The Press. — London, England, 1853-05-07 00:00:00

io balustrades of Haddon-hall. We constantly seethe palaces of Venice altered, ruined, or transiiosed at pleasure, or the solitude of the lagunes invaded by rafts, on which there seems to be carried on the com merce of the world, whenever it suits the painter to in trooluee a bustling foreground. In costume the violations of truth are yet more flagrant. Where the Italian peasantry and the Romish clergy are concerned an unbounded licence is claimed, and it seems to be the prevailing opinion that either may be introduced in any colours, or in any way that may contribute to picturesque effect. It is not neces sary that an artist should be an archaeologist or a master of the ceremonies ; but a doge's dress is as well known as a peer's coronation robe; and, by dressing Marino Faliero as a procurator of St. Mark, we think Carl Haag has injured the effect of a pic ture ( No. Ilk) which, though a little theatrical. has much merit. In No. 274 Mr. Fripp has dressed his cardinal in the red hat which is the emblem of his rank, but which it would be as strange to see on his head, as to meet the Bishop of London wearing the mitre which is painted on the pannels of his carriage. " l'ictoribus atque l'oetis," says Horace ; "Quid libel. iindrudi Kemper Inuit slug ptri,tits." We are not fimil of applying to painting the analogy of poetry, which has been much abused by the critics of the exalted school ; but we much wish that paint. cos would be content to take no greater licence than the poets. Why cannot it he established that it is absurd to paint an action which a poet would think it, absurd to describe? If, for instance, no writer of romance would describe the Abbot of Bolton as going to his larder accompanied by an acolyte bearing liqueurs in sacramental vessels, does the convenience of grouping and of colour excuse the artist for intro ducing this incident in his justly celebrated picture of "Bolton Abbey ?" We have no time at present to discuss the value of truth fin• its own sake, which we rate very highly, but the least scrupulous artist will iulmit that it " hurts one's conscience to be found out," and that in well-known scenes the want of accuracy is highly disappointing to the spect ator. Mr. "Rialto" (No. 1$), which is otherwise a broad effective draw ing, is full of inaccuracies, and the changes are anything but improvements. But, besides the value of truth for its own sake, there am two other considerations which should make it an object. of veneration to the young artist. The first. is his own improvement. If, every time he feels a difficulty, he allows himself to meet it with the first expedient, no matter how preposterous, that suggests itself, he lowers his own taste, he fails to expl re the resources of his own mind, and to cultivate its faculties. Some of the finest pictures which we have known have been produced by the struggles of the artist to overcome the difficulties imposed upon him by a rigid adherence to truth. In the next. place, the only way of nrriving at pro bability is by the pursuit of truth. The artist who avails himself of' every temptation to introduce con venient " bits of colour"---fignres to fill in. and pic turesque incidents---soon loses all air even of possibility, and destroys the dramatic effect of his pictures in a jumble of ineoherencies. No much would be gained to art it' clear laws could be laid down on the subject of this kind of truth, that we have been tempted to enlarge upon it to an extent that exceeds our limits. The instances which we have quoted for blame are taken from one water colour exhibition ; but it is fair to add that they are by no means so flagrant or so munerous as we have often remarked on former years, and at other exhi bitions. be pram. IIOYAL ITALIAN OPERA. llAlums in melody and devoid of orchestral effects. Maria di Bohan is one of the many intliffemut operas which Donizetti, " Fit presto," has given to the world. Its only redeeming point is the o pportunity it affords to Itonconi for the display of his great dramatic talents : and there can be no question but that his reading of the part of the Duke de eherrease would alone entitle him to rank as one of the first actors of the day. The representation of this opera served to introduce two ladies to a London audience. .1111 e. Didiee achieved a certain suceess. Her voice, tl gh rather thin, is pleasing, and her manner pro duced a favourable impression. tut* Mlle. Albini the less said the better. She probably appeared for the first and last time upon this Covent Garden boards on Tuesday night. Her %oleo and style are better suited for an Italian theatre, the price of whose biglietto d'ingressa is half it pant or thereabouts, than for a stage which ranks the first amongst those dedi cated to lyric purposes. inaependently of the ladies, the singing of the opera was sufficiently i n . different. Ronconi's intonation was at times painfully incorrect, anti Ttunberlik was not by any uncaps at home in the part e/utfaix, which seems little calculated to display his voice and peculiar e xcel. haw*. Tim revival of Lacrezia Bvrgia vu *aturdu,y THE PRESS. requires but a short notice. Mario and Grisi were welcomed with loud applause by a crowded house. Ronconi, as Dun Alfonso, showed himself a real artist. His original conception and manly bearing invested the part with a force and dignity it has never yet received at the hands of any other singer. His delivery of the words " Guai se ti sfuggi un moto " taci " in the celebrated trio was indeed a tine effort of musical elocution. Millie. Didiee did not appear to such advantage in this opera as in Maria di Bohan. Making every allowance for nervousness, she ob viously does not possess the energy and refinement which a part like Orsini requires, and the song " Un segreto," though encored, was not effectively given. We may add that her dress and "make up" showed great carelessness and want of judgment. Signor Tagliatico deserves especial commendation for his clever impersonation of the trifling part of Gubetta. The scenery and appointments in both operas are below par. Mr. Beverly is said to be engaged tit this house : as yet no traces of his masterhand are visible. FRENCH PLAYS. MEsses. Scribe - and Legonve'a comedy, " Les Contes de la Iteine de Navarre," selected for the first ap pearance of Mlle. Madeleine Brohan in London, is a masterpiece of construction, and contains no incident however apparently trivial, that is not necessary to the development of the subject. Nevertheless, it produces a certain weariness in the spectator, and this from the rarest of all causes. The critics, who in dealing with native dramatic invention have almost stereotyped the phrases, " meagreness of plot" and "lightness of construction," will hardly credit the assertion that the French authors have, in this instance, produced u play with tax► much plot. Moreover, this pl o t is not obscure,.and, though the drauuttis persona, are in a perpetual fog of misunder standing and danger, all is clear to the audience, and the means of extrication are sufficiently natural and probable. Still the unravelling of so many threads of intrigue causes perfect exhaustion long before the three hours occupied in the represen tati are brought to a close. The dialogue is playful and witty, and, when demanded by the situation, full of dignity ; but this dialogue is like the plot, too rich. and treated with an elaboration of detail ad mirable rather in the novelist than the dramatist. whose great aim should be condensation both of action and expression. Mlle. Brohan, who acted the part of Marguerite', originally sustained by her at the Theatre Francais, appeared to be suffering from a severe cold, and to that perhaps may in a great measure be attributed a certain monotony and want of light and shade which was felt in her delivery of so long a part, in spite of the perfect purity and precision of her arti culation. This lady has all the high polish and elegance of the best school of French acting; but there is a lack of sensibility, which makes her gaiety somewhat cold, and greatly mars the effect of the more tender and passionate side of the gay queen's character. M. Labatt played the captive king with great dignity and chivalrous feeling, and in the scene where he taunts his great rival, Charles F., drew warm and genuine applause from a languid and in different audience. The betise of Mlle. Bertin, though amusing enough, was rather that of a peasant than a princess. There is little to be said in praise of the other artists engaged in the comedy, with the excep tion of M. Tourillon, who acted the small part of Ilabieca, the jealous one-eyed valet of the emperor, with great nature and humour. We would suggest to the management to provide the emperor and his betrothed with a more respectable retinue ; the lords, ladies, and pages of the court more than once caused a titter by the contrast which their attire presented to the rich and elegant costumes of the principal personages of the drama. Music anb ?Musicians. PHILHARMONIC CONCERT. Tun fourth concert of the Philharmonic Society took place on Monday last. The symphonies were the " Pastorale" of Beethoven ( never more brilliantly or effectively given), and a symphony composed by Cherubini many years ago expressly for the society. This last composition, though somewhat antiquated in style, is nevertheless of sterling merit, and un questionably deserved a place in the programme. The subjects of the first and second movements are clear and well defines', and though the interest rather falls off in the latter portion of the work. the writing is vigorous throughout and the instrumen tal effects often happy. The execution was exceed ingly good. and nothing could justify the sounds of disapprobation which fell from a portion of the audience at the conclusion of each movement. The principal ftlettire of the concert in the way of noveltiy was M. Molique's new concerto. of all instruments of the highest class there is none which he bimk lin neglected by the great Wmpimers RS the SATURDAY, violoncello, and M. Molique has in all probability put his masterhand to the work with a view to remedy this evil. Introduced to the public by the most popular Violoncellist of the day, the success of the concerto was complete. The instrumentation is excellent throughout, and the subjects of all the three movements are fraught with beauty of melody and originality of conception. The length of the composition (thirty-one minutes),and a certain degree of repetition, inseparable perhaps from a first performance, are its only faults. Of the general execu tion we can also speak in terms of high praise, and M. l'iatti well deserved the loud applause he received. Passion, expression, and graceful execution, are this gentleman's peculiar excellences ; and, if perfect violoncello playing hal no further requirements, then would M. Matti stand an artist not to be surpassed. But the genius of his instrument demands other qualities. in M. Piatti'sidaying we look in vain for the depth of colour and manliness of character which should distinguish the violoncello from other stringed instruments. On Monday night, the various sultiects, and especially the cantabile, were indeed charmingly delivered; but the moment the lower portion of the instrument was called into requisition, or a legitimate passage of real difficulty attacked, the tone was gone, and the phrases almost inaudible, even at a short distance from the orchestra. it is time that the public should be warned, lest their admiration for most talented and deserving artist should induce a systematic violation of artistic principle, and it cannot be denied that in these days there is, unhap pily, a tendency to sacrifice the special character of the violoncello for the mere purpose of gaining facility of execution. England has produced the greatest violoncellist of modern days, and, while be is still alive, the remembrance of his excellences should prove an insuperable barrier to any degradation of his noble instrument. The reappearance of M. Halle gave universal satisfaction. A better or a more accomplished player than this gentleman was never heard in the concert room, and his execution of the magnificent concerto of Beethoven in E flat was irreproachable. Should it be felt that his reception was not sufficiently cor dial, or that this composition did not produce ha anticipated effect, the fault lies with the directors, who allowed a work of the very highest importance to be commenced at 25 minutes before 11, when the audience bad been fur two hours and a half closely packed in a hot and crowded room. The position of this concerto in the programme showol a want of respect both to Beethoven and to M. l;atlt•. When will the Philharmonia directors Icni► %dint common ►ense and experience should have tonght them long ago, namely, that no person can listen to music of the highest class for an unlimited period? A concert of two hours and a half's duration wouhi surely satisfy the most hungry dilettante, and them would then be some chance of inducing more that. one-fourth of the audience to remain till the clost of the performance. Welter's overture to Eury ant& and Mendelssohn's march front Athaliak completed the instrumental portion of the programme. With the exception of the duet from Spohr's Bergyeist, which deserved a better fate, the vocal music was heavy and ineffective. The part allotted to Mrs. Enderssohn was far above her powers of execution ; and M. Standigl's intonation and vocalisation were so imperfect that the audience could scarcely believe they were listening to an artist who, a few years ago, acquired such popularity . in this country. THE MUSICAL UNION. THE selection of music at the Musical Union on Tuesday last seems to have been made principally with the view of displaying the abilities of M. Vieux temps, for, indel.endently of the pieces specially dedicated to him, the quartet of Haydn in E (No. 391 is practically nothing but a solo for the first violin. If this was Mr. Ella's object, he unquestion ably succeeded, for the great violinist never appeared to more advantage. In the quartets, as well as in the adagio of his own composition, the largeness of his tone and depth of feeling told with extraordinary efiect ; while, in the " moto perpettto" of Pagrmini, his bold and legitimate style of playing showed that in the execution of detached bowing of almost insuperable difficulty he stands without a rival. Mr. Ella's choice of the quartet, No. 8. of Beethoven, which formed an element in the programme of Mr. Lucas's last Musi cal Evening, naturally invites comparison in the matter of execution, and we have no hesitation in awarding the preference to Mr. Lucas's pasty. The inefficiency of Mr. Ella's second violin. which► through out the quartet was scarcely audible, was one as signable cause but, apart front all question of comparative merit, any person practically acquainted with the nature .and incidents of quartet mune scarcely requires to be told that constant noise and hustle in a large and crowded public room does not tend to such a suceessful result as a quiet first floor and a select audience. The quintet of Beethoven (op. 16, in E flat 1, for the pianoforte, oboe, clarinet, basauon, and horn, Wati well rendered by Nessr:..