The Express.
London, England, 1862-03-04 00:00:00

raw.

MONDAY POPULAR OONCRSTR.

Joachim, after an abeenoe of two years, made his
first appearance is London this seam at the °moat of last
night. This great artist, on entering the orchestra, was
welcomed with repeated rounds of applause from all puts
of the hall—a jut tribute to his talents and reputation.
The concert began with Beethoven's quartet in C sharp
minor, No. 15, one of the so-called " posthumous quarto*"
though the term is not correct in regard to them all, some
of them having been published, and all of them at least
printed, before the author's death. They were all,
however, produced during the last year or two of his life,
when he was labouring under the influence of deafness,
disease, penury, and heavy domestic affliction. Os the
vexed question of the wants of these remarkable works we
shall not touch, it is a question on which the opinions WI
the greatest musician are divided to this day, and at this
distance of time there seems not much prospect of its ever
being set at rest. We shall only say that the Quartet in
C sharp minor was executed last evening by Joachim and
his excellent coadjutors, Messrs. Ries, Webb, and Piatti, in
a manner which probably has never been excelled,
and was loudly applauded by the audience. More
delightful, we must safes', to our ear and our
taste, was Miss Arabella Goddard's performance of
Woelfi's magnificent sonata, the Ne phis Cara. This plea
had so enthusiastic • reception at the concert of the pre-
vious Monday that it was now repeated, and applauded
even more rapturously than before. Miss Goddard's ex-
ecution of this sonata is incomparable. It is literally Use
aphis uhre of the bravura styli; but this is the least of
its merits, for it is no less remarkable for the higher qua-
lities of clearness, grace. finish, and vocal expression. The
other instrumental pieces were Derek's sonata in B fiat,
Op. fie, for the piano and violin, and Hummel's trio in E fiat,
Op. 9S, for piano, violin, and violoncello ; the former played
by Mies Goddard and Joachim, the latter by Miss Goddsoll,.
Joachim, and Piatti--charming pieces both, and charmingly
executed. The only vocalist was Miss Pools, who meg
r Wallace's newest vocal piece, a song called " The lady's
Wish," by no mane use of his happiest efforts. The fair
singer was much more successful in Mr. J. W. Davion's
• sous, "In a dreer•nighted December," a fine composition,
in which Shelley's pensive verses are united to a melody tall
of simplicity and expression.
L Joachim, we understand, is aimed for a ecemidetable
number of the Monday Popular Closest* and is to appear
j at the first Phalan:oak Concert on Mosday sat.

DRAMA.

PRINCESS'S.

Laat night Mr. Fechter played lago for the
first time, before an audience comprising most of our well-
known Shatsperian critics, "readers," and commentators.
Much curiosity had been excited, not because any new
readinp of the poet were anticipated, but because it was
generally understood that from Mr. Neater, Mr. Ryder bed
learned the new " point. " with which he adorned the
part, and many were anxious to see how these points would
be interpreted by their original discoverer.
It will suffice to say, in every few words, that Mr. Foch-
tees lago, both in conception and execution, is by far the
very beet Elhakaperian character that he has yet *Bayed.
Graceful, elegant, and thoroughly the dashing soldier, he
iambi the part with a subtlety which is Idephietophelean
without the exems of cynicism, and which yet evokes
laughter—not from its broadlyiminted contrasts, but from
the genuine hatred which leads it its light and shade. The
villain, working up more wickedly seem by scene, never,
in Mr. Fechtra's rendering, loses self-eoneciousness in the
presence of others ; before his general he is civil even
to his wife ; and in the very first arena, in the council-
chamber, he repels the advances of Roderigo with a hasty
glance and gesture, intimating that their intimacy must not
these be known. His wonderful play of countenance and
his quick and suggestive features are ens to the greatest
effect. The lighting up of his face as he first begins to
see his way to the entanglement of Othello was something
extraordinary—giving the effect of the pasting away of the
heavy cloud from the sun's surface.
Mr. Fechtar's readings, though differing but slightly from
the ordinary versions, all show a thorough comprehension of
the text, and all told with singular effect on a specially
attentive audience. Perhaps the two that made the greatest
affect were the line, when, finding the morning bad broken
after the night in which the downfall of Camel° is worked
out, he says—

"Mamas sad action make the time seem short,"

which was delivered with a quaint relish of self-satisfaction
that told admirably, and the slow, reflective, but assured
manner in which he tells Othello,
"Nell tbss—l think Curio's an honest man!"
in the third act.

These are points that made special hits ; but the entire
character in Kr. Fechter 's hands in a most finished pet-
formance, and one which will attract all London to witneem.
The eubtlety of it will please all, and there is little doubt
that it will become a more general favourite than any he
ban yet attempted. The applause last night, though most
warm and heart►, was discriminating, and every word al the
actor was carefully listened to, a proof that the audience
came to criticise. When, under these circumstances, a meet
favourable verdict is given its worth is doubled, and Mr.
Fechter ma► now think himself thoroughly fixed in the high
opinion of the Loudon public.

POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTION.

Various novelties have just been introduced
amongst the entertainments et this institution, the most
important being a Ware by Professor J. H. Pepper, "Os
the late Appalling Accidents in Coal Mines." In this
lecture Mr. Pepper communed by exhibiting an illustration
of the operations at the outside of • coal-pit, and the
audience was thence conducted, in imagination, to the
bottom of the shaft. Before starting on this journey, one
primary cause of accidents was at once pointed out, vie.,
the breaking of the rope used for lowering the " curves:,
or the cage in which the men who descend into the mines
are drawn out again. Mr. Pepper also explained that
casualties sometimes arose from the fact of the truck slip-
ping off the pulley, and thus throwing the men out. In
this way • great many lives bad been sacrificed, and hence
the use of Founlrioier's safety cage. Having graphically
described the descent into thecoabpit.the lecturer proceedod
to explain that another cause of accident was the felling of
"coal pipm," or, in other words, the unexpected presence of
fossil stems, or petrified trunks of trees. After detailing the
manner in which these natural products affect the working
of mines, Professor Pepper went on to describe the journey
through the pit, and pointed out that a third source of ac-
cident might occur from the falling of the roof, either
through natural means, or by reason of the men care-
lessly removing the timber supports. In passing
through the mine the trapper boy, the crane hoiater and
putter were described, and here spin it was shown that
minor accidents might originate from men losing their way,
or from the breaking of pulleys, or the harness connected
with the " ndlys." The coal hewers were at lad reached,
and Mr. Pepper explained the causes of chokedamp
and fire-damp, and also the meaning of the term
stythe," which signified a collection of deleterious gases.
The explosion of the Lund Hill Colliery, where, out of 200
persons at work 180 were killed, formed the subject of
route interesting remarks from Mr. Pepper, who next
alluded to the accident at Cethin Colliery, where 49 souls
were hurried into eternity. and this, amongst others, he men-
tioned u notable instances of accidents by fire. The lecturer
then called attention to accidents by wider, amongst which
he classed that which had happened at the Bryn Gwoog
lead mines, where sixteen poor fellows were instantaneously
engulphed. Proceeding to the Hartley Colliery accident,
the professor stated that the breaking down of the pumping
apparatus was the proximate ruse of that disaster, the
ultimate cause being what he bad stated to be ''stythe."
Model,' and dissolving views were then exhibited, illustrating
the brattice and the up-cast and the down-cast shaft, the
lecturer observing that if there bad been two shafts in the
Hartley pit, either the accident would never have occurred,
or, if it had, it would not have been attended with such fatal
results. He concluded a mart interesting lecture by stating
that he hoped the public might soon see the day when en act
of parliament would be passed making it imperative= mine-
owners to provide two shafts for every pit ; and wises each
an arrangement was earned into effect he believed • essipit
would he quite ass afe as any ordinary dwelling-beam
The next "novelty" to which attention was salted wee
an original ninsieal entertainment by Mr. J. E. Carpenters
aesinted by the Misses Maseall, called " The World sod Ids
Wife." Criticism on the performances of Mr. (.krpeater
and that of his fair coadjutors would be superfluous, inas-
much u the entertaiment, though new at this institution,
is an old favourite with the public ; and it will therefore be
quite sufficialt to say that the gentleman's ludicrous descrip-
tions, and the Poop and pianoforte-playing of the ladies re
amusing as they ever were. The whole affair
much laughter, and the audience appeared to it as
welcome addition to the ever-varying attractioca at this
popular establishment