The Press. — London, England, 1856-05-03 00:00:00

Mr. V. Bartholomew; the finest of which is the "Roses and Convolvulus ;" while Mr. W. Hunt's apricots, grapes, chesnuts, &c., are clearly the things themselves, and cot mere imitations, if we judge by the eye alone. CUSit. ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA. AFTER four admirable of Donizetti's Elixir d'Amore, in which Bosiu charmed, Gardoni delighted, and Ronconi amused the audience to the highest degree, the stately Norma glided on the Lyceum stage on Thursday night amidst the accla mations of a crowded and brilliant house ; and, as if to compensate for the "silent system" before adopted in testifying approbation for the exertions of the artists, the demonstrations were on this occasion loud and frequent, Grisi reciprocating these compli mentary effusions by a more than ordinary display of energy. So far as acting went, the priestess was as grand, dignified, and impulsive as in her best days; so far as refined style and pure method were con cerned the vocalisation was as perfect as ever, but the voice and execution must now be taken more upon faith than reality, the cavatina " Casta Diva" and the duo "Deh con to " showing unequivocally the destroyer's ravages ; but who eared about these when there were the " Ali ! non tremare," and the " Ah ! di qual sei," withering end affecting passages, declaimed as gloriously as heretofore ? And where is there another Norma to be found? Even Jenny Lind in her zenith utterly failed in the character, and left the field quite open to the Italian prima donna. With Mlle. Marai's Adalgisa, Tamberlik's Pollin, and Costa's colouring of the orchestral and choral parts, the opera told powerfully even within the limited arena in which the Romans and Druids walked their hour. Mario, or, as the lady subscribers have it, "that dear Mario," appears next week. MUSICAL DOINGS. MME. CLMA SCHUMANN'S highly intellectual inter pretation of Mendelssohn's pianoforte concerto in D minor, the slow movement particularly being given with superlative sentiment, and Mme. Viardot's mar vellous execution of the ancient roulades in Graun's aria "Di Bravura," from the opera of Britannico, were the two sensations of the evening at last Monday's second Philharmonic Concert. Singers in Graun's days must have had a Paganini facility in delivering difficult divisions, but the florid passages am at the same time set in a pompous framework not by any means destitute of dramatic propriety. The sym phonies were Mozart's G minor (the merry minuetto being redemanded), and Beethoven's " Pastorale ;" and the overtures were Spohr's Jessonda, and Cheru bini's Anacreon. Herr Formes was the only other vocalist. Dr. Schumann's cantata, " Paradise and the Peri," will be produced at the concert at which Mme. Jenny Goldschmidt Lind will sing. At the third meeting of the MUSICAL UNION the subscribers were gratified by the second appearance of Franchomme, who fully confirmed the high opinions expressed at his debut, as a polished and consummate violoncellist. A finer ensemble in Haydn's quartet in G minor, No. 33, and in Beethoven's quintet in C, was never heard, and all those gradations of tone which the French artists so successfully study to produce were most striking in his playing. His allies were Sainton, Cooper, Hill, and Goffne; and, with Charles Halle and Sainton, he was assisted in Beethoven's trio in E flat, Op. 70. Solos on the pianoforte and violon cello were added by Halle and Franchomme, the former playing some charming compositions by Stephen Heller. An impromptu duet for two flutes displayed a very finished execution by two Hunga rians, the brothers Dappler. Mme. Schumann will play at the next matinee. M. Franchomme has left for Paris. Through the active agency of that accomplished amateur, the Earl of Westmorland, a grand fancy dress ball will take place at the Hanover-square Rooms on the 6th of June in aid of the funds of the Royal Academy of Music, an institution which, with limited means, has achieved much advantage for art in this country. Her Majesty has graciously signi fied her intention of honouring the ball with her pre. Bence. The list of the lord patrons and lady patronesses comprises all the members of the Royal Family and of the most fashionable circles. Accounts from Bradford afford the agreeable in formation that the managers have invited English composers to contribute some new compositions in the shape of cantatas, dm., for the musical festival 'text August. The arrangements for the Gloucester musical fes tival are in rapid progress. 111110 THE PRESS. Projects to raise subscriptions to aid a suffering son of the famed Charles Incledon, and a starving son of Mozart, have been announ'ed. The Crystal Palace on Friday next will be the scene of the inauguration of the monument in honour of the Crimean heroes, and the peace trophy by the Baron Marochetti, now being erected in the Palace. The Queen, Prince Albert, and a distinguished com pany will be present on the occasion, with a guard of honour composed of Crimean soldiers. gilt 9r a ma. PRINCESS'S THEATRE. ANOTHER of Mr. Kean's Shaksperian suffocations was presented to the public on Monday evening. We have not the smallest intention of following this mistaken and obstinate gentleman through all the wonderful details of his elaborate playbill. With not much trouble to ourselves we might produce a nfacciamento of one of these extraordinary docu ments, such as would fairly astonish our reader?, by the apparent profundity and extent of the antiquarian learning displayed in it; but the operation would be quite superfluous: it has been so successfully per formed by most of our daily contemporaries that there is no need for us to repeat it here. Suffice it to say, that the drama which Mr. Kean has in this instance chosen for strangulation is The Winter's Tale, which is " put on," or rather "put out," with accompaniments—we beg pardon, we are unwittingly degrading the scenery, dresses, and dances to the second rank—surpassing in magnificence all that has ever been seen of a similar kind at the Great National Diorama. We do nut quarrel with the scenery ; it is, without doubt, magnificent, painted in the best st3le, and apparently drawn from the most authentic sources. Doubt less the " Pyrrhic Dance" is very classical, as it is imposing and inspiriting ; the " Banqueting Hall," with its elegant vases, and chastely-clad slaves, a model of tasteful gorgeousness, Sze. &c. d:c. All this is very true, but it only proves that the rope with which the strangulation is performed is a very beautiffil specimen of art manufacture, and does not excuse, in the slightest degree, the " shocking and barbarous murder" of Shakespeare's poetry, which actually becomes a mera accompaniment to its own back-ground and accessaries. We do not profess to criticise scenery and dresses; we have therefore an easy duty to perform in a case where they are obviously the main points of a " presenta tion." The acting (with the exception of Mrs. Kean's Herrnione, which is performed with a cer tain majestic sweetness and resignation, very refresh ing in the midst of so much hollow rant and noise that surrounded it) is execrable. Mr. Kean, in Leontes, seems to think that a husband who could so far for get himself, need not remember his stops, and goes on running one sentence into another as if passion and punctuation were utterly incompatible : he raves, stamps about with his arms sticking out on each side of his head, as if he were temporarily insane and believed himself a windmill; and so outrageously violent was he in one of the early scenes, on the occasion on which we were present, that he threw poor little Mamilius fairly off his balance, and satin factorily established in the minds of the audience the fact that the child, pretty as he was, had certainly no claims whatever to the cherubic character. But we must postpone a more particular criticism of each actor until next week. THE ADELPHI THEATRE will close in June, when the building will be taken down for the purpose of erecting a new theatre on the enlarged site. The new theatre will be entirely constructed of iron, and is now preparing at Liverpool for erection as soon as the site is cleared. Mr. Webster calculates on being able to reopen early in the autumn. Issrmarios or THE HEARTH.—There is a legend of an artist wlin was about to carve from a piece of costly sandal-wood an image of the Madonna; but the material was intractable—his hand seemed to have lost its skill—he could not approach his ideal. When about to relinquish his efforts in despair, a voice in a dream bade him shape the figure from the oak-block which was about to teed his hearth. He obeyed, and produced a masterpiece. This story represents the truth which mysticism upholds, when it appears as the antagonist of superstitious exter nalism. The materials of religious happiness lie, as it were, near at hand—among affections and desires which are homely, common, and of the fireside. Let the right direction, the heavenly influence, be re ceived from without, and heaven is regarded with the love of home, and hope sanctified by the hope of heaven.—Vaughan's Hours with the Mystics. gATIIRDAT, oneg Parket anti Cttg flttlligtact. FRIDAY Evems n . THE return of the Bank of England for the week ending April 20th shows the following changes compared with that for the week preceding:— Decrease in Circulation £41115 Increase in Public Deposita Decrease in Other Deposita Increase in Goveinment Secu r iti es Increase in Other Securities Decrease in Bullion . . 15202 Increase in Rest Decrease in Reserve Bullion in Both Departments Circulation, including Bank Post Bills The principal features in this comparison are again on favorable The bullion has again been reduced by a con. siderable sum, until it has descended to an amount that would certainly produce considerable uneasiness if we did not know that gold has lately been taken to the Bank more than sufficient to ccinpensate for the reduction shown in this return. The Reserve is also once more considerably diminished. This fund now amounts to only 4,273,9101. The large increase in the Public Deposits arises from the payment of the final loan instalment. The Private be. posits have decreased largely, owing to the more profitable employment of money elsewhere ; and the small addition to the Private Securities shows the trifling business done .n discounts by the Bank during the easy condition of the Money Market which prevailed in the latter part of the period embraced by the return. The Money Market has experienced a return of pressure and a renewal of extreme rates. For a few days since our last them was partial ease, arising from a vague impres• sion that the Chancellor of the Exchequer may, by a ren• sion of taxation to some extent, avoid the necessity of a new loan altogether; but the temporary buo3ancy which this idea created soon gave way, and now there is great tightness in all depar•ruents. The pressure of the railway and foreign settlements upon the Stock Exchange, and the preparations to take up the commercial acceptances falling due to-morrow, which are understood to be enormously heavy, were the most apparent causes of the change, while the inconvenience has been increased by the discount. housete taking deposits for short periods at five and a half per cent. Under these circumstances, the rates in Lom• bard street have advanced to tally the Bank minimum, and the Bank, having resumed discount operations, has reek% ed numerous applications for temporary advances. To day this state of things has continued, and there is no imme diate prospect of much relief. The rates on the Stock Exchange have been exceedingly high in some cases; hat the general average has been from seven to seven and a half per cent. Next week is the Consul settlement, and not much change is to be anticipated until the account which is thought to be rather heavy, has been liquidated. The specie imports of the week have amounted to about 350,0001. ; the exports are Lot yet known. About 200,0001. of the recent arrivals of Australian gold have been taken into the Bank. The Bank of France, it appears, has not yet concluded its contracts for the purchase of gold at a premium ; and a portion of the imports from New York still go to Paris. Owing to the conga rahle discount to which Exchequer Bills have fallen, which renders them partially unsaleable, the Government have been urged either to increase the rate of interest upon them before the renewal of th.se dated in June, or to fund a considerable amount. Yesterday, in consequence of it being the day for making up the half-) early balances, the Transfer-office of the liauX of England and the Stock Exchange were closed. The Paris Bourse was also closed, as it always is upon Ascen sion•day. Consols have been comparatively stationary since our las., though affected on Monday by anticip:dions of a Ministerial crisis, and by rumours concerning a loan. Both these causes have now passed away, and it is princi pally financial considerations which influence the market. The closing price on Wednesday was 92i to for the ac count, being an improvement of one quarter per cent. upon Tuesday's prices, and yesterday some transactions were entered into " outside" also at 92i. The business of the week has been very limited, anti, generally. there is no dis position to contract large engagements. Prices, indeed, are considered to have arrived at their extreme range, com pared with the present value of money. To-day the opening price was 9'21 to f for the Account; but a decline took place to 923 to a, at which the Market closed. Exchequer Bills of the June issue are 9s. to 4s. dis. Railway Stocks showed a decided tendency to decline on Saturday, but. they subsequently recovered, and are now firm, though the highest quotations have not been main taiued in all cues The traffic returns of the week, except the South Western, are not very much more favorable than those of the corresponding week last year, and the vast increase in the South Western is due exclusively to the enormous business created by the review. The great lines continue well supported. Business, until to-day, has been interrupted to some entent by the airangements con nected with the settlement; but from the nature of :h e transactions there is reason to apprehend that the p ublic are still investing in some of these securities from a belief that full prices have not yet been attained. Foreign railway undertakings have been dealt hi to a moderate extent. Prices have rt.ther fluctuated ; but they are now at nearly the highest point of the week• Indian lines remain firm, and Canadian descriptions are all good. The traffic on the Great Western of Canada is particularly increasing. The new undertakings continua in favour.