Lord Mount Edgcumbe has hitherto given a tolerably true account of the reforms introduced by Rossini into the operatic music of Italy; only, instead of calling Rossini's concerted pieces and finales, "a tedious succession of unconnected, ever-changing motivos," he ought to describe them as highly interesting, well connected and eminently dramatic. He goes on to condemn Rossini for his new distribution of characters, and especially for his employment of bass voices in chief parts "to the manifest injury of melody and total subversion of harmony, in which the lowest part is their peculiar province." Here, however, it occurs to Lord Mount Edgcumbe, and he thereupon expresses his surprise, "that the principal characters in two of Mozart's operas should have been written for basses." * * * * * When the above curious, and in its way valuable, strictures on Rossini's music were penned, not only _Tancredi_, but also _Il Barbiere_, _Otello_, _La Cenerentola_, _Mosè in Egitto_, _La Gazza Ladra_, and other of his works had been produced. _Il Barbiere_ succeeded at once in England, and Lord Mount Edgcumbe tells us that for many years after the first introduction of Rossini's works into England "so entirely did he engross the stage, that the operas of no other master were ever to be heard, with the exception of those of Mozart; and of his only _Don Giovanni_ and _le Nozze di Figaro_ were often repeated.... Every other composer, past and present, was totally put aside, and these two alone named or thought of." Rossini, then, if wrongly applauded, was at least applauded in good company. It appears from Mr. Ebers's "Seven years of the King's Theatre," that of all the operas produced from 1821 to 1828, nearly half were Rossini's, or in exact numbers fourteen out of thirty-four, but it must be remembered that the majority of these were constantly repeated, whereas most of the others were brought out only for a few nights and then laid aside. During the period in question the composer whose works, next to Rossini, were most often represented, was Mozart with _Don Giovanni_, _Le Nozze_, _La Clemenza di Tito_, and _Cosi fan Tutti_. The other operas included in the repertoire were by Paer, Mayer, Zingarelli, Spontini, (_la Vestale_), Mercadante, Meyerbeer, (_Il Crociato in Egitto_) &c. * * * * * [Sidenote: TANCREDI.] Our consideration of the causes of Rossini's success, and want of success, has led us far away from the first representation of _Tancredi_ at the theatre of La Fenice. Its success was so great, that each of its melodies became for the Venetians a second "Carnival of Venice;" and even in the law courts, the judges are said to have been obliged to direct the ushers to stop the singing of _Di tanti palpiti_, and _Mi rivedrai te rivedrò_.