the soprano music without any alteration that we could perceive, and displaying the greatest clearness and beauty of tone even in the highest regions of the sCala. Labliche, as the gay old bachelor, was irresistible akevert and Belletti's Malatesta could not easily be matched., -It: was "long Thureday "; .s0 to this lively opera was appended thiconoludigg scene of Meroadiente's inentoi-poeformed by Parodi and- Morianirssa reversed afthe ordinary thea- trical usage of tragedy followed by flarcia;....' We realm our old, protest • Against this practice'. " Such fragmentary exhibitions? are degrading to art, and injurious to the performers, stho cannot possibly render sihipeffoctive.

The Covent Garden Opera -has -immense houses as often as Ugonotei

appears, in the bills; and Persiani's round of farewell peifermancei

proving attractive. One of these Inas been in the :ifatrritntic, Scgretoi the opera exceedingly well,got up,' but presenting no 'novelty except Tanthe- riniin the character of the deaf :old merchant -Geronimo. His representas- tion Of the character is able' and artistica!, hut very different, from that-of Lablache and not so pleasant. It lacks Liablache's genial and warm- hearted bonhomie; and in the singing and dancing duet with Count Ro- binson, the buffoonery does not sit so' easily upon Teinhurini as on La- Macho, who makes it a sort of involuntary effusion joybrui good-nature. Persiani's last, appearance is announced for Tuesday' neat- when the still

charming catitatrioe is to take -a final' leave of the stage: '