The Sun.
London, England, 1851-09-02 00:00:00

tr
0412 /c7:7771? „.
E TVELL CONCERTS P g
CA TLIERINE ILA ES.
EE-Tl tADE HALL.
e ee -11,51,1 t
ti Itt /2 On Thursday evenng the first of the above con- l;'zitt:4lV
e/ i
r9I/Ltt"
certs took place, when there were nearly 3,000 people
present, exhibiting the warmest enthusiasm through-
out the evening, in harmony with so interesting an
occasion. The announcement, some time since, that
Miss Catherine Hayes was about to give three fare-
well concerts previous to her departure for America,
made quite a stir among the musical people of Man-
chester, and all who entertained a true feeling for
what is high and pure in art seemed anxious to pay
homage to the " British Nightingale," and to give her
a parting cheer before crossing the Atlantic.
Catherine Hayes undoubtedly takes rank among
the most perfect vocalists of the present day, not as
an English singer, but unquestionably as one of the
prima donnas of Europe. Educated in Italy, and
under the best professors—having a deep love for her
profession, and possessed of enthusiasm, which is the
parent of zeal and perseverance, she is a perfect
mistress of her art. Nature has done an immense
deal for Catherine Hayes, but Catherine Hayes has
not left all to nature. Nature has endowed her with
a most exquisite voice, of unusual capabilities, with
feeling, development, taste, expression, and a keen
perception of the beautiful ; but the artist has come
nobly to the assistance of the goddess, and shown
herself a worthy handmaiden. Tile best proof how
largely art has assisted nature is exemplified in the
very great improvement made by Miss Hayes as a
singer since she first visited London. A parallel
case to this we do not remember, except in the in-
stance of Pasta; but she took years, where Catherine
Hayes took only months, to become one of the
greatest singers of her time.
The concert on Thursday evening was of the mis-
cellaneous kind. We had Miss Rebecca Isaacs, Mr.
Augustus Braham, Herr Mengis, and Signor Sivori,
the renowned violinist. Mr. Augustus Braham was
listened to with singular interest. He has one of
the finest and purest tenor voices we ever heard, the
quality singularly like that of his father, as well as
his style and general method. This will be imme-
diately recognised by those who remember Braham
the glorious. Mr. A. Braham sang last night Beet-
hoven's "Adelaide ;" the Scotch ballad, " The flowers
of the forest;" and a duet with Herr Mengis. He
sung "The dowers of the forest" exquisitely, and
r es si highon.
received a hearty encore. Herr Mengishxa ps a
barytone voice of considerable power and expression.
He sings skilfully and like a musician, and most cer-
tainly will become a favourite in Manchester. Miss
Rebecca Isaacs sang most charmingly, and added
much by her talent to the pleasure of the evening.
Sivori played twice, and created an immense sen-
sation ; he is certainly a wonderful player, and in his
most daring and rapid movements always satisfies the
ear. The fantasia of Paganini involves the most sur-
prising difficulties, which were mastered with con-
summate ease. Nothing could be more brilliant and
dazzling than Sivori's performance, and those who
have not witnessed it can form but a poor idea of the
genius of Paganini's only pupil. The second piece
he gave us was a composition of his own, originating
from listening to the song of the sinsoute, a bird of
South America, whose peculiar notes attracted his
attention during a residence in Mexico. The extra-
ordinary quality of tone produced, and the singularity
of execution, astonished as well as delighted his audi-
ence, and his success was most complete, leading to
an enthusiastic encore, when he introduced variations
upon the nigger melody " Lucy Long," with great
effect. The song of the "Sinsoute," we perceive, is
to be repeated to• night.
It may easily be imagined that the reception given
to Miss C. Hayes on her entrance was of the warmest
kind. She was received with a general shout, which
was prolonged for several minutes. She looked re-
markably well, stouter, we think, in person, than
when we last saw her, and stronger in appearance.
Her first song was the "Ah ! mon fils," from the
Prophete, which, according to all the London papers,
she has made entirely her own, in the teeth of com-
parisons with Viardot and Alboni. All were natu-
rally anxious to hear what they had read and heard
so much about, and as we ourselves had a vivid re-
collection of Viardot's singing in the Prophete last
season, we perhaps werelmore anxious than anybody-
else. The fair artist more than satisfied everybody, and
more than satisfied ourselves. Her singing the " Ah !
mon fils" is literally a chef d'osuvre. We do not think
we ever heard any piece of vocalisation which more
thoroughly pleased and astonished us. It requires a
great compass of voice to manage the "Ah ! mon
fils" satisfactorily. Madame Viardot, by her extreme
art, if not satisfactorily, contrives to manage it.
Alboni manages it, and satisfactorily too, but she
wants the soprano brilliancy in the upper notes to
give the aria its true effect. Catherine Hayes, in
her voice, leaves noting to be desired. Her upper
notes are as clear and ringing as a bell ; the middle
voice round, fall, and sweet, and the lower voice,
without losing the distinctive character of the other
two registers, pc=cz,ses the depth, strength, end est-
nority of the true contralto. These three divisions
are blended together with singular art, and constitute
a perfect organ of nearly three octaves in extent. We
may conscientiously affirm, we never heard a pure
soprano with such a middle and low voice. Herein
Catherine Hayes possesses an enviable advantage
over Jenny Lizid, whose voice is circumscribed in the
lower division ; and herein also may be said
to lie the power of the singer in varying
the expression which renders Catherine Hayes's ballad
singing so irresistibly touching. The " Ah ! mon fils,"
we repeat, was a superb effort of vocalisation, and
created a perfict furore. Miss C. Hayes next gave
Wallace's ballad, " Why do I weep for thee ?" with
inimitable feeling and taste; and again roused the
whole house to an unusual pitch of ecstacy : an encore
and subsequent rapturous acclamations were the in-
evitable consequence. Her third essay was the never-
tiring and exhilarating rondo finale, "Ah 1 non
giunge," from Sonnambula ; which, as a brilliant
display in the Italian bravura style, we have seldom
heard equalled. By-the-by, Catherine Hayes has one
of the most perfect and beautiful shakes we ever heard.
All the cadences were striking and novel, and the en-
tire performance was instinct with characteristic
hilarity and animal spirits. The audience, towards
the end, became so excited that they could hardly con-
tain themselves or keep their seats. The burst of
applause that followed the rondo was quite deafening,
and, of course, nothing but a repetition would satisfy
the thoughtless multitude, despite the fatigue the fair
artiste must have undergone. The encore was fol-
lowed by the same tumultuous demonstration?.
Miss C. Hayes's last effort was in the Irish ballad,
" Kathleen Mavourneen," which she appears to sing
everywhere with unbounded success. As a specimen
of pure ballad singing, Miss Catherine Hayes's
" Kathleen Mavourneen " cannot be surpassed, and
has not been equalled since the days of Miss Stevens.
How exquisite the tone of voice—so tender, plaintive
—and how charming the expression ! How simple
and unpretending the style ! How irreproachable the
taste! In short, " Kathleen Mavourneen" is perfec-
tion—the very no plus ultra of ballad singing.
Last night the hall was still more crowded than on
Thursday, and the concert was quite as brilliant. To
the previous list of vocalists the finest of English
contraltos, Mies M. Williams,
was introduced to us.
Her reception must have been
highly gratifying to
her, and she sang with a judgment, taste, and force
of expression, that we have never heard excelled.
To give a detailed report of' the many beautiful things
presented to the public is quite out of our powser at
a.e
the late hour at which we write, but we may
ttt
tr.
that there were no less than six encores.
balled,
ham was called upon to repent Balfe's
nner that
this old chair," which he gave in
showed him to possess
practice and careful study must advance . And
great natural
some-
thing worthy the name his father has left him.
months ago he was
when it is known that onlyapovaiveainrstO which
an officer in the army, he It Isaacs received
success already attained.
l‘ii6
re in a pretty ballad
also the compliment of an
etnec:" a:lsiah she sang with
deasefresvivesall honour for the
by Wallace, " A 10171 Y youth, Miss Hayes had no
great simplicity and swees.
On the third occasion,
encores.a9r-seng called " The Grecian
less than three
having substit,utheodnn_e
to which she gracefully
i Prince Charlie," there were
(laughter" for `h
programmesea de electrified
thectr iefioemd
philenr, alreadyt
.f famous Scotch ballad with an
loud
conceded,crie
givingfo r eh
which he
ex-
energy of
&ted audience.
his
" Carnival of Venice,'
en of being
recalled after
7 wonderful manipulation Stivqoruiithe
; but his
executed with
,a,
seal t
to
ing of the ra peco, our own taste, wt s,
pDY his great triumph. The truthful expression,
after all,
the pathos with which he clothed this beautifiC
melody, was never surpassed ; and in that vast hail,
and with the large mass of people assembled, not even
the most delicate note was lost in the almost breath-
less silence which preceded the volley
of applause that
greeted him at the close. To-night, it will be seen.
he is to repeat the charming " Song of the sinsoute,'
with which he se astonished his audienceon Thursday;
and this will be th last appearance of Miss Hayes,
the occasion being announced as for her benefit.
On considering the talents and acquirements of our
English prima donna after the conclusion of ther
ienoeni
certs of Thursday and Friday evenings, tat Ppally impressed itself upon us was the
ftred. In the
versati-
lity which she so satisfactorily demonstrated.
had one of the
gland declamatory French school
! mon fils."
highest examples in Meerbeer s a
brilliant spe-
The " ! non giunge" furnishesavd
the English and
lath of the Italian bravhersa.;nces
of the homele and
Irish ballads allorded two.ton.l
Perhaps to a • finger
quiet school of vocaLisatels,s
power, this last may be
"ses"of Miss C."gY but difficult or not,
to achieve; ,
the most difficult.
I:1)1e ballad more simply than Ca-
nt) one can
singT simple
wes
success more decided
therine
s'rever was enthusiasm more hearty
and universal,na never, we may add, did any artist
end general' 8 from an admiring public. Miss et
deserve more
is for America on WedneKlq next. She
Hayes sat