The Press.
London, England, 1857-09-19 00:00:00

THE PRESS, SEPTEMiItER 19,1857.

end. But the pain seems wantonly inflicted,
and to answer no adequate end. The eternal
misunderstandings between Katherine and
Mr. Lynton are as irritating as they are
unnatural. People don't act with that mar-
vellous sort of underplay in real life. Why
don't they marry and a' done with it We are
sick of the heart agonies—and the glittering
glances—and the suffocating sorrows—of this
style of fiction ; and when, to crown the whole,
the luckless hero is smashed by a luggage-
train on the eve of his marriage, our disgust is
completed. It is a pity that the author of
Katherine Evering " should have fallen into
this offensive style, as he (or she) unquestion-
ably possesses real power : witness the some-
what exaggerated account of Katherine's fears
on the night of the accident. But, in spite of
glimpses of this sort, the book is not worth
detailed criticism.

5. " The Story of My Girlhood " is nicely
written, and in a tone of great earnestness.
The heroine is privately married at fifteen by
the advice of a sick parent, who foresees the
regime of a stepmother, and takes this step to
secure her daughter's independence. The
husband goes abroad, and in due time the
stepmother arrives at home. But, instead of
the stereotyped Noverca, she comes in the
shape of an amiable and clever girl only a
little older than the forlorn bride herself, and
endeavours, as far as possible, to be a sister to
her. Annie, however, repels her advances,
and is very miserable at the absence of her
husband, whom she believes herself to have
irrevocably offended by some hasty words
spoken soon atter their wedding. To add to
her self-reproaches she falls in love with an
interesting stranger, yclept Warren, and the
story is happily brought to an end by that
gentleman turning out to be none other than
the truant bridegroom, who, unrecognisable
through the effect of years and climate, had
returned to win her love before he asserted
his rights. It is a pretty story, though rather
too full of angelicisms.

PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED-SErr. 17.
BOOKS.

Molds and Jonquils. 2 Volt. Saunders and Otley.
Sebastopol, and other Poems. E. Derry. Hill and Virtue.
Ornament Drawing and Arehitectural Design. Ward and Lock.
The Garries and their Friends. Frank J. Webb. Routledge.

FERIODICLL.

Reriged English Version of the Holy Scriptures. Trubner.

PAMPHLETS.
Tracts on the Native Army of India. Smith and Elder.
A Skeleh on Medical X. fin tn. T. Hatchard.

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE—The remark able
success cf the extra performances has decided the
director to give one more on Saturday next, the 26th
inst., previously to the company leaving for D üblin.
Piccolotnini and Giuglini are both announced.

Mn. Ells Ens, the veteran horn-player, and head of
no accomplished famiiy of musicians, announces a
farewell concert to take place this day at the Crystal
Palace. The programme is of a very attractive
nature, and, in addition to the interest of the occasion,
will doubtless be the means of assembling a large
concourse or patrons. The principal names in the
list of executants are those of Mme. Novell°, Miss
Poole, Mme. Caradori, Mr. Hamilton Braham, Mr.
Charles Braham,
THE BisHor OF NORWICH, on being applied to
for his patronage to the Norwich Musical F.'stival,
declined to give it, we are informed, on the plea that,
" with every desire to promote the interest of the
charities to which it is proposed to devote the profits
of the musical festival, he could not concur with the
committee in secking to advance them by such
means." The present Bishop of Norwich (says the
Times reporter) would seem to maintain very diffe-
rent opinions on such matters from those of his
three immediate predecessors—Bishops Bathurst,
Stanley, and Hinds—who were all lovers of music,
and stanch supporters of the festival, keeping open
house in munificent style during the entire week.
Bishop Stanley even went so far as to entertain a
songstress—Jenny Lind, herself not an apathetic
labourer in the field of charity—at his residence.
This only shows, however, that prelates may indulge
in wholly opl:osite opinions on other points than
those of pure theology.
M. AVOUsTE CONTE, chief of the Positive School of
Philosophy, with whose principal work the English
public were made acquainted, a few years ago, in
translations by Miss Martineau and Mr. Lewes, has
died after a brief illness. The friends of philosophy
will regret in the death of M. Comte the loss of one
of the most original of modem thinkers.

pUStC.

THE NORWICH FESTIVAL.
(From our own Correspondent.)

Noewicit, Thursday,
THERE will be, in all probability, great changes in a
few years in the management of the musical meet-
ings held triennially in many provincial towns. It will
be found hereafter absolutely necessary to disregard
local infltzences of every kind in the engagements,
in order to secure the most effective performances of
the great sacred works. Railroad facilities afford
country amateurs such a prompt mode of reaching
the metropolis that they have not now to wait once
in three years to have a chance of listening to an
oratorio executed on a large scale. It will be, there-
fore, imperative on the part of the managers of the
principal festivals to secure finer performances than
in the days when there was little or no competition.
Provincial partisanship, local favouritism, and per-
sonal prejudices, must give way to the paramount
consideration of the general good. A festival must
he organised for art as well as profit ; the critical
element must be combined with commercial con-
siderations. If a first-rate orchestra is to be engaged,
the question as to competency, and not as to birth,
ought to operate in the decisions. In the choice of
the chorus the singers must be chosen with care and
discrimination. And when the band and chorus are
picked on the basis of entire effectiveness, with a
total disregard to " town " clannism, and a conductor
found because lie is thoroughly experienced and
conversant with his onerous duties, leading Nocaliste
must be judiciously sought fully capable of singing
oratorio music, and possessing such general amount
of popularity as to fix interelt. There is too much
of prescription in the mode of engaging principal
singert. Why should it be a rule to make relative
ranks, as it were, heirlooms, so long as the organ
will lest? Variety is everything in a festival. To
stereotype the schemes, and perpetuate one class of
names, is a monstrous absurdity. Novelty should
be aimed at in the programmes, and in the selection
of the artists. The competition with the metropolis
is bec..ming every year more difficult for the success
of the provincial gatherings, but with ordinary tact,
taste, and judgment, a most interesting prospectus
could surely be issued once in three years, even to
provoke the curiosity of the hardest worked London
critic, who assuredly has little to tempt him to pass
his holidays at the ponderous meetings of the Three
Choirs. At Birmingham, the questions just mooted
are well understood, and Norwich has honourably
distinguished itself in the struggle for novelty; but
one great mistake was made in the last-mentioned
town. It set up an idol. It was nothing, at one
period, without Spohr. Small men hung on his
skirts—they swelled as their pet predominated.
This hero-worship has scarcely passed away, for
attempts were made to renew it at the present meet-
mg. Failing on Spohr, the committee have fallen
back on Pierson. Spohr and Pierson ! " Powers
eternal, such names mingled !" Soohr, who, what-
ever view may be taken of his peculiarities, is really
a great musician—a giant compared with the pigmy
whose Jerusalem ought to have at once disposed of
his pretensions. It is in this course of policy at
Norwich that the clanship is recognised. It has
presented itself, it is true, in a more subdued form :
that it may be annihilated altogether must be the
wish of every sincere lover of art and of art pro-
gress.
Looking at the favourable portions of the pro-
gramme of this meeting, let it first be noted that
there is the finest orchestra ever yet heard at these
festivals. It must not be pronounced perfect,
because, here and there, there is room for improve-
ment. Let the names in the " wood " and " brass "
band be scanned, and it will be seen where the
changes are required. It is nonsense to engage a
player because he is a Norwich man. With Stunton,
Blagrove, Tolbecque, Dando, Deichinann, Oary,
H. and E. Chipp, Newsbam, Mori, Clementi, H. and
1L Blagrove, Doyle, Webb, Trust, Westrop, Thomp-
son, Hausmann, Phillips, Paque, Reed, Goodban,
Howell, Severn, R. Pratten, Mount, tte., amongst the
stringed ; and Pratten, Barret, Nicholson, Lazarus,
Maycock, C. Harper, Rae, Cioffi, Antoine, Winter-
bottom, Prosper, T. Chipp, amongst the wood, brass,
and percussion, the elements of a great orchestra
are found to exist. Add to the list the experienced
hand of Benedict to wield the baton, and a notion
will be come to how the overtures to William Tell,
Fre Diarolo, Ruy Blas, the Nozze di Figaro (the
latter most admirably executed), and Meyerbeer's
Camp of Silesia march, were played. But great and
deserved, as are the orchestral honours, not less
potent are the claims of the choral masses fur fame
and distinction. In numbers they counted about
250, proportioned into 70 trebles, GO altos, GO tenors,


and 60 basses. Any extent of eulogium might
be exhausted on the energy and enthusiasm of these
well-trained choralists, and yet would there be no
exaggeration. There was a precision, firmness, and
impulsiveness in their attacks beyond all praise.
Voices of more delicious quality amongst the women
have been rarely heard—so pure in quality, so just
in intonation. Sometimes when the higher notes
were reached the sensations produced in the audi-
tories were absolutely thrilling. No applause was
bestowed in the morning, but the murmurs of
delight, the glances of mutual recognition, were as
telling RS if there had been the ordinary demonstra-
tions of intense gratification. It was yesterday
morning that orchestra and chorus won their spurs.
The selection was Spohr's cantata, " God, thou art
great," Mendelssohn's Lobgesang, and Mozart's
Requiem. The cantata has a broad choral opening,
with a solo for a soprano (Mrs. Weiss) and a duet
for tenor and contralto (Mr. and Mrs. Lockey), of
antique operatic mould. There are also three
quartetts, of which the last, "Walk ye, walk ye,
hundred thousands," was the most striking. It is
well-voiced, and was done full justice to by Mrs.
Weiss, Mrs. Lockey, Mr. Lockey, and Mr. Weiss.
The hymn of Praise was a remarkably fine
interpretation. The orchestral introduction was
exceedingly well done. The exquisite duet, " I
waited for the Lord," so pathetic in its character, so
picturesque in treatment, so soothing, and yet so
devotional, was deliciously sung by Mme. Novello
and Mrs. Weiss ; the choral and instrumental parts
were handled with remarkable delicacy. A grand
piece of singing was that of Mine. Novello, in the
" Night is departing." Mr. Lockey was assigned
the air "He counteth all our sorrows," and Mr.
Miranda was allotted the difficult air, " The sorrows
of death." The latter is a young tenor, who bids
fair to take a high position. His musical declama-
tion is of no ordinary kind. His voice is from the
chest, frankly delivered, and with much firmness in
the attack of the higher notes. In the Requiem the
Earl of Albemarle, who officiated as President in the
absence of the lord lieutenant of the county, gave
the signal for no less than three encores, and for
three quartetts, namely, " Tuba Minim," the " Re-
cordare," and the " Benedictus," all sung to perfec-
tion, it is true, by Mme. Novello. Mrs. Lockey,
Signor Gardoni, and Signor Belletti ; but toujours
perdrix will apply to music as well as to the culinary
art, and the festival has assuredly produced a surfeit
of game as well as of quartetts. The morning
was a short one, . but it was highly interesting,
although a long delay took place before the second
part began with the Requiem, the managers having
found out that the programme was rather too short
for Norfolk appetites, quantity rather than quality
being the desideratum. The votaries of art must
rejoice at such discrimination.

On Thursday morning there was no error as
to length. With Beethoven's Mount of Olives
and Haydn's Seasons, the former " arranged "
by Sir George Smart, and the latter " arranged" by
Professor Taylor. What these professots "arranged"
is not explained in the announcements. It is to be
presumed they did not " arrange " the score, and if
they invented or set new words, why not state the
fact in the Queen's English? The Mount of
Olives will be the red-letter day of the festival. It
was a glorious rendering of the colossal conception
of the mastermind in music. It is not here the place
to enter into the question how much is lost in not
keeping to the original German words. A literal
translation for this country is out of the question,
introducing the Saviour. Sir George Smart's
"arrangement" is to put the text in the third
person ; it is a disciple who narrates on the Mount,
and the soprano part is also in the didactic form as
an angel. This may be splitting of hairs, but if for
"mass" the word "service " he accepted, and tender
consciences are satisfied, why then some grand music
is saved for art purposes to this country. It will be
guessed that Gardoni was not equal to the musical
declamation of the opening recitative and air, which
is uncomfortably low for the tenor voice, but when
the music was in the upper notes of his register be
was excellent, especially in the concluding air and in
the duo. Mme. Novello was quite up to the mark ;
her vocalisation was broad and imposing. and wanted
but more distinct articulation to have defied adverse
criticism. The choral and orchestral displays were
stupendous—no other word can describe tneir
massive effect on the ear. The " heaps of granite"
the term which will pass muster to describe the
masses of sound, aggregated by Beethoven, were
hurled with the vigour of giants. If the substratum
of Handel be in his vocal parts, that of Beethoven is
in the instrumental ones. The march and chorus,
the conflicting scunds between the believing disciples
and the remorseless soldiers, were enunciated with
almost unparalleled vigour, but the climax was
atta ned in the gigantic " Hallelujah," with that
mysterious undercurrent of orchestration, like the
roar of a volcano on the eve of emancipation. The'
audience rose at a devotional impulse ; but they
would have been compelled by musical inspiration to