The Press.
London, England, 1856-02-23 00:00:00

Mgw--

FEBRUARY 23, 1856.

score " fugato," a distinction which the big wigs
have ignored in their pronunciamentoe—are not suffi-
ciently scientific. True, " the subjects are bold and
striking, and all are melodious and thoroughly vocal,"
but his devices are not elaborated enough ; his second
subject (of the fugue) comes too late; and Alhrechts-
berger's anathema would assuredly fall on Costa, for
presuming "to modulate into the dominant for the
introduction of the answer by bridging over (what an
arch composer!) a space which never should have
been left between the subjects with notes charac-
teristic of the new scale." This is frightful enough ;
but, worm than this, Costa has given too many suc-
cessions of " thirds and sixeis " in his fugues, and
he has shown himself to be at sixes and sevens by
not employing more largely the resources of " aug
mentatiou, domination, abbreviation, syncope," and
other kinds of imitation. All this is very appalling,
and those " terribly stale progressions on the organ
points" no doubt provoked the virtuous indignation
of some of our profound theorists. We must, how-
ever, be permitted to abandon these technical
flights, the effects of which are to deny immortality
to Costa for his first oratorio. Sufficient for the day
is the evil thereof. En attendant, unless the com
poser be as insane as his detractors, he will be no
doubt satisfied with his decided triumphs at the Bir-
mingham Festival on the 29th of August, 1855, and
at Exeter-hall on Friday, Feb. 15th, 1856. The pro-
phetic critics must have been in a state of "syn-
cope" at the result of the London verdict, for
anything more unequivocal than the opinions
of royalty, rank, and . fashion, and of the
literary and artistic celebrities, not to mention the
miscellaneous public, cannot be imagined; and
these opinions were openly and enthusiastically ex-
pressed, despite of the ordinary restraint observed by
amateur audiences, and of those which the respect to
Majesty calls forth. Prince Albert followed the
execution of the work with the score before him. It
was the Queen who commanded the encores ; and
when the composer and conductor was alone at the
end of the first part, and after the departure of the
Royal amateurs, at the end of the oratorio, ovations
such as are rarely heard in this country were freely
bestowed, the orchestra and chorus being particu-
larly demonstrative—a grateful acknowledgment on
their part, no doubt, for Costa's invariable champion-
ship of their interests, but also evidently excited by
their appreciation of the fine work which they had so
admirably interpreted. The oratorio will be heard
in Norwich, Liverpool, Dublin, Bradford, and other
great towns in due course, and its " immortality "
during Costa's career is, at all events, beyond a
doubt. Alter repeated hearings, we arrive at the
same conclusion as that in the notice in THE PRESS
of Sept. 1, 1855. Eli is a grand and beautiful work
in its entirety, it is open to criticism in its details,
and its weakest parts will he probably felt in the
concluding portion. The construction of the book
is not good, but Mr. Bartholomew had a most

cult task to accomplish. The two culminating
points of interest are the dedication of Samuel in
the Temple and the death of Eli, and between these
two great important events the adaptor made the
mistake originally of having two battle subjects.
This defect, so far as regards the last part, has been.
amended in the Exeter-hall version—the day el
battle being very properly excised. Other judicious
cuts have been made, and the composer, if we mis-
take not, has retouched the score in some places.
Still the incident; are not skilfully developed—the
chain of events is broken too suddenly, giving to the
hook a patchy and fragmentary characters. The mix-
ture of Mr. Bartholomew's lyrics with the scriptural
text has not been effected with the dignity which the sa
creel subjectexacted. Againstithese mistakes and short-
comings must he placed the clever contrast between
the childlike simplicity of Samuel and the venerable
dignity of Eli ; and it is in the observance of this
contrast that Costa has been so happily inspired.
The lovely melodies assigned to the contralto voice,
and the elevated character of the airs allotted to Eli,
show how carefully the composer has studied his
themes. In Eli lie has never lost sight of his ex •
treme age, and therefore never makes him sing in
Ilona passages. The coherency and consistency
throughout the entire work will alone be a reason
for its permanent popularity. The working has been
most carefully considered; and if the notation reaches
not at times the scriptural sublimity of the words,
the composer has never committed himself. He is
never compromised by a failure. With remarkable
discretion, for instance, is the death of Eli treated.
Granted that the situation is suggestive of a sublime
movement for the composer, but, like many such
situations, it becomes indescribable in music. Handel
could not realise the word-painting of the terrible
handwriting on the wall, and Mendelssohn does not
satisfy the imagination iu the ascent of Elijah. The
two airs of Hannah, the one so pathetic and devo-
tional, the other so varied and jubilant, will be wel-
come to the sopranos of the first force; whilst tenors,
in the tranquil music of Elkanah and warlike appeal
of Saph, will have their intellectual and physical
powers equally taxed to do justice to the music.