The Press.
London, England, 1858-08-28 00:00:00

THE PRESS, AUGUST 28, 1858

which was given carefully and well by Mr.
Moutem Smith—brother of the Hereford organist,
and reputed one of the most expert masters of
" sight-reading " (a by no means common accom-
plishment) among our English singers. The
selection terminated with the splendid finale, " Tu e
ver," the solos by Mesdames Novell° and Viaidot,
Misses Louisa Vinning and Lascelles, Messrs. Weiss
and Sims Reeves. The greatest advocates of Beet.
hoven's supremacy as a musical composer will not
deny that this concerted piece must have exercised a
strong influence over him while writing the last
finale in Fidelio. The resemblance in more than
one place, indeed, is too striking to pass unobserved.
The music from La Clemenza afforded unqualified
satisfaction, and every " number " was applauded
with more or less warmth. Besides this, the first
part included the cavatina from La Traviata, into
which Miss Louisa Vinning threw so much archness
and spirit that the audience unanimously rode-
mended it. The clever young lady, however (an
immense favourite here), with a degree of good
taste that merits recognition, declined to repeat the
song, merely returning to acknowledge the compli-
ment. A new ballad, "We were boys together,"
composed and sung by Mr. Weiss to his own accom-
paniment, evidently pleased ; and Purcell's " Come
if you dare" (with chorus), the solos declaimed by
Mr. Sims Reeves with that breadth and vigour of
expression in which he is unsurpassed, brought this
section of the entertainment to a close with the
greatest éclat. The second pert contained the fol-
lowing pieces :
Overture (Guillaume Tell) .. .. Rossini
Ballad—" Adele," Miss Lascelles Williams
Romanza—Mme. Weiss (Zemira a Azar) Spuhr
Spanish Duet—Mesdmes. Clara Novell() and
Viardot Iradier
Ballad—Mr. Montem Smith .. Whitaker
Be lad—Miss Louisa Winning, " Home, Sweet
Home" ..
Duetto—Mr. and Mme. Weiss
Song—Mr. Sims Reeves, " Phmtie, dearest"
Old French Songs—Mme. Viardet
Preghiera (Mose) ..

.. Bishop
• Dunizetti
• J. L. Batton

Rossini

Of the three ballads, Miss Vinning's " Home,
sweet home " was heard with the most pleasure.
"Adele" is a poor specimen of a poor school, and
Whitaker's " Oh, say not woman's heart is bought"
belongs to a class of sentimental ditty fortunately
gone out of date. " Home, sweet home," to whatever
country the tune may belong, is too genuine ever to
grow stale ; and the Scottish ballad which Miss
Vinning substituted in its place, on being unani-
mously recalled—" Comin' through the rye"—is a no
less healthy specimen of another style. The air,
"Oh, quanto vaga," from Sphor's early (and beautiful)
opera Zemire and Azor, though a manifest imitation,
both in melody and accompaniment, of Mozart's
" Voi the sapete," is not the less a perfect gem in its
way, and Mme. Weiss gave it with the simplicity
best in keeping with its character. The Spanish
duet of Senor Iradier, " El vestido azul," inimitably
sung by the two ladies (and inimitably accompanied
by Mme. Viardot, who, if she ever abandoned singing,
might readily address the public as a pianoforte
player), created a sensation difficult to describe, and
elicited an " encore " not to be resisted.
The second miscellaneous concert, which took place
on Wednesday evening, was not so successful. The
first part of the selection was a model in its way,
as welcome for its refreshing brevity as for the ex-
cellent materials of which it was somposed. Of
this let our musical readers judge :
Overture (Oberon) Weber
Ana—Miss Lascelles, " Che faro" (Orfeo).. Gluck
Scena—Mme. Clara Novell°, " Infelice" Mendelssohn
Trio—Mme. Weiss, Miss Lascelles, and Mr.
Sims Reeves, "Oh Memory " .. Henry Leslie
New song—Mr. Thomas, " Athol Woods" .. G. A. Macfarren
Recit a Aria—Mme. Viardot, " Non pin
meets" .. Rossini
Glee—Mrs. Clare Hepworth, Miss Lascelles,
Mr. Montauk Smith, and Mr. Thomas,
" The Fisherman's Good Night" .. Sir H. R. Bishop
Trio—Mme. Clara Novello, Miss Louisa
Vinning, and Mme. Vlardot (Falstaff) .. Ralf°
We are sorry to say it was coldly receiv€d.
The second part of the concert began with
Herold's overture to Zampa, played with astounding
(the term does not convey a bit too much) brilliancy
by the orchestra. This music, however, fell posi-
tively dead upon the ears of the inexplicably drowsy
audience, only moved at last to a sense of duty by
the strains of a Jacobite song," I know who," com-
posed (vide the bills) by "Groom "—the prolific
author, it may be presumed, of "Over the sea,"
"Come ferry me o'er," and other model ballads—and
sung by Mrs. Clare Hepworth, who, a native of
Gloucester, had a claim to be treated with a certain
amount of consideration by Hereford. But such a
faint " encore " was never heard. After this the
audience had a relapse, and the following selection
was listened to without the slightest enthusiasm :
Coro e solo, Mme. Viardot, " Bando"—Romanza,
Mme. Novello, "Come e hello "—Duetto, Mme.
Novello and Mr. Sims Reeves, " Che veggio"— kris,
Mr. Sims Reeves, "Di Pescatore"—Duetto, Mine.
Novello and Mr. Sims Reeves, " Ama tue "
Aria, Mr. Weiss, "Vieni la mia Vendetta "—Trio,
Mme. Novello, fr. Sims Reeves, and Mr. Weiss,
"Guai se ti sfugge"—Ballata and coro, Mine.