The Express.
London, England, 1859-03-28 00:00:00

LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, MARCH 28, 1859.

ruszo.

CRYSTAL PALACE.
The death of Beethoven took plaos on the 26th
of March, 1827; and Saturday last having been the anni-
versary of that event, the Crystal Peace Concert consisted
of • mimes:en of the entire music of IVA°. The idea
we- • very profitable one. So great, within these few yes*
has been the change in the rate of music in England that
the opposition between the popular and the clerical no longer
mate. On the contrary, the way to make a semakel per-
formance popular is to make it am severely classical ea pow
Bible. Fashion, we suspect, has a good deal to do with this.
But Whir may do good as well as harm. What we at Ant
run after from the force of example, we may continue to
follow from taste and inclination. This really memo to be
the case at preeeet with typed to musk. The names at
Mozart, Beethoven, and Mendelsohn have got into
rural corm—are m talked of that they have become house-
hold words among us • and multitudes, who now lock Is
haw their mode tweaOse others do, axe kerning to under-
stand sad enjoy it for its own sake. We have never saes a
sae teowded sameablsge than that which was attracted loth*
Crystal Polar on Saturday by the annottacemant of an opem
which moat have been known by name only to three inker of
the persona present, for It is a work which, notwithsrediag
Ito Inaserdant excellisoe, ham never become popular * this
or any ether cometry, sot even excepting the country
anthcies birth. It has not been brought before the Begirt
public these twenty years (for we do not reckon its two or
I three more recent performances at the Italian Opera), and
whisk woe, It made no great impression, for Beethoven's
sates had sot then gained its present popularity. The we
would be my different now, if we had ear a national opera
as this great country ought to have. Were Fidehe brought
upon the English stage—were one of the most interesting
dramas in tba world octal with dr truth and pariou—were
music, In which the dramatic knee of Clinch is combined
with thetheauty of Mosart, swag with dr Whig and power—
web a performance word tabs the peddle by stain, and pro-
bably create an US in the annals of on muakal stage.
The assemblage at the Crystal Palace was indeed a re-
markable homage to the name of Beethoven. Not only Imo
the Iseality appropriated to conked performances—lt can
bare: be minds concert-room, emir that it is urienclosedca
mimed miry side—crowded to ewer, bat hundred!, extend-
fag for Into the open air, were trying to listen to
ern* which could scarcely even reach their secs.
Certainly Beethoven's mode meld hardly have been
beard under more unfavourable thenmehmerie. It is err
daily and pre-ernisently dramatic. Written for the star,
It damn& the etre; and the mare thoroughly the music of
en egos to suited to the step, the Ire is it suited to the or-
sort-nem. On this occosion the an* d Fiklio was sung
bra begradng to end ; but all the sores *which the action
Is carried on without music were passed over; so that the
greatest beauties of the music, kennelling and e :premien, must
have been lost to those who were not already acquainted with
the Mar or who had not previously studied the libretto—
, for le de so driving the performance was impossible; and we
mM add to all this, the difficiolty of hearing In so vest
en
axes. Berne It nersearily happened that, though the
audience, even to the outsider of the &menhir*, Waned
with praiseworthy attention the performance went somewhat
flatly off. The principal performers, Madame Rudandorff,
Madame Weise, Mr. War Cooper, end Mr. Weis,
exerted themselves strenecouly, and did all that could be
emend from singers under each difficulties. The rod
elhetive pre was the beautiful address to Rope, in which
Maur }Ludendorff, by means of her clear and penetrating
voles, made a cousiderable imprenion. This, in truth, se
be. been found by experience, is the only merman in the
opera which can be successfully transferred from the ear to
the concert-room. There are very few choruses, but they

wens well sang, especially the famOtta chorus of prisoners;
bat this most be emociated, either in the =Maier the bodily
eye, with the forlorn group on the stage, espesially the vene-
rable white-bearded patriarch, whose image Is always called
up by Beethoven's pathetic strain. Herr Mesas end his
orobeetra, too, acquitted automate/8 admirably. Of the bur
overtures, two were played : the first, which was never per
with the epees, but wes published after Beethoven's
death ; and the second, which formed the actual prelude to
the opera when first produced, but was afterward* replaced
by the more brilliant and theatrical overture now most game-
Nally known.

We may add that the version of the drama used on this
°cession was that which was made and adapted to the
English stage SOON years ago by Mr. Thomas Oliphant ; •
version characterised by literary elegance and musical still;
and we may observe, in conclusion, that this performance,
on the whole, not only did great honour to the direct.= of
the Crystal Palace, but gave a gratifying proof of the grow-
ing love in the English public of the great and beautiful in

AfASON JONES'S ORATIONS.

a Orman Mane, we, 11114" am( holy." Occulowlly, u
la the but mouse% Mr. Ram le barayed into a oratorios
of imagery; ommionally he oem word► and employs mute
whkh Jar on the refined ear ; but, in spite of them defeats,
hale a remarkable man, and one in harming to whom a
couple of booze may be very advantageously ►peer.