The Express.
London, England, 1867-02-26 00:00:00

[STAMPED, Id. ADDITIOIAL]

MONDAY POPULAR CONCERTS.

The novelty included in the following pro-
gramme of last night's concert had a certain interest as
presenting an example of the latest manifestation of Ger-
man musical art :

PART I
Sextet, for two violins, two violas, and two
violoncellos (first time at the Monday Popular
Concerts' Brahma.
Rom " The Maiden and the Elver" Benedict.
Sonata In E flat, Up. 27, No. 2, for pianoforte
alone Beethoven.

PART It.
Sonata, in A Maj.T, for planol..rte and elan. „ Norart.
Song, " The mighty trees bend"
Trio, in G major, fur pianoforte, violin, and vio-
loncello

Herr Brahma is one of several living German composers
who are striving to maintain a nationality of musical style
by efforts that are generally more remarkable for ambition
than fulfilment. A departure from that symmetry of form
and beauty of proportion which characterise the school of
Haydn and Mozart demands a genius as vast and pro-
found as that of Beethoven, or at least as poetical and
profuse in its imagery as that of Schubert. Without such
powers the attempt at the abstract and the ideal,
especially in works of large design, is very apt
to result in mere incoherence and crudeness. Many
of Robert Schumann's larger compositions are open
to this charge, although pertly redeemed by one-
sional passages of beauty and of power. There are now, ,
I however, in Germany several imitators of Schumann, who
appear to have all his ambition without his imagination,
and one of the most prominent of these is Herr Brahma, a
native of Hamburg, who was first made eonspicuous by a I
very high down eulogy written by Schumann in a German
musical paper some thirteen years sine. Herr Brahma,
who is still comparatively a young mart, has composed
works in most of the forms of chamber composition, and
the sestett which was performed last night for the first
time here may be taken as fair specimen of
the powers of a composer who has occupied much atten- I
Goa of late years in Germany. The first movement room-
mama with a graceful, but not very original or very
striking subject, the treatment of which, however, soon
becomes vague and the writing confused and laboured,
especially the earlier portion of the second part, that in-
f►llible test of the muter hand. The andante, a simple
theme in D minor, is varied, and elaborated with occa-
sional effect, somewhat in the quaint style of the old com-
posers, but without much evidence of skill in part-writing.
The scherzo and trio are brilliant and animated, but have
no originality in subject or treatment. The
final movement, a rondo, has some passages of
rather graceful melody, but here, again, the conduct
of the movement is vague and laboured ; and the con-
clusion of the sestet leaves a decided impression that its
author is an earnest and laborious artist, but without
the genius which alone can justify the production of
works of such extent and design. The sestet, however,
seemed to please a large portion of the audience, and the
scherzo was very near being encored. The work was
admirably played by Herr Joachim, Messrs. Ries, H.
Blagrove, Zerbini, Paque, and Signor Piatti. The
great feature of the concert was Madame Schumann's admi-
rable performance of Beethoven's sonata (" quasi fan-
tasia"), the companion to the well-known " Moonlight "
musts. Nothing could be finer than Madame Schumann's
phrasing and expression in this solo performance, although
we should have preferred the first movement and the
allegro in C major a trifle slower ; and the same with the
last movement of Mozart's charming duet sonata, played
to perfection by Madame Schumann and Herr Joachim,
who, with the addition of Signor Piatti, were the exe-
outwits in Haydn's melodious trio. Both Mr. Benedict's
characteristic song, and Schubert's romantic " Junge
Ronne," were expressively sung by Miss Edith Wynne,
who was encored in the last-named piece. Mr. Benedict,
as usual, was the conductor.

EXETER-HALL.—Mendelasohn's Hymn of Praise
and Rossini's Stabil Muter will be performed to-morrow
night by the National Choral Society (including a band
and chorus of nearly 700) conducted by Mr. G. W. Martin.
The solo parts will be rung by Madame Suchet-Champion,
Miss Lucy Franklein, and Mr. Renwick.

Drama.

DRURY-LANE.

Lost night The Merchant of Venice was revived
at this house,with Mr. Phelps in the character of Shylock,
and Mrs. Hermann Vezin in the character of Portia. It
will be played during the week, and will be changed for
The School for Scandal next Monday.