The Press. — London, England, 1858-10-23 00:00:00

THE PRESS, OCTOBER 23, 1858. 1036 ing to their historical succession, and without adulterations, omissions, additions, or changes of any sort, we believe the musical world of London would feel obliged to them, and that their enter prize and labour would be duly rewarded. We might then perhaps hope to see the " Litanies," and many other Mozartian works hitherto unper formed and unpublished in this county, engraved and rendered popular by the same firm. Messrs. Cocks, or any other publishers who feel disposed to enrich their catalogue with the posthumous compo sitions ofMozart, must, however, be on their guard against the numerous spurious scores in existence, such for instance as are to be found in the collec tion of thirty Masses offered for sale at Vienna in 1851, and more than half of which were declared by the best judges to be complete forgeries. Indeed, despite the eloquence of a little pamphlet intled "In Sachen Mozart's," written to prove the authenticity of the thirty scores, not more than seven passed muster, and of these two are adul terated by instrumental additions, and one obscured by omissions. The so-called " First Mass " and the sublime " Requiem " are both too well known in England to require any criticism at our hands ; but we may still express our approbation of Messrs. Cocks excellent pianoforte editions of them, which arc the cheapest and best we have met with. RimbauU' Opera Music-books. London : D'Almaine and Co. THE object of Dr. Rimbault, the well-known "arranger" for the pianotbrte of all kinds of music, may best be learned from his own words. In the " advertisement " to the " Opera Music books" it is stated that,—" It has long been a " matter of regret by all lovers of the pianoforte " that no good and Cheap arrangement of the " lasting and beautiful melodies which abound in " the standard operas of the Italian stage can be " procured. Vocal scores, it is true, have lately " been printed on the Continent in a Cheap form, " and some few pianoforte arrangements of entire "operas are to be had ; but these do not supply " the deficiency complained of. It must be ap " parent to all who consider the subject that " every Italian opera contains a great deal of "music which, however interesting on the stage, "as conducing to the business of the scene, is " totally unfit for arrangement and performance "in the drawing-room. In the present series of " operas all this extraneous matter is carefully " omitted, the arrangement being confined to the " melodies, which follow in the exact order in " which they occur in each opera." We are not responsible for the capitals or grammar of this persuasive advertisement, neither does our critical duty demand that we should dilate upon any question properly appertaining to a literary review ; but we may observe that Dr. Rimbault's plan, although a very good one, is by no means new, and that productions of a similar kind have very often (perhaps, indeed, too often) been given to the world for equally small pecuniary considerations. We cannot admit his strongly urged claims either to originality or unprece dented cheapness, but s:e quite willing to ac knowledge that the arranger has done his work for the most part very well, and that the price of the " Opera Music-book " is reasonable. The numbers before us, 49 and 50, are devoted respectively to airs from Verd►'s Luisa Miller and Flotow's Martha, both "light " works be longing the ad captandum school, and abounding in such tunes as many of our amateurs adore. With such attractions, then, materially enhanced as they are by clear, bold engraving, good enduring paper, and gaily-coloured titlepeges, it will be strange indeed if the " Opera Music books " do not sell. We, at least, can recom mend them as really excellent things of their kind. Sabbath Evenings. No. 192. By Dr. Rimbault. London: A. W. Hammond (Jullien's). lIERE, again, the talent of Dr. Rimbault as an "arranger" is effectively displayed, and upon much more grateful subjects than the " Opera Music-books" could possibly afford, for the selection for " Sabbath Evenings" is almost wholly from the works of the greatest masters. E.G., Book I. includes the " Gloria in Excelsis," from Mozart's Mass known as No. 12 ; "Now vanish before the holy beams," from Haydn's Creation; Handers "Holy, holy, Lord God Almighty ;" Marcello's Psalm, "0 Lord our Governor; " and the " Gloria," from a Mass by Pergolese; while in Book 11. we find Martin Luther's famous hymn, " Great God, what do I see and hear?" the " Ag,nus Dei," from Mozart's Mass known as No. I ; "0, thou that tellest good tidings, from llandel's Messiah; the " Sanctus' and "Lacrimosa," from Mozart's Requiem; and llandel's " Disdainful of danger," from Judas Maccabees. All these pieces are well arranged for this instru ment, and sufficiently full in harmony and parts, without being at all difficult to play. We can, indeed, give high praise to Dr. Rimbault's "Sabbath Evenings." Moderately endowed pianists, possessing a taste for good music, could scarcely find selections more conducive to their gratification or improvement, and if the arranger had not taken the utterly unnecessary and un warrantable liberty of transposing Mozart's " Agnus Dei " a note higher, and his " Sanctus " and "Lacrimosa" a note lower, than the author intended them to be, we should be able to bestow unqualified eulogy upon the production under notice. The " Sabbath Evenings " are beautifully " got up," as the phrase goes, and not the least part of their attractions is a well-executed frontispiece representing the infant St. John, lithographed and coloured by Brandard, after the celebrated picture by Murillo. Operatic Airs, and " Home Sweet Home." Transcribed for the Pianoforte by George Osborne. London : A. W. Hammond (Jullien's). lin. GEORGE OSBORNE bag long been recognized, both here and on the Continent, as one of the most elegant and brilliant pianoforte writers of the day ; and the above productions, though by no means of an ambitious character, most agree ably exemplify those peculiar features by which Mr. G. Osborne's style is marked, and are every way worthy of his talent. No pianotorte com poser knows better bow to render his music at the same time easy, and which is termed " effec tive." None possesses in a higher degree the rare art of giving a new and elegant turn to ideas of the most familiar and popular kind. We heartily recommend all these fanciful and eleg ant " transcriptions" to our musical readers. .Sunshine and Cloud, and That Early Beam. Ballads. Words by J. E. Carpenter ; Music by Charles Glover. Sing Me a Song of Summer Days. Written by Dirs. Newton Crossland ; Composed by J. A. iacfarren. London : Joseph Williams. THESE productions are so exceedingly slight and unpretending in their character, that little need be said about them. Indeed, their merits may be all sufficiently understood by the laudatory statement that they are smoothly written, and as easy to sing as to play. The same species and degree of praise may also be applied to the following productions:— " The Bloom upon the Cherry-Tree." Ballad. Words by Miss Rosa Raine. Music by Stephen Glover ; and " 'Tis the Hour for Music." Duettino. Written by J. E. Carpenter, and composed by Henry Farmer. Published respec tively by D'Aimaine and Co., and Joseph Williams, London. L'Espalier de Roses. Mazurka Brillante. Par Adrien Talexy. London : Joseph Williams. THERE is a good deal of melodic prettiness min gled with quaint freakishness and flashy brilliancy in this mazurka, which, moreover, possesses the merit of being throughout very effectively written for the pianoforte. The subject is grace ful as characteristic, and the passages very " showy" without being difficult, as amateurs might imagine them at the first glance to be. The rush of diminished-seventh chords in both hands at the commencement (and to which the engraver has contrived to give a very grim appearance by the extraordinary blackness of his ink), the rapid leaps by octaves to the top of the key-board, &c., may certainly look formidable to the uninitiated, but all these passages, neverthe less, lie conveniently under the fingers, and can soon be mastered. Pearl Drops. Mazurka for the Pianoforte. Composed by Ricardo Linter. London Joseph Williams. THE mazurka of Mr. Linter, despite its capti vating title, is by no means so happy an effusion as that of Adrien Talexy. It is animated and dan.sante. but very deficient in neatness, grace, and character. PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED. BOOKS. Hurray's Handbook for Kent and Susses.—Marray. Heraldry, in History, Poetry, and Romance. By Ellen J. M i Ring( on .—C ha man and Hall. A Tour in Southern Europe and the Crimea. By the Rev. .T. Pulling —Nisbett and Co. Belgium, and Up and Down the Rhine.—Nisbett and Co. Conjugal Love, and its Chaste Delights; also, Adulterous Love, and its Insane Pleasures. By Emmanuel Sweden. borg.—Swedenborg Society. Heaven and Hell; also, the Intermediate Slate, or World of Spirits. By Emmanuel Swedenborg.—Swedenborg Society. Lott ery. By Mrs. Jones, of Pantclas.—Routledge. Fellow-Travellers ; or, the Experience of Life. By the Author of " Margaret; or, Prejudice at Home." Three Vols.—Hurst and Blackett. PAMPHLETS. Government, Education, and Christianity in India. By the Bey. P. Badger.—Smith, Elder, and Co. The Cultivation of Cotton in Texas. PETUODICAL. The British mid Foreign Evangelical Review.— Nisbett and Co. ¶t grams. THE PRINCESS'S THEATRE. King John, one of the earliest of Mr. Charles Kean's great historical productions, was selected for per formance on Monday as the second of the series of Shakspearian illustrations with which he is about to close a brilliant management. Scholarly taste, deep research, and elaborate art have rendered Mr. Kean's "revivals" truthful and breathing pictures of re markable epochs which stand out as landmarks in history. king John bolds almost premier place even amongst these ever memorable reproductions. The peculiar costumes the period, the charac teristic architecture, even the very fashioning of the armour and weapons of defence, each and all so in dicative of the rude simplicity of the early Norman time, afforded a rare opportunity for the exercise of that genius which Mr. Charles Kean possesses in such an eminent, degree, and of which he 'as not slow to avail himself. To many the play, which was produced some six years ago under the same manage. ment, will possess all the charm of novelty, but even where freshness be wanting King John must still retain all the interest, that does not lose itself in repetition, which attaches to a grand historical sub ject grandly treated. The acting of the principal characters was of so high an order as to render the whole performance a triumph of histrionic art. Mrs. Charles Kean's im passioned delineation of the Lady Constance was in itself a masterpiece, the sudden outpourings of her queenly grief strongly constrasting with the dread whisperings which betrayed the dark purpose of the cruel John, a part which Mr. Kean finely elabo• rates. Mr. Ryder gave force to the character of Hubert, which he has completely established as his own, bringing out the best. points in the rugged nature which rebels against the merciless conamauds of his royal master. Miss Ellen Terry played as Prince Arthur, for the first time, with a mu ning grace and touching pathos ; and Mr. Walter Lacy, as the new Faulconbridge, invested the part with all that daring dash and jovial bearing which characterized the chivalric bastard of the first Richard. The other parts, all of which were well sustained, are thus filled :—Prince Henry, Miss Chapman ; Cardinal Pandulph, Mr. Granam . ; Eleanor, widow of Henry If. and mother of king John, Mrs. Winstanley ; and Blanch, Miss Kate Terry. A crowded and fashionable audience witnessed the reproduction of King John. and when the curtain fell unbounded applause testified at once to the merits of the acting and the popularity of the management. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kean, Miss Ellen Terry, Mr. Ryder, and Mr. Walter Lacy, were afterwards recalled, and to each was accorded a highly complimentary ovation. THE OLYMPIC.—In our critique of last week, oa Mr. Wilkie CJllins's drama of The Red Vial, we pointed out some of the glaring errors which cer tainly mailed the present effect, as they might have endangered the ultimate success of the new piece• It is, therefore, with pleasure we record a marked improvement, and congratulate both the author and the management on the opportune exercise of I I