Madame Viardot is not only an admirable Fides, but she has, as the French say, 'créé le rôle;' she is Kapellmeister, Régisseur, in one word, the soul of the opera, which owes one-half of its success to her. There are fine things in the work, but after one hearing it does not appear to me to come up to the 'Huguenots.' Besides, one listens at times with only one ear; in the awful church scene, in which Viardot is inimitable, the situation is absolutely absorbing. The skating scene made us envious, sitting as ws were in oppressive heat.