Produced by Neville Allen, Malcolm Farmer and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net 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?" I inquired as I entered the theatre. "_Valentine's_ death scene," replied my friend. "_Valentine_ does not die, my dear fellow; _Valentine_ only faints," I answered, I was thinking of course, of the new dramatic soprano, Mlle. SANDRA, in _Les Huguenots_. "You are evidently not an Opera-goer," I continued, "or you would know that no one dies in this work, except, of course, in the last Act. But that is always left out." "Wrong again!" exclaimed JONES, with an amused look. "AUGUSTUS HARRIS restores the last Act. See his prospectus." "Well, never mind that. Is _Ella Russell_ singing the part of _Queen Margaret_ as well as ever?" "I did not know that _Margaret_ was a Queen. I always thought she was of humble origin. The part in any case is being played by Mlle. NORDICA."