The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-05-22 00:00:00

PHILHARMONIC CONCERT.

The fourth concert of the subscription took place on
Tuesday evening, the principal vocalists being Miss
Sherrington (soprano) and Herr Rokitansky (bass) ; and
pianist, Madame Schumann, Mr. Z. Hermann conduct-
ing with his usual skill and discrimination.

The band played three overtures, beginning with the

" Etoile do Nord," and afterwards giving the " Oberon"
and the " Cheval de Bronze" all with excellent spirit
and feeling. Miss Sherrington is, we believe, of our
county, and has spent a long probation on the Continent,
where, it is to be regretted, she has evidently made the
French school too exclusively her study; still she is a
gifted vocalist, with a great compass of voice, though a
little faulty in the mid-register. She sang a somewhat

uninteresting cavatina, by Benedict, which, although
unpleasing in itself, served admirably to display Miss
Sherrington's powers, which are undeniably great,
uniting perfect vocal facility with real musical feeling
and taste ; and from the fine expression she gives of her
music, we imagine the lady would be an acquisition to
the operatic stage. Herr Rokitansky has a bass voice
of good power and quality, and sang with much
of the French exactitude of style and expression, but
whether it was from his selections being unsuitable, or
from a certain distance of manner, he did not, seem to
take hold of his audience. He sung Pietros' solo, from
"La Etoile du Nord," "Oh, jours heurenx," which
is really unequal to its situation, and although admirably
rendered, failed to excite enthusiasm. The same fate
attended the duet from the same opera, also sung in
French, which polite language we must say continually
mars the musical effects. Madame Schumann, a famed.
pianiste, made her debut, and astounded the auditory by
the Herculean uerfortnance of Beethoven's concerto in
E flat, with full orchestral accompaniments. This, her
first essay, was a triumph ; the varied excellence of her
reading each particular passage with force, precision,
delicacy and feeling, was, indeed, a pleasing marvel ; and
we think this is the first time we have heard the piano-
forte used in a hall so large, where it carried out a
genuine musical purpose. The band took the. accompani•
ments evidently con amore ; and the exquisite composi-
tion took the possession of the listeners per se, despite
the wondrous powers of the excetaante ; and it is more
complimentary to have to say this of our pianiste, than
to heap praises on her feats on the instrument, although
we might justly do this were we to enter into the details
of all her performances.
The concert ball was well attended, but not quite so
well filled as usual.

FRANCE.

(YRO.I/ JUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

PARIS, TUESDAY EVENING

Some attention has been attracted to-day to an
article in the semi-official Constitutionnel, recom-
Mending the Pope, but in very mod erata language,
to make serious administrative reforms, to im-
prove the administration of justice, to establish
an army capable of protecting order, to promote
public works, and develope commerce and manu-
factures. As the Constitutionnel never speaks on
such subjects without orders, it is certain that
the article is " inspired" by the government, and
it is considered a proof that the government either
has addressed itself, or will address a remonstrance
to the Pope on his system of government.
The soreness of the Russians at the Anglo-
French-Austrian treaty of the 15th April continues
unabated. I am told that Count Orloff was at
first so offended about it that he actually
threatened nothing less than to take his passports.
The Russians are more vexed with France than
with England for signing the treaty, as it seems
to them an unkind and cruel act, after the advances
she made to them just before and after the peace,
and after the manner in which they have
flattered and fawned on her. With Austria
they are perfectly savage—her conduct fills
up, they say, the measure of her base-
ness and perfidy to them. And they are
labouring hard to destroy the confidence of Eng-
land and France, and especially the latter, in her,
by representing to them that at the very n2Qment
at which she was negotiating the treaty of the TiZ!rh
April with them, she was trying to induce Prussia
to sign a treaty unknown to them, to protect her
Italian possessions.
The Archduke Maximillian, anxious to see
something of Paris life, quitted his host, the
Emperor, and dined at a celebrated restaurant, the
Trois Freres Rue Provencaux, in the Palais
Royale.

The monthly Customs' returns, published to day,
show that the receipts in April last were
14,030,172 fr., or 1,137,000 fr. less than in the cor-
responding month of last year. In the decline,
one of the principal items was cotton—but this is
explained by the large imports of that article
which were made in the preceding month.
The Pays says, in contradiction to the London
Times, that the Russian expedition about to be
sent to Laponia is strictly scientific.
The Sardinian government has resolved to give
its soldiers, who went to the Crimea, a medal made
from the bronze of one of the enemy's cannon. In
the last sitting of the Sardinian Chambers, the
re-establishment of diplomatic relations withlßussia
was announced.

Berlin despatches say that it was confidently
believed that the Queen of England will visit that
city in order to attend the marriage of the
Princess Louisa with the Prince Regent of Baden.
The Princess is sister to the Prince who is to
marry the Princess Royal of England.