Madame Catalani, by her wonderful powers, brought the Italian Opera into general notice, and drew crowds of persons to the theatre, who before knew it only by name. Her fine figure and fascinating countenance, with the charm of her acting and singing, rendered her the idol to which every one bowed. These splendid endowments however proved the destruction of the opera. The sum she demanded absorbed a great portion of the receipts, and the other parts were filled with second-rate performers. Finding herself a star among twinkling satellites, she took the liberty of mutilating the opera for the purpose of introducing songs foreign to the piece, in order to exhibit her peculiar powers. Cossi fan tutte was the first opera brought out of Mozart’s in which Catalanl sustained the principal part. While rehearsing a cavatina, which she had prepared herself to sing, she heard some instruments that incommoded her, and stopped short, saying “ What is that you play ?" “ The horns, Madame,” replied the performers. “Horns! I’ll have no horns;" and turning to the clarionets, said, “I like not that; cut the clarionet out; I’ll have none of dees instruments.’- As the only object was to see and hear her, this continued through several seasons, by which she gained little less than a hundred thousand pounds. Mr. Ayrton had the merit of rescuing the theatre from its degraded state by bringing out Mozart s opera, II Don Giovanni. This work required a plenitude of talent of the highest order, which was obtained in the following distinguished performers :—Don Giovanni was supported by that fine actor and handsome man, Ambrogetti; Leporello, by Naldi; Donna Anna, Ronzi de Begnis; Don Ottavio, Crivelli; and Zerlina, Madame Fodor. Such a constellation of actors and singers has never since appeared. So striking was the effect of this piece, compared with the lean and ragged productions of the previous years, that it was performed nearly every night through the whole season. Mr. Birchall spent a fortune in printing the various pieces in Mozart’s operas, on the presumption that such excellent music would meet with a ready sale. He had the mortification however to see them lie on his shelves for more than ten years uncalled for; but on Mr. Ayrton bringing out Don Giovanni, there was not a composition of Mozart’s that was not immediately in high request, and scarcely any other music would sell. Figaro soon followed. The manager had now learnt the secret of filling the house, and ever since the opera has been supported in the same excellent way. << less