The Press. — London, England, 1858-12-18 00:00:00

1242 'I'HE PRE S S, DECEMBER 18, 1858. The Two Mottoes. By the Author of "Sutnnierleigh Manor." London :J. W. Parker and Son. " SHE heti' don- what she could " and " Excelsior " are "the two mottoes " specified on the titlepage, and illustrated in the progress, of this tale, the incidents of which, while keeping within the range of every-day life and its ordinary occurrences, are well imagined for the writer's purpose, that of exhibiting different types of character, and the effects produced upon them by the discipline of life. As we do not wish to spoil the enjoyment of such of our readers as may feel inclined to turn to the little volume itself, by a skeleton outline of the story, we shall content ourselves with assuring them that they will find in it not only the attraction of well-sustained fiction, but instructicn of the truest and most telling kind, that which is founded upon experience and the observa tion of the moral laws that govern the development of human character, and the relations between man and man. Mark Denni 4 ; or, the En3ine Driver. A Tale of the Railway. London : Rivingtons. Tais is a well written little tale of the Hannah More type; and with this advantage, that the ground it travels over is comparatively new. The design of the authoress appears to be to inculcate on all persons engaged in the perilous avocations of her hero the necessity of realizing t 9 themselves the truth that in the midst of life we are in death. The " setting" of the moral is pretty and tasteful. The good family and the bad one are contrasted with skill ; and the character of Lizzie, the young drivel's wife, is drawn so as to interest us warmly in her fortunes. The tale does not carry sufficient weight of metal to make any impression upon railway companies, whose indifference to human suffering would do credit to a Red Indian. But circulated among the schools and cottages attached to their vast establishments, it may probably work much good. Struggles in Falling. By Henry John Lester. London : Bentley. Tam is a much more ambitious story than the last. It is written with power, and toe author knows what he is writing about. We do nor, however, quite like the tone of the book. The seduction of Miss Delmar by Charles Vescy is repugnant to modern taste—not, unfortunately, because such things are not done, but because experience has taught us the bad effects of describing them as the result of passion on the lady's part. Here was no deception practised, nor was the fall of Agnes due to the in fluence of superior rank or station in the seducer. There can be no doubt of the injurious effects 01 such scenes as that b-tween Vescy and Ague; at the ball preceding her flight with him. We shall not, therefore, notice this story at greater length, though there is much in it that shows great ability and knowledge of the world. The Kangaroo Ilunters ; or, Adventures in the Bush. By Anne Bowman. London : Routledge. THIS is an excellent little boy's own book in the style of the " Swiss Family," or those more recent works which Captain Mayne Reid has written with so much spirit. A work of this nature presents nu points for criticism. We need only therefore state that the scene lies in Australia, that it is full of stirring incidents which every boy of well•regulated mind will devour with avidity, and, in one word, that it will make a most acceptable and stimulating present to the young schoolboy at home fur his Christmas holidays, and will lend fresh zest to his ratbuuts, rabbitine, and sparrow caching. zetti, with all his tuneful merits, is certainly no exception to the rule. In Mr. Ilennen's new version of the very pretty and characteristic serenade we find, for instance, one passa ge , where the melody ascends diatonically on the notes A, B, C, 11, E, correctly harmonized for the first time. The fantasia is, moreover, very effec tively arranged for the instrument, and in the hands of a tolerably skilful player is susceptible of being rendered highly attractive to admirers of the so-called " brilliant " style of pianoforte music. Trois Melodies pour le Piano. Composes par Arnold Hennen. London : Lon and Co. DEPENDING wholly upon his own resources, Mr. Hennen is even more successful than in dealing with the ideas of others. The three melodies are original, expressive of the various sentiments by which the author professes to have been inspired in composing them, and musicianly in facture. The somewhat unusual key of G sharp minor in which No. 1, entitled "Beatrice," is set, may pos sibly militate against its success with amateur pianists, and the almost equally " sharp " diffi culties of 13 major may likewise prevent No. 3, called "Aurae," from becoming generally popular ; but No. 2, " in E major, is within the reach of moderately endowed players ; and the entire series is worthy the attention of genuine musicians, and can scarcely fail to advance the growing reputation of Mr. Hennen as an artist in the best sense of the word. rusital gttictir. Oh ! for the Breezy Shore. Song. Written by G. E. Carpenter. The Music composed by W. T. Wrighton. London : Cocks and Co. MR. CARPENTER'S words are spirited and his versification smooth ; but Oh ! for the music of Mr. Wrighton ! Duchesse De Chevreuse. Polka Brillante.—La Belle Gabrielle. Polka Mazurka.—Le Roi d e la Fiue. Quadrille Mignon.—Composed for the Pianoforte by Alfonse Leduc. London: Cocks and Co. THESE are light, jovial, unpretending dance tunes, written in the most ad captandum style, and easy to play as to understand. They all, moreover, are adorned with showy pictorial illustrations, and have, therefore, every chance of becoming generally popular. Old Father Christmas. Quadrilles. Composed for the Piano by Adam Wright. London Cocks and Co. Tnzs is also dance-music, consisting of well known English tunes, and, like the above-men tioned publications of Mr. Leduc, is pictorially illustrated. Don Pasquale, Hark, the Herald Angels Sing. Christmas Hymn. Composed and Arranged for Four Voices, with Organ or Pianoforte Accompani ment, by W. Young. London : Cocks and Co. T►iis is a creditable specimen of simple four part vocal counterpoint in the harmonized cho rale form. The music is well adapted to the words, and the accompaniments judiciously arranged to support the voices. 11U54. Rizzio. Song. By H. S. K. and Walter May nard. London : Cramer, Beale, and Chappell. Tuts is a very ambitious song—an attempt at a grand scena, in fact. We know not, of course, what portions of it may be attributed respec tively to each of the two individuals who jointly claim the honour of having given birth to the production. 11. S. K. is altogether a myth to us, but Walter Maynard is at least well known to the public as a writer of ballads in the popular style, althou.2h the name he bears is, we believe, an assumed one. Walter Maynard would do well to confine himself to that modest style of compo sition in which he has hitherto been successful. The influence of his mysterious accomplice in the present instance has not proved felicitous, if we may justly ascribe to it (as we suspect we may) all that pretentious dulness which so disagree ably characterizes "Rizzio," and which is assuredly not to be found in Walter Maynard's other compositions, distinguished as they inva riably are by familiar tunefulness and great sim plicity of harmony. LYCEUM THEATRE. R. RIMIER% CONCERTS. La Serenade. Break! Break! Break! Song. The Poetry by Alfred Tennyson; the Music by F. R. Cox. London : It. Mills. A MELANCTIOLY individual, who, listening to the breaking of the sea upon its " cold grey stones," the shouts of the fisherman's boy at play with his sister, the song of the sailor lad in his boat on the bay, and watching " the stately ships go on to their haven under the hill," sighs for the "touch " of a vanished hand and the sound of a voice " that is still," and mournfully exclaims, The " tender grace of a day that is dead will never " come back to me ! " has been made to sing by Mr. Cox in appropriately doleful strains, but with out that indescribable " tender grace " for which the verses of Mr. Tennyson, with all their incon gruity, affectation, and occasional obscurity, are remarkable. Mr. Cox, moreover, differs from his author by lacking originality ; and, on the whole, although Mendelssohn has been laid under con tribution, and there is an evident attempt through out the song to accomplish something of a higher order than the mere English ballad, we cannot compliment the composer upon his success, or admit that he has produced music at all worthy of the words, THESE highly popular entertainments come to a close this evening, much to the regret of all who love to hear good and admirably executed music, and cannot afford to pay the high prices demanded for admission to the generality of concerts. It seems to us strange that M. Julhen does not continue his performances in some (Aber locality. Most of our theatres can be kept open and made to pay during several months of the year. Why should not popular concerts be as regularly and permanently patronized? Surely it would be worth while to try the experiment. By Arnold Hennen. London : Ltlon and Co. MR. lIENNEN has here taken the well-known serenade, "Corn' e gentil," as the subject of a pianoforte fantasia, and produced a very play able and agreeable piece of music, which, con sidered as a whole, is certainly more graceful, fanciful, and musicianly than most things of a similar kind which come under our notice. Ile has frequently deviated from the original har monization of the air ; but, with all due respect for the pre-eminently melodious Donizetti, can dour compels us to state that the alterations may far the most part be regarded as decided im provements. Modern Italian composers, with their declared contempt for what they are pleased to term "La musics dotta e matematica," are not, geierally speaking, particularly well "up" in tneir chords. The best of them, even Rossini himself, the acknowledged head of the "school," Is not irreproachable in this respect ; and Doni- THE ROYAL ENGLISH OPERA. THE Pyne and Harrison management enter upon their new campaign at Covent•garden Theatre on Monday next, with a new opera entitled Satanella, composed expressly for the company by Mr. W. M. Balfe. The great and peculiar attractions of the evening, combined with the intere-it which well•wisherg to native art naturally take in the success of a pro fessedly national undertaking, will doubtless insure a crowded house on the occasion. ST. JAMES'S THEATRE. OPERA COMIQUE. WE have great pleasure in calling attention to the forthcoming performances of French Comic Opera at the St. James's Theatre, under the direction of 111. Remusat, an ertist long and honourably known to the musical world of London. The elegant and fashion• able locale is happily chosen, and the published announcements, showing a goodly array of names, together with a rich and interesting repertoire of pieoes to be performed, certainly look very promising. If the operas are in every respect well put upon the stage (which we have good reason to believe that they will be), there can be little doubt that a sufficiem number of those who admire the light, graceful, and spirituel in musical art, will be forthcoming to fill the little St. James's nightly, and render the specula tion amply remunerative in a commercial point of view. Judging from the official prospectus, we presume that the director intends to rely chiefly upon the operas of Auber ; and in so doing he will act wisely, for not only is the composer of Le Domino Noir, Fra Diavolo, Gustave, and a host or other chefs.d . ceuvre, the acknowledged head of the modern French school of opera, and the first of all in his peculiar department of art, but his works have, for the most part, enjoyed extensive popularity in thin country for many years past, and, though personally unknown here, no contemporary musician is more highly appreciated or admired by our public. The dilettanti will likewise be grati fied by the production of such works as the Zarapa of Herold, Helevy's Les ifousquetaires de la Refine, Boildeau'.4 La Dane Blanche, Gretry's Richard Cato de Lion (a charming little opera, and quite a novelty to the British public), all of which, beside many others, ere to be performed (luring the season, Heading the list of singers we find the celebrated name of UM% retire, of ;he yarie Theatre pique,