The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-01-30 00:00:00

MADAME CONSTANTINI'S CONCERT

Under the patronage of the members of the Borough,
St. George's Hall was opened last night, for the first
Grand Concert, given by Madame Constantini, whose pre-
ceding fame was established locally by the enthusiastic
plaudits of a densely crowded, but not less discriminating,
audience. The prestige of the fair vocalist ensured that
which was to the letter fulfilled, a fell attendance of her
fellow townsmen, and still more of her townswomen, and
hence the adventitious aid of the public announcement of
the patronage of members of parliament, an arena seldom
accustomed to harmonious sounds, was superfluous. We
know not whether either of our senatorial representatives
were present, but we can assure them had they
been so, they would have found in St. George's. Hall, last
night a most pleasing symphony to the labours which
to-morrow will be opened to them by another, but still regal,
programme. Of the audience assembled last night, it is
gratifying to repeat that the numbers were multitudinous,
and not less discriminating their taste and judgment, It
now behoves us to allude to the performances which elicited
the manifestations of both those desiderata. It would be
an idle task to run through the programme in the order in
which it was set out, and, indeed, were we so disposed,
our space prohibits the prolix task. We may dismiss
it with a passing encomium upon the judgmete: which
dictated the selection of which it was composed. Divested
of orchestral accompaniments, the vocalists who appeared
were the prima donna, Madame Constantini, Mr. H. Braham,
Signor Veroni, and, though " last not least in our esteem,"
that gem of ballad minstrels, Mr. George Perren. Madame
Constantini made her debut (for the es ening) in the Scene
and Cavatina, from Bellini's opera of " Norma," already
well known, and popularly appreciated under the lineal
annonce " Casta Diva." If the fair songstress failed at ull,
it was in the absence of the orchestral accompaniments, to
which we have already adverted, and which are so essential
to the effect necessary even to a Concert-room outline of
the lyric drama. A piano-forte accompaniment, however
efficient, is incomplete to assist in the effects necessary to
accomplish the designs of the great composer, Bellini.
Hence, the greater the triumph achieved last
night by Madame Constantini, who rendered
the recitative with immense effect, and concluded the cave-
tine, in which a descending chromatic scale was strikingly
introduced, and executed in a manner which drew down
long and well deserved plaudits. As a whole, we never heard
the music better sung even by Miss Adelaide Kemble, who
established a claim to lyric renown in that character, the same
extent as those whose patronymic she bore, and from whom
she had descended, had woa histronic laurels. Madame
Constantini again appeared in the first part, and with Mr.
George Perren, gave a well kna ein duet from " Sonnam-
bula," with the most exciting effect. Again she took part
and led in the quartetto from " Lucia di Lammermoor," In
a manner which fully established her fame in the
difficelt art of which she must be pronounced,
as undoubtedly she h, a brilliant and distinguished expositor
and ornament. But her triumph of the evening was accom-
plished in her enurciation of the recitative and scene from
Tully's new cantata, founded on the taking of Seha-itopol.
The sublime effect with which the last stanza, concluding
with the words, " Sehastr.,aol is ours," was inueed a chef
d'oeuvre, of which Liverpool may be proud. We are
old er ough to rejoicein the development of these specimens of
our old masters, which some may think out of f ishion, Of
this class we may mention the somewhat antique ballad of
Shield's, "The Thorn," which was rendered by Mr. Geo.
Perren with a chasteness and accuracy which ought to
revive its pristine popularity. An encore deservedly
rewarded the vocalist, in this as well as in his subsequeet
solo, "My pretty Jane," which won enthusiastic plaudits.
The name of Braham, and the fame -which historically
is attached to it, suffered no deterioration by the
vocalism of Mr. Hamilton Braham last night.
His embodiment of Dulcamara's buffo song, from the
" Elisir d'Amore" was most artistically given in the Eng-
lish instead of the German version of the author of the
original libretto. Mr. Braham, was deservedly applauded,
and in this as well as his other efforts fully established his
claim to the name which ever must hold a piece in the
annals of British musical renown. It would be invidious
did we omit to make honourable mention of the exertions
of Mrs. Mathewsland it would be equally unjust to exclude
from our hurried category those of Signor Veroni. To
both lady and gentleman we would pay the just tribute of
our praise, and turn to offer an equal tribute to the instru-
mentalists who eo much contributed to the perfection of the
evening's entertainments. Master Radcliffe, in his flute
solos, evinced a close rivalry with tne performers on the
same difficult instrument, of whose concertos he last night
was the exponent. The young gent'eman achieved a
perfect success, and retired from the orchestra in which he
had distinguished himself, amidst genuine applause, To
say that Mr. W. F. Best presided at the organ is only to
announce that Weber's overture, " Preoiosa," was execu-
ted with sublime effect by him upon the magnificent instru-
ment of which he is so perfectly the master. An " Andanto,"
with variations, his own composition, with extraordinary
pedal effects, which opened the second part of the concert,
was astounding. We have hurried a few lines to record
an event of which the concert of last night is but the
exordium, and when we express the delight we experienced,
we but furnish an echo to the whole mass of the auditory.
and we hope that the repetition of the pleasures of last
night, under the same auspices, will not be long deferred.

ALARMING ILLNESS OF THE LORD LIEUTENANT OF IRE-
LAND.—A. d despatch from Dublin, dated yesterday,
announcing that the Lord Lieutenant, the Earl of Car-
lisle is seriously ill, has reached us. We sincerely trust
that the intelligence we are constrained to publish,
may prove to he somewhat exaggerated. That this
estimable nobleman has for some time suffered from indis-
position, the public is already aware, but we entertain, in
common with our fellow-countrymen, sincere trust that
his life is not in danger.
LOSS OF £2OO IN A LIVERPOOL BANK.—SINGULAR
CIRCUMSTANCE.—A gentleman, whose name it is at pre-
sent unnecessary to mention, yesterday lost £2OO in the
following singular manner. He went into one of the
local banks to deposit about £4OO, of which £2OO was
in notes, and the remainder in gold and silver. While
engaged in counting the gold, he placed the notes on the
counter beside him, a person standing near—the bank
being crowded at the time—touched him on the shoulder,
and on his looking round, called his attention to the
beautiful effect of the decorations of the ceiling. The
gentleman looked up, in obedience to this kindly sug-
otfhey the had
notespositively
orarchitecturew
the
person who is presumed to have taken them has yet beens a
sug-
gestion, and having fully admired the artistic effect,
looked down again. His feelings underwent a very dis-
azrecable change, when be discovered that his notes and
his polite acquaintance had both disappeared. Every
det
trace whatever was
ofn ornamentalva i
vain—they
"
enquiry
likewiseg
disappeared, aftero andae.t h en
thev.ooatm
discovered. _ _

FUNERAL or DR. Baowx.--The remains of Dr. Brown,
Roman Catholic Bishop of Liverpool, were yester.
day interred at St. Oswald's Church, Old Swan. The
body had lain in state in Capperas.hill Chapel for the
last two days, and yesterday, at twelve o'cicck, a large
number of the Roman Catholic clergy, including four
bishops, attended, and assisted at a Requiem Mass, which
was celebrated by tha coadjutor bishop, Dr. Goss. When
the ceremony was concluded, tale body was removed in a
hearse, followed by twelve mourning coaches, and a large
number of clergy, who attended it to the grave.