The Press.
London, England, 1856-05-24 00:00:00

THE TWO OPERA HOUSES.

OPERA optimism is in full operation. The fre-
quenters of both houses are astounded, after hearing
the opinions openly promulgated between the acts
and at the end of a performance, to read in the ac-
counts published in the " best public instructors " of
the following morning, criticisms of a totally opposite
tendency. Everything is coukur de rose, and the
cackling goose becomes a majestic swan. For in-
stance, at the Lyceum, Mario's debut in Lucrezia was
a fiasco, but it has been recorded as his greatest
triumph. On the Saturday following, when he really
surpassed himself, and sang as only Mario can sing
when he is in voice, his success was passed sub
silentio. Again, at Her Majesty's Theatre, Alboni's
appearance last Tuesday as Amina has been
recorded as an enormous hit, whereas, in sober truth,
it was a sad mistake, the transposition of the .music
of the somnambulist being fatal to her success. But
then the " Ah, non giunge," will he exclaimed by your•
optomists, as if an opera was to depend on a rondo
finale. Alboni's departure from the contralto. register
parts is most ill-advised. It can be but " touch and
go" with her soprano notes. She has no sustaining
power with them, and she, very unfairly to her• col-
leagues in the cast, coolly throws over the concerted
pieces. How different this course of action from the
artistic absorption of Jenny Lind, Viardot, and Grisi,
who never spare themselves, but conscientiously ad-
here to their parts in the composer's score.
Salviani, the new tenor at Her Majesty's Theatre,
was not in his place as the Count in Il Barbiere, but
he will be useful in the " robust " parts. The
ensemble of Verdi's Rigoletto, on Thursday night,
at the Lyceum, with Bosio, Ronconi, and Mario, is
worthy of a future notice. Great curiosity exists
to hear Piccolomini, the new prima donna, who is to
make her first appearance in Verdi's Traviata, at Her
Majesty's Theatre, to night. Next Saturday, Albertini
will make her debut in the Trovatore, with Alboni as
the Gipsey. The new ballet, Manola, is extremely
pretty, and offers an excellent opportunity for the
most charming pas de quatre. Mlles. Bellon and
Pierron have fully established their position, and bid
fair to achieve a high reputation. Their style of
dancing combines the most perfect grace with re-
markable tours de pied, which bring down unmis-
takable applause.
CONCERTS OF THE WEEK.
FOR the first time in England Jenny Lind Gold-
schmidt and Pauline Garcia Viardot were associated
at Benedict s concert, in Exeter hall, last Wednesday,
night, in a duet by Meyerbeer, " La Mere Grande."
It was a curious coincidence that these two great
vocalists should first sing together the work of a
composer to whom they are both so highly indebted
for their proud positions. To Meyerbeer Jenny
Lind owes almost everything, for he it was who first
recognised her vocal abilities, and who procured her
the engagement at Berlin where in Alice she pro-
duced, as in London, such a profound sensation. To
Meverbeer Viardot is indebted for the creation of
Fides, a character which Grisi, Alboni, and others
have as hopelessly attempted to approach the
original representative, as much as Jenny Lind
signally failed to rival Grisi in Norma, and
as much as Alboni has just utterly failed to reach
the excellence of Jenny Lind's Arnim'. Like
the great painters, every singer has his or her
speciali'y, and it is in the variety of schools that the
individuality of artists is stamped. Jenny Lind and
Viardot in Berlin were rival stars, and great was the
discussion, some eleven or twelve years since, of the
connoisseurs as to their respective claims. If the
former has the physical advantages of quality in the
wondrous notes of the upper octave, and of power of
sustaining and prolonging sounds, the latter has the
artistic superiority of intellectual interpretation of a
composer's conception. Jenny Lind could not accom-
plish the unparalleled tour de force once achieved in
Berlin by Viardot, that of doubling the parts of
Alice and the Princess in Meyerbeer's Robert is
Diable, on the same evening. Viardot could not im-
part such an irresistible charm to the Styrian melo •
dies as Lind did oa Wednesday, and the latter could
not attain the grandeur of musical declamation
which Viardot displayed in Handel's " Verdi prati."
In the delightful duo, in which Jenny Lind was
the vivacious young lady, and Viardot the vigi-
lant grandmamma, the hearer was reminded
of the romance, " A deux voix," in the
Prophite, between Fides and Berta. Could not
these two artistes be included in the cast of that
opera' Their combinations in the cadenzas were the
perfection of the art of vocalisation, and the blending
of the two voices was beautiful, the notation being

just in the best portions of the register of each
singer. Unfortunately for the exclamations of en-
core at the close, there was a desperate rush to
escape from the scandalously scanty modes of egress
provided by the Exeter hall proprietary, which seems
disposed to wait for a catastrophe before it will
amend the entrances and exits. The torrents of
rain which fell towards the close of the concert will
cause the ladies to remember with bitterness how
dearly their evening's pleasure had been purchased
at Exeter-hall, the crowded state of which was
almost unprecedented on the occasion. Benedict's
professional and private qualities entitled him to the
distinction, but his own compositions were cruelly
treated by hie German tenor and basso, as principals,
and by the undisciplined chorus and band. The
scheme also was not well balanced ; it partook too
much of the character of the defunct Ancient Concerts'
programmes, admirable ones for their purpose, but
not adapted for a miscellaneous auditory. The two
pianoforte pupils of Benedict are clever players, but
not clever enough for his annual concerts, and Gold-
schmidt was scarcely superior to the pupils. The
Bach concerto, consequently, with its classic con-
struction and antique imagery, did not tell. The
Piatti display in the extracts from Molique's vio-
loncello concerto, exquisitely executed, was too long ;
and the Papageno violin solo, marvelously rendered
by Ernst, was too late. Benedict, as a race against
time—for Exeter hall concerts must not run towards
the small hours —was obliged to cut the concert short
by a desperate rush into the concluding overture,
amidst which were the ravings of the company for
carriages, as a kind of obligato outside.
The Crystal Palace concerts, with the Royal Italian
Opera singers, and Costa's band and chorus, have
been a great success in an artistic point of view, con-
trary to previous experience of the effect of music
under a glass roof. It may be recollected that
Mme. Clara Novello's singing and the National
Anthem, under Costa's direction, were the only grand
results ever known before the Italian concerts. Now
the vocalists are heard to infinite advantage, and the
triumph in acoustics has been solely owing to the
ingenious contrivances for the arrangement of the
arena by Mr. Gye. It' he be as successful with the
new theatre he is about to erect, an immense diffi-
culty in the theory of construction of edifices for the
effective transmission of sound will have been re-

moved. The visitors to the Crystal Palace concerts
will do well to try the capabilities for hearing, under
Mr. Gye's novel arrangement, of the locality placed
at his disposal by the directors. Mario's voice—and
no better test than a tenor's organ in a large build-
ing can be found—penetrated the most remote por-
tions of the concert hall.

The concert which took place yesterday was most
brilliantly attended and was highly successful.
The Amateur Musical Society gave their ninth
concert last Monday, under the direction of Mr. Henry
Leslie. Ten seasons have proved the vitality of the
society, and, it may be added, its utility. Fashion-
able players will have more sympathy with profes•
sional executants when the difficulties of the scores
of the great masters become familiarly known.

Just as Benedict has abandoned the monster con-
cert, which ho so perpetuated, after the retirement of
Bochsa and Mori, Mr. Bodda, the baritone, has com-
menced these gigantic schemes ; one of which was
given at Exeter•hall last Monday, with a list of
singers and solo instrumentalists sufficient for half a
dozen ordinary concerts.
The Puzzis are the most indefatigable of bene-
ficiaires. First in the season is Mme. Puzzi, with a
" Soirée d'lnvitation," at a guinea per chair. Then
comes a "Matinee d'lntroduction," at the same
figure. Next in rotation is the grand morning con-
cert of Mine. Puzzi ; and finally, to close the fatigues
of the severe campaign, is the "Benefit of Signor
Puzzi," at her Majesty's Thestre, when open, or any
other theatre when the former was closed. The
artistes who " assist " on all these occasions ought to
get up a testimonial, for the largesses thus annually
vouchsafed by the Puzzis.
Mr. W. H. Holmes's pianoforte concerts are
honourably distinguished by the introduction of the
latest compositions of foreign masters, thus affording
amateurs a guide as to the present state of art on
the Continent. Mrs. John Macfarren's annual
matinees of pianoforte music display care and good
taste in the programmer. Mr. Blagrove, the violinist,
has revived his quartet concern. M. Charles Halle
and M. Billet are giving pianoforte recitals ; and Mr.
G. A. Osborne, the composer and pianist, brought
out his annual concert last night.
Of the new artistic importations it is scarcely pos-
sible to keep a record. There are Mme. Mattman,
the pianiste from Paris ; Herren Leopold and Moritz
Ganz, violin and violoncello, from Berlin; Signor
Andreoli, pianist; Signor Sighicelli, violinist; Signor
Brara, violoncellist; Signor Monari, baritone; Mlle.
Krell, vocallist ; Pirchek, the famed baritone from
Stuttgardt; M. Jules de Glimes, composer; Mlle. Pels
Leusden, vocalist; Oberthur, the harpist; Mme.
Falconi, prima donna assoluta, d:c. If the list of