Event Comment: Mainpiece: 32nd Night [i.e. in continuation, erroneously, of
the reckoning for
the preceding season, when it was acted 28 times]. With new Music, Scenes, Dresses, and Decorations.
The Music (with a few Exceptions) composed entirely new by
Shield. And new Scenery designed and chiefly executed by
Richards. Books of
the Songs to be had at
the Theatre. "
Covent-garden is
the National
Theatre. I was
there on 10th Dec. and saw an opera called
The Woodman. It was
the very day on which
the life story of
Madam Billington, both from
the good as well as from
the bad sides was announced [i.e.
Memoirs of Mrs Billington, and
An Answer to the Memoirs of Mrs Billington, both anonymous, both predated 1792]...She sang ra
ther timidly this evening, but very well all
the same.
The first tenor [
Incledon] has a good voice and quite a good style, but he uses
the falsetto to excess. He sang a trill on high C and ran up to G.
The 2nd tenor [
Johnstone] tries to imitate him, but could not make
the change from
the falsetto to
the natural voice, and apart from that is most unmusical...But
the cast is entirely used to him.
The leader is
Herr Baumgartner [sic], a
German who, however, has almost forgotten his mo
ther-tongue.
The Theatre is very dark and dirty, and is almost as large as
the Vienna Court Theatre.
The common people in
the galleries of all
the theatres are very impertinent;
they set
the fashion with all
their unrestrained impetuosity, and whe
ther something is repeated or not is determined by
their yells.
The parterre and all
the boxes sometimes have to applaud a
great deal to have something good repeated. That was just what happened this evening, with
the Duet in
the 3rd Act, which was very beautiful; and
the pro's and contra's went on for nearly a quarter of an hour, till finally
the parterre and
the boxes won, and
they repeated
the Duet. Both
the performers stood on
the stage quite terrified, first retiring,
then again coming forward.
The orchestra is sleepy" (
Haydn, 273-74). Receipts: #194 11s. (191.8; 3.3)