The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-01-01 00:00:00

11U It; AND TILE DRAMA,,

PIIII2IIARNIONIC SOCIETY'S COYCkftl. The eighth sub-
seription concert of the season was given in the Philharmonic-
hall, on Friday evening, to a fashionable audience, which did
mot, however, quite fill the hall.- The principal vocalists ad-
vertised were Miss Stabbach, Mrs. Sunderland, Miss Eyles,
Mr. Simslleeves, and Mr. W. H. Weiss ; but, on account of a
severe domestic affliction, Mrs. Sunderland was unable to ap-
pear, and the music alietted to her, in Handers magnificent
erenata of "Adis and Galatea,"—the first, and much the best
part, Gf the cencert—was undertaken at a short notice by Miss
Stabbach, who thus sustained a very onerous portion of the
evening's labours. To an unaffected, pleasing, and ladylike
deportment, Miss' Stabbach adds a sweet, clear, and powerful
voice, of great compass, subject to the behests of a fine taste,
and tutored by careful and well-directed study. At first, when
singing a Portion of the music which she had undertaken as
the substitute for Mrs. Sunderland, she seemed uncertain, and
a very sharp-eared critic might have imagined that the accom-
plished vocalist sung slightly out of tune. In coming to that
portion of the score which belonged to her own part, and for
which she was, of course, better prepared, she sang with
charming simplicity, earnestness, and truth. Her rendering
of the beautiful air, " Hush ye pretty warbling choir," was
touchingly expressive and melodious. - The peculiar qualities
of her fine organ, and her admirable reading of the author,
were pleasingly evinced in the various recitations, airs, and con-
certed pieces with which the composition abounds and is en-
riched, and her general vocalisation showed her to be an artiste
of feeling and judgment, combined with high executive culture.
In the music of Adis, Mr. Sims Reeves found ample scope and
exercise for the display of his rich and mellow tenor voice.
His expression was generally appropriate and excellent, while,
in some instances, it rose to the pitch of stirring and energetic
emotion. In singing the noble air, "Love sounds the alarm,"
he completely took the audience by surprise, and excited a
furore of admiration, which found expression in an enthusi-
astic encore. Mr. W. 11. Weiss sung the basso part allotted
to Polyphemus with correct and steady precision. A new
candidate for public honours was introduced on this occasion
in the person of Mr. Pinkess. The peculiar fitness of this gen-
tleman for occupying a prominent position, if not indicated by
the absence of the superior artist, may have been found in the
delicacy of perception -with which he appreciated his own
powers. As a vocalist, he seems to have sedulously studied
and applied-Hamlet's injunction to Horatio. - He appeared to
give the music "an ear and understanding, but no tongue,''
The second part of this concert was of inferior merit in selec-
tion ; and coming, as it did, after the beautifully-melodious
strains of Handel, it fell flatly upon the ear. The chief- and
most valuable characteristic of the second part of the 'pro-
gramme was the means it afforded of introducing Miss Eyles,
who did not appear in " Acis and Galatea." In the second
part, she sung a ballad with excellent effect, and in good
taste; and, along with Miss Stabbach and Mr. Sims Reeves,
she sustained her part in an excellent trio. The choristers
were in high case, and sung delightfully. They were encored
in two chorusses, and, most deservedly, in a madrigal. As a
whole, the concert was an excellent one—yell executed, and
steadily as Well as judiciously. perforthed. The instrumental
part was full, steady, and regular, reflecting much credit on
the executants, and also on the able conducting of Mr. J.. Z.
Herrmann.

M. JIILLIEN'S CONCERTS.—The well-drilled band of this
leader of a large portion of public taste gave two concerts
in St. George's Hall last week, the first on Thursday, the
second on Saturday evening ; and on both occasions the Hall
was crowded by fashionable audiences. The chief attraction
iu both instances being the highly artistic performances of
Madame Gassier, who, on her previous visits to Liverpool,
excited so much interest, and caused such general delight.
The music in the programthe of both concerts was distin-
guished by that picqUancy of style which for so long a period
has formed the Jeading attraction of M. Jullien's entertain-
meats. As usual, they were greatly applauded ; and the
stirring effects of the Sebastopol quadrille were visble in
many ways upon the demeanour of the delighted auditory.