The Express.
London, England, 1856-06-14 00:00:00

THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF FEMALE MUSICIANS.

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This society gave their amine concert last night
at the Hanover-square Roams. This excellent society was
founded in the year 1839, by the yrsiseworthy exertions of
Mime Mama, I. meet a requirement which had hitherto re-
mained entirely usprevided for. The elder inatitu ion, the
Royal Society of Musicians, exc:odirg female members, the
lupe and iccremits clue of lady rofessots were whigly
without thole means of provision which had long before
been secured to artiste of the other es:, when Miss Ramon

•
supplied the waist by the estabhehment of the sister
society. We are truly glad to find that the icetitatiou is is
• fairly gocd position, the present espital exceeding
Bat then, it mat be remembered, dist it is of oomparatively
resent date, and few claims tars as yet been made on its
funds. The tepee of a few years, bringing those casualties
to which the musical profession is peculiarly liable, Mid
naterelly cause increased demands on the society's ressareu.
It therefore behoves all who have the mesas, and can sten-
putties with the precarious position ci the female musician.
to lead a helping hand in so admirable • cause.
The concert of last night will doubtless prove of substan-
tial benefit, meths, performers contributed their gratuitous
services, tad the room was well filled. The entertainment,
Indeed, was far superior to the generality of sediments,
some of the best artists of the day having given their
aid, end a fairly good orchestra being assembled under Mr.
Blagrove as leader, and Professor Sundae Bennett as con-
•ductor. The great feature of the evening was Medusa
Schamann's magnificent performance of Mandeb-
toha's 0 Minor Concerto, her interpretation of
which displayed all those high qualities, both
mechanical and intellectual, in which she has but one or
two rivals. The pianoforte on which she played was •
splendid instrument, lent fir the occasion by the waken,
Wean. Broedwood, who have been munificent benefactors
to both the Royal Societies of Musicians.
The list of vocalists comprised the names of Mesdames
Viardot Garcia, Clara Novell°, Rederodoeff, Mils Birth,
Miss Do.by, and other eminent artists, all of whom seemed
animated with the feeling that they were fulfilling • noble
mission is coatribstisg to the aid of their less fortunate
sista: insiliaas.

DRAMA.

LYCEUM.

The repetition of Maria Sdssarda has more than can-
tles,* our first impressions both of the play and the
ee°ema. The former, although containing gnat beauties,
bee more than the ordinary amount of Schiller's defece.
It displays more openly than many of hie dramas the
marks of that ',stem which be followed, more or less, fa
all his tragedies. We may get an insight into this system
by a consideration of his remarks up in the see of the
Iberia in the drama. " As the chorus," he tells us, "gives life
to the language—so it also 'lets re{ o.• to the action; but it is
that beautiful mad lofty repose which is the characteristic
of a true work of art. For the mind of the spi minor ought
maintain its freedom through the most impassioned
meats ; it should not be the mere prey of insprenions, but
calmly and @evenly detach itself from the emotions which it
stiffen. The common-plue objection made to the chorus,
that it distatbe the illusion and blunts the edge of the
f. slings, is what coastitates its highest noommendation ;
for it Is this blind kite of- the affections whisk
the true artist deprecates." This theory would, II
true, exclude Sbakspeare and Goethe from the rank
of tragic poets. The mind of the spectator or reader
a does " maintain its freedom" through their tapes-
sioned scones. It cannot " severely detach itself from the
emotion which it staffs's." It is, on the contrary, a prey
to emotion and passion during these scenes, and their ex-
cessive beauty 'mitoses only thoroughly apparent when we
look back upon them, and sake them the of j. cto of re-
flection. When we read a play of Schiller, the ezcuding
beauty of the ci =positives is the ant thing that strikes us.
All his character. are ideals. Ezespt in the ItAbers and is
Wailessiein, he rallies away the life of the character, and
deprives it of movement, for fear that as exuberance of
vitality and action should destroy that grace which is,
usordteg to him, the gest requisite in a cos pleitiou. Mary
Stuart, in his tragedy, is an idealised saint. Her repentance
is saintly. Her very indignation is holy. Bat we weary of
the contemplation of so mush perfeztion, end loss kr a
little action to units the languid surreal of life. It is
the great busty of Dldme. Hatori's settog that she bee
thrown into the character all that warmth of holy cohering
whch Schiller attended, while e, at the same time, by
the wonderful modulations of toss and graces of gestures,
puts more vitality into the put than we should suppose it
c.pable of receiving. Eno in such scene, as that with
Mortimer, where she has to stand almost motionless while
listening to his somewhat tedious tamest" the regality of
her attitude, the gr.es of the few slight pewee, and the
misevellmus play of the features, u venues emotisserippie the
calm of her soul, were as " telling" as the most militated pen
as interpreted by a common settees. When the post so fax
departs from his method as to cr.swd the noes with action,
the actress displayed the whole pmrees i f her consummate
act The famous scene where Elissb:th, by her reproaches.
provokes her to retort, was an *sample of this hued. The
terrible emphasis laid on the " each time that she con.
tram her own cendeet with that of her rival was very
grand, and the successive gradations of unchained passion
as she heaps reproach spot Elisabeth until she ends with
the weeds—

0,01 bees drift
Itersimi. II marsett, or sells polve.
. s• Wet *di; dm too rip oft to

were no leis so. She towered npidly up into iefisite
ahi-
twdes of passion. We trust, boson?, tint the posers of
the actress will eon be displayed is eharaenn better adapted
to her thaw that of Mary Stain. When are we to have
'lay of Allied ?

TM renowned Johanna Wegner makes Ilex eettet
in Imbed et her htajut7•e Thistle tbis main.

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et: expreoo.

TO OORRNSPONDENTS.
Idolotamoolatittlededter .Tbe Itzpreehndadea Beeedagpapet,
suet be et the Mee, 10, leeverbortreet, bg Two Vela* ea the
dog et pablisedea.

RION WATS' AT LONDON BELDOI.
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