THE WEATHER,

Evening Post, Volume X, Issue 190, 29 September 1874, Page 2

THE WEATHER,

YesterdHy after we went to press the storm increased in severity and during the evening it blew ft heavy gale from the N. VV, with torrents of rain, the barometer falling rapidly. The lower parts of the city, especially in Te Aro, Were completely flooded, but we have not heard of Any serions damage; In the harbor the shipping dragged slightly, but escaped, all injury? This morning'B telegraphic report is a very remarkable one. The barometer is very low all over the colony, and everywhere the sea is reported as rough and the rivers as flooded. Throughout this island at. all stations north of Castle Point inclusive a N.W. gale is blowing. In the northern ' part of the Middle Island the wind in itib'derate, but to the southward it is blowing hard from nearly every point of the compass. At Titnafu the gale is from due S. ; at Oatnaru, from S.W. j at "Port Chalmers and Queenstown, N.E. j Inveroafgiil, S.E ; Bluff, due E. Rain still is falliug at nearly all the stations and the weather is described as gloomy and threatening. In Wellingtdn to-day the StOtth has cbhtinued from the N.W., with tremendous squalls. Telegram? fram Greytown Btate that it again has been inundated; and that the water still is rising. Froui ( the Hutt we hear that the flood is the heaviest known for years. One of the protective groins has been carried away, and another much iujnred.^ Telegraphic communication with Wanganui and the West Coast of the^Middle Island is interrupted, so that it is' impossible to* -Say 1 to what extent those localities are suffering from the tempest and flood. This afternoon there is no improvement, in .the weather.' * * * a ' ' * ' ' ROYAL ENGLISH OPERA. OOTTNOD'S "FAtTST." The production of Gounod's "Faust" jlrew a-orowded house, although last nigh I "was ttfe inostojjbrtny of tfcfe whole winten The remarkable popularity of this opera is due more to the plot (which is that.ol Goethe's pathetic poem) than to the music, for the latter, although very beautiful, it not of the class usually deemed "populkr' music, being characterised by a certait lack of melodic continuity, and a'tendehoj to quaint and bizarre harmonies, remote modulations, and chromatic progressions! and to a lavish use of the diminished Beventh, the augmented sixth, andj above all, the chord of the ninth, the latter a distinctive feature, in M. Gounod's,. compost lions. These, although enjoyable bj musicians, often would be caviare to tht multitude were they not used in illu's tration of a story whose simple pathos al can appreciate. ( This opera present; extreme difficulties to the executants,, anc the performance last riight ''deserves higl praise. Miss May's Marguerite wai peculiarly admirably not only l for v> hei splendid singing and acting, but stil more for the entire subordination o herself to the character she represen ted. It was nob Miss May, bu Goethe's Gretchen heraelf jwlib < sfcopc before the audience.' Iff is needless to saj that applause and bouquets were showeret on her. M iss Lambert was api easing Siebtel some of the music judiciously being trans posed to suit her register. Mr Hallam.it 'the tMe rote, won great- and deserved a'p plause, singing the difficult music well ant expressively, especially the celebrated "Salve ditnora," in which M. Fleury'i skilful violin obbligato was a marked feature and in the duet with Marguerite. Mr Tern pleton achieved a great' success f as' Vkien tine, his fine baritone voice telling well ii the duel trio and in the song, ' Hi IHi possente" — added by M. Gounod for M Santley's benefit — and his impassionet acting in the death scene won him a cal before tha Mr Rltinfbrd sau) Mephistopheles' music grandly, bub did no act with accurate conception of thi character. He was deservedly ¦ applatidet in the " Calf of Gold" song. The minoi parts were fairly filled, the "Soldien chorus" was excellent, the band efficient and the Kermesse scene good. The Apo theosis tableau did not go quite smoothly and no doubt will be improved on Wednes day, when " Faust" is to be repeated. To-night Auber's "Fra Diavolo" will bt given.