The Press. — London, England, 1853-09-10 00:00:00

SEPTEMBER 10, 1853. ittraturt. Charles Anehester. A Memorial. l vols. A STRANGE book, but with that memorable strangeness which is the stamp of genius,— tragic without horror, exciting without inci dent; illustrating psychical phenomena in their rarer exhibitions ; startling by its revela tion of ecstasies which transcend mesmoism, yet discriminating their phases by fine shades and natural gradations which reconcile us to their verity—a combination of power with a tenderness and delicacy which may be fend nine, but which certainly is not weak : a n t analysis of aspirations; a lyrical narrative ; a rapture chastened by artistic training ; uu anomaly,—but nevertheless a work which, as we remd it, acquaints us with creations never to be obliterated ;—such are some of the descrip tions applicable to " Charles Auchester. - ts immediate theme is almost identical with that of a beautiful passage in one of those sermons with which John Henry Newman, then a Protestant divine at Oxford, beguiled the wits of his followers:—" Let us take an instance, of au outward and earthly form " or economy, under which great wonders un " known seem to be typified—l mean musical " sounds, as they are exhibit 4 most perfectly • in instrumental harmony. There are seven " notes in the scale ; make them fourteen, yet " what a slender outfit for so vast an enterprise ! ~W hat science brings so much out of so little? " Out of what poor elements does some great master in it create his now world ! Shall we • say that all this exuberant inventiveness is " a mere ingenuity or trick of art, like some " game or fashion of the day, without reality, " without meaning? • • • • • " Is it possible that that inexhaustible eve " lution ainl disposition of notes, so rich yet " so simple, so intricate yet so regulated, so " various yet so majestic, should loe a mere " sounl, which is gone and perishes ? Cain it '• be that those mysterious stirrings of heart " and keen emotions, and strange yearnings " after we know not what, and awful impres sions front we know not whence, should be " wrought iii us by what is unsubstantial, and " conies and goes, and begins and ends, in " itself? It is not so ; it cannot be. No ; " they have escaped from some higher sphere; " they are the Outpourings of eternal harmony " in the meiliuM of created sound ; they are " echoes from our home ; they are the voice of " angels, or the inagnifitat of saints, or the " living laws of divine governance, or the " divine attributes ; something are they besides " themselves, which we cannot compass, which " we cannot utter,—though mortal man, and "he perhaps Hot otherwise distinguished " above his felloiVe, hats the gift 44 eliciting " them." We have extracted this passage, long as it is, because it expresses, far more eloquently than we can cTo, . the spirit in which the author of the book before us has set forth an eulogy of the iiitiSieal art, in conhection with memorials of some of its most eminent pro fessors. It is true that the design of the book is so far not new that it is one of a series of " art novels" which have been produced lately, in sonic abundance, here and on the Continent. Even its respects its ideal of musical devotion, it might be at:Awned to be repeating an ex cursion upon the same ground which clad been occupied by the " Consuelo" of George Sand, and the " Viola " cif De la Motto rouque. We mention these names to show that we have them in our contemplation when we pronounce the present work to be entirely original,--ori ginal, not so mueli in plan anal treatment as in the distinctiire elements it owes to a creative genius. We are unable to infer what may have been the tmtecedenis of the author, or in what way they inky be associated with the name Of liendelssohn ; but it is evident that that gifted amposer is the object of the admiration, amounthig to idolatry. which is elicited by " Seraphael." We will undertake to say, though we know not the fact, that the author has had mime personal and intimate knowledge of his unworldly life and habits. The midland town where the earlier scenes of the book arc cast THE PRESS. may be similarly identified by the traces of expetience. The weekly classes, the perfection of its choral training, its great leptival, witlt its third day's invariable and unrivalled rendering Of the sublime Messia—its connection with the great composer, who wits wont there to embody his own conceptions—its mautufac atud harmonious accesskaries intermingled —the names even of Stint(' of the characters — have it 10(11 distinctiveness ; anal therefore We do not hesitate to call the following extract a description of the appearance of Mentlelssohn at Birmingham. llis introduction is dramati cally prepared by ant accident which befals the intended conductor. The saipposeal natrrattor is the hero, a little 1,4)y-singer in the chorus, who has thns obtained the means of gratifying his 'mislead enthusiasm:- 1 shall never forget that scene. The hall was already crowded, when we pressed into slur places, half am hoar !KT' ore the appointed eommencentent. Every ventral speck was It 1114111, the Wlllll4 were piihstnrl with human beings. the swarm increased, floating into the reserved places, 111111 at 1411Vitlit still 11111 MA 1111 111111'11th the gallery. As it' to sling glory MI unlsic, not of its own. it was a most splendid day—the finest, warmest, and serenest, we had had for weeks. Through the multittali ~,, 11:4 1111111'S till' s ky was a isisitive blaze of the sunshine rill full ups wt the oreltestm thin the great mittsd window at the end of the vaulted building, 111111 through that window's purple and onmge border radiated goshd and amethyst upon the euuutrnunces of the entering crow d. The halals sit the eittek were at the optarter now; we in the chorus wondered 4 that St. %did kid lint clam.; again they itstve+l, nowiseless 7tands, and the " toughs' " of iron told eleven. We all grew anxious. Still. us all the clocks in the bowl' were not alike, we might be the 111i14141k1.11 ones by nuts. It mow stntek eleven though frtsin the last chumli within our hearing, and there was not yet St. Michel, We were all in the chlorins tilted in so ttittely, that it wo u ld have been difficult for tllllllll to get eat. 111' if out impossible to get in. They were all in the orilwstni pltustol as closely as possible, amidst a perfect grove of tuttaietstands. The rcs+Tveti 014 . 111 ,4 %I'll , hill, the Orgilltigt WAS K 1•111111, the sisal• lay wide open upon the hilly desk; but St. Michel did not come! I shall never forget blow we wearied and tvontlervtl, mat lam I. at least, racked tuysilt. writhed. and agsmised. Th.. 11ssill' Is.tivath the talthestra was shut, Isll! 111/111t1111 IW./ it hand 111111141 the IslCk sllll%llle—sllle nt:titatisl flu t' peeped in—then another—lint were intnit.diately with drawn. I seareely suppose the perfect silentse lasted three minutes. it was like tut deettieal suspension. and ns quickly snapped. The surchart,ting spleen of the atitlienee lougato to break in a murmuring humming, and buzzing, films ('emus to gallery. The coutitsi tttt of forms 11.1111 fitt'es Is (tame a perfeet dream, it dazzled 11111 dizzy, 111111 I felt quite sick. A hundrtsl fans began to ply in the reserved meats. the gentlemen hent over the lathes; the snnlld gather'sl strength and portentillOl Sig11111111111•s lEsllll the tion.expla nattory calm of the 'orchestral force; but all eyes were turned, all chins lengthened Inwards the orchestra 11,14 /I'. At prtsist.ly it quarter past elevi.it, that door 11111411 A WWI% and lip caul,' n gentleman in a white waistcoat. Ile stood ',somewhere in front. but he could not pi his vtoire out at first. 111. the hiss's theft! the shoutxl the exeeritt is ins ! lint it was a musical assembly, nail a few cries of "Shame!" hushed thiillllsnit sufficiently to give our curiosity vent. The speaker was a member of the eomntiiss e, and Very woko-hiloottto h.' losokosi. Ile hall ti say ( moil it was tot' course lois paitithi dotty) that thy• ompros.oslolotosl d. Jar Sn the el oraineneernent. of the iu•tiomnanee was oeeu.Sotoe,l by at. ittevititlole tutu most ottoo.Nloo.o.t CIL a,cideot. Mr. tit. ho Holing films his looms a ti•w miles onto haul is 'en thrliWil from his 6otve, at the eorno•' Of this' nuu•ko'l-phu•e. and, falling on his tight arm, load briskets it ho•low the elbow. • • * • • • • • • A fresh volley of hisses broke from the very heart of the Lull ; still it did not circulate. thinigh the etailusion seemed increasing iu the centre ; and it was at that very instant— Iteftire ptstr Merlington haul hit hiv apolt tgetie stand—that a form, gliding light as if sin air, appeared hovering on the steps at the side of the orrhesti a. It was a man at least, if not a spirit; lint 1 had not seen where that gliding form cattle than, with its light and stealthy Kiwi 11. Swift ns n IN•nnt of morning, hr sprang up the step.:. and, with oua hund urn thy• IsthNtrittlilt“wed tu andience—in n nunuctit Menet• xw•mcd ba upon the hall. He stood before the smite, and, tut he closed upon tl time.stick those piiinted lingers, he raised I►is eyes to ti n chorus, and let them fall upon the band. Those piercing eyes recalled tie. Every hand WAS on the bow, every mouthpiece lilted. There KUM Mill sileiee, but we " heard " no " voice." He raised his thin 11 . 111: the overture began. The curiosity of the audience had dilated with guilt in• tensity that all who had been standing, still stood, and not a creature stirred. 'fhe calm was perfect upon which the "Brave" broke. It was not interpretation alone; it was inspiration. MI knew that " I hues "—lint few have heard it AS it choke that day. It was then We heard a voice— " voice from heaven." There sw•r►►ed DO at string that with nut touched by lin.. The tranquil echo the ri pi silt I 1111101vil Irle to bcar it sufficiently to losik up and fort►► some notion of him on whom uMo much depended. lie was slight—so slight that he seemed to I hua•e grown out Of too: air. lie with young — so young that he could numbered twenty 611ta• men; hut the heights of eternity were foreshadowed in the Ibrehead'a marble dream. 449 A strange transparence took the place of bloom upon that face of youth, AS if from temperament too tender, or Moon tlll l raretiesl ; but the hair betrayed a wondrous tarsmgth, clustering in dark ends of excessive richness. The thinnest thigens were pale, but they grasped the time stick with an energy like naked nerve. But not until the violins woke up, tuntointeing the SOW' jeer of the allegro, did 1 feel fully conscious of t h at county:- tianev• allsolva4l front its repose of perfection, by alt excite• molt its divides. It would exhaust thought n o l eas than words to descsibo the aspect of music, thus revealed, thus pn•sentesl. I was a little child then, my brain was unused to streng tiro, and I can only say I remembered not how he looked after all wits Wien The intense impression itself, as a white nuzzling tire stniek from a smith's anvil dies without ashy sign. I have shire leaned to discover, to adore, every' express lilt' nt obi that inateltiess tare; but then I was lost in gazing. in a spiritual e 1514,40, e xeite• 111011 —t IWO 1 Wltri linty es 'NAM'S Of the euulplslitioit that he made Isle with that became one a ith him. The lily with which he led, the energy, the staxxl, could only have 'Will lithely Co cared to an Ettglit4lll 1111411144114 by such urrurutr Game. I . lelfeell with which the conslttetor was endued insist surely have p14)410.41 electrically into every player: three fell not a note to t h e ground; minis treasure Wits well nigh o ppr e ssive, one felt sumo blind must drop. Front Isegitininkt to Ohl of the alleges not a disturbing sound arose tlininglisstit the hull, lint on the closing chord of the overture there burst One dell toll of wonderful applause. I can only rail it a toll—it was s imultaneous. The s•onsluetor lookekl over his sltsottldsw suss' slightly sl t ook his head. It With s' gh, and snowe reigned as t h e heavenly symphony of the nsitative tr e mbled front thomst strings starelkauxed anti tire. liens it- was as it' he while pensl " !Nish!" the the sobbing htllo.lllo Of the 11WVOI11141111• 1111 . 111 1 Its'Vet 114 . 111 . 11 1411 ; it was silvery, almost anvils!. The wool, stinva languidly, as the strut of a Willtl.l4Wll4 lily, in thosee pointssl fingers. Nor would he saltier any violence to he done to rho M44'11111 blight 111• Mm of the aria. It was not until we all arsitle that he raised his arm, and impetuoitslv, almost lilt. periously. !boll upon its his eyes. Ile glanced not a 00000 mead at the Neon., he never turned a leaf, but he urges! the time majs•stieally, I his tuptunstis beauty brights.sied as the visievs firmly, safely, swelled ovs.t. this 'sustaining chords, lainielts•sl in glory upon those waves of sound. I 1111110P4 liorgilt the 11414 11111. I mu lint o'll4lll that. I 11'1110111M Tull Its, I was, 111' Where I wits, lota I N 1411114 to he singing at every pore. I seemed issuing out my lite insts'lld Of my quire; but the fes•ling I Illta of lwing irn•• sistillly 1101111. Illottg Wits too tllllll4korting, that I call l'ollettiVO Of malting else like it, until after sleuth. The hero (if we eau call Charles Aiteltemter the lien)) is nfterwards taken—and, as we think, very skilfully—through it variety of /411'111`14 with his choral associates, which present sumo attilteth eltatract.ers, insist delicate' y drawn— as Letilittrt, I 1 11‘') . , Miss Lawrence, I sltlinl, hot especially Miss lienette : the last a sweet. and self sustaining; little woman of an original type. At length he begins to feel an impulse towards instrumental perforinitnee ; and this is the wily in which lie aspires : It was this evening 1 felt for the first lime what I mop. Isle all boys feel at sine t• •or another, Don they cannot renatin always just as they are. It was no satiety, it was no disappointed hope, nor lolly vague desire; it WIWI purely us i'llll‘ letillll that ,411111 e W11..4 HIV. I oillisloottl., till filet, it was a pe•sentintslat. The voices of our A l ois. svent4.4l thin mid far away; the pale cheek of le•nhart Davy seemed stamped with sinearthly lustre; slit. room *mil I.IIIIE Were Willer, 111011'1'; the rvotitiv, Aolours, clustered in thin Amps.. t•fainilims, WIIIII.II to that distant sky. I ens lige -111t1.11---1.1.24t/ii le. I 1 . 1110/1 ant I , lllg 111111 When I li/4101141 tens Is•wildered in mon• than limn excitement. Mnittelit•s of hymns and atieient psalms, morss•ls sit . the bill', mal speeches of no signitislosi•e, sutural yeatilf, and, as it seemed, ernturiem ago, Hoiden into niy brain and thrsough it, sla.spite tht. itrel44.lll. and 11111110 l ourslllll elionsair, like the slitt of a mighty city, welled to the ear of one who stands sin a esonimensling hill. I mete tissis this to pests. that im hut a fat usity, but m i on ethjog lo s % mtetilytts ill it's artitteify; hike Isom, like illy; perhaps it passi 0000 of memory, that anticipates its treasinrets 711111 als.lights to be. After this he is sent front England, to pur• site his studies under a sing►ttlar lad tiermatt "Aronotch," and at. the Cecilia Instituticm, sue eessively. llis melognitioon by Seraphael, and subsequent. identifiention with the career, snot almost the list moments, of his idol, while pnrsuing his own art.apprentieemhip, are the subjects of the remainder• of the book. They may seem slight as described—and so they are—hut in the effeets whieh are elicited from this slight basis they resemble !MIMe itself its deserit►ed lry John I I emy Newman. The various Outruns of diameters, nicely discrimi nated, yet all aeeording, in this muscle pas sion, are excellently rendered. We will not attempt ourselves, as many no doubt will, to identify several of these characters among their contempoornries. We are contented with knowing that sueh exist, and for their bene fit, as TIIIIIII wer•shippers of an exalted ideal,—the true ideal in music as in sill other at ts,—we eon• elude with this extraet from the parting legacy to the hero from his instructor•, Aronaeh:,-- I