The Press. — London, England, 1856-09-13 00:00:00

ing singers, and with one rehearsal insure a steady and finished interpretation of most intricate orato rios, and of selections from the music of operatic masters and concert composers of every school. It is given out that the festivals must stand or fall, in conjunction with the local organists, as the. deans and chapters will not consent to have any other con ductors. With all due submission, these authorities might just as well call on them to play the trombone, the double drum, or the ophecleide, as to expect that they can be efficient conductors. It is pretended that the patrons of the meetings are quite satisfied with the general style of execution, and that no improvement would be appreciated. Be it so, but critics have also their duties to per form ; they bold a trust, self imposed as it may be, for the protection of the public, and for the promotion of art progress, and they are bound to point out Bradford, Norwich, and Birmingham, to say nothing of the metropolis, as examples to the managers of the three ohoir gatherings. One glaring mistake pervaded the ren dering of the sacred music this week at Gloucester. Owing to some misty and musty notion as to the " tradition " in the execution of the Handelian ora torios, it is gravely promulgated that Vie times of the pieces, to be truly devotional, must be taken slowly, as if religions feeling can be reduced to the measure of the metronome. The consequence of this "tm dition " was the general tendency of Mr. Amott to drag the time from first to last. But if "tradition" has been carried down accurately quoad the Han delian scores, what becomes of the theory as re gards Meodelssohn ? We have his times from his own bands ; and it is a little too much for the con ductors of the three choirs to change the beat on the devotional " dodge." Is not the slowness to be at. tribute.). to other causes ? Does it arise from inde cision, timidity, inexperience, or incompetency, or from all or either of them? Flow is it, that when the orchestra, with Sainton and Blagrove as leaders, and conductors too, thought proper to ran away from the " traditional " beat, the overtures and symphonies went so briskly, as in the Zauberflote, Anacreon, and Der Preischutz, and in Haydon's sparkling No. 8 Symphony ? But when the baton of the conductor and the bow of the chef d'attaque came into collision, as in the accompaniments to many of the vocal pieces, what a "confusion worse confounded" ensued! As instances, let Mendelssohn's Lorely finale, and Beethoven's " Crown ye the altars," from the Ruins of Athens, be cited. What a " Odds " were the ac companiments to " Casta Diva," sung by Viardot, and "Il segreto," sung by Alboni. What must foreign amateurs have thought of these exhibitions at a great English musical festival—a time. honoured institution fast approaching to an existence of a century and a half ? The selection day was on Thursday. It comprised the first part of Haydn's Creation; Mozart's Requiem, with the Latin words, in its entirety, musical and doctrinal; some gleanings from Mendelssohn's Paul; the " Morning Prayer " of Samuel ; the trio and un accompanied quartet from Costa's Eli; and con cluding with a singular mixture from Handel, Spohr, Haydn, Rossini, Graun, and Beethoven. The " Heavens are telling" was awfully dragged. There is not even the negative excuse of the "tradition" to be found for the mistake, as in Vienna the time is taken as fast again. Mendelssohn's sublime chorus, "Arise, shine," and colossal choral, "Sleepers, awake," were the best executed pieces in the selec Lion. Mme. Novello's singing of the air, "Jeru salem," and Mme. Viardot's that of "But the Lord," were gems. The latter, in the "Morning Prayer " of Samuel, created a profound sensation in her audi tory. But it was not in good taste to select these isolated pieces from Eli. The committee ought either to have presented the entire oratorio or to have left it unmutilated. The Requiem was not done justice to by the conductor. His indecisive beat lead to wavering on the part of the choral forces. The fugues were not attacked with sharpness and vigour, and the reading generally was tame and coarse. There was some excellent, and in some cases great, solo singing at the meeting. Mme. Viardot's bravura display in the air from Graun's Britannicus, as at Bradford, excited a furore—so much so, that the unusual honour of being called upon to repeat it at two successive concerts was paid to her, the an nouncement having been made in a set speech from one of the stewards, Mr. Turner, one of the most polite of the body, and whose triennial display of oratory appertains to the stock programme, the auditory being hilarious at the anxiety o Mr. urner to rush off with his prima donna immediately after an " adagio," not giving her time to commence the cabalettal Mme. Novello's " Deh vieni," of Mozart, was a bonne boucle, and so was Alboni's classic ren dering of the " Deh ! per questo estante," from Mozart's Clemenza di Tito. There was a debutante at the festival, iu a daughter of Mr. Amott, the con ductor, Mrs. Clara Hepworth. She possesses a sweet soprano voioe of moderate power and compass, and has a future before her as a concert singer; but THE PRESS. the fair artiste was overweighted in the selection, and attempted too much. Her intonation will also re quire careful attention. Mrs. Temple, Mrs. Lockey, Mr. Lockey, Mr. Sims Reeves and M r. Weiss, were in the engagement; as also kr. Thomas, the new rising basso, and M. Gassier. Mr. Weiss has taken higher ground at this meeting than before. In fact, it must be stated that the English singers at the fes- tivals of the autumn have more than maintained their ground. The Rev. Mr. Sergeant, the Hon. Secretary of the Worcester Musical Festival for 1857, made engagements at Gloucester, amongst which was Viardot, specially for Costa's Eli, which is to be produced in an entire form. Gloucester, since the festival of 1853, has lost the Rev. Dr. Evans, an amateur, who was strenuously exerting himself to elevate the character of the musical per formances. In this respect his loss, it is to be feared, is irreparable ; but in the administrative arrangements his worthy coadjutor, a Mr. James Henry Brown, the hon. secretary, remains, and a more active, intelligent, and. zealous friend of the festival could not be found. The Gloucester people maintained their character for politeness and hospi tality to the strangers, and the hotel-keepers for their consistency in charges. The very travels of a visitor through the town in search of a simple cup of tea that was drinkable may sound like an absur dity, bat no Arab in the desert ever searched more desparingly for his oasis, than did a metropolitan amateur at the week's festival at Gloucester, and, mirabile dictu, without success. 4mustmtuts, it. THE FLOWER SHOW AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE during the week has attracted a large number of visitors. The notion of a flower and fruit show in September was novel, and though London is said to be "out of town," the show of carriages on Wednes day was surprising. The two cheap days have also been well attended. The prizes given exceeded 8001., and the show of flowers was in some respects as rich as any of the year. Their disposition was not as picturesque as on former oocasions, when they were grouped on artificial benches with great success as regards the general effect. On Wednesday the flowers were ranged simply in two rows along the nave of the building. The beautiful variety of the colours, however, heightened as it was by the atmo sphere of the interior of the palace, left little to be desired in the way of pleasure to the eye. The show of dahlias was one of the richest ever seen. In plants of variegated foliage there was an unusually fine show ; many of the specimens were most rare, and all were healthy, in full leaf, and well cultivated. The exhibition of hollyhocks was a great feature. Some of the blooms shown were larger than dahlias, with the soft downy tints of roses. There was a fair show of pitcher plants, and some splendid groups of roses in pots, and cut. The classes devoted to miscella neous plants were also well filled with excellent specimens of various kinds. The display of fruit was, of course, remarkably fine, both with regard to the number and kind of samples. The pines were a fair average show, but the peaches, grapes, melons, figs, apples, &c., surpassed those at any horticultural fete this year. Some of the small peach trees and vines in pots were remarkable samples, and were covered with ripe luscious fruit, though the plants that bore them were mere twigs. A new feature in this show was the distribution for the first time of prizes among cottagers of the humbler classes for the best specimens of vegetables. The competitors for those rewards (which sometimes amounted to 101.) were very numerous, and produced admirable samples of potatoes, carrots, turnips, &c. TrrE ROYAL CREMORNE GARDENS will offer additional attractions next Tuesday, a fête in aid of the fund for the relief of the suffering workmen at Messrs. Broadwood's having been fixed for that day. The anniversary of the battle of the Alma, Saturday next, will be distinctly marked by special attractions. THE FIRST VOLUME OF VINCENZO GIODERTI'S POS THUMOUS Worms has just appeared at Turin, and is likely to increase the Index Librorum Prohibitorum. The following is a succinct enumeration of the writer's views :—Catholic reform, he contends, con sists in abolishing the present abuses of the Church, viz.-1. The temporal power of the Pope, which he declares to be " useless and hurtful." 2. The igno rance of many members of be clergy ; the insuffi cient education of most of them, theology being " many centuries behindhand. It is an enormity," he adds, " that the priest should be unable to prove the truth of his religion." 3. The want of moderate liberty among the episcopacy and clergy in general. 4. Jesuitism," which pervades worship, science, dis cipline, dc., and renders religion adverse to civilisa tion." 5. The want of a sound propaganda against rationalists, heretics, and infidels. 6. The existence of celibacy in warm countries, for which it is no t fitted. 7. The idleness of the clergy ; useless inst.': SATURDAY, tations ; an excess of religious observances. 8. Tho want of civil (or lay) education among the clergy. 9. Venality. The remedies he proposes are :-1. Depriving the Pope of temporal power. "It may be done, " he says, "by Catholic States, and eve n by the Uni ted Italian States alone ; there should be no scruples." 2. The establishment of ecclesiastical athenaeums; the instruction to be superintended both by the bishops and the State ; the division of the clergy into two classes—the learned and the working priests ; the reform of theology ; the aboli tion of scholasticism. The granting of liberty and legal guarantees to ell ecclesiastical orders. 4. The abolition of the order of Jesuits. 5. Tho State to contribute towards the expenses of propagandism. 8. Two orders of priests, viz., the married and the unmarried. 7. The reform of convents ; the aboli tion of useless ones, and also of all useless religious practices. 8. The State to contribute towards the education and instruction of the clergy. 9. Reform of the legislation and discipline of the Church.- -" Are these reforms," ho asks, "to be hoped for ? yes; by the influence of society; otherwise Catho licism would not be immortal. How are private persons to co-operate towards this end ? By writing. Their writings may be prohibited—never mind." Babal a 0 Militarg 3attlligena. REDUCTION OF THE ARMY. THE memorandum for the reduction of the army to come into operation on the Ist of October, has been published this week. It is headed "Hove Guards, September 5," and will apply to all infantry regiments at home and abroad except to those now serving in India, which will remain at their present establishment. The following arrangements for carrying out that measure are ordered : Officers commanding will select from the whole strength of the corps the specified nnmber of men, being careful to retain as many as possible of the prescribed standard of five feet six inches, proceeding to the depots ( when both portions of the regiment are at home) to select the men. The whole of the men composink the service companies abroad are to be considered to form part of those retained on the establishment. The battalions being completed, officers commanding regiments, and the depots of regi ments abroad, will ascertain how many of this surplus, whether up to the prescribed standard or not, provided they are tit in other respects, are willing to volunteer to other regiments, which will be named hereafter, or to the Land Transport Corps, now being reorganised under the title of the Military Train. Every man accepted as a vo lunteer for regiments of the line will receive one guinea bounty ; where twenty rank and file are given by one regiment to another, a sergeant will be allowed to volunteer with them. The pay, ite., in the Military Train is to be assimilated in all respecie to the cavalry. Commanding officers are then requested to dispose of the remainder, dividing them into classes, and transmitting description returns to the Horse Guards, or to the Deputy Adjutant-General at Dublin, according to the proper form prescribed at page 108 Queen's Regulations. His Royal Highness the General Commanding-in-Chief concludes with an in timation that it is desirable to retain as many medallists as possible. The disbanded Land Transport men profess to have serious claims upon the Government. Several meetings have been held lately by the members of the corps. It appears that the corps has been broken up, and the men disbanded with a mere paper, not a parchment, discharge, and a gratuity of twenty shil lings a piece. This they maintain is neither iu accordance with the understanding upon which they entered, nor a fair return for the severe duties and privations they had undergone in the Crimea. Sergeant Reardon, at a meeting held on Monday night at Westminster, said : The wretched condition in which the men were landed in the Crimea was incredible, many of them in the month of December, having no other clothing upon them, not withstanding the severe and inclement state of the weather, but a amockfrock and a shirt. So naked wei e some, that Captain Jones was ashamed to land them until some clothing had been provided for them. Sheepskin coats and boots were served out to them, but in a very short time afterwards they were called upon to return them to the store, and during the whole time some of the men were in the Crimea they never had a Government coat upon their backs. Still, in the midst of all these privations, he had no hesitation whatever in saying that the men did their duty, and he felt assured that if the people of England only knew what they had suffered whilst serving their country they would willingly grant their just claims. At a second meeting this week at Blackfriars, Sergeant Reardon entered into a statement of the grievances under which the Land Transport men now suffer from the coniluct of the Government; the men being many of them left in a state of starva tion, from not having received a proper and legal discharge, by which they could get employ ment, or also the proper remuneration which they claimed for the services they had rendered. The grievance was that the men had only received a mere