The Sun.
London, England, 1834-10-11 00:00:00

INCOME.

Customs.—Consolidated Duties
Sugar appl cable to the
Consolidated Fund

Total Customs

Excise
Stamps
Taxes
Post Office
Miscellaneous

10,449,101

9,956,282

To Cash brought to this Account to
replace the like sum issued, or to
be issued, out of the Consolidated
Fund in Ireland, for Supply and
other Services

322,"89

202,(25

I 0,772,090 I I 0,158,9.)7

BIRMINGHAM GRAND MUSICAL FESTIVAL.

THURSDAY EVENING'S PERFORMANCE.
(From the Birmingham Journal of this day.)
We looked forward with feelings of pleasure to this even-
ing's performance, as the selection of music for this concert
promised much gratification to all real lovers of the art. We
were anxious to get rid of all recollections of operatic per-
formances of yesterday evening. The nonsense of Doni-
zetti, and the hacknied scene from Otello, added to the very
indifferent singing of the Italians, had quite sickened us of
the theatre. Besides, we were disappointed in not hearing
Spohr's grand scena, " Tu m'abbandonia," upon which we
had set great store. Modelled upon the usual plan of the
great dramatic scenas of the German school, this composi-
tion consists of three movements—a recitative, a cantabile,
of deep pathos and expression, and an agitato, abounding
in difficulties, but full of passion and energy, and remarka-
ble for its purely vocal character. Spoilr possesses the
greatest command of harmony, and an unlimited power of
instrumentation. In the representation of strong feelings
and dramatic situation, he displays talents and resources of
which few have any idea. We much wish to see the com-
positions of this giant in operatic writing make their way in
this country. _ _

The concert of this evening opened with " Mozart's
Symphony," in E flat. The exquisite movement in A flat
excited a tumultuous round of applause, and is a delicious
morceau. The whole is eminently beautiful, and was played
with much spirit.
Mr. Horncastle sang an adaptation of " Rosseau's
Dream," which the book attributed to Mr. Hawes, but
which, from the ingenuity displayed in the accompaniment,
and the fanciful and varied dispositions of the orchestra,
we did not recognise that gentleman's school of composition.
The trio for three soprani, by Cimarosa, followed, and
was instantly encored.
The cantata, " Napoleon's Midnight Dream," ascribed to
Neukomm, sang by Mr. Machin, followed the trio. We
think highly of this song ; the composer has entered into
the spirit of the poet (who is no mean writer), and has pro-
duced a very clever specimen of dramatic and descriptive
music. At the words,
The brave in the slimy Nile, &c.
and the description of the army of spirits on their " airy
steeds," and the mysterious resurrection of the chieftain,
the composer proves himself possessed of no ordinary talent,
and deserves the approbation of every musician. Mr.
Machin sang it but indifferently : there was a want of con-
trast, and his feelings did not appear to go along with those
of either the poet or the musician.

We were again delighted to see Moschelles at his instru-
ment. " The Fall of Paris," though not equal to the
" Recollections of Ireland," as a composition, is very bril-
liant and well worked up. The audience greeted him at
his retiring from the orchestra, as if they were conscious of
his eminent abilities. Why did he not play his "Fantasia
Chromatique" or his " Septett ?" Was not the programme
of the performances at this Festival sufficient guarantee
that the committee understood and appreciated good music,
and were anxious to patronize its authors ? Now, on the
subject, we put the same question to Mori. Was there
nothing of Beethoven or Spohr that he would condescend
to play, without treating us with a long string of cadences ?
He is, beyond dispute, the first man on his instrument, and
need not shrink from competition with any artist on the
violin that ever yet appeared in this country—and we make
no exceptions. If he had played the concerto of Beethoven
as he did at the Philharmonic, he would have laid us under
great obligations, and obtained much more applause for his
efforts in the endeavour to advance the musical taste of the
country.
The madrigal of Festa, " Down in a flowery vale," was
better sung than the one on Tuesday evening, but still not
well done. The two last lines,

•
If gold thou hast, fond youth, 'twill speed thy suing ;
But if thy purse be empty, come not to me a-wooing
produced an encore from the ladies. Much demonstration
of disapprobation followed their plaudits, which we presume
came from the young gentlemen who rejoice in light pockets.
Stockhausen's Swiss songs are so clever as always to pro-
cure an encore. Braham was also encored in the song of
" Mad Tom," which is generally attributed to Purcel.
Phillips sang the opening song from " Haydn's Seasons"
in the most finished style, but it was placed too late in the
evening to meet the attention it deserves.
The laughing catch of Martini, with a song of Caradori's,
was also encored.

Upon our entrance into the Hall, we were struck aghast
by a placard being put into our hands, which stated that
" numerous applications having been made for a repetition
of the Fantasia performed on Tuesday evening, to exhibit
the powers of the organ, the President has expressed the
public desire to the Chevalier Neukomm, who has kindly
consented to repeat the performance this evening."
Angels and ministers of grace defend us !
we exclaimed, and we should have hurried from the Hall to
avoid further violence to our feelings, after the sufferings of
Tuesday evening, but, upon reflection, we conceived it
would be more in our duty, as conservators of the public
taste, to stay ; and furthermore, as we had been led to un-
derstand that the Chevalier himself was dissatisfied with his
performance on the former evening, and was anxious to re-
trieve himself in the good opinion of those with whom it
was desirable to have the reputation of a great organ per-
former. The real history of this encore of the Thunder
Scene is, we believe, that Lord Burghersh (to whom has
been humorously applied the cognomen of " the Mozart of
Tenterden-street,") was not present at the concert on Tues-
day, and was anxious to witness this " exhibition of the
organ."
We are sorry to say we cannot retract a single observa-
tion we have made on this gentleman's performance as an
organist. This second exhibition confirms us in the opinion
that he knows nothing of organ playing, and places him, as
a composer, in the most extraordinary situation ; so much
so, as to lead us to doubt the genuineness of the
compositions which go under his name. The anxiety
of his friends to take care of him, and that unhappy
placard, excited great curiosity in the auditors, and their
disappointment was in proportion. The clatter business,
produced by a sort of Venetian blind falling upon a large
board, was received with hisses, and the Chevalier quitted
the instrument, without awakening the concern of the
audience. There was this difference between Neukomm's
performance of this evening and on Tuesday. He had
written it down and performed from his own MSS., and he
had rehearsed his performance twice on Tuesday, and once
on the Wednesday, on the organ, in private. He might
have had some excuse in not being able, on Tuesday, to ab-
stract his ideas, and obtain that concentration of mind which
a really great organ performer must do before he can play
to the purpose ; but now he is without defence ; with the
exception of the attempt at a fugue the whole was written
on paper, not excepting the change of stops, pumping of
composition pedals, drawing out of stops without any pipes
on the sound-board to effect the imitation of the whistling
of the wind, the number of pedal-pipes to be simultaneously
to be put down, and the due proportion of arms and hands
to b e laid on the keys. All these marvellous performances
were written down in red ink in German ! and occupied
about two pages of decent-sized paper. We hope he will
get Mori to publish the MSS. for the astonishment of his
countrymen.
His performances consisted in a duet between two
trumpets, relieved by some flute variations, in which he re-
poataillY zpi sed the execution of the passages in his own
MSS., and followed by soffit) Pilildi§ll irnitatipp-imitations
on the two rows of keys, which, winding up with sPine
spectacle roulades, (as the Italian wags call the close of
Ressini's movements) far the base. lie next proceeded to
•

The Amount of Exchequer Bills issued to meet the charge on the Consolidated Fund for the Quarter ended sth July, 1834, and
Paid off out of the growing produce of that Fund for the Quarter ended 10th October, 1834
The Amount issued in the Quarter ended 10th October, 1831, in part of the sums granted by Parliament out of the Consolidated Fund
for Supply Services
The Surplus of the Consolidated Fund Quarter ended 10th October, 1831

The probable amount of Exchequer Bills required to meet the charge on the Con

olidated Fund, Quarter ended 10th October, 1634