The Express.
London, England, 1863-05-02 00:00:00

CRYSTAL PALACR.

Yesterday the opening of the tenth season of the
Crystal Palace took pines under the most hopeful and en-
couraging dronnistanera. last year the commencement of
the season passed unnoticed, in the glare that ushered in the
opening glories of the Great Exhibition ; but after the
novelty of the South Kensington building and its contents
had pawed away, and was left to contend on its own merit.
with the Crystal Palace, the verdict of the public was unani-
mous in favour of the older and brighter structure near
Sydenham, and the year closed with solid and
substantial results. Happily on this occasion, for the
Crystal Palace, there was no extraordinary event to mar
the May-day entertainmente which mark the inauguration
of what may be called the Sydenham Season ; and when
not en concurrence with a rival that may attract an unusual
amount of public favour and attention, the Crystal Palace
may defy all competitors that stand on their intrinsic and
permanent means of fascination. Indeed it is the universal
opinion of strangers and foreigners that the Palace—its
prospect, its position, and its peindiarities—constitutes the
feature of the metropolis—that it is the Kohinoor
London.

The last year of its first decade bail now opened, and,
judging from yesterday's appearances, it is likely to run to
• preepsroue close. Much will depend, of coarse, on the
weather, which for some niuths past and up to
the puma time rase been singularly favourable
to the sense of out-of-door enjoyment. Yoder-
day was no exception to what seems to be the
"spirit of the nelson," for though the air efts somewhat
sharp it was tempered sad mellowed by the rays of •
brilliant sue; and this no doubt contributed pestle to swell
the numbers who visited the Crystal Palace, and whom but
foe "this sweet May morning" not even Nesulebsolues
yet to itaoines Athalie would have attracted train
bulare and from home.

This grand and solemn work, together with the musical
compositions prepared by Auber and Meyerbeer for the
opening of the International Exhibition and the Natioeal
Anthem was the special feature of the day ; but before
proceecliog to notice these perforinsoces, it may be
just as well, on this the opening day of the
season, to glance at the programme of the arrange•
moots as far aa they have been "prospected" by the direc-
tors and managers of the Crystal Palace. The present
mouth includes, besides the performances of yesterday, two
grand concerts, a flower show, and the festivities that air-
company the Whitsuntide week. There will be three grand
coucerts on the three first Saturdays of June, and a grand
show of roses on the last Saturday of the month, in addition
to archery meetings, to he continued for two days. The
programme for July embraces three grand concerts on
the three first Saturdays of the month, and the Royal
Dramatic College fits on the fourth Saturday and following
Monday. A steam fire•engine competition is fixed for the
let of July, and the prize distribution of the National Rifle
Association will take place on the 20th of the same mouth.
The mouth of August is ushered in by a Me of the Queen's
Westminster Rifles. This is an enumeration of the ar-
rangements already entered into, but no doubt others will
be announced as the season advances, and the directors
appeer determined to take advantage of every opportunity
that may present itself of employing their great resource*
and unrivalled Palace and grounds for the enjoyment and
gratification of the public.
Of the ordinary attractions of the Palace, inch as the
Exhibition Department, the orchestral music so long and so
ably conducted by Mr. Manna, the Picture Gallery, the
rahool of Art, Science end Literature, and the Crystal Palace
Art Union, it is unnecessary to speak, as they are well and
f►vour►bly known to the public. But there is one depart-
ment of the contents of the Palace which, though not new,
has recently acquired so much extension and has been
arranged in such admirable order as to be deserving of
especial mention—the Technological Museum, under the
superintendence of Dr. David Price. This collection was
formerly placed in an upper gallery, where it was rarely
asen,t and still leas regarded, except by those who took a
special interest in the subject. It now occupies a con-
spicuous and extensive position in the first gallery con-
tiguous to the tropical department of the nave, and is
eminently worthy of the attentive inspection of visitors.
Mr. Costa, the conductor of a band and chorus of about
2,500 performers, took his place shortly before three
o'clock, and was warmly received on presenting himself.
The centre transept, where the musical pert °manes took

place, and the galleries overlooking it, were filled by an
immense mum of visitors. The sight, like all eights where
human beings are congregated together, was extremely
imposing, and the bright and strongly contrasted
colours of the female attire added brilliancy and
variety to the scene. When it is added that 1
the son shone with such fervency through the too
pervious glass as to require the protection of thousands of
parasols, it will be seen that a cheering warmth was not
wanting to complete a splendid picture. And yet one bad
ooly to avert his eye from Mr. Costa and his audience to
dwell and feast upon another scene more natural and not
leas pleasing—the splendid landscape that extends from the
Crystal Palace to the fading landmarks of Surrey. Mnsies
"expressive power" is, however, too potent, the ear pins
the victory over the eye, and something like 14,000 persons
are possessed by the grand straws of Mendelssohn's music
to Atitaiie, which arise from the orchestra punctually at
three o'clock—the hour appointed.
Of this music to AtAalie we gave some aoomint • few
days ago, in an anticipatory notice of its performance on this
occasion. But we remind our readers that it was one of the
last efforts of Mendelseohn, having been written i• the year
before his death. A German version of Racine's celebrated
tragedy was produced at the Royal Theatre at Berlin, and
Mendelesohn, at the desire of the King, composed the
music for the lyrical portion of the drama. After his death,
this music having attracted the notice of our late Prince Con-
sort, was performed at Wiodsor, when instead of the play
being performed, an abridged translation of it was read.
Subsequently the abridged version of the tragedy was
changed into • narrative poem, which, by relating the
incidents of the drama, served to explain the subject. of the
musical parties., and to link them together. This poem,

originally: wrings; in Garman, was "done into Erilish"
with great ability by Yandeheolts'a friend, Mr. liartbolo-

mew; and it hes bun fa 01111jUDOUOD with Mr. Bartholomew's
version of the poem that the mimic has been performed,
Ant by the Philharmosio Society, and afterwards by the
Sacred Harmonic Society, at Exeter-hall. It was by the
Sexed Harmonic Society that the arrangements for the great
performance of yesterday were undertaken and carried oat.
under the immediate superintendence of Mr. Oasis; sad
the perforatione war attended with all the moms that
could possibly have been expected. The choir and brim
mental band were a body of performers 2,500 stave( : the
whole of Chin tuneful host were in a state of perfecedis-
cipline, end nothing could exceed the manner in which
they all did their duty. This made of Mendelescan's,
too, wee better fitted than Handers Oratorios (the works
to which the Crystal Palace festival performances ham
hitherto been confined) for being pmformed on so great
a scale, in one very important respect : Handers Oratorios
are full of airs for tingle voiose, end it is admitted that
oven our most powerful singers cannot give due effect to
solo* in so vast a locality. A good deal, indeed, has been
done to improve the " sonority 'of the central trams*
but no ingenuity, we believe, will ever be able to fit it for
music of this kind. Now the AtAatie music is eatirely
there and concerted; there ere DO airs, and the bits of solo
which occasionally occur are few in number, brief, and
fragmentary. The bulk of the music consists of means of
harmony of such breadth sad volume that it can be dis-
tinctly beard even in such en expanse; and when so much
is great and powerful we an Inclined to put
up with whet is weak or theme, when we
smessiew .00-11remenef • his Vie mat effeddre
things wet• the megnibleat chords, "Lad, let us hoar
Thy voice," and the march of the priests and Levites, the
soldiers of the Temple, se they array themselves in defence
of their lawful king. In the one, the swell of choral har-
mony was sublime beyond expremion ; in the other, the
clang of warlike instruments was more " apiritatirring
that any martial music we have ever beard. Oa the other
hand, the reading of the poem was a failure, but no one will
suppose that the failure was the reader's fault, when that
reader was Mr. Phelpe. That he read admirably everybody
will believe, though not one in a hundred of the persons
present could distinguish a word he said. The unhappy
effect of this may easily be imagined, especially is thole
places where the recitation is accompanied by music. The
snatches of melody and harmony from the orchestra, which
fill up the pauses of the speaker, are beautiful and sigaill-
cant when the speaker is heard, but when he is not, their
beauty and meaning are entirely lost. But this, again, we
were fain to put up with, as en unavoidable defect in an
otherwise grand and Admirable performance.
The marches, composed by Meyerbeer and Auber for the
opening of the International Exhibition on the Oat of May,
last year, were heard to mach greater advantage then on
that occasion when their affect was almost destroyed by
the DODO and oratellielk that prevailed. They are both
fine composition ; but we prefer Auber's. Meysrbser's is
the more grandiose, beit-Mis laboured, and smells too math
of the lamp ; while Anber's has the clearness, simplicity,
and grate Which distinguish all the works of this delightful
composer.

La methinks we may ask—since it is so eery diflkelt to
find Misting winks adapted in all respects for perfoereame
in aneh a locality ea the Crystal Pa ace—may not the ruins
at some of oar greatest composers be put in requisition to
famish works ooestmeted with an express slew to Inch