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

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS.

The Meeting at Birmingham has, fora long time assu-
med an importance beyond any other provincial meeting ;
we now think the performances of the week have never been
equalled in this country. To Mr. Munden, who has borne
" the heat and burden of the day," we tender our sincere
thanks for his able and arduous services, in rendering so
effective such a numerous and well disciplined chorus. We
also express our gratitude to the Committee, and to Mr.
Moore in particular, for the great quantity of excellent
music performed, and the presence of a highly talented or-
chestra to perform it in the best manner. We can rea-
dily see, that although some indifferent compositions
were performed, it is not owing to any predelictions of Mr.
Moore for bad music. The superb symphonies of Mozart
and Beethoven, and the overtures of Mendelsohn and of
Weber, shew that where he could command he evinced his
judgment and knowledge of the art. Then let us ask the
Committee, and also all other Musical Directors, including
the Philharmonic—why suffer these meetings to be reduced
in dignity by the horrid music the principal singers inflict
upon their audience. Let no singer have a -choice in the
matter—they are liberally paid for their services. Let not
the base union between music sellers and music singers in-
terfere with the reputation of such meetings as these.
Once open the door for a popular singer to have his liberty,
and the tricks of writers, the self-interest of publishers, and
the self-vanity of the party himself united, form an impe-
netrable barrier to the improvement of the public taste.
In reviewing the performances, we cannot refrain from
congratulating the people of Birmingham that, notwith-
standing the prostitution of the legitimate uses of the organ
by Neukomm, they have had an opportunity of witnessing
its grandeur and power. In " The Lord gave the Word,"
and the " Amen" of the " Messiah," the roll of the pedals
was magnificent, and Mr. Turle took care to let us hear
them throughout this Oratoria and the " Israel in Egypt"
of this morning. The whole of this last Oratorio he played
with astonishing effect, and must have satisfied Mr. Hill in
every way. With respect to the orchestra, we think the
brass and the wind band was superb ; but the violins were
not sufficiently numerous in proportion, and we hope that
they will be considerably increased at the next celebration
of this festival. We do not see the reason for the engage-
ment of so many singers, amongst whom it of necessity hap-
pened that they had better been absent than present.
Why, may we ask, was Hobbs not here, the best tenor of
the day. Those who have not heard him sing the " Adelaida"
of Beethoven, are not aware that they have, in this gentle-
man's performance, a fellow-countryman with all the exqui-
sitely finished feeling of Rubini, without his excessive love of
flourish, and a purity of tone and a chasteness of style, which
nothing but the most exquisite acquaintance with mo-
dern writing, grounded upon the old school of the English
music could have produced. We know his " 0 come, let
us worship," and other songs of Handel, is beyond all
praise and far above rivalry. The oratorios of Neukomm
and the introduction of his vulgar songs, (we except " Na-
poleon") has disgraced this meeting. It is a difficult thing
to divest the mind of all the effect of such exquisite play-
ing of small orchestras, and the sublime feelings attending
th performance of the band in all its great power ; but we
must say, that, independant of the effects arising from the
adventitious circumstances of its performance, we never
heard more paltry music than the oratorio of David. We
have no doubt our opinion will be confirmed in a very
short time, and if musical amateurs just try it over upon
their piano-fortes, when it will be heard without the clap-
trap of the orchestra, they will soon perceive how little
there is either novel or respectable in its composition. We
must beg that the fooleries which took place in the theatre
may never be repeated. Donizetti, any where, is not worth
hearing, and Rossini should not be heard out of the King's
Theatre.