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 rather 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 mother-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 whether 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)