The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-12-04 00:00:00

MUSIC AND THE DRAiIiA.

Psmarammonie SOCIETY.—On Tuesday evening the seventh
subscription concert of the season was given by this society
in the Philharmonic-hall. The attendance was fashionable
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the attractions of a charming miscellaneous concert, and the
chief performers were of a high order-. Among the novelties
of performance was the finale to Mendelssohn's unfinished
opera of " Loreley." The principal 'vocalists were Madame
Clara Novello, Miss Messent, and Herr Reichardt; Signor
Sivori, Signor Piatti, and Arthur Napoleon, being the solo
instrumentalists. The concert was opened by the performance
of the magnificent overture to " gidelio," to which the
orchestra did great justice. The light and shade and
general expression of this masterpiece were brought out in
such a manner as to reflect high 'credit on the efficiency
and skill, as well as on the good taste of the instru-
mentalists. It was deservedly applauded, and, in point of
fact,
-was the musical treat of the evening. This overture
was followed by Bellini's fine trio " Augiol di Pace," sung with
great taste and feeling by Madame Clara Novello, Miss Mes-
sent, and Herr Reichardt. The -singing of this piece was
faultless as to mere execution, although it, in a considerable
degree, seemed wanting in expression. The fine vocal organ
of Madame Novello appeared not to be-called into full play in
this piece ; nor was it, indeed, in many of the pieces in which
she appeared during the evening, if we except the limited,
but charming, portion of Mendelssohn's grand finale which fell
to her share. In this, the extensive -range of her fine voice
found great scope, and its wondrous-flexibility and truth of
intonation were brought intoinvaluable- requisition. The chorus,
also, appeared stimulated to ehaertics., and the bold sea
music was given with great power and beauty. Of Miss Mee,-
sent's capabilities as a solo vocalist, the concert of Tuesday
evening did not afford a very favourable opportunity of judging.
Her voice is a contralto of good quality, which, so far as we
could judge, seems better suited to the execution of ballad
music than to the performance of the highest class of musical
compositions, and in that -style Linley's insipid ballad
" Laurette" was by no meanscalculated to display her powers
to any advantage. As a singer of great taste and no small
amount of power, Herr Reichardt was at once pleasing and
effective. He sings with feeling and fervour, and with great
facility of execution combines a good and musician-like
reading of his author. His deportment is gentlemanly, and
his manner engaging; and with such qualifications it is little
matter for wonder that he should be a popular singer, and
one whose appearance is at all times welcome in the concert-
room, or on the stage. The strength, the novelties, in the
way of performance, lay in theinstrumentalists, and they-were
both numerous and attractive. F irst came Signor Sivori, who asa
violinist has attached himself to the school which has grown
out of the extraordinary performances and executive talentof
Paganini, without attaching-sufficient importance to the mete
valuable characteristic by which the playing of that great
master was pre-eminently distinguished. Dexterity of bowing
and fingering, a ready management of harmonic passages,
and brilliant execution of difficult combinations, among such
playing takes precedence of expression—rapidity of transition
assumes the superiority over grace • and the whole is reduced
to the dead-level of skilfully-adapted mechanism. In the case
of Signor Sivori, a certain amount of feeling and artistic
polish is cleverly mixed up with the less valuable qualities of
the school ; and he played two solos with marked effect and
success—the felicity with whith he contrived to embody
sentiment along with the mere eapriccoses of execution was
sufficient to cause regret that he did not think less of difficulty
and more of beauty. Nearly similar remarks are applicable
to the violoncello playing of Signor Piatti. It seemed the
very essenee of mechanical excellence, but was defective in
so far as it produced little or no emotion. As a precocious
piano-forte player of marvellous beauty and surprising
dexterity, Arthur Napoleon appeared at this concert to great
advantage. His capability of conception apparently far out-
strips his physical power of giving that utterance, and the
obviously good intention of the pianist was frequently over-
come by the lack of animal energy. Still the lively spirit of
the boy and the pleased ambition „of the artist were so
'forcibly manifested)n his playing, and so warmly acknow-
:legedby the audience, as to render his exhibition both
:pleasing and interesting. As a whole, the concert was an
-attractive one,
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sented by the trashy ,ballad already referred to, and the
madrigal of " Merrily wake music's measure," by J. Barnett.
The -violoncello obligate played by Mr. liidel to Madame
Novella's beautiful singing of " Batti batti;" was in a high
degree creditable to his skill as an artist. It exhibited good
of
taste, as well as great executive power. The general style
the ,concert did great creditfto the care and judgment of Mr.
Herrmann, the conductor.
SAcRAD 114.RMONIC SOCISTY.—After a protracted suspen-
sion of public appearances or announcements, thissociety gave
its "inauguration concert" on Friday evening„ in At. George's-
hall. The society was assisted by Mrs. Endersohn, Miss
Fanny Buddart, Mr. Montem timith, and Mr Thomas, the
latter a deb/I/ant. Mr. Best presided at the organ, and Mr.
C. D. Hackett conducted in full academic costume. The.chorus
consisted of 120 voices, selected, as the book stated," from the
full chorus of the sodety." This band, however, was stsengtb-
ened and supported by about twenty of the most effective
members of the Philharmonic. There was a large audience,
and, as the occupants of the body were In full dress, the ball
presented a very animated appearance. Some of the regula-
tions were very good, namely, the non-admission of parties into
the hall during the performance of any piece, and the dressing
of the female choristers in white, distinguishing the firsts and
seconds by a trimming of pink and blue, which latter is iu ac-
cordance with the custom of the new Philharmonic of London,
and materially adds to the appearance of the orchestra. Mrs.
Endersohn sang Handel's " d know that my Redeemer" and
." Holy, Holy," beautifully. Miss Huddart was prevented by
a-severe cold from doing anything., except in the concerted
music. Mr. Smith gave Haydn's "In Native Worth" so ex-
pressively, that he narrowly escaped an encore. The chorus
did not sing well. The time of every thing was dragged.
irhis, however, being a first performance, and as time, with
practice, may do very much to remedy existing defects, it is
not necessary to insist further upon the subject.
GRANV CONCERT AT THE THEATRE ROYAL.-011 Saturday
evening a grand concert was given in the Theatre Royal, by
Madame Clara Novello, Miss Messent, Herr Reichardt, and
Signors Sivori and Piatti, together with Master Arthur Napo-
leon. In several of its leading features the concert of Satur-
day evening was similar to that given by the same artists on
Tuesday night at the Philharmonic Hall. On Saturday, the
second part of the programme introduced Madame Clara
Novelle to the audience as a singer of Scotch melodies, a class
of performance which it has not been our good fortune to hear
her in for many years. She sang the fine Jacobite lilt, " Cam
ye by Atholl," in beautiful style, and so captivated her audience
by it as to secure a rapturous encore. Miss Messent also sung
the "March of the Cameron Men " beautifully and with much
spirit, she was likewise encored in this, but, instead of repeating
it, she gave the simple yet touching and arch ballad of °Conlin'
through the rye." Mr. Laud sang an Irish song, with good
feeling and expression, and was rewarded by loud applause
and a hearty encore. Whatever may be the taste of the
general public on such wattera, it was abundantly shown that
the sympathies of the audience assembled in the Theatre-royal,
on Saturday, were distinctly in favour of those songs the
words of which could be understood, and the melodies felt, by
the listeners. Decorous attention and measured applattees
followed the execution of the different instrumental and vocal
performances of the pieces by Donizetti, Balfe, and others ;
but the approbation reached a point of impetuous enthusiasm
when the strains of the Scotch and Irish melodies fell upon
the ear. Is such an indication of fooling unworthy of notice
by those who draw up the plans of our fashionable concerts P
and would it in any way derogate from the high character of a
concert, given before an English audience, to have now and
then a sprinkling of our national songs introduced into them P
We humbly opine it would not, and, in accordance with that
opinion, take the liberty of seriously urging the matter upon
the consideration of the parties who make the arrangements.