The Express.
London, England, 1862-03-21 00:00:00

MUSIC.

YR. LINCOLN'S LECTURES.
Mr. Lincoln delivered bin Stecond lecture ou the
Operatic Overture lut night at the 3farylebone lutitu-
tion. So favourable was the impression produced by tie
Ant lecture last week, that, notwithstanding the executive
inclemency of the weather, there was an audience tree
more numerous than on the previous night.
In his former lecture, it will be remembered, Br. Lei.
coin traced the progress of the operatic overture, from Lilt
first Nuys of the Italian composers of the seventeenth
century to the labours of Loll in France, who first lore
to these preludes interest sad importance ; and then fel
lowed the suorierive step of this progress through the
dramatic works of Gluck, Mozart, Mehul, Cherubini, and
Beethoven, with whose overture to Leonora, performed n
an illustration, the lecture ended.

Last night Mr. Lincoln, starting from this point, brought
'forward another overture of Beethoven—that whirl. he
WOW for the mine opera when it was revived in 1,q4
under its present title d Fidelio. This overture is
not so grand and elaborate as its precursor, from
which, too, it differs in spirit as well as in style, having
reference to the brighter rather than the more gloomy
features of the drama. It shows, moreover, Beethoven's

emancipation from the conventional forms established by
Mozart. Admirably played by Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Ries, it
was exceedingly effective, and wu warmly applauded. The
lecturer then proceeded to Weber, the peculiarities of whew

genius he analysed with great happiness of thought and
language, characterising him as the greatest of all dramatic
composers inthe romantic style. One of Weber's peculiaritia,
the local colouring which he introduced into his works, gr.
Lincoln illustrated by means of his charming overture to
Precioss. The drama being a tale of gipsy life in Spain, the
overture, with its Spanish bolero and original gipsy age.
dies, is in beautiful harmony with its subject. Webefs
peculiarities were further developed in the Preischirz. In
the overture to that opera he showed his wonderful skill in
introducing the most striking peerages of the piece, sod
fusing them into a movement of the most perfect symmetry
of form. Passing on to Weber's contemporary, Spoil:, Br.
Lincoln pointed out the beauties and defects of that great
artist—his exquisite feeling for form and proportion, tie
richness of hie orchestral colouring, entitling him to be
called the Titian of Munk, and on the other band his en.
thrive proneness to full and chromatic harmonics, sad
certain memoriam which is apt to be fatiguizi,
Mr. Linozbaßlostrated his remarks by the performance of
the overture to Jessoncla, Spohr's beat opera. Turning
then to the modern Italian composers, he noticed their
general incapacity, from the defective nature of their
studies, to prodnoe solid and masterly instrumental music—
excepting, however, from this censure the greatest &moil
them, Rossini, to hose genius he did ample justice. Ac in
illustration he gave Rossini's gorgeous overture to Scan.
amide, which was so splendidly executed that it war
followed by reiterated rounds of applause, evidently
Weeded to express a desire for its repetition;
and, judging from our own feeling, we think the
audience were disappointed that their demonstration use
not so interpreted. Turning, finally, to the modern French
school, Mr. Lincoln discussed at some length, and in a rap
interesting manner, the marital of the present representatives
of that school, Athos and Meyerbeer, giving as illustrations
Amber's overtures to Mosthiello and the Cheval de Bronze,
and Meyerbeer's overture to Le Pardon de Pleerwel, called
in this country Disorient.
With this last piece the lecture concluded. Mr. Lincoln

expleined that he had not given any of the overtures at
Haydn or lleadsissoka ; those of the former belonging to
operas width are not now of interest, and those of the latter
not being operatic. He mentioned, however, that he coo.
tunplated a course of lectures in which thane great maxi.
dam would dad their proper places. V. hope he will
accomplish his design, for a lecture from Mr. Lincoln co A
musical subject is owe to be both entertaining and in.
struotive.