The Press.
London, England, 1853-09-03 00:00:00

pasit.

THE DRURY-LANE OPERAS.
TRE public crowd to witneas the operatic per-
formances at Drury-lane Theatre, but the directors
have not been fortunate in fulfilling their promises.
On Wednesday evening Norma was announced, with
Signor Luigi Mei as Pollio. He did nut appear, and
his place was taken by an incompetent person. As
the opera proceeded, some of the woreeaux were
omitted altogether ; and at about the middle of the
second set the curtain fell, amidst a general uproar,
which was increased by injudicious ett'orts on the
part of Mr. Stammers, " the manager," to defy the
public and justify the management. The difficulty
lay in the indisposition of Madame eartelori, who
exerted herself to the utmost, but at length broke
down. Her Norms, even under these disadvantages,
established her as a more than usually able Inustatic
singer. Aria and Galatea is announced for this
evening, with Formes as Polyphemus; the entertain-
ments being for the benefit of Mr. Jarrett, the di-

rector.
OPERAS AT THE LYCEUM THEATRE.
A claimant for the ps►st of a principal tenor on the pos-
sible future English opera stage has appeared in the
vermin of Mr. Augments Brabant, a son of him who
reigned supreme in the bygone days of ballad opera.
Mr. Ailer►tt had engaged the Lyceum Theatre for a
brief series of operatic performances, with Mr. Sims
Reeves as the " star." It was no slight disadvantage
to Mr. Augustus Brahmin that he should have sue-
eeeded a performer so popular with the general
musical public. He sustained the retrospective com-
petition, however, manfully, and with considerable
snecoss. A coulee isou w►th Mr. Sims Reeves is
provoked, not by the mere accident of juxtaposition,
but also i►y a something in the voice and style of sing-
ing of Mr. Augustus Brahatn, which recals the
method of the other. Mr. Brahmin's voice is a tenor,
clear, sweet., and pure in tone, but deficient in the
power neressary to meet the exigencies of modern
dramatic singing. He avoids the violent contrasts
which disfigure the singing of Mr. Reeves; and, if
he wants the marvellous physical energy of that
singer in the forte passages, on the other hand he
more than makes up for the deficiency by an un-
usual, and at times exquisite, distinctness in even
the pianimmirno notes. Mr. Brahmin has appeared in
two characters—Edgar and larine. In the latter he
excels. He sings with much te►nderneas and pathos,
and is evidently inspired by an artistic feeling, which
forbids his sacrificing the sentiment of the music for
the mere purpose of startling contrast and stage
effect. Upon the whole, his performance% must be
pronounced to have been suffleiently successful to
encourage the hope that he may hereafter prove a
valuable aid in the development of national opera.
In other respects these, performances have really re.
fleeted credit on the manager. The orchestra, with
Mr. Tolbecque as conductor, though small, is excel
lent, and the chorus well selected and effective.
This evening Mr. Braham repeats the character of
Eivino.
THE BRADFORD MUSICAL. FESTIVAL,.
Ileums's') now vies with Liverpool in the possession
of a magnificent music-hall, the inauguration of
which has been signalised I►y a grand festival, similar
to those which take Owe triennially at Birmingham.
"To plant," says the philosophic critic oldie Morning
Chronicle, noticing the performances, " amid the
forest of factory chimneys and the jungle of factory
lanes, a building where gold-seeking is not to be the
sole object; a factory where the machines that play,
and the fingers that work, produce what to the ma-
terial sense is literally nothing; a warehouse which,
perpetually receiving aecessions of wares, seems none
the fuller, and which apparently Sell& forth nothing,
is to set a new idea before the operative. If his
attendance here, where nothing ministers either to
his vanity, or his love of sensuous pleasure, or to his
praetieal love of Sale and barter, can be secured, a
further met of ideas will be generated in that shrewd,
if ill-trained, mind; and, sooner or later—it may
be
in rambling and illogical fashion—he will arrive at a
conclusion on which ho is not the man to act other
than promptly. Teach him, or rather let him think
that he teaches himself, that he has something to
learn, and he will learn it ; and, while the process is
going on, you are weaning hint from vicious plefisnees,
and from the even more injurious enjoyment of it
spurious intellectuality. And therefore, in the eon.
victim% that in opening this hall for the habitual
presentation of music to the operatives of Bradford
(for a splendid festival, or an occasional aristocratic
concert, at exclusive' priees„ are merely exceptional
mixes), the mayor and the other wise and far-sighted
custodians of the town are doing one of the best
works that men, mindful of the higher interests of
their fellows, could have effected, the congratulations
upon yesterday's brilliant success—the. opening of a
" harb►ur of refuge " from occupations of mere
money-making—have an earnestness which m;ght
need justification were a temple ;of art all that was
designed in St. Ueorge's Hall."

THE PRESS.

The musical portion of this festival (which com•
t►wnoel on Wednesday) went off with klat. Clara
Novelle, returned from her Spanish successes, sang
the first notes which were heard in St. George's Hall.
She is in tine voice, and delivered the opening verse
of the national anthem in her largest and noblest
style. The remainder of the hyn►n was sung by the
soloists and chorus together. Then came, performed
in its entirety, Mondelssol►n's noble oratorio, St.
Paul. The chorus, which won an enviable reputa-
tion, is composed of contingents from the madrigal,
motet, and choral societies of Leeds, from Bradford,
Halifax, Huddersfield, Manchester, and other nor-
thern towns, and the orchestra and chorus combined
consisted of upwards of 350 performers. Costa was
the conductor. Among the most striking features in
the oratorio were Stephen's address to the council,
exquisitely given by Mrs. hockey (late Miss Wil-
liams); the fiercely resolute chorus of Jews, "Take
him away;" the sublime outcry of the martyr, " ho,
I see the heavens opened !" delivered with a lofty in-
tensity by Clara Novelle ; the solemn chorale, "'l'o
Thee, (1 Lord, I yield my spirit" (which was con-
tin►►ously performed at the funeral of the Duke of
Wellington); and the fiery energy of Formes in
Saul's furious "Consume them, Lord Cod of Sub-
The whole convention scene was superbly
executed, more especially the chorus after the com-
mand to the awe-stricken Soul to go into the city,
" Rise up, arise, shine;" in which the expression of
joy mutes throbbing up, like a mighty heart, faster
at each beat, until it swells into the triumphant
climax, "The glory of the Lord is upon thee." The
unsurpassed chorale, " Sleepers, wake, a voice is call-
ing," came in a torrent, jubilant, and exciting melody.
Formes gave the utmost pathos to the lamenting
aria, in which the humbled Saul implores mercy ; and
the full, rich, calm exultation of the concluding
chorus, "0, how great is the depth of love of the
Father," worthily concluded the first part. lit the
second, Sims Iteeves's delivery of the noble cavatina,
" Be thou faithful unto death," was as tine and artis-
tic an utterance of earnest devotion as has ever been
heard : ho was in admirable voice, and the effect
upon his audience was most remarkable. It was
aided by Mr. Lucas's masterly treat►nent of the
violoncello obligate. The quartet with chorus, by
Miss l'yne, Messrs. hockey, Beeves, and Weiss, "Far
be it. from thy path," where the congregation seek to
dissuade Paul fr►u► his journey, was sung with much
pathos; and the glorious concluding chorus, in which
the abiding hope of the Christian is so triumphantly
expressed, formed a noble climax t► the work. In
thu evening there was a miscellaneous concert, and
on Thursday morning The Messiah wits given.