The Press. — London, England, 1854-11-04 00:00:00

ll F ME 1052 0,~..-.~ Pusit. DRURY-LANE THEATRE. TUE remarkable popularity which M. Jullien enjoys may fairly be attributed to the successful efforts he has made of late years to raise the standard of musical taste in this country, by winning attention to, if not appreciation of, the classical works of the great composers. While enjoying an unbounded popularity in his direction of the performance of popular operas, or of lively polkas and sparkling valses, M. Jullien, equally effective with his baton, can Ls successfully conduct the magnificent sympho nies of Beethoven, Mendelssohn, or Mozart, and if not obtaining critical applause from the multitude, can at least command admiration and attention for those beauties which are felt, but not understood. The first concertof this season was given on Monday evening to an audience who enthusiastically wel comed M. Jullien on his return, after atwo ears' ab sence. The orchestra, containing many of the old favourites, with several new performers, appeared fully equal in quality to any that M. Jullien hal conducted in former years. The selections upon that, and upon every evening during the week, have been partly of classical and partly of operatic and popular music, consisting principally of Mendelssohn's " Italian Symplicny," Mozart's Jupiter, Beethoven's " Pastoral" and "C. Minor," together with the over tures of, and selections from, the operas of Egmont, Le Comte Ory, Euryanthe, Zampa, and The Hugue nots, with polkas and valses ad libitum. The per formance of Mendelssohn's " Italian Symphony " was marked by a perfect appreciation of the grandeur, delicacy, and poetical feeling which characterise the different movements of this magnificent work. Of the execution of the operatic selections we need only say that itha.s been throughout performed with a thorough regard to the beauties of the music and the intention of the composer. Of the American music, the "Atlantic Galop " is decidedly the most popular. Madame Anna Thillon made her first appearance on Thursday evening, singing an aria from L'Etoile die Nord of Meyerbeer, and was warmly applauded. Among the solo performers is a Signor Robbio, a pupil of Paganini. His style is distinguished by skilful execution, combined rather with delicacy of feeling than with any great power of expression. However, he is a master of the violin, and we have no doubt will achieve success a performer. The National Anthem and " Partant pour la Syrie" have been nightly performed amidst the most vehement applause, which on the opening night degenerated into those frolicsome vulgarities which, under some circumstances, so peculiarly mark the good humour of an English audience. The theatre, arranged on the old system, has been nightly crowded to excess by an audience who seemed thoroughly pleased with M. Jullien's efforts to entertain them. EXETER-HALL. THE performances of the French Imperial Band on Saturday last at the Crystal Palace were not suffi ciently distinctive from the performances of the other military bands to be fairly appreciated. The fête TM not a concert—the music was a mere adjunct to the Exhibition—people went to hear the music, but not to criticise the performers, and, until the separate and distinct performance on Thursday evening by the imperial band, the public generally had not a fair opportunity of judging the excellence of these incomparable performers. The peculiarin terest which at this momentis attached to anything re lating to our neighbours, the charitable object of the performance, and the unrivalled reputation of the band, draw a crowded house and an eager audience' whose expectations were realised and sur passed by the fine performance that took place. The band consists of 56 performers, thus distri buted :-2 flutes or picolos; 4 small clarinets; 8 great or soprano clarinets, in B flat; 2 oboes; 2 soprano, 2 alto, 2 tenor, and 2 barytone or bass emaoph ones ; 2 cornets- a.piston ; 4 trumpets; 4 trom , banes ; 2 small soprano saxhorns in E flat, and 2 contralto in B flat ; l saxotrombes in E flat ; 2 barytone and 4 bass saxhorns in B flat; 2 contra basso saxhorns in E flat, and 2 in B flat, an octave lower ; with big drum, kettle-drum ' and cymbals ; the whole under the direction of M. Mohr, composer and band-master , and a musi cian of acknowledged ability. The appearance of the members of the band was hailed with deafening applause, and when the whole number were assembled, " God save the Queen" and " Partant pour la Syrie" were given, and concluded amidst the most enthusiastic cheer ing. The concert then commenced, the programme of which we subjoin PART I. Marche de " Macbeth" Ouverture de "Cluillaunie Tell" Polka-Mazurka." Souvenirs de Varsovie" Valle, " Los Herds du Rhin" Strauss Quadrille, " Des Vieux Airs Francais" Fantaisie du "Prophite" ,~ __._ _ ..~q _ _..,_~_ r , . , .IRMNFPIPmnow THE PRESS. PART 11. Marche de l'Alma Air Varie Mohr Bolero de "Jovita" Ouverture de " Zampa" Benediction des Poignards (" Huguenots") Galop des Masques. The overtures to Guillaume Tell and Zampa were played to perfection. The light, graceful music of Zampa was interpreted with a delicacy and feeling that induced the most brilliant effect. In the selection from the Prophite, and the " Benediction" from the Huguenots, the exquisite precision and the imposing power of the band were displayed to sin gular advantage. In general, milita:y bands, in the execution of imposing passages, are harsh and loud, and produce effect more by mere force of execution than by de'icacj of intonation; but the imperial band in their performance of the " Benediction des Poignards," while justly giving force and dignity to the grand passages, yet so hapvily preserved the sweetness and delicacy of intonation as to produce the most finished and perfect harmony. The lighter music was played with spirit and skill, while the solo performers, particularly N. Ory on the cornet a piston, were greeted with well deserved applause f,r the eminent talent they displayed. At the con clusion of the performance the National Anthem and the song of our allies were repeated amidst the same acclamations as at first, and this most success ful and, we regret to say, only " concert" by the imperial band in this country, was brought to a close. The Emperor of the French has given his special permission to the " Band of the Guides" to delay their departure from London, for the purpose of giving a second performance this day at the Crystal Palace, in aid of the Patriotic Fund. ST. MARTIN'S HALL.—Handel's oratorio of Judas Maccabeus is to be performed at this hall on Wed nesday next, under the direction of Mr. John littlish, assisted by Messrs. Sims Reeves, Weiss, and Braham, with Miss Julia Bleaden and Miss Hud dart, as the principal vocalists. Et't puma. - HAYHAREET.—This week has produced no novelty. Mr. Hudson, in The Irish Ambassador; Mr. Wright, who appears in Comfortable Service, and is As Deaf as a Post; and the Signora Peres Nena, with her troupe of Spanish dancers—still continue to attract full houses. PRINCESS . S.—The Corsican Brothers and The Courier of Lyons, with Faust and Marguerite (for the first time this season), have been alternately acted during the week at this theatre. ADELPHI.—A short satirical drama, Bond Fide Travellers, was brought out on Monday evening. The plot is a mere tissue of absurdities, but Keeley, as a potboy, and Mrs. Keeley, as his sweetheart Jemima, by their exquisite acting, carried the piece triumphantly through, though the characters they had to sustain were intrinsically worthless, and in any other hands would have been an undeniable failure. OLYMPIC.—The Trustee and The Blighted Being have been continued throughout the week at this theatre. ST. JAMES'S.—A new piece from the French stage has been produced at this theatre during the week. The plot of this play, Honour before Titles, is in itself not without interest, nor wanting in effective points ; but beyond the two most prominent cha racters, Madeline and Pierre, the others are feeble nonenities, and the drama, as a whole, meagre and hollow. The acting of Mrs. Seymour was, as usual, marked by an easy, natural interpretation of cha racter, and perfect appreciation of the marked dis• tinction, in the present case, between the mother and the tradeswoman, which was well rendered in one or two prominent points. Mr. Toole, SS Pierre, acted cleverly and with artistic feeling. The piece, on the whole, was successful, owing mainly to the skilful acting of these two artists, who were loudly applauded at the fall of the curtain. Sono.—This theatre is to open on Monday next with a new French company, under the management of Mr. Mowbray, who is now in Paris, concluding his arrangements. ROYAL POLYTECHNIC.—In addition to the other attractions of this institution, Miss Glyn (wbo has lately seceded from the St. James's Theatre) has commenced a series of dramatic readings. The play of hamlet was delivered on Thursday evening, an Romeo and Juliet is to be given this evening. THE explanation of the sudden withdrawal from the playb Ils of the Francais of M. Camille Doucet's comedy, Les Ennemis de la Nation, which was to have been played there a few evenings since, is that the revival is reserved for the amusement of the Court at Compiegne. - SATURDAY, Sort* art, Xittraturt, fir. .: AN Amor; has been brought against Mlle. Rachel before the French Civil Tribunal by M. Legouve, a dramatic author, to obtain damages from her for having refused to play in a tragedy entitled Medic after she had accepted it, such tragedy having been written by him expressly for her; and also to obtain an order to her to play in the piece, under pain of heavy damages for each day's refusal. The trial lasted several days, and ended in a sentence par tially favourable to the plaintiff. The tribunal de cided that, on the days which the administration of the Theatre Francais shall indicate, Rachel Felix shall be bound to play the part awarded to her by the author, and which she has accepted. In default of her doing this, the tribunal condemned her to pay Legouve 200 f. for every day's delay during two months. The defendant was also ordered to pay the heavy costa of the suit. Mlle. Rachel has announced her intention of appealing against this award. AFTER five years of uninterrupted labour, a work, which for grandeur and solidity surpasses any other effort of modern architecture in the States of the Church, has just been completed in the mountains of Albano. It is a bridge of five arcades, placed one over another, and each as high as a house : it has been built in order to form a direct communication over the deep valley between Albano and Aracia, on the road from Naples. The Pope gave his benedic tion to the work on the 12th nit, amidst a concourse of several thousand persons, who had congregated from all parts of the country to witness the ceremony. MLLE. CRL'VELLI is about to publish a pamphlet in which the reasons of her departure from Paris are set forth in full, one of them being the inferior position which she was thrown into of late at the Opera. M. Hebert, it is said, is to be entrusted with the task of drawing up this defence. A PUBLISHER IN THE UNITED STATES has made an offer to M. Mazzini for the purchase of a work, to he entitled " Memoirs or Revolutionary Europe from 1830 to the Present Time," which it is understood M. Mazzini is now composing. The terms offered are 4001. per volume of 400 pages, Bvo., to be paid on the completion of each volume, with four per cent. inte rest in the meantime. M. Mazzini will be requested to state beforehand the number of volumes in which I his work will appear, and the periods at which they will be ready. M. DRESTCH, the composer, is about to proceed on a tour, with a commission from the management of the French Opera, to engage some artistes to fill up the vacancies in the troop occasioned by various un toward incidents, the flight of La Cruvelli included. Nuitnrsitg tlttlitgenct. OXFORD. The election of a member of Convocation, of not lets than five years' standing, to the Hebdomadal Council, took place yesterday week, when the Rev. Charles Marriott, 8.D., fellow of Oriel, was elected by a majority of five votes over the Rev. Mark Pattison, Bit., fellow of Lincoln. Some other members also of Convocation had a few votes recorded in their favour. Although this election did not cause anything like the excitement of those on the pre vious Tuesday, still a great many of the senior members of congregation voted. The nomination of the Rev. John D.D., Presi dent of Trinity, as delegate of sccounts, in the mobs of the Rev. John Gnftiths, was approved by Convocation on Tuesday. At the same time the nominations of the Rev. William Andrews, M.A., fellow of Worcester ; the Rev. G. Rawlinson, M.A., of Exeter ; the Rev. Henry Pritchard, 8.D., fellow of Corpus—the two former as examiners "in Literis Humanioribus," and the latter as examiner " in Disciplinis Matheinaticia et Physic*" and of the Rev. Octavius Ogle, M.A., fellow of Lincoln, as moderator "in Schola Literarum Gnecarum et Latinarum," were also ap proved of. CAMBRIDGE. The undermentioned degrees were conferred on the 27th ult. : M.A.—George Frederick Alfree, St. John's ; Warner Bucking ham Otley, Cetus. LL.B.—William Henry Hicks, Corpus Christi, Compounder. tticsiastkai. PREFERMENTS AND APPOINTMENTS. The Rev. J. B. Price to the Vicarage of Kyle and Kenfig, cese of Llandaff. The Rev. E. N. Rolfe to the Rectory of Burnham Sutton v. Overy Vicarage, diocese of Norwich. The Rev. W. Rowland to the Vicarage Of Fishguard ,diooese of St. David's. The Rev. W. H. Twyning to the Rectory of Grostuouth, diocese of Llandaff. The Rev. Thomas John Monson to the Vicarage of Kirkby Fleethain, diocese of Ripon. The Rev. Barry Charles Browne to the Rectory of St. Johns , Gloucester. The Rev. William Edward Down es, 8.A., to the Curacy o f Pal grave, near Dias. The Rev. J. Lowth, M.A., to the Incumbency of the new church of St. Mary, Banksea The Rev. Edward Ogle Disney , M .A., to the Rectory o f Killes hill, in the county of Tyrone. The Rev. Charles Cresols, M.A., to the fteotorY of " dews ' hatoilloa. A