The Press. — London, England, 1858-06-12 00:00:00

with regard to the music of this opera, we confess that, after witnessing the representations of Tuesday and Thursday, we are still quite unable to under stand a great deal of it. Looking to its general cha racteristics, however, we think it may, fairly, be placed on a level with the music of any other of Verdi's works ; and admitting, as we do, our difficulty of com prehension, we may nevertheless, we hope, without b e ing guilty of any inconsistency, describe it as very light and very pretty (wo use the term advisedly;, but almost entirely wanting in those attributes which, in the music of greater composers, seem to grasp and imprison the niind. The overture was not done justice to by the orchestra, who, on Tuesday, seemed under no control whatever, and thoroughly ran riot. Signor Bonetti contrived to keep his instruments far more in band on Thursday ; but much remains yet to be done fur the ensemble in this department. We know not where to look for an opera so filled with staccato, and to this circumstance must be very greatly attributed the flimsy, unsubstantial nature of this nevertheless (we we have before described it) very pretty music. if it can be said of the orchestra that they did not do their part in sustaining the reputation of Verdi, the same observation will cer tainly not apply to those who undertook the principal characters in the opera. As for Piccoloreini, we have never seen her to so great advantage before: here anti there the music was somewhat beyond her powers, but by a little adroitness she avoided every effort that was not completely within the compass of her capabilities. Nothing could be more delicious than her delivery of " T'amo d'ainor " in the third scene of act i., or more touching than " Tu punis cimi" in the second scene of act ii. Her acting throughout is quite a masterpiece of art of the most elaborate description, in which every detail is found in such truthfulness as can only proceed from a rare knowledge of human passions, and the representation of which belongs exclusively to consummate his trionic talent. We should far exceed our limits were we to notice all the points of unusual excellence in this charming artiste's rendering of the part assigned to her. We will merely mention (1) Luisa's inter view with Wurm in the second scene of act ii., in which she is compelled to write the terrible letter that seals the fate of herself and Rodolfo. Her hesi tation, her resignation, her indignant refusal to sign her own shame (when she flings from her the pen with which she has been writing), her convulsive anguish when, to save her father's life, she sacrifices herself,—all these emotions are here most admirably depicted, but not more so than her feelings in (2) the subsequent interview between her and the duchess. In this latter scene we look in Luise, at one and the same time, for the artless simplicity of an innocent country girl—for the manifestation to the audience, but concealment from the duchess, of all but overpowering jealousy—for a profession of love for Warm to the duchess, and of a display of horror towards him as addressed to the audience — for the exhibition of an ardent desire to assert the truth, accompanied by the stronger desire to save her father's life. Success in the simulation of all these contending and simultaneous emotions an artiste may well feel proud of. Thirdly and lastly, we would call attention to the poisoning scene, in which, both in a musical and in a dramatic sense, Mlle. Piccolomini shows extraordinary power and perfection. We heartily congratulate her on a decided triumph. Until we had seen this opera, we confess we were unacquainted with Signor Giuglini's power as an actor. In several parts of it, but especially through out the three last acts, he was so far beyond his wonted self that it was difficult, but for his beautiful voice, to recognize the popular tenor of Her Majesty's Theatre. It would scarcely be possible to speak too highly of the tenderness of his delivery of " Quando le sere," which, by the way, is unquestionably the gem of the opera. Signor Beneventano has cer tainly achieved a success in the part of Miller, though the music is not, we think, very well adapted to the display of the finer qualities of his voice, which, moreover, on Thursday seemed to be less clear than usual. Neither his fame nor that of the composer, nor the gratification of the public, would lose much by the omission of "Fra mottali," in the twelfth scene of act i. Other parts, such as nearly the whole of the seventh scene of act 1., and scenes 3 and 4 of act ii., Including two duets and a solo by Rodolfo, have been left out for some reason or other; but the aria alluded to could be suppressed with greater advantage to the audience. It can only be regarded au a misfortune for him, when a good singer is called upon to interpret such an unintelligible piece of music. Of Mme. Alboni's aria from some other opera, introduced in the seventh scene of act i., and substituted for that scene, we cannot speak too highly. The richness, the purity, and sweetness of her fine voice were never beard to greater advantage than on Tuesday. We should like to know why we were deprived of the duet between her and Rodolfo. Vialettt sustained well the part of Walter—the music Ythith is somewhat trying. If Signor Castelli (who took the part of Wars) would sing a little THE PRESS, JUNE 12,1858. more in tune, and (in that case) a little louder and more distinctly, we should feel far greater pleasure in listening to him. On the whole, it cannot be denied that Mr. Lutnley is entitled to the thanks of the musical community for having introduced to their notice this almost unknown (in England) work of a favourite master. THE FIFTH CONCERT OF THE VOCAL ASsoCIATION, which took place at St. James's-hall last, Wednesday evening, was chiefly remarkable fur the playing of Herr Joachim and Herr Rubinstein. This is rather a strange thing to be said of a society calling itself by such a name ; but no one who was present at the concert will, we imagine, deny it to be true. No doubt wherever Joachim may appear he must take a foremost place; and Rubinstein, whatever may be thought of him as a composer, is unquestionably a pianist of great ability ; nevertheless, we do not allow these facts to clear the Vocal Association from all blame. The choral music was neither well selected nor well executed. The fact is, no society of any kind can prosper unless the management is placed in businesslike hands ; it has been evident from the beginning that there was some great foiling in this respect, but the utter confusion of this last concert ought not to be passed over without remark. Scarcely a piece in the programme was taken in the order in which it was set down, several were omitted altogether, and others inserted. The advertisement announced Bach's sonata for pianoforte and violin, hut in the hook of words we found Bach altered to Beethoven ; and then a notice was circulated in the hall to the effect that Schubert's " Rondo Brilliant" would be played instead of either. It is true that in regard to these annoyances the indulgence of the audience was " most respectfully solicited ;" but no excuse whatever was put forward. We cannot help suspecting that similar mismanagement and careless ness in the conduct of rehearsals and meetings for practice may have prevented the Association from attaining greater efficiency and taking higher rank than it has yet reached, or at present seems likely to reach. The principal vocalists were Mme. Ruders ' dorff, Mme. Sherrington Lemmens, Miss Messent, and Miss Dolby; the clarionet accompaniments of Mozart's " Parte, ma to ben mio " and Spohr's " The Bird and the Maiden " were played by Mr. Lazarus. Schubert's " Rondo Brilliant " for piano and violin was but a poor substitute for Bach's concerto ; it served well enough to display the mechanical skill of the two performers, but in itself it is of little value. Herr Rubinstein, besides taking part in this, played two of his own compositions, a "Valle de concert," and something entitled " No. 7 from Kememnoi Ostrou," the interpretation of which we must leave to better linguists than ourselves. It is rather hard upon English concert-goers to expect them to be up in Russian. For ourselves, we must confess Herr Rubinstein's compositions to be as unintelligible to us as their titles ; if they be music at all, they must certainly be " music of the future ;" at least in the present they will find, we fear, but few admirers. Herr Joachim is one of those great artists who are entirely independent of criticism ; his supe riority is felt by all ; all the critics in London could neither add anything to his reputation nor take any thing away. His mechanical skill would be enough in itself to give him a high position among violinists ; but this, wonderful as it is, is entirely subordinate to the rare mental power by which he seems to animate every composer's works with the very spirit which produced them. While listening to "Le Songe du Diable," one was almost inclined to doubt if in all these years any real progress had been made in music, such life did he give to the grand old sonata of Tartini. ,arts BRITISH INSTITUTION. THERE IS rather a strange contrast between the crowds that fill the rooms of the Royal Academy and the few persons that are to be found at the exhibition of the works of ancient masters in Pall mall. On first thoughts we might be rather sur prised at this sign of the present state of public taste ; after all the discussion there has been of late about Pre Raffaelites and Post-Raffaelites, about this school and that, one master and another, we might have expected something different. But if we begin to consider of what kind of people the crowds in Trafalgar-square are composed, we shall not wonder much at their absence from the British Institution. If we recall for a moment the remarks and 'criticisms which we hear at the annual exhibi tions from most of the people who talk, we shall not suppose them capable of deriving either much pleasure or much benefit from looking at the old painters ; and for our own convenience, both in hotly and mind, we shall be much better pleased with their room than their company. Yet when we talk of the state and progress of art we ought not to lose sight of this fact. We believe that those very numerous 563 persons who go perhaps once in a year to the National Gallery, and have no objection to see old paintings for nothing, but no fancy at all for paying a shilling a piece at the British Institution, do really find great pleasure in their visits to the Academy and the Watercolour Society. Some people look upon these things as mere matters of fashion. This is the reason which is to account for all tastes : everybody goes because everybody else goes. We will allow fashion to bring some people, but not the majority by any means. We do not see these crowds of people going their rounds as if .it were an unpleasant duty; their manner, their comments, and exclamations evince plenty of in terest, if no great discrimination. We thoroughly believe that they do get a great deal of real and very innocent and proper enjoyment, and in most in stances prefer the better pictures to the worse. But we need not watch them very closely to observe that it is generally the subject of the picture which they look at and pass judgment upon rather than the pic • ture itself, and it is probably this which must explain in a great measure their preference for modern works. Living artists have the power of pleasing public taste by the choice of such subjects as are popular at the time. The old masters in the same way painted for the public of their day, but for those only in the future whose ideas and tastes extend somewhat beyond the narrow space of time and the little range of circumstances in which they live. In fact, we are inclined to turn the charge of fashion the other way : people are honest enough when they look at Leslie instead of Lionardo da Vinci, but they are not honest when they say the old master is greater, of course, than the modern ; in the bottom of their hearts they do not think so. We do not want people to proless admiration which they do not feel, or to look at great pictures if they do not like them ; but let us remember these things when we talk of popularity and public opinion, and let painters who are the " lions of the season " remember that while their works are mobbed at the Academy, Titians and Giorgiones are hanging neglected at the other end of the street. In the collection of this year there are no less than six pictures bearing the name of Lionardo da Vinci, and among them is Lord Ashburton's beautiful group of the Infant Saviour and St. John playing with a lamb. The Royal Academy sends the celebrated copy of "The Last Supper," by Marco D'Oggioni, which has recently been cleaned with great care and success ; and two of the original designs in chalk, for portions of the same picture, are contributed by Colonel North. It is very interesting to compare these with what we know of the finished picture ; the sketch for the head of the Saviour differs entirely from that which we find in the copy, and has all the character of a first idea. The expression 'is one of simple sad ness, and the strange complication of feelings which Lionardo appears to have afterwards attempted to depict, is altogether absent. The other is a half length of one of the Apostles, and its close corre spondence with the oil painting speaks much for the correctness of D'Oggioni's copy. Near these hangs one of Titian's magnificent portraits of Charles V.; and at the other end of the room is the well-known picture of Giorgione, which Byron mentioned as the portraits of the painter's son, his wife, and himself. Giorgione, it is generally understood, had neither wife nor son, and the figures are called in the catalogue his mistress and pupil. If there be any truth in the tradition that the artist died of a broken heart, in consequence of the faithlessness of this mistress and this pupil, we may please ourselves with believing that we have here the portraits of all three ; but it is hard to reconcile the appearance of the figure which should stand for the painter with the descrip tion of the tall and stately figure which gave him his nickname of Giorgione. There is a fine portrait by Tintoretto, and some grace ful specimens of Murillo, also several very in teresting pictures by Filippo Lippi, Benozzo Gozzoli, and others of the early Italian painters. The names of Correggio, Fra Bartolomeo, Dominichino, Guido, and the Carracci, are to be found in the catalogue, but of these artists the present collection contains no very remarkable examples. In the Flemish school we find several pictures by Cuyp, Berghem, Hob bima, Teniers, Snyders, and Vandyck ; two fine portraits by Rembrandt, and the very curious picture of " Tobias and the Angel," contributed by Earl Howe. Claude, Poussin, and Salvator Rosa are not wanting, and there is the fine head of a priest by Van Eyck, which has been taken for a portrait. of Thomas a Becket. Among the English painters there are four landscapes of Gainsborough's, three of Wilson's, and one of Turner's in his early sty le ; ten pie turets OVA* Joshua Reynolds, among which the por • traits of Wily O'Brien, the Duchess of Gloucester, Miss Cholnioettfelby, the Earl of Westmorland, Lady Beaumont, the Marquis of Granby, and Admiral Keppel are most conspicuous. The Queen sends Zoffany's two curious pictures of George 111. and his family. There is an interesting portrait by old Isaac Oliver, and one or two spteimens of Jiluefuld cud I