The Press.
London, England, 1853-07-02 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

TO criticise this opera minutely is a perfect impossi-
bility. Suffice it to say, that we listened for three
hours and a half to a Babel of noise and discord ;
and we frankly confess that it would require more
talent and ingenuity than we possess to give any co-
herent account of what we heard and saw. Th.,
libretto of the opera is a most worthless composition,
without interest, and almost without a plot, termi-
nating in a scene perfectly ridiculous. The singers,
band, and chorus acquitted themselves most credit-
ably, and we failed to discover any mistakes of impor-
tance. Signor Tamberlik sang the part of Benvenuto
with great energy, and Signor Tagliutico deserves
especial commendation for the able manner in which
he impersonated and sang the difficult part of Fiera-
uunca. Mme. Didiee, as A vanio, was as usual most
carelessly dressed and " made up." This lady has
so often to act in male characters that the manage.
ment, for the credit of their theatre, should positively
compel some improvement in her appearance on the
stage.

THE PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY.
Tip: programme of the eighth concert wag a fol-
lows:

l.—Historical Symphony, Spahr--Seena, Muilione Vier-
dot, " Wie naelne," Weber--Converto, ciuliu, Mr. Itlewro‘o,
Moliiino--Dnet, Madame t7ithtellaut aUd Mloliuue Vittrdot, "Ali
fareiluno," Spoltr—Overt are, "Oberon," Weber.
1 tint, No. 4, Beethowl —A ria, Ma.bune
Castellani, " Non Lemur." Allan—Concert... pianoforte, M. Frill
Nfiebune ettNtellan mot Mielnlio.
Ali glowda," Mozart-0% enure, "l;eintesvrinn," I.helpaintner.

Spar's " Historical Symphony" is a very clever
and interesting work, and displays the learning and
ingenuity of the composer to great advantage. The
first movement is very remarkable for its science and
invention, and the larghetto is full of excellent
writing and expressive melody. Though there is no
lark of merit in what follows, we are inclined to think
that the two first movements constitute the most
effective portion of the composition. We confess,
however, that we prefer Spohr's inure original works.
True genius is never itself when compelled "to dance
in fetters ;" and the selection of this symphony was
hardly complimentary to the great composer, who
was present, and who was received with much ap-
plause by an audience really capable of appreciating
his abilities. Beethoven's exquisite symphony in B
flat is so fully understood that it requires no critical
comments. Suffice it to say that, considering the
intense heat of the room, the precision with which
it was executed VMS quite extraordinary. We were
disappointed with Mr. Blagrove's performance of
Molique's concerto. His execution was, indeed,
irreproachable, but. he failed to enlist our sympathies
or create any interest. We think, moreover, that the
concerto itself is not the best that has proceeded from
M. Molique's pen. and that. the pnmingknife might
be judiciously employed. M. Hiller is a clever player
and an accomplished musician, but, judging from
those of his compositions that we have heard, we
hardly think that he possesses sufficient invention to
write a concerto. His performance did not make
much impression ; but Orpheus himself would have
failed to arrest the attention of any audience, were he
to appear in the Philharmonic concert-room to per-
form a concerto at 20 minutes before 11 p.m., and in
the last week in June. The singing was not much
above Philharmonic par. Mine. Viardot was either
out of sorts or out of voice, and she sang the scena
from the Friexchut: without energy and with but
little effect. The overture, by Lindpaintner, seems a
clever piece of writing, but, as the concert did not
terminate till a quarter past 11, few persons were left
in the room to hear it.

NEW PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY.
FROM the press of matter we are compelled to post
pone our notice of the fifth concert till next week.

MUSICAL UNION.

WHAT Mr. Ella styles the director's mot iniv took place
on Monday last, on which occasion he treated his au-
dience to a programme of unusual variety anti length.
Mozart's quartett in (1, No. 1, though satisfactorily
performed, is hardly so well suited to M. Vieuxtemps'
energetic style and impetuous bowing as the works of
more modern composers : had it been more quietly
and delicately treated it would, in our judgment, have
gone better; indeed, we have no doubt but that the
fugue in the last movement was taken too fast. The
septett of Beethoven was a great musical treat ; with
the exception of a few mistakes in the slow move-
ment arising from incorrect counting of time and
the failure of the running passage for the tenor and
violoncello in the last movement, the composition
was well executed; and it is but justice to say that
M. Wttille is a very excellent performer on the
clarinet. Our space will allow no further comments :
we therefore content ourselves with stating that the
pianoforte-playing of Mlle. Staudach, M. Blumenthal,
anti the boy Napoleon was pleasing; that Bottesini's
solo was very wonderful; and last, but not least, that
the singing of M. Jules Lefort was a positive in-
fliction.

SATURDAY,

tortign rttistic tiossig.

THE living German poets are throwing themselves
on the drama with a singular eagemesss. The
Siegelinde of Oskar von Redwit% is already preparing
at Dresden. The perli►rmanee is to last live hours.
Bernard von Lepel read at Berlin his maiden drama,
Waldemar, Margrare of Brandcabury, in which the
false Waldemar is, in accordance with modern
his-
torical researches, considered to be the right one, and
rice renal. Otto ltogurth has finished a comedy,
7'he Court's► Reuss. A Frankfort literary paper an-
ticipates for it an immense success.
All the lyric theatres at Paris are closed. The
Grand Opera, which will most probably change its
director, and the Opera Comique, because they both
very much wanted cleaning; the Opera National, on
account of the recess ; the Italian Opera, because it
has ceased to exist. At the same time not a single
concert is announced, and there is a complete
lethargy in the world of music.
Rachel begins on Saturday at Brussels with
Phedre her announced series of five representations.

llog,er made his Wind at Berlin some days ago, in
the tenor part of the Dame Blanche. Mlle. Fahr and
M. I)essoir left, for London, to rejoin M. Emil
)evrient's German company. Dessoir has a reputa-
tion for what (imams call the heroic parts in the
classic drama. _ . _

At Florence the Theatre Altieri was closed for want
of money. The Pergola was to reopen with Beatrice
di Tenda and I Lombardi, with La Frezzoloni,liasili,
and Totfanari, and Maria di Bohan, with the tenor
Dan' Armi.

Yerdi's new opera, II Traratore, was performed at
Faenza with immense enthusiasm. Thalberg is
writing two operas—one for Vienna, which is to make
its appearance next spring; the other for the Opera
Commit° at Paris, with a libretto from Legouve and
Serila. The libretto to the 'ltalian partition was
written by Felix Romani.
An Imperial ukase has been published at St.
Petersbnrg forbidding any mingling in the concerts
of religious with profane music. The principal
stipulations are as follows :—Concerts are subdivided
into religions and profane; religious pieces are never
to Le mixed with profane; religions concerts cannot
take place in the theatres ; no psalms or prayers be-
longing to the orthodox religion can be sung ; if of
other creeds, then only with the words in a foreign
language; accordingly Lwow's Stabat Mater cannot
be performed with Russian words.
Next to the very rich works of the Russian mission
in China now being published, that of the Councillor
of State, lwan Liprandi, upon the Ottoman empire, is
cited with great eulogiums. It is said to surpass
that of Hammer, which was till now held to be the
most complete. The collection of the necessary ma-
terials has oe.cupied halt' the life of its author. The
collection of books belonging to him comprises every
work published in Turkey, in any language, from the
sixteenth century to IssB.
A monument in memory of the celebrated philo-
logist of the sixteenth century, 'Justus Lepsius, was
inaugurated this week at Isque, a little town, his
birthplace, sonic three leagues from Brussels. Bel-
gium has honoured in this way of late most of its
celebrated men in arts, sciences, and arms—Vesale,
a physician, Godfrey of Bouillon, Charles of Lor-
raine, at Brussels; Rubens at Antwerp, Gretry at
Li►ge ; Simon Stevin, the celebrated mathematician,
at Bruges ; and, lastly, Orlando Lasses and Roland
tie Lattre, at Mons.