The Press. — London, England, 1855-05-05 00:00:00

432 Mr. Taylor's pictures exhibit their usual brilliancy and va iety. " l'he Marauding Troopers " (No. 29) on the whole struck us most. Mr. Burton's picture (No. 239), "Peasants in Franconia waiting for Confession," is a very striking performance. In the arrangement of the quantities we think there is too great a predominance of black or very dark colour ; but the truth of expression and character is delightful. Mr. Gilbert's "Charge to Jessica" (No. 9)—a hackneyed subject—is a tine drawing. The effect is broad, and the coloring vigorous ; but the lady's head is not refined etr.ugh to our fancy either for the Jewish type and beauty, or for the spectator's notion of Sliakspeare's " pretty Jessica." Mr. Oakley's "Fisher B " (No. 94) is very pretty ; and the " Grandfather's Watch," by Mr. Goodall, is a very pleasing picture, of a high order of merit. But if we go on to mention all that has in teresteu us, we should be as tedious and nearly as long as the catalogue. The landscape (No. 18) by Mr. G. Fripp appears to us fine and truthful representation of mountain scenery. The torrent foaming and chafing among the rocks in the foreground is inferior in execution to the lest of the picture. No. 28, "A Pool of the Conway," by Mr. Bran white, has much breadth and repose. The body colour with which it has chiefly been painted is so employed as in a great measure to obviate our objec tions to that opaque medium; but we must protest that in employing it to express the bright, sparkling ripple, and the clear lights of water, the artist has created an unnecessary difficulty for himself, which be has not been able—because it was impossible—to overcome. _ The pains which Mr. Davidson takes in studying the forms of his trees are highly commendable; but he must permit us to say that we think his greens might be improved both in freshness and truth. No. 54, " Pevensey Castle," is in many respects a line drawing, but the green or rather yellow of the grass seems to us neither true to nature nor in harmony with the rest of his coloring. No. 81, " Scene in Glencoe," by Mr. Richardson, is a fine drawing, but the composition of the fore ground is not quite satisfactory. The position of the a/merle!l does not appear natural ; the fragments of rock are not sufficiently massed ; and the figures are not placed so as to contribute as much as they ought to the effect. Figures in a landscape are mere acces ones, and woere they do not tell with good effect they had better not be introduced at all. Mr. Duncan .s " Harvest Mo , n " (No. 50) has great beauty as well as truth—a quality in which moon I,ght views a'e generally deficient. " A Summer Day on the Coast" (No. 186), by Mr. Jackson, is a very beautiful drawing. It renders wi h admirable truth the luminous mistiness in which the landscape seems bathed and the harmoni ous and imbued colours which it presents when the eye of the spectator is directed towards the sun. We have selected for notice some of the principal pictures in this Exhibition, but want of space com pels us to omit many others which are sell worthy of remark. Upon the whole the Exhibition may be said to display a higher order of merit throughout than we have seen in any of its predecessors. ROYAL ACADEMY.—The Exhibition of the Royal Academy was opened to private view on Friday morning. We shall take other opportunities to notice the pictures in detail, but we may here remark that this year's exhibition is by no means above the average. There are few historical works of striking merit, but there are some good landscapes, a few good portraits, and some exquisite cabinet paintings. Mr. Grant and Mr. Desanges show the best portraits in the room, and their pictures are very favourably hung. Mr. Leslie, Mr. W. H. Knight, Mr. Webster, and Mr.Fard, exhibit some of the best cabinet pictures, and the names of Danby and Stanfield will answer for their productions. The name of Sir Edwin Landseer does not appear in the list of contributors, and Sir Charles Eastlake, the President., exhibits only one picture, a very mediocre production. Cre'.wick, Cope, and Mac'ise also exhibit, the latter only one picture, while Mr. Millais lays claim to, in more •nses than one, the most remarkable picture in the ethiiiition. The Miniature-room possesses some be tutiful specimens, Mr. Thorburn being pre eminent among the exhibitors. The rooms were neither fully n d. very fashionably attended, though many of the principal connoisseurs in art were present. Her Majesty had visited the exhibition on Thursday, and was pleased to express her royal approbation. & FESTIVAL in commemoration of the opening of a new wing of the Hospital for Consumption, at Brompion, will take place, on Wednesday next, at Willi,'s-rooms, St. James's ; upon which occasion • his Grace the Duke of Richmond will assume the piesiOency. A large and influential asseanl•iy is espeeted to attend. THE PRESS. ghtsir. ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA. Bzwrnovzs's Fidilio was repeated on Thursday evening, and, with the exception of an occasional weakness in the chorus, we never remember to have heard this opera better performed. Our opinion of Mlle. Jenny Ney improves upon every hearing. She has great power, clearness, and truth, and only lacks more histrionic knowledge and energy to become an excellent prima donna. Herr Formes and Signor Tamberlik both sang and acted with consummate effect, and Mlle. Marai filled the part of Marcellina competently, making quite as much of it as possible : her sweet voice and engaging manner secured her an encore in the first aria, "Se it ver." But, what shall we say of Mr. Costa's orchestra, that giant of harmony ? We cannot praise it more highly than it deserves : under his baton fortes and pianos are really attended to, and each instrument occupies the position and utters the quantum of sound intended by the composer, and no more. Her Majesty and the Royal Family, who were pre sent during the opera, appeared much gratified with the performances, and, indeed, the quintetts " ll cor e la mitt fe" (which was encored), and " 0 qual dover," and the trio " Fiagrata al risk" left no room for ad verse criticism. We cannot understand how critics can condemn this opera for its want of situation—to Us it appears full of dramatic opportunity, in one or two instances equalling in intensity of interest any that we can at present recal. Again, the recitat►ve is throughout more colloquial than in many highly laudated works, and as for the length of the piece, it consists of but two acts! Donizetti's L'Elisir D'Amore will be performed this evening, with Mlle. Bosio as Adina, Signor Gardoni as Nemorino, and Signor Lablaehe as Dulcarama. SACRED HARMONIC SOCIETY.—On Wednesday even ing Exeter-hall was crowded by the lovers of sacred music, who thronged to hear Mendelssohn's Lobge• sang and Mozart's Requiem ; and two more Leo roughly classical works, affording the completest contrast possible, one to another, could hardly have been selected. We think, however, that had their ender of performance been reversed, the result would have been more agreeable; the audience, cheered by the inspiring strains of the "Song of Praise," would have gone home less fatigued, and would have re tained a pleasanter remembrance altogether of the occasion. Both works were meritoriously executed, the Lobgesang especially ; in which the voices were not quelled and crushed by the excessive power of the orchestra, and in which, also, the chorus had evidently been better trained, besides being fresher, and having a more genial theme to work upon. The Requiem, altogether, fell heavily on the ear of the audience ; much of it was labored through rather than sung ; the deafening blasts of the brass instru ments and the overpowering brays of the organ corn. Lining their forces against anything like true enjoy ment of this great work. Must of us are acquainted with the history of the Requiem. Mozart, a victim to hypochondria, composed it whilst laboring under a wasting illness, with his mind imbued by a firm conviction that it was destined to prove his own funeral dirge. In vain did wife and friends endeavour, at times almost by coercion, to drive the brooding evil from his mind: whenever remonstrated with he only applied himself the more earnestly to his task ; and ended it and his invaluable life almost simulta neously. On the day of his death, he and some eminent performers, his friends, sang it, they stand ing round his bed: prostrate and expiring, he still exerted himself to take a part. How touching an instance of the " ruling passion strong in death "! To hear these plaintive and melancholy strains (filled as they are with the poetry of a dying genius), beset with trombones, and screamed out by trebles on the edge of the note, cannot but excite sorrow and disappointment. The solo parts were admirably ex ecuted. Madame Clara Novello's thrilling voice was, as usual, quite near enough to perfection for any human singer—we can only conceive one of au angelic choir surpassing her. To Mr. Sims Reeves, too, we must pay a just tribute of praise. At a former performance of the Lobgesang at the Harmonic Union, in which he sang, we were compelled to cen sure hin for inattention, misappreciation of the com poser's intention, singing out of tune &c., but even then we expressed our admiration of his excellent reading of the recitative " Watchman, will the night soon pass?" and on Wednesday evening hs sang, not only that, but every thing else assigned to him, MO conscientiously and well, that we felt more than half inclined to pardon him his many tricks and fol lies, as a too indulgent public has already done. We mention a few of the portions of each production best executed. In the Lobgesang, the sintonia was played as no orchestra but Mr. Costa's ever yet plk ed it, while the vocal gems were the duet and chorus, " I waited for the Lord," between Clara Novello and Mrs. Locket', who at Sat sang Sat, bat SATURDAY, -7- soon gained strength and courage ; and the duet, "My song shall always be Thy mercy," between Clara Novello and Sims Reeves, in which both per formers fascinated and satisfied their hearers. Both these effects are not often attained. In the Requiem the two qnartetts and the "Sanctus" (full chorus) were by tar the most successfully performed. All the rest were either drowned by the orchestra, or so imperfectly sung as to be highly unsatisfactory. The audience were throughout strictly aueutive, though the length of the Requiem made many open their mouths wide enough, but not in praise. HANOYEIt•BQUARE RoollB.—Mr. Sterndale Bennett gave the third and last of his annual series of con certs upon Tuesday evening. The programme was arranged as follows : Trio, E flat, pianoforte, violin, and violoncello, Hummel— Recit. and Ana, " Nou so donde," Mum t—soloa, piautituite, Mozart and Duseek —Sonata, C unuor, piatudorte and violin, Lietnnoveii—Snug, " Mairaton and Yrratflda," A uwood—Souata Duo, pianoforte and violoncello, W. S. lieutied—loud, "Dawn, gentle flower," W. S. Bataan—and Lieder rime W One, Men• odlaaohn. unDuel's well-known trio was ably performed, the andante quasi allegretto, a melodious and flowing movement, being especially successiul; but Mr. Bla grove displayed Ins most refined phase of talent in Beethoven's exquisite sonata (C minor). It is un necessary for us to speak iu detail of this work, every note of it is well known to both prulesaiunal and amateur, but we cannot resist expressing our unqualified admiration of the performance of the work on Tuesday night. Signor Piatti's often• taxed patience must have been sorely tried by Mr. Bennen's long uninteresting sonata duo. Still, he played with his accustomed vigour and intelligence, and in one movement., the allegro guisto, executed such diffi culties as would have terrified a less accomplished artist. This movement was, besides, very pleasing, and proved quite a relief to the monotony of the tour others. As regards the vocal part of this concert we do not hesitate to condemn both selection and per formance unequivocally. Mozart's went aria, and Auwood's beet sung, a choice of evils, were the prin cipal features. T►re former was a lung, dull trial both to singer and audieuce, whilst Mite/ Stabuach's unrestrained " efierey " of style, with, unhappily, little corresponding attention to true intonation, wade the Euglibil song positively detestable. There was also a ballad of Mr. Bennett's, which, whether iuten tionally or not we cannot say, imitated must success fully the dull strain of a village psalm-tulle, without retawing its devotional character. Really it is hardly possible to censure such comptenuous too severely, and to protest too strongly against their producuon. We must, however, at a cis-sewed con teat, in justice to Ali. Benuete, praise his rendering of L)ussek's brilliant rondo, which, admirably adapted to his style, and requiring a pertection of execuuen rarely to be met with, was played by him with a ciearness, rapidity, and timen twit can scarcely be rivalled. Before concluding our brief notice, we will venture a few remarks upon Mr. Beuuett'e general style of playing. To our ears his rigid and conscien tious accuracy can never compensate fur the utter want of soul betrayed in his pertoinaanees. Eveu in his own long work, which it was to be supposed be would wish to have rendered most effective, he showed not a touch of inspiration; and although under the circumstances this was perhaps excusable, yet we are reluctantly compelled to record our conviction that his style is far too formal, and Lis want of feel ing too inanimate to enable him to do justice to the highest works of the great composers. We should be glad in future to see his place filled by any other artist, proviso semper that his substitute shall feel and freely appreciate the composition before him. Should he be even slightly incorrect at times, we would pardon him for the sake of his real worth, but we cannot pardon insensibility and obstinate perse verance in a bad style. Mr. Bennett apparently is unchangeable—may we have occasion to declare that our opinions respecting him are not so ! Ste HENRY 131 SHOP'S CONCILRYS, HANOVER-SQUARE. —The last but one of the new series of concerts for the benefit of Sir Henry Bishop took place on Saturday last, and we could nut help feeling some disappointment at the uninteresting character of the selection. Sir H. Bishop's works abound in beauty and originality—their character is so veiled that there could be no difficulty in furnishing materials fur many concerts of the highest interest from judi cious selections waae by a musical admirer tit this delightful composer. Besides the uuiuter,sting ua- Lure of the selection, there was a great monotony about the programme. Why not mix solos and duets, of widen the number is legion ? We Lave ourselves seen it Dalmaiue's a thick catalogue of Bishop's works, and his works alone; surely there can be no uifficulty in having variety, and beautiful variety. We are so great an admirer of the genius of this ill-treated co►nposer that we telt caneideraele irritation et the idea o: the false impreseion winch must have been produced on many persons by s bad choice of materials of a musician alai a has of genius. The second minenielit of the first qtuntette.