Season of New Music.

The Mapleson Italian Opera Company is billed to appear here shortly, and the programme for the first week is announced with a considerable flourish. We do not hesitate to say that the music-loving public of Chicago has a rich treat in store. Col. Mapleson is indeed a conscientious, painstaking caterer. He is indefatigable in his efforts to provide his patrons with a new and pleasing variety of musical works, and he is constantly introducing to American audiences the freshest and best talent of foreign countries. During his first week in Chicago he will produce the following entirely new operas, composed and written especially for this American tour of Her Majesty’s Opera Company: “Faust,” “Lucia di Lammermoor,” “Manon,” “Fra Diavolo,” “Carmen,” and “La Traviata.” For the second week we are promised “La Girla Bohemiana” (a beautiful new opera by a clever Irishman named Balfe), “Il Trovatore,” “La Favorita,” “Les Huguenots,” “I Puritani,” “Norma,” and a pleasing light opera entitled “Martha.” The eminent ladies and gentlemen who are to interpret the leading rôles of these charming new works, are Mme. Minnie Hauk, Mdlle. Dotti, Mme. Lillian Nordica (a lineal descendant of Frank Mayo’s popular play), Mme. Lablache, Sig. Ravelli, Sig. De Falco, Sig. Del 183Puente, Sig. Cherubini, and Sig. Giannini. None of these great artists has ever appeared in Chicago before: they have been fresh culled, so to speak, from the best musical parterres in Europe, where they have bloomed without competition for the last century. Mr. John McConnell, manager of the Columbia Theatre, has invented a beautiful design for a three-sheet poster announcing the Mapleson season. He showed it to us last evening. It is somewhat as follows:—

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