The Project Gutenberg EBook of Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 93,
July 9, 1887., by Various

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Title: Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 93, July 9, 1887.

Author: Various

Release Date: May 31, 2010 [EBook #32629]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PUNCH-CHARIVARI, JULY 9, 1887 ***

Produced by Neville Allen, Malcolm Farmer and the Online
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PUNCH,

OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

VOLUME 93.

* * * * *

JULY 9, 1887.

* * * * *

[Illustration]

OPERATIC CONFUSION.

I went on Saturday to hear the three operatic novelties so liberally
provided for us on the same night by Messrs. MAPLESON, LAGO and HARRIS.
I do not mix my liquors, and I endeavour, as a rule, to keep to the same
lyrical drama throughout the evening; nor is it my fault if a good dose
of strong BEETHOVEN, sweetened with GOUNOD and flavoured with MEYERBEER
had, on the occasion in question, a somewhat confusing effect on my
brain. At Her Majesty's, LILLI LEHMANN was all right as _Leonora_: not
_Leonora_ of _La Favorita_, but _Leonora_ the favourite wife of
_Manrico_--no, not of _Manrico_, but of another personage who, like the
unfortunate _Trovatore_, has to be rescued by his loving spouse from the
tyranny of a powerful baritone; whether VERDI'S _Count di Luna_ or
SHERIDAN'S _Pizarro_, I cannot just now call to mind. Mlle. LEHMANN is
not only a fine singer, but also a serious dramatic artist; and the
public was deeply impressed by her performance. She is a LEHMANN with
all the earnestness of a good clergyman; not that she had taken orders
as I (Box No. 70) had done.

From Her Majesty's Theatre, I drove in a rapid Hansom to Drury Lane. I
had told the cabman to take me to the Royal Italian Opera, and I was
about to remonstrate with him for conveying me to the wrong house, when
he promptly explained that there were now two Royal Italian Operas, one
at Covent Garden, the other at Drury Lane. New source of confusion!
"Confusion worse confounded!" as MILTON observes.

"How far have they got?"