The Express.
London, England, 1866-11-28 00:00:00

inusitc.

IL&NOVER-SQUARE ROOMS.
• The second of a short aeries of chamber ooncerta
tisk place at the Hanoveraqtare Rooms last night, when the
performance commenced with a pianoforte quartet by M r
R. Prout—a oomposition which gained the first prise given
bet year by the Society of British Musicians, an institu.
tics since defunct. Three years previously the same com-
poser gained a similar prize for a violin quartet. As these two
works are classed respectively as Op. 1 and 2, their author
would appear to be slow in production compared with
airtaill of our.native composers, who pour forth symphonies,
overtures, concertos, and other such large pieces, with
a rapidity which argue the utmost faith in their own
powers, and but little of that deliberation from which
alone any valuable product can result. Mr. Prout's
quartet (which we had not heard beforel is so far superior
to anything of the kind of British origin that we have
beard for many years, that we should be glad to find him
making further essays, and in wider directions. Without
claiming for Mr. Prout any distinct originality of style, or
mach purely inventive powers as scarcely belong to any
but a few favoured followers of art, we yet recognise in
his pianoforte quartet a work that is entitled to rank u a
composition, and may be heard repeatedly with pleasure
even by those who are familiar with the best pieces of its
slam The two first movements healing rather to
tire school of Mozart than to any other style.
The first allegro contains some vigorous writing, and the
fallowing andante is full of graceful melody, with an
sonaional variety of rhythm that is scarcely found in the
work of a mere novioe. Tho scherzo possesses much
character and fire, and is far beyond an average specimen
al a form not easy to reproduce. The best portion of the
whole quartet, however, is the finale, which contains
mach that is really admirable. There is some free fugal
writing and imitative counterpoint, contrasted with pas-
sages of modern brilliancy ; together with a power of
sustained continuity carried through a movement of con-
siderable length, that prove Mr. Front to possess great
requisites for the higher forms of instrumental composi-
tion. In this finale there are slight traces of the
style of 31endelssohn, but nowhere that direct con-
!wince of phrases, largely diluted in transference, which
forms so prominent a feature inmost of the recent so-called
English music. Especially noticeable is Mr. Prout's power
of ooncertante writing—giving that free and unconstrained
alternation to the different instruments which is so men-
tial a feature and so great a charm in concerted music-
ian pianoforte passage writing, too, is generally excel-
lest, being thoroughly suited to the genius of the instru-
ment. The whole work gave us a pleasure, and we may
say a hope (for we believe Mr. Prout is still young)
which we have not derived from any instru-
mental music of recent English growth. It was very
well played by Messrs. Shedlock (pianoforte), Betjemann
(violin), Burnett (viola), and E. Howell (violoncello).
Mendelssohn's first sonata for pianoforte and violoncello
Kiss Fanny Howell proved herself a pianist of considerable
powers of execution and expression ; she has a firm touch,
distinct finger, and phrases well. Mr. E. Howell is fast
rising into notice as a violoncellist. His tono is excellent,
powerful without any approach to that coarseness or null
quality which is sometimes heard from the instrument
and his execution and style are equally good. One of the
features of the evening was the brilliant violin playing of
Mr. Betjemann in a difficult fantasia by Sainton, another
solo being contributed by Mr. Shedlock, who gave the
adagio and rondo from Beethoven's pianoforte son►ta
(the " Waldstein.") The remainder of the programme
consisted of some vocal music (by Miss Palmer and Mr.
Hamming), and a violin quartet by Beethoven.