The Press. — London, England, 1858-11-06 00:00:00

THE PRESS,_ NOVEMBER 6,1858. NittsilLETS. Letters to Brother John. By E. Johnston, M.D.—Simpkin and Marshall. The churc h Bate Question. — Seeley and Co. MUSIC. Oh! for the Breezy Shore.—Uocke and Son. ,Eighty-one Pari.4o7lgB and Chorales. By Najell and Pfeiffer. —J. A. Novello. fifty Metrical Anthems for the Organ or Harmonium. Rev. J. Powell Metcalf. —J. A Novello. Treatise on Modern Instrumentation and Orchestration. By Hector Berlioz. —J. A. Novello. Four Psalm*. Set to Music, by Felix Mendelssohn Bar tholdy.—J. A. Novello. Hsadel's Coronation and Funeral Anthems. Arranged by Vincent Novello.—J. A. Novello. Hamilton's Modern Instructions for the Pianoforte.—R. Cocks and Stn. Hamilton's Modern Instructions for Singing.—R. Cocks and Son. Jusital gtbitig. London : Boosey The .Harmonium Museum. and Sons. Tim above publication consists of one hundred pieces of a sacred and secular character, selected from the works of the most celebrated compo sers; arranged for the harmonium by Rudolf Nordmann, and preceded by a descriptive notice of the instrument by Henry Smart, the well known composer and musical critic. To all ad mirers of the harmonium—and they are already very numerous in this country, although the in strument is still a novelty—these clever, tasteful, and thoroughly appropriate arrangements will doubtless prove highly acceptable, and more especially as the volume which contains them is got up in Messrs. Boosey's best style, and sold at a price within the means of almost every class of amateurs. Amongst the most powerful attrac tions of the " Harmonium Museum " we must place the elegant and instructive preface by Mr. Henry Smart, which includes not only an accu rate history and description of the instrument, but likewise all necessary directions as to how it should be played. I Saw Her in the Violet-time. Ballad. By R. Story. Set to Music by Edwin H. Prout, London: Boosey and Sons. IF a curious association of violets, bees, falcons, 1 1 linnets, " this world's air," and glory that "eve hath never seen," with a maiden in her prime, who is called to Heaven before her time, could render verses poetical, the above lyric would be worthy of our greatest bards. Un happily, however, the most extraordinary images ever conjured up by feverish aspirations are of no use at all, unless they rest upon the solid basis of common sense. Scribendi recte sapere est et principium, et fans. Has our author ever heard of this Horatian precept ? If not, let him procure a copy of the famous " Art of Poetry." It will be of service to him in many ways. The music of " I Saw Her in the Violet time" is fully equal to the words. Daybreak. Song. By Longfellow. Set to Music by M. W. Balfe. London : Boosey and Sons. Tiiis song is in Mr. Balfe's usual popular style, and may be ranked with his other well-known settings of the charming lyrics of Longfellow. It is in the key of C, and seems destined for a mezzo-soprano, or high baritone voice. There is nothing di ffi cult in it, either to sing or play ; and this fact, combined with the attraction of the com poser's name, will doubtless insure a ready sale. Angels are Watching us. Duet. Words by J E. Carpenter ; music by Stephen Glover. London : Robert Cocks and Co. ENGLAND has many composers of much larger merit than Mr. Stephen Glover, but not one, perhaps, whose " chamber music " is more generally admired, or who is more frequently employed by publishers. Indeed, we know of one very curious evidence of his popularity. Some years ago a certain music-seller of London, finding that his customers were growing tired of seeing the name of Stephen Glover upon nearly every piece of music offered to their notice, and fearing that his grand " Cheval de Bataille " might be made the subject of ostracism for being Popular, as Aristides was for being just suddenly translated the composer's surname into French, calling him " Gantier," with the prefix of " Felix " as a Christian name, and an emblem of his won derful success ! The ci-devant Stephen Glover did not, however, improve as a musician in the least under his foreign appellation, and that it did not render him particularly " happy " may be readily inferred from the fact that he very soon afterwards returned to his original English name, which he has very properly retained ever since, despite all the terrors of impending ostracism. We trust that the public will con tinue to accept Mr. Stephen Glover as he is, and that banishment may now be considered out of the question altogether, for he is really a most inoffensive artist, and writes more smoothly and correctly than most composers of his class. The piece immediately under notice may be taken as a fair specimen of Mr. Stephen Glover's merits, and has every chance of becoming . as popular as his other productions. The voices (two sopranos or mezzo-sopranos) move generally in thirds and sixths, and the pianoforte accompa niment presents no difficulties whatever to per formers of average proficiency. The verses by Mr. Carpenter are fanciful, flowing, and at the same time reasonable. St. Cloud Waltzes. By Charles Lyon. London : Boosey and Sons. HERE is music adapted to the meanest capacity, as is likewise the following " Lord Lovell's Waltz," composed by Mr. Henri Laurent (who ought to know better), and published, like the " St. Cloud " inspirations, by Boosey and Sons. Gems selected from the Works of the Great Masters, and arranged expressly for the Piano. By G. F. West. London : Robert Cocks and Co. THE numbers before us-18 and 20—are devoted respectively to Handel's "Comfort ye my people," from The Messiah, and the " Gloria " from Haydn's Ist Mass. Mr. West has done his work in many respects carefully and well, and we are disposed to encourage anything which may tend to increase the popularity of the great masters in this country ; but Mr. West should remember that each key has a special character and colour, that genuine masters do not make choice of one without sufficient reason, and that consequently transpositions of their works cannot possibly be tolerated by anybody having pretensions to classic sentiment or purity of taste. Harper's Cazonet, " Truth in Absence." Tran scribed for the Pianoforte by Brinley Richards. London : Robert Cocks and Co. _ _ _ - - THE above is a very favourable specimen of Mr. Brinley Richards's well-known ability as an arranger for the pianoforte. It combines bril liancy with simplicity, and much "effect" may be produced with a moderate amount of digital dexterity. This " transcription "is therefore just the thing to delight our young lady amateurs, and can scarcely fail to become as popular in the drawing-room as any other piece del genre from the experienced pen of Mr. Brinley Richards. Rounds and Canons. Edited and adapted to English words by William Hills. London : Robert Cocks and Co. THESE are capital things in their way, and worth all the mawkish ballads with which the press teems put together. They are tuneful, jolly, amusing little part-songs, and musicianly withal. We therefore cordially recommend them to the notice of our readers. The price of each number (twopence !) is fabulously low. EIGHT THOUSAND COPIES of Miss Charlesworth's new work, "The Ministry of Life," have been sold, we hear, within a fortnight from the day of publica tion. This lady's last work, " Ministering Chil.lren," has now reached a circulation of forty-five thousand copies. MR. W. BLAGROVE, a well-known member of the best London bands, a talented performer, and brother of our most eminent English violinist, died suddenly on Monday night, just as he was about entering Drury lane Theatre to fulfil his duties in the orchestra, under the direction of Mr. Alfred Mellon. usa. 1091 DRURY LANE THEATRE. THE only novel'y at the 'hove theatre during the past week was the revive of Wallace's Maritana, which is not only a bettetopera than Herr Flotow's Martha, Out possesses, n addition, the advantage of being the work of an Eiglish composer, and there fore far more appropriati to the stage of a theatre professedly opened for tle'exbibition of native talent. The performance of thiswell.known work, which was given only last year at tie Lyceum, with nearly the same cast, needs little criticism. Miss Louisa Pyne, the most accomplished and charming singer on tie English stage, did ample justice to the music of the Gitana, and acted with all the graceful archnew, and quiet humour, which usually distinguish hr histrionic efforts in comic opera. Miss Louisa Pyne's beautiful rendering of " Scenes that are brightest," elicited as usual a rap turous encore, and a similar honour was gained as oil former occasions by Mr. W. Harrison for his execu tion of "There is t flower that bloomed'," which calls into requisitioi the best part of his voice, and to which he impartsthe genuine sentimentality of the modern English naiad. Mr. W. Harrison, moreover, acted with remarkalle spirit anu point as the famous Don Ccesar De Began. _ . Miss Susan Pyre's impersonation of the page Lazariilo was again characterized by intellige:.ce and good taste, and slat was particularly successful in her rendering of the pretty little song " Alas, thos3 chimes." The pats of the Marquis and Marchioness de Montifiore were ably filled by Mr. Honey and Miss Marian Prescott; but we can award no praise whatever to the vain efforts of Messrs. Ferdinand Glover and J. G Patey, I's Don Josi and the King of Spain. Both gentlemen possess vocal means certa►nly, and the former is more promising than the latter; but it is aot yet time for either of them to court criticism aid look for fame upon the boards of one of our great national theatres. The opt ra is not very splendidly got up," as the phrase goes, but as the management could not reasonably cc tint upon a very long run for so well known a wcrk, we presume it was considered inexpedient to incur much expense. The excellent band and chorus, which may be reckoned amongst the greatest attractions of the present Drury Lane English Opera, were all that could be wished, under the guidance of Mr. Alfred LYCEUM THEATRE. M. JULLIEN'SI CONCERTS. M. JULLIEN commenced his twentieth, and, according to the announ"ements, his last series of so•cslled " Promenade Concerts " on Monday evening last, at the Lyceum Theatre, to a crowded house, as in for mer years. The concert wes materially damaged, indeed at times totally suspended, by the scenes of silly and ruffianly outrage by means of which a cer tain number of "fast young gents" seek annual dis tinction at the concerts of the vivacious and philoso phical Prince of Polkas. Vainly did the great master of the revels address the factious rioters ; vainly did he enunciate in his own peculiar manner those great truths to which all the sages of the earth have bowed, —vainly did he appeal to the many-headed monstet's sympathies with the great masters of music—threaten to leave the country that very even ing if further interrupted—and exclaim bitterly to his tormentors, "What you make dere is very mise rable !" M. Jullien was preaching in the desert. As be justly observed, a number of persons ban come there expressly to "do a noise ;" and they did it, to the very great annoyance of the majority of the audience. If it be really true that M. Jullien is about to leave us for the extraordinary tour de scribed in his advertisements, and which we should imagine would occupy many years, and prove very trying to his constitution, even without the wise men and literati (generally very quarrelsome people) who, it appears, are to follow in his train as so many corn. ponent parts of that "universal harmony" the attainment of which is the professed object of his journey, why, we are really sorry for it, because, with all his eccentricities, M. Jullien is a clever man, and has undoubtedly contributed largely to the populari zation of good music in this country. The concerts during the past week have been of a highly attractive character, and the famous chef d'orcheatre has been substantially rewarded for his spirit and talent by crowded and delighted audiences. His own contributions, consisting of a new waltz, called " Fern Leaves," the " Jetty Treffz Quadrille," and the " Fcikell G slop," three novelties, and, like all Jullien's less pretentious music, light, tuneful, orchestrally effective, eminently dansanfe in character, have been well received, and promise to become popular as his other compositions of a similar kind. As " star " soloists we have had the accomplished and captivating Miss Louisa finning, a young