The Press.
London, England, 1853-07-09 00:00:00

°U It LIBRARY TABLE.

ClaAlar and Ilistorie Portraits. .Ituucm Bruce.
Ilurst and Ithickett.
Memoirs of Bishop Bathurst. By Mrs. Thisllclliu
IL licutley.
The Clinton*. 3 vols.

•
..... .„.-.
Ifiwyries. Vol. I. .1. Bennett.
Midland Metropolitan Maya Aro', July. ILtll, Virtue, and Cu.
•I'lu• Family Treamitip. Ilunlst.ru 141111 Sllllll4llllll.
The Tarkv in Europe. llayle St..lnliii. Chapman and Hall.
Trareho in the Steppe* 41lie Caviare. Sea. By Xavier de I tell.
Chapman and Hall.
The Strike*. By Vimlex. A pamphlet. Sin ill and Eilwortla.
Jihshay av a C'wou/i/nan rf Social Avogrevs. By S. I.newv.
J. M urray.

tint .rts.

PURCHASES FOR THE NATIONAL GALLERY.

"THE GIORGIONE."
THE attention of our readers has probably been
drawn to several letters which have appeared in
the morning newspapers relating to purchases re-
cently made for the National Gallery at the various
sales of pictures which have occurred during the pre-
sent season. In our notice of the sale of the Spanish
collection of the late King of the French we expressed
a warm approbation of the selection made by the
trustees on that occasion, and we have only to regret
that their purchases were not more numerous and
did not include all the pictures worthy to hold a
place in our national collection. We suspect that
the zeal of the trustees and the Chancellor of the
Exchequer is paralysed by the hostile criticism, net
to say invective, which their every act is sure to pro-
voke ; but public men in England should be har-
dened to such attacks, and, conscious of integrity and
honest intention, should trust to time and the good
sense of the country for their justification. On the
occasion of the Spanish sale to which we have ad-
verted we expressed our sense of the injustice with
which the trustees had been criticised, and of the
illogical arguments which were used against them.
An interesting anal able letter appeared in the
Times newspaper of Tuesday relating to the purchase
of a picture by Giorgiotte, made at the sale of the
late Mr. Woodburn in the course of last week. We
have no intention of questioning the accuracy of the
facts so broadly and so distinctly stated by M r. Morris
Moore, but we think the purchase, even on his own
showing, cannot be considered as an injudicious one.
The painting said to be by (liorgione represents a
warrior paying his devotions at the fret of the Virgin
Mary, who is seated with the infant in her arms,
attended by St..l►weph, and a page appears in the back-
ground holding the knight's war horse. This pic-
ture, which Mr. Moore tells us bad been bought and
sold for a small sum, was, in his opinion, a very tine
one, when he first saw it at Florence, and he might hint
self have been the purchaser. The friend to whom he
ceded it seems to have I►een unworthy of the possession,
for he not only destroyed the surface of the picture, but
subsequently " stippled it over," in the critic's phrase,
and thus obscured every vestige of the original
painting. If this statement. is not exaggerated, it
would still be possible to remove this superficial coat,
of painting, and to reduce the picture to the state in
which Mr. Moore saw it when in the hand of the
restorer, and thus to preserve it as a prelims relic
and curious example of the method in which the 0141
masters worked. We cannot but hope, however,
that. Mr. Moore's zeal has misled him, and that the
damage hats not. been so extensive or so irreparable
as he supposes that a careful hand might remove
the superficial restoration, and still leave us a tine
anal interesting work of art.
This picture, which we think erroneously attributed
to Giorgione, possesses high qualities both of design
anal colouring. The composition is striking and
unusual ; the draperies are folded into those broad
and monumental masses which the early masters
loved. The landscape is of great beauty ; anal the
rich and mellow colouring, in spite of all restoration,
is such as could proceed from no school but. that of
Venice. It is not that we think it unworthy of the
master to whom it is attributed, but we think the evi-
dence to prove it his wanting. The works of Giorgione
are well known, and have been carefully catalogued.
They were highly esteemed anal eagerly sought for
during his short life, and after his early death. lie

SATURDAY,

was much engaged in fresco-painting ; his oil
pictures were few ; and we think so important a spe-
cimen could hardly have escaped the notice of his
biographers ; but, further still, we think the internal
evidence insufficient. The works of Palma Vecchio
have sometimes been confounded with those of Gior-
gione. Pordenone was his imitator and survivor.
He was at least equal to his celebrated contemporary
in invention, and not much inferior in richness of
colouring, simplicity of design, and breadth of effect.
His pencil was rapid, his fancy prolific, anti his
works are numerous.
Mr. Morris Moore, whose opinion is decidedly
worth attention, is inclined to attribute the picture
to Giovanni Mini, and his judgment is certainly
corroborated by the introduction of two partridges into
the foreground—a whimsical method of identifying
Ins pictures to which that master frequently resorted.
The figure of the Virgin, particularly the action of
her right hand, wants the vigour of either Giorgione
or Pordenone, and the head and shoulders of the
kneeling figure bear no proportion to the diminutive
limbs ; but, on the other hand, the style of painting
is freer, and the composition more picturesque, than
that of any work of the master with which we are ac-
quainted. The " Christ " at Emaus, in the Church of
St. Salvatore at Venice, to which it hears some re-
semblance in style, is more formal and less original
in its composition. To any of these masters we think
the disputed work might with more plausibility be
assigned than to Giorgione.
It is to be regretted that pictures are so frequently
misnamed, not seldom, we fear, intentionally. Titian
and liiorgione were not exceeded, hardly perhaps
equalled, by any of their contemporaries. Their names
stand, therefore, first amongst Venetian painters in the
collector's list. The principal collections, both in
France and England, were made before names of
inferior note were familiarly known, and to Tintoretto
anti Paul Veronese were attributed all those works
which it was found impossible to assign to their
more celebrated contemporaries. Thus the names of
excellent painters have been suffered to fall out of
the market, and a ,jealous proprietor resents as an
insult to his collection every attempt to restore to
the true master the identity of which► he has been
robbed. But there is no reason why the merits of
Palma Vecchio, Pordenone, Bonifaccio, and l'olidoro
should not be recognised, or why they should be
cheated of their immortality. '

BRITISH INSTITUTION.
[Third Notice.]

No. 3, "The Charity of St. Thomas deVillanneva,"
by Murillo, was purchased by Mr. Thomas Baring at
the late auction of Spanish pictures for the enormous
sum of 7101. It is very slightly painted, and was
probably intended merely as the sketch fir some
larger picture. We do not admire the composition.
The principal figure in the piece is a Benedictine
monk in the black robes of his order. The drawing
is careless and faulty. It has been greatly repainted,
but so unskilfully that we are justified in the suppo-
sition that the restorer's touches were wholly, or
nearly, unnecessary, and that they might be removed
without serious injury to the picture.
No. 133, "The Cardplayers," by Wilkie, is in his
earlier and happier manner. If he had not the
transparency of colour and the exquisite execution
of the Dutch masters, his imagination was brighter,
his subjects have more of story, his figures of cha-
racter and expression; and some tender and pathetic
touch of nature frequently gives them an interest
wholly wanting in the Dutch and Flemish schools.
No. IV, "The Judgment of Solomon," by Haydon,
has some of the extravagance and much of the talent
of that unfininnate painter. To be seen to advan-
tage, it should be placed in a church or at the end of
along gallery. The scene is finely conceived, but the
exaggeration of the executioner's attitude is the more
to be regretted, as ho is one of the principal actors
in the piece. The figure of Solomon is tine, but it
cannot. be admitted as wholly original : we are un-
avoidably reminded of the composition of Poussin
in the Louvre, who, in treating this subject, has
realised the same conception of the wise young
judge. Severe of the figures are well drawn, and
the general tone of colouring is rich and vigorous.
Of the Dalian school there are several tine speci-
mens. N 0.15, entitled " Due Fran," by Fin Bar-
tolommeo, has more subject than the framer of the
catalogue is aware of. It represents that interview
between Saints Francis and Dominick, the two great
apostles of the Mediieval Church, and champions of
the regular clergy, who, on the opposing principles
of persuasion and coercion, divided the Catholic
world between them. 1/ante celebrates the meeting
of these two luminaries :

" L fu tint.) smile() di Rrilona
I.'ultro per siipirilmt in terra nie
lli elkernbielt hive two splentlort+"
No. lia, "A Virgin and Child," by Andrea del
Sarto, like the last-named picture, from the collec-
tion of Lord Wenlock, is well preserved, and displks
the graceful simplicity, massive drapery, and grave
dignity which the painter learnt from the noble coin-

JULY 9, 1853.

positions of Fra llartolommeo. The figure of the
child wants, perhaps, that happy mixture of dignity
and childlike playfulness with which the punter oc-
casionally endowed him.
No. 109, " The Adoration of the Magi." attributed
to Palma Vecchio, but we think enotteously. It ex-
hibits none of the peculiarities of that master. We
should rather assign it to Bonitaecio, whose manner
it resembles both in colouring anti in treatment, and
iu the melting softness of the chiaroscuro.
We wish we could notice all the pietures which
pleased us, but we have already transgressed the dis-
creet limits to which we had intended to confine our re-
marks. We must, however, recommend the beauti-
ful missal by Giulio Clovio to the attention of our
readers. Amongst its rich and glowing pages it con-
tains undoubtedly the best specimen►► of the art of
illumination produced in the sixteenth century.
We shall close our remarks with a notice of the
finest anti most interesting picture the collecti
contains—" The Visitation of the Virgin Mary to St.
Elizabeth," taken from the wall of the Church of
S. Maria della Vine at Rome, and dese►ibed in the
catalogue as the joint perfonmutce of Michel Angelo
and Ira Sebasti►uto del Piombo. We have in vain
searched fin• the slightest proof that Ira Sebastian°
was assisted in this work by his illustrious contempo-
ra►y. There is, indeed, negative evidence that he
had no such assistance. Vasari informs us minutely
in what pictures, and to what extent, Michel Angelo
attOrtled his assistance; but in the present picture,
which he praises amply, he makes no mention of any
aid. It was a work undertaken (he informs us) by
order of M. Filippo da Siena, and the monks to whose
convent the church was attached, being disgusted with
the slowness and idleness of the artist, gave him his
dismissal before the picture was finished, re-
moved his scaffolding from the wall, and eo•
vered over his half-finished performance ; nor was it
till after Sebastitum's death that the work was unco-
vered and justice done to its excellence. It is not
thus we think that a work would have been treated
in which the "divine Michel Angelo" had partici-
pated, a painter who enjoyed, during his life, at least
as much reputation as has since been bestowed upon
him.
Ira

was the inventor of a method of
painting in oils on a wall prepared for the purpose,
which was first put in practice in the " Flagellation"
in S. Pietro in Moutons, to which we have already
alluded. Vasari has recorded the surprise of the
public when the unfinished sketches on the walls of
S. Maria della Pace were uncovered; and he himself
bestows his approbation upon it. The heads of the
attendants, he informs us, were "drawn from the
life, and are full of grace and beauty." He might
have given higher praise; and, if we may say that
there is no evidence for attributing any part of the
design or execution to Michel Angelo, it is not be-
cause we consider either in any way unworthy of that
great master. Each of the heads possesses an indi-
vidual character and a propriety of expression that
are truly admirable, together with a grandeur of
treatment that leaves nothing to desire. We have
already remarked that the composition was only
sketched in, and partially finished. We rather re-
gret that the figure of Zaccharias, which was des•
tined for the background, should lie placed on a
level with the other groups, and in a frame of the
same size, as if forming a part of them. This faulty
arrangement injures the effect.

These magnificent fragments were purchased by
Mr. Bromley at the sale of Cardinal h.sch's gallery.
We cannot but think them better adapted for a pub.
lie than for a private collection, and we regret that
the National Gallery did not make an acquisition so
desirable.

Ely prama.

OLYMPIC TILEATE,E.

THE new burlesque upon the subject of The Mer-
chant of Venice produced at this theatre belongs to
a class of dramatic productions which the more
elegant fairy extravaganzas of Plunclii and
Dance and their followers have nearly driven
from the stage. Nor is the revival of a taste
for coarse and gross caricature much to be desired.
There is considerable humour in the treatment of
the subject, and a marvellous profusion of all possi-
ble and impossible puns ; but there is a tone of vulgarity,
and a certain sense of irreverence, we might almost
say of profanation, anything but pleasing to a refined
taste. Mr. Robson, the representative of Shylock,
a wioney-lender, with the accent of Houndsditeh
(indriferently assumed, by the way), has, we think,
been ml. 11 overpraised. This gentleman umloubt-
edh• throw.: some energy and excitability into his
performance, but those who have seen the late
Liston, John Reeve, or Mr. Keeley, will he slow to
.think that he has made any discovery or thrown any
new light on the art of acting burlesque. At the
same time we are bound to say that Mr. Robson ap-
peared greatly to delight hie audience, The

THE PRESS.

- getting up" of the piety was meagre in the ex-
treme.

ADELPIII

The Camp at Chobhan‘ is the title of a new one-act
farce produeed at this theatre. Why it is so called
it is somewhat difficult to conceive, seeing that,
except the introduction of two inverted stable-
bucket% as easy ehairs" into an (aver's rom, no
attempt is made to illustrate the humorous dilemmas
and expedients of camp life. Nothing can be
slighter than this piece, in plot, language, and
construction. Nevertheless, the spectator Innis, at
the end of half an 1 , that Ie has been amused,
and hay laughed heartily. Ibis ettect is to be
aseribed to the great skill of Mr. Keeley in clothing
and giving life to the bared skeleton. Provided this
gentleman is subjected to n sinentielit In'tptntnm of
annoyance and persecution, a VinTespontling amount
of amusement is certain to result to his audience.

alusit.

THE PURCELL COMMEMORATION.

ON TlMMday, the 30th ult., 010 IllisllllWlN Of the
Purcell Club, according to annual custom, attended
morning prayers in Westminster Abbey, and assisted
the choir in the service and anthems for the day,
which were exclusively selected from Purcell's works.
This annual service, generally known as the " Purcell

Commemoration," owes its existence to the exertions
of the Purcell Club, which was founded in le:fit, for
the purpose of rescuing from oblivion the writings
and memory of England's greatest composer. As
respects the advancement of the musical art, the
objects of this club are most meritorious; for the
extension of a knowledge of Purcell's works cannot
fail to be productive of a good result. Taking into
consideration the period in which Purcell lit ed-
-111:1s-95—and the early age (371 at which he died,
we may safely say that no musician ever accomplished
so much with such small means at his disposal.
From eireumstances as well as front his peculiar
genius, his style is in every respect original, and his
bold and extraordinary harmonies, which could
hardly he well understood until at least a century
after his death, are no less surprising to us modents
them the sublimity of his grander efihrts, and his
inexhaustible Now of melody. However Purcell may
have been surpassed, as regards general effect, by
composers of more modern times, it is certain that,
as a musician of .intelleet, ho stands almost wit feint
a rival. No one ever lived who possessed in such
perfection the power of setting words to music : ho
is alike successful in simple declamat. ,in rendering
abstract thoughts, and in the imitation of natural
sounds; and the most hostile critic will fail to dis-
cover in his writings a false interpretation or an
indefensible accent.
Though the versatility of Purcell's genius led him
to write every species and class of music, he seems,
in his sacred writings, to have been actuated by that
same love for high art, and for the perfection offer'',
that signalised the great. Italian painters of the six-
teenth century ; and his works for the Church, as
regents devotional feeling and general design, are,
in our opinion, the best models for imitation in ex
istence. Mr. Ifelmore, the 14:cclesielogical Society,
and the Itomanising party in our church, would de
well to seek, by study of Purcell, the true source of
expression in ecclesiastical music.; and they might
then, by acquiring that knowledge of principles of
which at present they stand so much in need, cease in
their vain endeavours to persuade mankind that the
quaint and grotesque phrases (we can hardly call
them melodies) of the early and mcdiwval Roman
Church are the only musical sounds that can assist
devotion.
Thu music selected for this year's " Commemo-
ration" was the " llenedicite" in 11 fiat, the
"Jubilate" in I), and the anthems ,4 My heart is in_
diting" and "Out of the deep." This last, which is
hut little known, is inferior to none of the conipmer's
works, and contains a bass solo—" 1 leek for the
Lord," effectively given by Mr. Lawler—which, for
expression, melody, and construction, has never been
surpassed by any writer. Messrs. Henson, M. Smith,
Foster, Banally, and Lloyd greatly distinguished them-
selves by their excellent singing of the verses ; and
the general performance of the music, under the con-
ductorship of Mr. Gosa, was very good. Though our
space is but limited, we cannot avoid noticing the
ability with which Mr. 'Carle presided at the organ :
it is not, however, to his firm hand and power of
interpreting the great master's music that we would
alone refer with approbation, lint to the sacrifices he
makes, amidst difficulties of no ordinary kind, to
ensure a satisfactory result at every Purcell meeting.
His exertions show that enthusiasm for his craft
which is distinctive of the true artist, and of one who
is well worthy to be the successor of !henry Purcell.
The congregation was numerous: amongst them we
Qb4ened Dr. who a great &Imam tot rap.

235

ami who never fella, when in England,
to attend the "Commemoration." It was an inter-

esting sight to see the greatest living composer, with
bass part before him, joining in the choruses as
if he were the humblest tuusician present.

It will hardly lie believed that Wei:twin:4er Abbe).
the eliumit of which Purcell was, during one halt

of his short life, the ergiunst, now possesses but
few of his works, and that, with the exception of the
llenedicite," the tousle performed on Thursday
week was sung from eopit.4s provided ut the expense
of the members of the Purcell Club. This state of

things is very intuit tl► the discredit of the
and Chapter of one of the richest eeelesiastieal
foundations in the world. 'Try havo nut. even the
exeuse of the fear of extravagance.
is so cheap in these days, that the whole of l'ureell's
Outwit uu►sie, l►cautil'ully piintod in beure, tuay
had for lour pOtilltiS.

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA,
111 EV EDEER'S °pent, 11 Profeta, was prolltieed for the
first time this season last Friday week, anti repeat.
again on Tuesday ; the part of bides being sustained
by .line. 'Tedesco, a lady who has aelitlired a consi-
derable reputation on the Continent, and that. of
aioranni tter the first time) by Signor 'randierllk.
me. Telit'Sett IlltS a voice of great compass, and,
though unquestionably better in the lower than in
the upper part, it is well adapted for the part of Fides,
which was, we believe, sung in strict Seenrdlinet4 with
the original text. To an ordinary or casual observer
Mine. Teiletwo's suceess must have seemed complete :
her sellout of singing and her intonation anoint',
good, and there can Ito no question but that the
applause she obtained during the progress and at. the
end of the performative was both genuine aiul well
deserved. But those to whom %attune Vianha
t;areia's impersonation anal reading of Fides, are
familiar, and who are aware of what deep and varied
emoti 111 l s the part is capable, could not fail to see
how far Mine. 'Tedesco falls short of realising the poet's
creation. It seems to us that Mine. Tedesco, though
a very excellent singer, has neither genius nor inten-
sity of freling, and that, although both the cadenza
of the song in the first net, and the passages in the
third act expressive of the mother's indignation at
the son's dental caring parent, were energetically and ar-
tistically rendered, she is apparently incapable of inter-
preting the chartieteristie anal expressive meloiliem
which abound in the opera, and which require. far more
than ordinary ability to render clear to a general an-
diei we. M me. Tedeseo is short in stat ure, and her fea-
tures Iwtray a l lelorew origin. lier acting is quiet and
will t much pretensi , but she deserves commen-
dation for the careful manner in which she has
evidently studied the svelte in the catheilnd.
Signor Tamherlik can hardly be said to be familiar
with the mush., Or to have recovered from the ner •
vousness which is inseparable front performing a
part of such importance i'or the first time, hut we think
we may safely Kewanee his t:iovatitti decidedly infe •
rior, both as regiMl4 singing and acting, to Mario'a. All
those passages which require great force anal energy,
sueli as the finale to the second act, and the drinking
song, " Review intorno," he gave with admirable and
undoubted effect ; but that part of his voice whit+
the Italians style the mezzo twee is so wanting in
quality and power, that. although he is an artist
deeply imbued with musical feeling, he seldom ap-
pears to advantage where a pure round tone and
even singing are the prineipal requirements; and thus
the bender and more pathetic portions of the mush,
cominiUAsl to his charge to a certain extent failed
of their customary result. We see this opera is an-
nounced again for to-night : possibly we may be iu
timed to give a second notice of it next week.
PIIILIIARMONIC SOCIETY.
Tut: progrtunme of an extra concert given on Mon-
day last, by command of her Majesty, was as fol-
lows : _ _

........
l'AuT I.—Munie bp ".t Mldnnunurr Night's Drown," Men-
delsrwisie—Atia," lirtune, t )l Jolt a I !wan." "Summits,' I
—DueUiuu, "Don Curios," Cubta—Ovvrture, "Eguifint," Itue
thovels.
PAW,' I 1.--Sianisia fu A, No. 7, Ileethfiven—itoonaure, "JO.
Kepler " llomat,-o%erture,"Eu-
rybuithe," eber.
The execution of the instnunental portion of the
concert was beyond all praise : considering the in-
tense heat of the weather, the precision with which
the most difficult passages were rendered was quite
surprising. At the risk, however, of being thought
to speak foolishly, we will venture an opinion that
Mr. Costa loses some effect by taking the second and
fourth !tenements of Beethoven's symphony in A
too fast. The time he observes in this last movement
surely approximates to presto rather titan allegro eon
brio. We regret that we cannot commend the
Mine. Viardot, though her pronunciation of
English is unusually good, was evidently not at home
in ilandefs music. Mme.Camtelltut's singing in The
Midsummer Night's Dreams was really abominable;
and the manner in which she perfonued her part in
Costa's duet was, to say the least, most monotonous
and ineffective. Signor Gardoni's habit of forcing
bia ftfica is a gra% grawbacit to his **On 110

cannot by any such process possibly transform him-
self into a tenor of the first order, and we never
heard him to less advantage than at this concert.

NEW PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY.

THE programme of the fifth concert was ag fol
lows :

rAwr I._eimeert Overture, Spahr —" Ave Ventm," M. T.
)'unties; Churmi; K Silas--Chural Syinpliouy, Beethoven.
PART IL—COM:MU, 1) utiuur, piauotOrte, Master J. I.llllliPtt,
311iliddlini411111—Aria, Mlle. Bury, Mozart—Overture, "Jessouda,"
Mohr—Aria, 14. T. Ponnem, Sixthr—Flute .010, Herr Beichert,
Beichert—Overture, " Prometheus," Beethoven.

The presence of Dr. Spohr in the orchestra as
conductor gave a great interest to this concert,
which, though full an hour too long, was, in other
respects, highly satisfactory to the lovers of good
music. The great feature of the prograuune was
Beethoven's "Choral Symphony." One rehearing
of this masterpiece will satisfactorily establish that
it is quite as remarkable fur its beautiful and intelli-
gible melodies as for its extraordinary instrumeinal
effects, and that the neglect which it. ha. met
w•ilh in this country is in no way the fault of the
illustrious composer. lu truth, this sympl y,
though undoubtedly containing the elements of
popularity, is one of the ►cost. profound and diffi-
cult work► ever written, and dennuids lions the
performers an unusual degree of skill, and from
the audience a more advanced state of musical
comprehension than is usually to he found amongst
a general l►ntdie : it follows, therefore, almost
as a neeessary consequence, that constant repe-
tition is the: only way in which the ideas of the writer
can he sufficiently developed and thoroughly under-
stood. This symphony will, we venture to prophesy,
some clay occupy as high► a place ill public estimation
as its predevessors; and we think that the directors
ha% e done good service in having Ilreetimes produeed,
in the course of two seasons, a composition w hose his.
tory and merits entitle it to more intention than it
lass yet received at the hands of the I►hilharnouic
Society. With the exception of the part allotted to
the principal vocalists, the symphony was very well
executed : a few errors on the putt of the band and
chorus were indeed here and there % isible, but it is
acutely fair to criticise to► minutely where there was
sr) much individual excellence. Dr. Spoltr's conceit
overture, though neither so original ill idea, nor
so effective in instrumentation, as many of his

works of the sane class, is a very clever compo-
sition. The deservedly popular overture to
Jessonda, admirably played by the baud, was
redemanded by general acclamation. The dash-
ing and spirited overture to Prometheus was the
worst executed instrumental piece of the evening,
but the lateness of the hour at. which it was per-
formed is ample excuse ti►r any shortcomings. Mas-
ter Ilarnetrs performative was most extraordinary :
he played Mendelsmohn's concerto (without a copy )
in a style that would have dime honour to almost
stay professor. N. Reichart is a very clever flautist :
his sustained notes are of a beautiful quality, and his
only apparent defect is a constant attempt to li►rce
his instrument beyond its capabilities. The vocal
performance was very poor and unsatisfactory. N.
Formes, a tenor, and brother of the basso, has all the
faults of the German singers, and scarce any redeem-
ing points; and Mile. Bury's attempt to sing " Non
paventar" was a most painful Whirr. The "Ave
vertnn " by M. Silas is a dry, uninteresting compo-
sition, without originality, and with but little merit.
It is but justice to say that Dr. Spohr's reading of the
choral symphonies differs but little from that adopted
by N. Costa ; and we must express our dissent
from the proposition laid down in the programme
" that no one is so tit as a great composer to construe
the works of other composers." In the opinion of
PrOfsmSors. Mendelssohn was by no means a first-
rate conductor, even of his own works.