The Press.
London, England, 1855-01-13 00:00:00

JANUARY 13, 1855.

and judicious selections of fine music, and he most
heal-tily deserves the support that he meets with.
The Beethoven festival takes place on Tuesday
evening next.
MR. SALAIIAN'S MVSICAL LECTURES.—On Tuesday
evening Mr. Charles Salaman delivered at the Mary-
lebone Literary and Scientific Institution the first of
two lectures on the pianoforte and its precursors,
treating upon this occasion the keyed-stringed instru-
ments which preceded and originated the pianoforte.
The lecturer began by tracing the origin of this class
of instruments, deducing them from the stringed in-
struments in use among the Greeks and Hebrews,
and illustrating his remarks by means of diagrams.
lie then gave an account of some of the instruments
used in the middle ages. Coming down to more
modern times, he described the clavichord, the
virginal, and the spinett, instruments which continued
in use till the latter part of the eighteenth century.
On the subject of the virginal he gave many interest-
ing details. It was fashionable in England for
several centuries, and was, in particular, the favourite
instrument of Queen Elizabeth, whose "Virginal
Book." or manuscript collection of pieces written ex-
pressly for her use by the greatest composers of that
day, is still preserved. One of those pieces " The
Carman's Whistle," with variations by the famous
William Byrde, Mr. Salaman performed on a virginal,
one of the rare specimens of the instrument still in
existence. Its tone was weak but very sweet; and
Mr. Salaman's performance of this quaint and diffi-
cult old music delighted the audience, and was warmly
applauded. After describing the spinett—an instru-
ment which people of the present generation may still
remember in old houses, played upon by old ladies
who considered (as old ladies and old gentlemen, too,
di still) music in a state of degeneracy and decay—
Mr. Salaman proceeded to the harpsichord, the im-
mediate precursor of the pianoforte; a noble instru-
ment, possessed of powers even now not to be
despised. He was enabled to bring before the
audience Handel's own harpsichord; a fine instru-
ment, made by Ruckers in 1651, belonging to Messrs.
Broadwood, and kindly lent by them for this occasion.
On this instrument, on the very keys which had been
touched by the hands of the mighty master, Mr.
Salaman played some fine morceaux from the harp-
sichord pieces of Handel and Domenico, Scarlate,
including the exquisite a r with variations known by
the name of the " Harmonious Blacksmith." His
performance was admirable, and was warmly ap-
plauded by an audience among whom there were
many eminent professional musicians and amateurs.
He then spoke of the principal French and German
masters of the harpsichord ; Couperin, Mondouville,
the illustrous family of the Bache, and Paradies, the
last of the race. The second lecture, on the in-
vention and development of the pianoforte, will be
given on Tuesday next.

Ott glrama.

HAY/LARK:CT.—LittIe 80-Peep improves very much
upon acquaintance, and may, on the whole, be con-
sidered about the best pantomime brought out.
Perhaps the rarity of seeing a pantomime at all at
the Haymarket may enhance its value, but few can
deny the excellence of the present production. The
introductory burlesque is a pretty little story, and
Irry elegantly arranged, with its arcadie.n scenery
and its beautiful grove of golden laburnums
mellowing away in a vista of gorgeous clusters to the
cool reflections of a far distant fairy lake. And then
the fairy conservatory, a most exquisite combination
of fairy architecture and fairy splendour as has ever
been put upon the stage. The succeeding panto-
mime is also well and handsomely got up, the tricks
and transformations are excellent, particularly one,
when a party in a drawing-room one moment seen
sitting on the couches and chairs, are in the next
transferred to the family carriage, just leaving the
door of the house. It is one of the cleverest tricks
exhibited at any house this season. Miss Lydia
Thompson is the most charming Bo Peep, and her
sheep, it is said, cost more than the more saleable
specimens are wont to, and Mr. Barnes is one of
the best of Pantaloons.
ADELPHL—Mr. Charles Selby's version of the
French drama Satan, entitled the Mysterious Stranger,
rid which, though for many years a favourite stock-
piece at the Adelphi, has not been played for some
time, was revived on Monday evening last. The
story, it will be remembered, is of a young lady
who, being under a deep debt of gratitude to a
fashionable Parisian of modern times, and finding
him surrounded by a troop of false friends, and
about to contract marriage with a woman who
esteems him for his fortune only, adopts an
extraordinary mode of saving both his heart and his
pocket. She feigns to be the mysterious Origin of
Evil, bound to him by a contract made years ago in
a fit of youthful desperation, and in this character
she assumes a number of disguises, through all of
which he recognises his dreadful ally, though he does
not penetrate the secret that the supposed fiend is a