The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-01-31 00:00:00

ORATORTO AT DRURY-LANE.

If we congratulate the lovers of fine sacred music on
the auspicious commencement of the present oratorio
season, and the director, Mr. Bochsa, on the successful
debut of last night, it is not because we consider the choice
of (pieces he made for the occasion was altogether the most
judicious he might have determined upon ; but because
many among them were highly eligible, and calculated to
produce the greatest gratification ; while the band, re-
" garded in its totality of voices and instruments, is sulmi-
-1 rably appointed, and cannot fail of commanding a continu-
ance of that favour with which its various excellences
were so cheerfully, and, indeed, enthusiastically greeted.
' The performance, as usual, was divided into three parts:
the first part coniisted of selections from Handel's Mes-
siah, which, we must say, were chosen with taste and discri-
mination: the second was an oratorio, in one act, said to
have been composed by Schneider, expressly for the King
of Prussia: and the third was purely miscellaneous. The
chief of the principal performers were Mrs. Salmon, Miss
Paton, and Miss Stephens; Mr. Braham, Mr. Bellamy,
Mr. Pyne, and Mr. Sapio. Of these Mr. Braham, Mrs.
Salmon, Mr. Sapio, Mr. Bellamy, and Miss Stephens, were
engaged in the first part; and by their successful ex-
ertions, gave every effect of which the beautiful and
' interesting airs allotted to them are capable, when
vociferated by the best singers. Mr. Braham's " Cons-
.rore ee my people," and " Leery valley shall be ex-
! alted," were given with a chastity of manner, a truth
and force of expression, from which', doubtless, had the
great master from the sublimity of whose genius they
issued, been living and present, he could not have with-
held his applause. Mrs. Salmon was most happy in "There
were shepherds abiding in Me• and " R juice greatly,
0 Datightm of Zion !" the latter of which airs she gave
with a kind of holy joy that enchanted every hearer, and
only left the audience to doubt whether the perfect appro-
priateness of her intonation, or the sweetness of her exe-
cution, formed her superior claim to their applause.
&Tits, in " ' rebuke lath broken his heart," and
" Behold arid see," acquitted himself with a degree of
pathos that drew upon his performance the loudest expres-
sions of approbation. Bellamy's " Why do the heathen
rap,e?" was a good specimen of energetic singing ; and
Miss Stephens, with her style of delivering " I know
that my Redeemer liveth," enraptured the whole house.
Purity of expression, sweetness of tone, and tbs. most
decisive marks of a just conception of the com-
poser's meaning, were the principal characteristics of
her perthnnance of this divinely simple and immortal
melody ' • and it was her felicity to have an audience that
was sensible to its merits and her own. In a word, the
recitatives, ails, and choruses of this part of the night's
bill of fare were admirably and most effectively executed ;
and, to the praise of the band and the chorus-singers,
" Hallelnjah! fur the Lord God omnipotent reigneth,"
was thundesef forth with an animation and a precision
that have every advantage to its fine, dense, and com-
pact harmony, the power of which has ever been so
truly and deeply felt by every admirer of the noblest
province of musical composition. We are not unmind-
ful of the overpowering effeet of " The Horse and his
Rider" in Israel and Eger pt ; the masterly constructed
chcrus of "Let the celestial concerts all unite," in Samp-
son; nor of the opening chorus of "The Dettinicen Te
Deem," when we pronounce the "Hallelujah" chorus
in " The Messiah" to be the grandest of all Handel's
efforts, and the most decisive proof of the majesty
, and towering east of his genius. Of " The Day of
, Judgment," we are sorry not to be able to speak in
terms of very high commendation. That it possesses
some evidence of real science, and a respectable degree
• of general ability, we willingly allow : but truth will
not permit us to go any further. Of sublimity, greatness
of manner, or originality of conception, it affords very
t slender symptoms, and not unfrequently the composer has
completely missed: his way. The few attempts at fugue
writing are poor, confused, and tame; and, in some in-
, stances, the accompaniments, where they should be stately
and solemn, are light and volatile, absolutely given in jig
time, and calculated to render the meet awful circums'ance
I ridiculous. Ve'ith respect to what are meant for Airs, they
are strictly worthy of any other appellation than that.
Except in the quartet, " A Throne is prepared fa. Me
l'ir-rin," sung by Mrs. Salmon, Miss Paton, Braham, and
Bellamy, everything like melody would seem to have been
studiously avoided; and in that we find a prettiness, that,:
if not childishly sweet, is unmeaning, unanalogous and
perfectly at variance with the sentiment of the words, and
the characters in whose mouths these words are put. At Mr.
Schneider's embarrassment in fugue compositions we have
already hinted ; and have only to add, that his choruses,
without exception, are so many evidences of dry German
labour, un,,,,,raced and unrecommendcd by a single lapse
into the true nature of sacred choral music, uncharac-
terised by a single feature of bold and noble fabrication,
ingenious contrivance, end those bursts of conglomerated
• hanncny which surprise, electrify, and exalt the soul.
Even Haydn would have better maintained the elevation
his instrumental productions acquired him, had he avoided
oratorial composition. We cannot therefore abstain from
advising the composer of " The Day ofJudgment" either to
• give a different course to his studies, or keep his vocal pro-
. ductions from the public ear, till long and persevering op-
• plication has rendered him capable of composing melcali-
ously, expressively, and grandly. The third part of the
. evening's entertainment was miscellaneous, judiciously se-
r lected, and executed with all the beauty to be expected
from the talents Mr. Bochsa has brought together. Miss
• Stephens's song of " Bid me discourse" was exquisitely sung ;
' as was Braham's Scotch ballad of "Smile again, my bonnie
I lassie," composed by Parry. Rossini's duet of "Ah se mud
cosi faciami" was charmingly given by Mrs. Salmon and
I Sapio ; and the same lady, in some respects, was no less fe-
liatous in "iffy fudging is on the cold ground," though she
, must pardon us if we cannot avoid insisting upon it, that
I nothing could be less proper than frittering away so beau-
, tifully pathetic a melody in variations. A song to per-
formed is, at best, but a concerto performed on the larynx,
and in such a song such a performance is a sacrilege. bliss
Paton's " Lo! here the gentle Lark," was admirably exe-
cuted ; and the flute accompaniment, by Birch (in Ni-
cholson's absence, occasioned by a sprained ancle), was
• worthy of the occasion. Of the band, it is but justice
to say that it comprises a great variety of merit, and was
• led by Mori with point and precision. The pastoral gym•
. phony in the "Messiah" was delightfully performed, and all
the accompaniments were given with an attention to the
voice that marked the judgment of Sir George Smart (the
• conductor), and the general subordination of the orchestra,
which was as full as it was able. Lindley's concerto, be-
tween the first and second parts, merits our particular notice.
The tones, as usual, of his violoncello, were everything
• that real genius can extract from the strings of that
manly and generous instrument—and his performance
bad the rare merit of not being too long. Nicholson's
compelled absence (which was apologised for), of course
deprived the audience of the pleasure expected from
the liquid amt melting notes of his flute; but Birch
proved so good a substitute, that the house was far from
being fastidious on the occasion. On the whole, the night's
performance was very flatteringly received ; for notwith-
standing the distaste expressed towards Mr. Schneider's
Oratorio (which we should suppose will be withdrawn) the
first and third parts extorted so much applause, as to throw
a veil over the second, and give Mr. Bochsa a truly favour-
able omen of his career through the present season. The
house was full, and the company highly respectable.