The Press.
London, England, 1853-07-16 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

of learning German, but their position as classics
in German literature excites in their behalf a curiosity
which can follow no modern work. Tell is a grand
historical picture, well studied, slowly elaborated,
finely conceived, and executed with the passionate
zeal of a poet enamoured of his subject. Never did
we see a political play so deficient iu " clap-trap," so
full of the politics every mind will accept ; anti,
although thee word •• freedom " is somewhat sono-
rowdy obtrusive, the meaning of it is never rhetori-
cal Idague, but a deeply-rooted sentiment connected
with the whole traditional life of the country. It was
carefully put on the stage ; the minor parts respecta-
bly filled ; the scenes of the conspirators had quite a
choral effect, Herr Emil Devrient played Tell with
ettective energy and manliness, looking very hand-
some, and gesticulating in a less mannered style than
usual. His emotion during the famous seene of
shooting the apple from the head of his son was
less true, we thought, titan that displayed by Ron-
coni in the same situation ; but it was greatly
applauded, as indeed was the whole pertOrmanee.
Herr I)essoir made all admirable Gessfer. Frau
Stolle was more at home iu the part of Tars wife
than in that of the Spanish princess.

Music.

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA.

AFTER a third hearing of II PtVila we see no reason
to change the opinion we have al►eady expressed.
Mme. Tedesco is, however, without doubt an excel-
lent singer; and it must be confessed that though
signor Tamberlik is, on the whole, inferior in this
part to Mario, it is impossible for a►►y living artist
to equal him in the delivery of the drinking song with
which the opera concludes.

The greatest of all lyric works, Don Giovanni, was
produced for the first time this season, and met with
its accustomed success. There is lie such satisfav •
tory proof of the excellence of this masterpieee as
the popularity it ever enjoys ; and however the
hearer may know the melodies by heart, and be
familiar with every bur of the accompaniments, he
can never fail to derive pleasure from being present
at its representation at Covent Garden. The cast of

the openra was very inferior to that to which the
London public have for the last fifteen years been
accustomed. Mine. AledOri is a good Donna Anna,
anti she ►sang the music with energy and certainty ;
but she lacks soul, and the tremolo which she con-
stantly introduced in the pathetic passages much
impaired the effect of her singing. The cold and
sore throat from which, as a handbill informed us,
Mme. Ilosio was suffering, of course disarms all
criticism as regards her pertivrmance of Elvira ; and
we can only say that the extent of her indisposition
unfortunately prevented her from singing any of the
music in an audible manner. We were much disap-
pointed to find that Signor llelletti (for whose
abilities we have a great respect ► did nothing with
the part of Don Giovanni. Some allowance must no
doubt be made for the nervousness consequent upon
a first performance; but we confess we did not see
the slightest indication of any power to impersonate
the character, or to sing the tousle; and the coarse
and inexpressive manner in which he gave the
serenade called forth sounds of disapprolettion from
a well-disposed audience, who could not bear to hear
a favourite song so curiously marred. Signor Tam-
berlik was excessively good as Don Otto Ho, and
sang "11 mio tesoro" with so much etteet that it
was unanin►onsly redemanded. M. Formes wants
the vivacity and style which a character like
Leporello demands: we should like to see Iton-
cool in the part. It would be the height of
injustice not to notice specially Signer Tagliatico,
who has established the fact that the part of 11
Commemlatore has great capabilities► in the hands of
a real artist. We trust the day is not far distant
when prime douse will leant that the part of Eirint,
if properly rendered, is one of the best and most
dramatic ever written, and undertake it without an
intimation that they are conferring a favour 111)011 the
manager and the public by making a mere attempt
to sing the music. The retention of the air, " Non
mi dir," is a great advantage to the action of the
opera; but we much regret the omission of " Meta
di voi," which was a most judicious restoration of the
original Covent Garden management. The " busi-
ness" and "set" of the ghost scene has been im-
proved, but much remains to be done to milder the
fate of the hero a warning to posterity-.

NEW PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY.
THE programme of the sixth and last concert, on
Friday evening, the Nth inst., was as follows :
PART " Genevera," I'. Ilunilt.--Quartett. with
orchestral secomputiiments (Op. 121), Spolir—Hoinituza, Glover.
M. lieichart —Concert Aria, Metidel4solus, Mile. Bitry—Sywphouy
fur two Orcheatru*, Spoltr—Duett fur two Pi forte,., with
Orchestra, Muudvluolin twd Mvsateles, Wfe. (hays► sad Mies
thatilar4.

259

Mar IL—Symphony (in 11), Ileadhoreu—Air, Mendelaanbn,
M. Reiehart--Orertun., " Fidelio," !Jordanian-1184m Mendeh.
'lm and On4l—Fautaria, Oboe, M. Lavigne—Ahartire. " Berg.
bold.' tivohr.

I lowever we may believe the often-asserted propo-
sition that the New Philharmonic direl.tera are alone

I►ossessed of the knowledge of art and depth of
thought which render them capable of dictating to
mankind upon the subject of music, it is perfectly
clear that they are greatly wanting in that common
sense which is absolutely essential to all thole) who
profess to teach the general public the way to ascend
the musical Parnassus ; for no person, however
fauatiea per la swims, could peruse the programme
of this concert without being satistird that it was in-
judiciously chosen, and that intense weariness must
be the inevitable fate of any man bold enough to sit
through the whole performantie.
We have the g►eatest admiration for Dr. Spohr as
a composer, and we derive infinite pleasure fr►nt
hearing his works; but his music is often of so in-
volved and obscure a character that when heard for

the first time it requires, to he in any way appre-
ciated, a fresh and most attentive audience.
thcteti►re, the performance of such complicated and
difficult music be unreasonably protracted, a species of
mental exhaustion follows, and it becomes physically
impossible for the hearer to follow the ideas or to see
the ►ocauties which the talent of the writer would

otherwise develop to his undembinding. The ex-
treme and absurd length of tho Philharmonic con-
eerts has always been a reproach to that society, and
unless the New Philharmonie avoids, instead of
emulating, the faults of the old s► ciety. they fail in
their principal object, and they will diminish
rather than increase their number of subscribers.

Studies quartett with orchestral set ompaniments
is a long and very intricate composition, and if
analysed would be found to contain many thoughts
and passages of great excellence. We doubt, how-
ever, whether in a room of the size of Exeter-ball a
quartett could ever 1t effeetive; and in this matinee
it is quite certain that the four perforiners, although
they exerted themselves to the utmost, were com-
pletely drowned by the noise of the accompaniments.
Similes symphony for two orchestras is also a very
long and elaborate work placed es it, was in the
same part of the programme with the quartett, it could
not he listened to with any satisfaction, and, though
unquestionably a work of originality and talent, it
seemed to us, we are stiff), to contestytornewliat tedious.
We have rarely heard a symphony so ill plaid as
Beethoven's symphony in Whether a sudden
attack of ineapacity seized the orchestra, or whether
they were exhausted with their previous labours, we
do not pretend to say, but we can with confidence
assert that all the movements were badly played, and
that the execution of the scherzo was putatively a
disgrace to the society. Mr. Horttley'm overture is
a clever and plowing composition, only perhaps too
slightly suggestive of Mendelssolm. The duett for
two pianofortes was well played by Miss Goddard
and Mlle. Clauss ; and the oboe solo was omitted
without any cause assigned, though the length of
the concert, three hours tutu twenty minutes, was
ample excuse for any curtailment. It is sufficient
to say of the singing that it was very indifferent,
and discreditable to the directors, who might easily
obtain the services of superior and more efficient
talent.
MUSICAL UNION.
Tut: programme of the last concert of the Musical
Union, on Tuesday last, was as fullOW1:
Semtett, t! lotklor, Op. 140, Iwo violins, two violas, and two
violoneulloN spokr—tiotarta In 1/, lip. 141, pianufortr, Ikellatoriess
—Qoarlell, 11 Oat, Op. Is, No. 9, 11v4.1.11ovco—Nottutuu In A dm.
Op. t.s, pionotiole, l'hopin----Solo, ,folio, 114/.lllil.
The only pieces of music which were really well
and satisfactorily executed were those performed by
M. Halle : his reading and playing of Beethoven's
sonata was as near perfection as need be, and we
have no hesitation in reiterating our opinion that he
is the pianist of the greatest ability now resident in
London. The sestett of Spohr is a very clever coin-
position, 111141, of itself sufficient evidence that at the
composer advances in years his genius is not one
whit the less original and fertile. The quartett of
Beethoven is too well known to require any elaborate
criticism. We cannot speak favourably of the execu •
lion of the chamber music: independently of those
defects which we have had occasion to point out as
flowing from Mr. Ella's system and which render
the general execution of the music. at his concerts in •
levier to the average of good London quartett-play i ng, it
is perfectly clear that M. Bazzini is at best but a
very second-rate player, and totally unfit to be en-
gaged to lead any quartett party of high pretensions.
His tone is poor, his intonation excessively defec-
tive, and, if we are to judge by the solo of his own
composition as well as by his style of playing, we
should say that he had, in common with must of his
countrymen, hut little " reverence for the classical
purity of the great masters," and but a slight "percep-
tion of their varied beauties." By whatever process M.
Bazzini may have acquired a reputation as a soloist
abroad, it is sufficiently evident to any one of prac-
tical knowledge that he knows nothing of quartett-

- -
playing ; and it shows a want of judgment in Mr.
glala to allow such an exhibition to take place in the
presence of Spohr, and of one of his favourite and
most able violin pupils, Henry Blagrove, who was
engaged to discharge a comparatively subordinate
part in this conceit We do not wish in any way to
press hardly upon Mr. Ella, or to find unneeessaryh
fault with what he does on the contrary, we wis
him every success, for ho has without question done
good service by establishing, and to a certain degree
rendering popular, concerts which are constructed
upon a most excellent plan, and at which classical
music is almost exclusively performed. Still, in our
position as independent and impartial critics, we feel
it right to point out those particulars in which
Mr. Ella and his concerts are deficient, and thus en-
deavour to the best of our ability to advance the
cause of art. In the first place, there ever has
been a systematic neglect of native artists
in all Mr. Ella's engagements. The Musical Union,
he tells us, has now accomplished its ninth season ;
and, though we have constantly attended these con-
cerns from the very first, we cannot at the pre-
sent moment call to mind any instance when
the quartetts have been led by an Englishman. Mr.
Ella cannot plead want of talent on the part of our
countrymen as any excuse, for there would then be no
justification fur his engagement of M. Bazzini and
many other violin-players who are in every respect
inferior to the resident native professors of London.
Our inference from these facts, therefore, is that Mr.
Ella is a prey to that professional jealousy which he
is everlastingly condemning in his literary effusions ;
and we think his subscribers have a right to insist
upon the occasional production of the best native
talent, if it were only, to use Mr. Ella's somewhat
singular phrase, to " prove that their practical skill
is an courant (sic) with the progress of modern
executive art." Again, Mr. Ella's constant habit of
sellpufling, and the tone and language of his pro •
grammes, injure the character of his concerts, and do
infinite mischief, for the object he has in view in
bestowing his praise is often NO inartificially concealed
that all the benefit which might be derived from
good and judicious criticism is entirely lost. We
will give one instance. What right has Mr. Ella to
say that M. Berlioz received ungracious treatment
on the production of his liesavenuto Cellini at
Covent Garden? The term ungracious implies
something unfair and illiberal, a species of conduct
which (with the exception of the unhappy disturb-
ance at Drury Lane in IS-ls, hardly a case in point),
we will venture to say, no author, foreign or native,
has for Mali), yearspast experienced tittle lintels of the
London audience. If M. I lerlioz had failed through the
instrumentality (done of those cabals so common in coil.
tinental theatres, there would have been seine ground
for Mr. Ella's offensive and most unjust observation,
lint, having been present during the entire performance,
we will boldly say that M. Berlioz was treated with
the utmost consideration, and that ltenvenuto
Vend was, on the ground of want of merit
alone, properly condemned by the unanimous verdict
of the public, and of critics of all classes and shades
of opinion.

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