The Express.
London, England, 1855-05-03 00:00:00

MUSIC.

MR. AOUIL&R'iI CONCURT.—Mr. Aguilar gave his
ansual concert last night at Drary-laie. It consined, first,
of Le Sorarroasbnics, performed by the company of the
theatre; and next, of a brief 'election of saiseellaneoss
mule. The opera was admirably performed. Madame
Gassier—who seems to be 'Wag subtly in public favour—
acted and sang charmingly, aad was applauded with lithe-
shwa. Bar Baal Ah, non giusgi," was a marvel of
brilliant ezecatios and embellishment. After the curtain feu
she waa vehemently recalled, in order that she might repeat
it. The subsequent concert consisted chiefly of Mr. Aguilar's
pertarsiauces of his own compositions as this pianoforte.
The first mu his allegro asaosheo, with fall orchestral se-
companimeats—a piece constructed on a very extended
stale, with its subjects fully developed sad highly wrought.
The pianoforte part is full of rapid and florid pumps,
admirably calcula.ed to display the performer's bed-
' limit Anger, and clear, artieulete execution; while its
' airy flights are hely contrasted with the smooth,
cantabile phrases whisk flow bout t►e orchestra.
Mr. Aguilar also played a fantasia as themes from Robert
h Lhabbs, which exhibited meek fancy and very skilful
treatment ; and lastly, there was a grand much played by
the orchestra, fall of resonant harmony and martial spirit.
Foal pieces were snag by Madame Bahrein', Mr. Her-
bert*, and Mr. Basilian Brabant. Mr. Aguilar's vs-
a loam psrasimess won warmly applauded by a numerous
sadism*.

Daring the opera there wee sa alum of fire, which arose
we do not know how, foe it seemed without say hue
whatever. It threstesed, however, to spread • pude
through the house, sad for • few ablates interrupted the
pine; bat the moaner and self-pesserelea of the per-
formers on the stage indseed the greater pert of the
audience to keep their seats pretty quietly till they were
assured that nothing was the Ratter.

BACKED ifeamozfic flocurrY.—The performance
by this society of Mendeheath's " Hymn of Praise" a■d
Mozart's "Requiem" immense to attraction on each oesa-
eke. Oa t►eir repetition last sight, Easter-hall was crowded
by an audience "at though Mg few ;" and these great
works, each a muterpieoe of its kind, were probably never
baud to sub advantage. The chorus was admirable for
steadiness, and the ensemble u near perfection as can be
hoped for, the solo singers Wag Mae. Clara Novell°, Mrs.
Lockey, Mr. Sims Reeves, and Herr FOnafte. Bash a per-
(onuses of such works has a high artistic value, and can
scarcely be °vitiated as to its influent on public taste.
We think it would be an improvement to invert the order of
the programme, end to give the "Requiem" first, as the mon
sombre work, thus avoiding saaaswiat of ea anti-Mama: by
its performance rafter the " Hyoid of Praise."

ALBERT SMITH'S MONT BLANC.

THOUSANDTH

rATION.

Last night a crowded audience attended to wit-
ness the thousandth repetition of this popular satertain.
meat, and to contribute to the triumph which always
attends the lecturer on the termination of each hundred
of his representations. There is an rid Spanish end
Oriental compliment expressed in the words, "May you
live a thousand years." Such a wish in favour of any mere
aortal would scarcely appear lees hyperbolical than a desire
that an aster should live through a thousand repetitions of
the same part, or that a lecturer should outlive a thousand
deliveries of the same lecture. Yet Mr. Smith, as actor,
recite; or lecturer, has arrived at this millenarian period
of existence. When he first delivered his lecture on Mast
Blanc, he did, not know whether, amongst artists, he was
not of the order of the ephemera, born to die in a day, bar-
ing only half-lived daring the time. He was as
uncertain of living histrionically speaking until
the neat evening, as the Bniteaess, in the "Arabian
Nights," when she began her first curtain lecture to her wife.
killing husband. Mr. Smith must have felt his metaphorical
head on the first evening as uncertain ea hie shoulders as
did the Salaam Bat the grim public has been as indul-
gent in one ease as the Behan in the other: "Go oa "
was the ay in both oases. Mr. Smith's task, however, has
been more difficult than that of the Saltanses—inasmach as

she tickled the appetite et her voracious lord wit► now food
from the realms of fiction .very easing, while the ►ero
of Most Blase has managed the &Scat achievement of
satisfying the tracaleas public by serving up the same diet,
with trilling variations, every STOping. einem than the
Gook of ad, ***jars seritris, his treatment is oars to please.
Thore has artainly been alterations from time to time,
but the piece de raj:tame, Mout Blanc, is relished as much
os the thousandth as it was es the Int roprustation. The
mass of this marvellous seam is saaaifold. By the and
of a most spirited narrative sad sualsite views he has
"made Mont Blanc ossy" to the meanest capacity. It is
now one of our household words. He leads you to the top
of the most &Salt mountain in the world through an
f flowers. He has admirable humour, a rapid
and tolling mods of delivery, sad a Masts yet forcible way
of pushing hose the point of a stay. His Ulnas infinite-
bhp, sad he delivers them with the gnu sad eme of a lint-rate
Frisch ►smster. In oddities to this he has doss great deeds
as as adialaistrator. He has killed a whole bead of lyric.
noes giants that seed to obstruct the MOUS to ell pelmets
ofamuesmset, and that have unfortunately many ripreseata-
' fives at soma of the theatres ot the rust day. Hoz-
I keepers, bill sellers, and a horde of harpies that preyed, sad
in some instaaas prey now, es the vitals of the Infatuate
sight-sea, are benithed from the Egyptiaa•ball. Thai ass
a few or the deeds which dive won for Kr. Smith the grath
tade of the public.
The entartaiament of last night differed bat little from
that on the ordinary evenings, oust in a Bids stresacey
which took place at the sad of the Sat pert. An Sagest
bouquet of Sowers and s splendidly ousted lithograph
were prosested to ivory lady to the ►ese, and a ear
pasion lithograph to every gutless. Oa his registries.
Mr. Smith was greeted with loud and oostissed applies
There were a few alterations adapted to paths
sante made is ths famous Galignapi sang. Ono is
allasios to the .beard cortmomits which have taken place
in bumf of the late Emperor of Russia's old clothes was
pointed off with an *Erasion as to the desirability of
" Skims Sebastopors breacAu." Ia author, Mr. Smith
spoke of baring ensiesdally rivalled the length of the above-
mutionsd Salaam'. sistrtelling ukases, but attributed
the toodit of that is the kisduss et Ms sadism He was
warmly cheered at the tersisation, and most people seemed
to thick this was every probability that he would appear
at least a thossead times mom.

M. J. Midisl4 has jut published, M Park, a
volute oa the pedal of the Itessinowee. Is is the woo*
volume of his " History' of Peru.," sad is Mewled to Soria
the coometiog link Wives. Me work oa this " Middle A.
oil the Rovotatioa." It is so lamed, William, pus.
&Mal, mad utataials. as sai of his earlier writimp.