The Express.
London, England, 1861-05-22 00:00:00

SIGNOR AND MADAME FERRARI'S CONCERT.

This concert, at St. James's Hall last night, was
of so attractive • kind that the hall thug crowded to the
doors by a brilliant and tgatheable audience, who appeared
not to be prevented by the explosively sultry state of the
atmosphere from fully enjoying the elegant sod classical
entertainment. The concert begaa with Beethoven's Trio
in C minor for the pianoforte, violin, and violon-
cello (No. 3 of Op. 1), admirably played by MINIM.
Haiti, Wieniewski, and Lidel, and warmly ap-
plauded. In the course of the evening there were
several other instrumental pieces. M. Wieniewski per-
formed a solo on a Russian theme, treated by him with
much fancy, and full of than brilliant pampa and tours de
force by which he is semiathessd to show his unbounded com-
mand of his instrument. To performances of this kind we
do not, we confess, attach very great vane; but the au-
dience thought otherwise, and applauded the performer with
enthusiutic vehemence. M. Halle played two pianoforte
pieces—Mendelasohn's (Unties in E and a solo of Heller's—
in his usual finished and masterly manner ; and Herr Lidel
performed a solo, with great ability, on the violoncello.
With these exceptions, the performances were vocal. The
great star of the evening wee Alboni, who, not being en.
gaged at the Opera, is singing at concerts, and obtaining, it
is mid, enormous terms. She is singing this season as
charmingly as ever, and certainly a more consummate artist
does not exist. She sang two of her most favourite pieces,
the cavatina, " Ah, quel giorno," from Semiramide, and
the famous finale to the Cenerrntola, her execution of which
is a miracle of brilliancy and beauty. It is an especial treat
to hear this lady sing the music of Rossini, for she is one of
the very few who preserve his school—a school so much
purer and better than that which now prevails. After these
two pieties, the most finished performance of the evening was
Mozart's celebratedeentata, n Non tamer, smatohene, sung
by Madame Fermi, with Mr. Lindsay Sloper's masterly
obligate accompaniment. Madame Ferrari's voice is not of
gnat power, but it is sweet, flexible, and of considerable
arespass. Her iatocation is perfect ; she, too, belongs to
the pure Italian school, and her singing derives • charm
from its freedom from everything like straining or exag- '
Neration. She sings with feeling and expression ; but her
manner is quiet and subdued, and ohs is never guilty of
inewaining„ or the spasmodic displays of passion so much in
vogue at present. A singer like this is the safest and best
of mode* aid we may truly say that Madame Pernmi is sot
only • good singer herself but the cause of good gigg-
ing in others. Signor Ferrari's principal performance
was the air, "Si tea i ceppi," from Handers Berendire,
• grand composition, in the choice of which he showed hi
teat* and judgment, for it was perfectly suited to his voice,
and he gave it with great energy and effect. Mr. Tennant,
of whom we have had ocensioe to speak repeatedly in high
tem% mien mediocre air by • composer of the day, throw-
ing into 1$ oar idszable beauty and impresnioa. Besides the
mammas we lams mentioned there were several duets and
concerted Meese, the whole forming one of the hest and most
interesting inewisel performances of the seemo.