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PART II
Italian pera in
THE Italian Opera proper commenced at Hawkins-street
in the year 1829. Many old playgoers will insist that the
" Don Giovanni" at Crow-street might claim the priority ;
but the cast was not complete, the troupe not perfect,
nor was the Opera produced in its integrity. Much mis-
apprehension also exists with reference to the number of
nights of the " run." It has been seriously asserted that
it amounted to "hundreds of nights ;" but facts are stub-
born things, and in referring to the bills of the day, it is
found that twelve or fifteen nights make up the whole
amount.
Were it not for the name of Ambrogetti, whose great
performance of the Don created such a. furore, all recollec-
tion of the event might have passed away. It may not
be out of place to repeat here the legend with reference
to Signer Ambrogetti. It is recorded that during the
performance of the last scene, when the Don descends to
" Hades," one demon more than the regulation number
appeared on the stage. Ambrogetti referred to the
prompter, who told him there should be six. The Signer