The Press.
London, England, 1853-05-07 00:00:00

Music anb ?Musicians.

PHILHARMONIC CONCERT.
Tun fourth concert of the Philharmonic Society
took place on Monday last. The symphonies were
the " Pastorale" of Beethoven ( never more brilliantly
or effectively given), and a symphony composed by
Cherubini many years ago expressly for the society.
This last composition, though somewhat antiquated
in style, is nevertheless of sterling merit, and un-
questionably deserved a place in the programme.
The subjects of the first and second movements are
clear and well defines', and though the interest
rather falls off in the latter portion of the work.
the writing is vigorous throughout and the instrumen-
tal effects often happy. The execution was exceed-
ingly good. and nothing could justify the sounds of
disapprobation which fell from a portion of the
audience at the conclusion of each movement.
The principal ftlettire of the concert in the way of
noveltiy was M. Molique's new concerto. of all
instruments of the highest class there is none which
he bimk lin neglected by the great Wmpimers RS the

SATURDAY,

violoncello, and M. Molique has in all probability
put his masterhand to the work with a view to remedy
this evil. Introduced to the public by the most
popular Violoncellist of the day, the success of the
concerto was complete. The instrumentation is
excellent throughout, and the subjects of all
the three movements are fraught with beauty of
melody and originality of conception. The length of
the composition (thirty-one minutes),and a certain
degree of repetition, inseparable perhaps from a first
performance, are its only faults. Of the general execu-
tion we can also speak in terms of high praise, and M.
l'iatti well deserved the loud applause he received.
Passion, expression, and graceful execution, are
this gentleman's peculiar excellences ; and, if perfect
violoncello playing hal no further requirements, then
would M. Matti stand an artist not to be surpassed.
But the genius of his instrument demands other
qualities. in M. Piatti'sidaying we look in vain for
the depth of colour and manliness of character which
should distinguish the violoncello from other stringed
instruments. On Monday night, the various sultiects,
and especially the cantabile, were indeed charmingly
delivered; but the moment the lower portion of the
instrument was called into requisition, or a legitimate
passage of real difficulty attacked, the tone was gone,
and the phrases almost inaudible, even at a short
distance from the orchestra. it is time that the
public should be warned, lest their admiration for
most talented and deserving artist should induce a
systematic violation of artistic principle, and it
cannot be denied that in these days there is, unhap-
pily, a tendency to sacrifice the special character of
the violoncello for the mere purpose of gaining facility
of execution. England has produced the greatest
violoncellist of modern days, and, while be is still
alive, the remembrance of his excellences should
prove an insuperable barrier to any degradation of
his noble instrument.
The reappearance of M. Halle gave universal
satisfaction. A better or a more accomplished player
than this gentleman was never heard in the concert-
room, and his execution of the magnificent concerto
of Beethoven in E flat was irreproachable. Should
it be felt that his reception was not sufficiently cor-
dial, or that this composition did not produce ha
anticipated effect, the fault lies with the directors,
who allowed a work of the very highest importance
to be commenced at 25 minutes before 11, when the
audience bad been fur two hours and a half closely
packed in a hot and crowded room. The
position of this concerto in the programme showol a
want of respect both to Beethoven and to M. l;atlt•.
When will the Philharmonia directors Icni► %dint
common ►ense and experience should have tonght
them long ago, namely, that no person can listen to
music of the highest class for an unlimited period?
A concert of two hours and a half's duration wouhi
surely satisfy the most hungry dilettante, and them
would then be some chance of inducing more that.
one-fourth of the audience to remain till the clost
of the performance. Welter's overture to Eury-
ant& and Mendelssohn's march front Athaliak
completed the instrumental portion of the programme.
With the exception of the duet from Spohr's
Bergyeist, which deserved a better fate, the
vocal music was heavy and ineffective. The
part allotted to Mrs. Enderssohn was far above her
powers of execution ; and M. Standigl's intonation
and vocalisation were so imperfect that the audience
could scarcely believe they were listening to an artist
who, a few years ago, acquired such popularity. in
this country.

THE MUSICAL UNION.
THE selection of music at the Musical Union on
Tuesday last seems to have been made principally
with the view of displaying the abilities of M. Vieux-
temps, for, indel.endently of the pieces specially
dedicated to him, the quartet of Haydn in E (No.
391 is practically nothing but a solo for the first
violin. If this was Mr. Ella's object, he unquestion-
ably succeeded, for the great violinist never appeared
to more advantage. In the quartets, as well as in
the adagio of his own composition, the largeness of
his tone and depth of feeling told with extraordinary
efiect ; while, in the " moto perpettto" of Pagrmini, his
bold and legitimate style of playing showed that in the
execution of detached bowing of almost insuperable
difficulty he stands without a rival. Mr. Ella's choice
of the quartet, No. 8. of Beethoven, which formed an
element in the programme of Mr. Lucas's last Musi-
cal Evening, naturally invites comparison in the
matter of execution, and we have no hesitation in
awarding the preference to Mr. Lucas's pasty. The
inefficiency of Mr. Ella's second violin. which► through-
out the quartet was scarcely audible, was one as-
signable cause but, apart front all question of
comparative merit, any person practically acquainted
with the nature .and incidents of quartet mune
scarcely requires to be told that constant noise and
hustle in a large and crowded public room does not
tend to such a suceessful result as a quiet first floor
and a select audience. The quintet of Beethoven
(op. 16, in E flat 1, for the pianoforte, oboe, clarinet,
basauon, and horn, Wati well rendered by Nessr:..

MAY 7, 1853.

Halle, Barrett, Lazarus, Baumann. and Jarrett; and
M. Halle's charming performance of three of
" Lioder ohue worte was a satisfactory
finale to the concert.

Her Majesty arrived at Osborne-house on Satur-
day last, and has since remained in the Isle, taking
drives daily when weather permits, and otherwise
evincing a most gratifying restoration to her usual
health. On Wednesday Prince Albert, attended by the
Hon. Colonel Grey and Colonel Wylde, embarked on
board the Imperiense screw steam-ship, off Osborne.
to witness the trials of speed of that vessel along the
measured mite.
It is understood that the Court will return to
London on the trth May. As her Maiesty'a birthday
will be celebrated on the 24th of May. no drawing-
room will be held upon that occasion. It is also un-
derstood to be her Majesty's intention that state
halls shall take place on Wednesday, the 15th of
Juno, and on Wednesday, the 29th of june; and that
concerts shall be given on Friday, the :ird of Junc :
Monday, the 20th of June; and on Monday, the -4th
of July ; and further, that the christenin,4 of the in-
fant Prince shall take place on Momlay, the 27th of
June next. _ . .

Notices have bean issued from the Lord Chamber-
lain's office announcing that her Majesty will bold
Drawing 10ml-is at St. James'A Palace on Thursday.
the 2nd, Tuesday, the 14th, and 'Thursday, the :2:lrd of
June. _ _

The Herelitary Prince of Saxe Altenburg. a near
relative of the Queen of Hanover, is on the eve of
forming a matrimonial alliance with the Princess of
Aaiunlt bastion.

The agitation against the budget continues to
spread in Ireland. In Dublin the city wards are
getting up a requisition to the Lord Mayor to con-
vene a meeting for the purpose of petitioning the
Legislature against the extension of the income tax
to their country. On Monday a numerous gathering
of proprietors and tweupieni of land in Carlow county
passed a resolution denouncing that step during the
present transitory state of Ireland, and because it
would ho a violation of the solemn compact entered
into at the union.

FR txer..---Solemn funeral serf ices were performed
on Wednesday f►r the soul of the Empemr Napo-
leon I. at the Invalides, and in the chapel of the
Tuileries. The latter was attended by the present
Emperor, the Princess Mathilde, Primps Napoleon
and Lucien, the Duke and Duchess of Hamilton, AT.
The Empress was absent, being still confined to her
apartment. Trade is flourishing exceedingly muler
the influence of public confidence and private lnx►ay,
the latter of which is said to transcend anytl►ing that
has been known since the Reign of Terror.

BErmo-orrter. TEMPTATIONS wer: stated to have
allured John Waby. clerk to Messrs. Belcher, whole-
sale confectioners of llishopsgate-street, to the em-
bezzlements for which he stood charged on Wednes-
day at the Mansion-house. Prisoner had been much
trusted by his employers, and carried on his depre-
dations undiscovered for a long time, by writing off
customers' debts in the ledger, though he omitted to
enter the money they paid him in the cash-book, or
to put the money itself in the till. Ile was committed
for trial.
UNDFR THE. Corvair.nr ACT an injunction was
sought by one brother Cox against another, to restrain
him from publishing, or selling without leave of the
plaintiff, copies of a work entitled the" Landlord and
Tenant's Guide," in which he (plaintiff) claimed inte-
rest. Defendant, it seems. had projected the work,
and had obtained his brother's assistanco in writing
and revising it. On this plea he now assert oil authors'
rights over the publication. Evidence, however, was
given to show that the plaintiff' had made a special
charge for bin literary services on the work in gnes-
lion, and having duly received the stipulated honora-
rium, namely, four shillings per page, the Vice 4 'han-
cellor considered his claim satisfied, and refused the
injunction.
A Mns. MonnAx, the keeper of a private boarding-
house in Cecil-street, Strand, has been convicted be-
fore the Court of Inland Revenue of selling wine and
beer to her boarders without a licence. When they
asked for such articles the landlady seems to have
supplied them at once. anti charged them for it in the
Mrs. Morgan pleaded ignorance of the law, but
was sentenced to pay a reduced tine of 121
A SNUFF MANI:I:AC[I'IIEn in Rosemary-lime has
been tined '251. far adulterating his snuff with chro-
mate of lead. Defendant declared himself vette
mently opposed to the practice of adulteration. pro
perly so called, and hall merely Wed the salt of lead
to make the snuff bright. The court warned hint
that at the same time he was making it poisonous.
THE administration of the funds of an ancient and
wealthy charity. that of the Hospital of St. Cr"-. has
__
come before the Rolls Court upon an ex lEr: _nl'4)niast -
tion tiled by the Attorney-General. The defendants

THE PRESS.

were the master; and brethren of the hospital, anti pro-
cess was taken in order to compel them to render up an
account of the manner in which they had expended
the proceeds of the fund, the same, as it was alleged,
not having been m accordanee with the prescription
of their charter since 1841.4. This religious house
was founded by Heir y de Blois, brother of King
Stephen, about the middle of the twelfth century, and
he committed the guartiimi .hip and administration
thereof to the master and brethren of the Hospital of
St. John of Jerusalem, saving to the Bishop of
chesta his canonical jurisdiction. 'the guardian-
ship, however, was, by a cleTter executed at Bover.
transferred, in the time of I itatry It., to the Bishop
of Winchester. There was another charity in 140
folded to this charity by Cardinal Beaufort, called the
Noble House of Charity, which was founded for the
support of two chaplains, thirtptive poor men, and
three poor women, anti the income of the charities
arose out of lands with which Henry de Blois and
Cardinal Beaufort hurl endowed theta. These
lands, it was now said, were let on leases for lives,
anti at inadequate rents, by the master and brethren,
the former being the Earl of Guilford. 't he Attorney -
General stated that the lands ought, at a fair valua-
tion, to produce MOM/. per annum, whereas the
rental now accruing was only the surplus ap-
parently taking the shape of tines for renewals, awl
so behm diverted front the intended charitable par
poses of the founders. Hem.ydr Blois had pro' idol for
the entertainment in the ionise of a master, Instillers,
and thirteen imbecile poor persons, together with a
daily dinner for a hundred •• poor comers," whit were
to be allowed to take away the Augments. The num
ber was afterwards doubled in list) by the Bishop of
Winchester on his assuming the plardian,hip of the
fatal. Both these eleemesynary banneets had now
ceased, although the value of the hospital estitt..
improved in the course of centuries et least nine 11101
a half times. The presuiptiiin, therefonx was, tlutt
the increased funds had been misappropriated to their
benefit by the master and brethren, the amount. of
such misappropriation since MS being roughly com-
puted at 411.000/. At the close of the day's priatevil
ings the ease was still uncompleted. the Attorney
General stating that. out of this heavy amount he
sought to nattier, for the charity, all that the court
might think him entitled to.

Gyiparting.

CitustEn, \hiy 5,
.18A.

Sir--,This week has again brought ns to Chester,
to witness a repetition of seenes which would hr
more appropriate amidst the sawdust. of Astiey•s
than on the green sward of tin English racecourse,
The start for the Cu) this Vicar surpassed, him-
ever, in iniquity even the very worst of its prole
eessors. When the Hag, lir rather the Chinese
lantern, which in these latitudes is substituted fior
the more legitimate article, was lowered by the
ineapable sexageninian who acts 11$ starter, every
horse was 4111. of the nay, willi the 4Xerptillll 4f the
flaw first, at the finish, and Fawn, who
was started to make miming for the Humble-
ton lot.
Neither did it, escape the notice of the disgusted
spectators that, during the whole lit' the warmr
dittxt t' numouvres which wearied our patience, two
of the favoinites were allowed to remain in a pesi•
tion wide!' wmild inevitably secure them an Meal-
culable advantage over their less favoured co an-
petitors while the "Indian Warrior whose day
hits apparently not yet arrived) remained two him-
dred yards behind, in the hopes of seducing some of
the unwary to imitate his example.
The result, after a good race between the first two
horses, terminated in favour of Giildtieder, winos.)
presence at the post we owed to the inability of the
stable commissioner to lay a vermin slim of Dabney
against him.
I suppose we shall as usual he favoured with
glowing descriptions in the sivealleil sporting prinbe
of the excellence of Mr. T001;1111'5 Inuidieapo.
the Nast superiority of the arrang4anents at Chester
met• those at Newmarle,t; but 1 ani nine!, mistaken
if gentlemen owners of racehorses will continue to ex-
tend their patronage to a locality which ran only
boast. of a cockpit for the seem. of net. • and where
success is out of the question, unless you stowl in
with the bowler.
With theexcept In of the Clip theme,' were generally
uninteresting. A wretched let of two-year-olds 1•111111.
10 the post for the Mostyn. l'elion ran away with
Wells and Lord Westminster. Plate. and ninths,
won the the without adding much te his r..putiuion.
Next week we shall 'have three days' racing. fer
the scene is laid on the plaint • the events to come
off are, however, of slight imp:fence, and require
ae
eernment but at the end of the Second Sr
Meeting I shall trouble you with a few senarks
the ensuing Palo.

11

CHESTER SPRING MEETINti.
War IN two.
_ _

The densely crowded streets testified to the undimi-
nished popularity and attraction of the Chester Cup. The
vicinity of the Iltting-rrions was completely olistructtsl. and
so lava was the increasing throng of visitors, that the
" rows'• were muilered almost impassable.
Thu scene on the Bootle, was of the most animated and
striking dese►ipti.m. The brand Stand and Dee Stan.ls
Wen' elitiket.lll. oil swarms of spectator* alwitered en ilui
slopes and walls. and tilled the windows of the neighbour.
ing house... The weather was all that could be desired
list With OW
Hater skater Handicap of sort. tech, with 30 ail.ii',L
Ten subs.
Lord r hestertield's colt by the Emperor, out of lleguni.
AshnisU I I
Mr. Phillips's f by California, out of Miss Kitty Cockle
Betting.—ti to i against Bsgtun cult.
Second Triennial Produce Stakes of In son. each, with :t,►

satlea ; thret,•!..arultii. Eight subs.
Mr..t. i.b4)ruo'm

Mr. '.tot euh's ()unisons t lath Ilaynati)
Hutting—ll to 4 (lit Nhleaiksilk.
The Triulesmen'h Plate of WO 144)% TI. Ili epode, illtlei to w
Nnudienh ?%Vret*Stakll.o • f Voo) I:ll'oriett. Tu..
hood:. 4 and siatevo Pl/4) of whom declared.
Mr. l'Alturr... Fatigh.a.liallatfli ( Itkroft l 1
me. le: ' Tnlfottril
Mr. l'arr .4 )tide

Betting-3 to 1 egiutiat 'Critic, 41 to I againat TaWind.
7 4., 1 141:3111:4 to I 11.41iifist Mkaive, Into I .gonna
Lunt Liennitwit. 11:1 to 1 N• a Initiator, to I
u•hUit+t
Little .I.lok. lii ill I V!Ziiiiiiht. Ittotek I tomtit., lit is. I
Laity I .veltn. 340 Is. I 44vilitist C01i144444414.1,1, ma 344
4.4 I NKNiunt a \ tint• met: at the finish betat•rit
4i4b11411i4“1414 144441 Tatham' vittlea in favour of I toltlthnler by
half a to.. .I), the •,.etititt twitting the third by a length.
`career" w wax battik 4 '01i5t04414414, fell
Sixty tiltinute, tkar 1, the gift of the Nletiitter4 for the
4 ity, aittletl to :t sniseppttalte. of :1 stns. vaell.
ME. 4 ; talli%er's 'hilton tl'imuch) I
Mt. thiamin... Lerra whent
Mr. I:lit:toff \\*lnitelaate

Niu. raw

uguitast 'halms. Kto I stguitua
how, 4 111 1 against 1.1.m.”‘ heat. Won by half a
The tiorwublr lhatoliviii• or 1 Nova. ascii, with :10101,101,
fi.t• all ages. Silva subs.

fir. ltnavoit'. ,141 a
11r. Alas uaret of .ltuott
lit•tittig ti to 4 against Ads, 4 to I igainxt Nlnmuet .4.
Anjou. Woo by hall' a !trek.
Her Ii jt,,,ty's Plate of linincifi.

I