The Sun.
London, England, 1866-06-01 00:00:00

CONCERTS.

May and June are now joining hands ; the
musical season is therefore at its climax, and pro-
grammes of the most tempting description are fly-
ing about, thick as leaves in Vallambrosa. The pre-
sent week has been a busy one, both at the Queen's
Concert Room and at its more imposing but not
more agreeable neighbour in Regent-street. Among
the performances at theformer we have but space to
notice two. First in order was Madame Puzzi's
on Monday afternoon, when a crowded anti
fashionable audience testified to the esteem in
which this lady is held, as well as to the excel-
lent entertainment she had put before them.
Among the lady artistes were the Misses Pyne,
who sang Auber's duet, " In the deep ravine," with
the most delicate accuracy, Mdlle. Enequist,
Madame Parepa, and the well known favourite of
other days, Grisi. Our readers can imagine the
mingled feelings with which the great songstress's
appearance was looked for, and we were glad to see
how enthusiastic was her reception. " She sang
" Qui la voce" ("I Puritani"), and the " Minstrel
Boy," besides taking part in a terzetto from
" Norma"—the Irish ballad being, perhaps, the
least effective of the three. We must not omit to
notice also the new singer, A.ldlle. Mela, who be-
sides a " Romanza" solo, took an effective part in
the " Pappatucci" trio of Rossini. This singer has
been called the new lady tenor, and, really,
on hearing her, we were disposed at times to
think the description a correct one. Speaking
of this, however, leads us to mention that the real
" new tenor," Mr. Tom 'hiller, made his appear-
ance, first in a romanza of Donizetti's, and then in a
duet of the same composer's (" Da quel di"), with
Madlle. Parepa. Mr. Ilohler's figure and looks are
greatly in his favour, and, with musical excellence to
correspond, we may fairly say, in this case, that
there is not only the " handsome is," but also the
" handsome does." Among the other gentlemen
who took part in the concert were Signori Ferranti,
Fortuna, and Ciabatta, whose admirable perform-
ance of a " Terzetto Buffo" of Ricci, amused the
audience greatly ; adding just that spice of the comic
element which pleasantly sets off the graver fea-
tures of a programme. The same purpose was also
well served by the " Coro finale," Martini's famous
" Vadasi via di qua," which was joined in by nearly
the whole body of singers. Madame Puzzi could
not but congratulate herself on the entire success
of the concert.

Madlle. Stabbach's concert followed on Wednes-
day, with an equally varied selection of music, and
an equally well selected corps of artistes. To the
usual features of a miscellaneous concert was added
the attraction of the Orpheus Glee Union, always
a most agreeable feature in a programme. We have
watched the career of these gentlemen from the
beginning, and we know no body of singers who
have better preserved their reputation, or have done
more justice to the particular class of music chosen
as their specialty. We hear, of course, unaccom-
panied music done to perfection by Air. Leslie's
choir ; but that is for the most part
choral music for a large body of voices. The
" Orpheus" gentlemen, on the other hand, per-
form those delicate pieces of harmony which only
admit of being done to perfection by single voices ;
and we perceive that their repertoire now comprises
a very varied and extensive collection both of na-
tive and foreign compositions ; specimens of each
kind being given on the present occasion. In all
solo passages Mr. Fielding is of course a tower of
strength. Madlle. Stabbach herself contributed se-
veral pieces to the concert, and considering the ad-
mirable style in which they were given, we are sure
the audience did not find them one too many. Mr.
Ganz and Mr. Hargitt were the conductors.

Photography.

---rs -

M. de la Blanchiere has published a method for
casting the colours of polarized light on photographs.
By polarization of light natural philosophers under-
stand the decomposition of a ray into two, each of
which has the property of becoming invisible when
reflected at a certain angle ; and this decomposition
is easily effected by refraction through Iceland spar.
If a plate of this mineral be placed between two
plates of tourmaline, the most beautiful colours will
be seen on looking through at the clouds. Accord-
ing to the relative positions of the axes of these
plates, we may obtain vivid circular or elliptical
concentric rings of colours, intersected by dark
crosses, or interrupted by white light, &c. It is
these chromatic phenomena the author of the pro-
cess momentarily produces on a photograph, by
fixing upon it bits of mica of proper thicknesses,
and cut out according to the shape of the figure.
When the photograph thus prepared is looked at
through an analyzer that is made to turn round
in the tube into which it is fitted the
various tints appear and disappear, to be ultimately
replaced by complementary colours. And thus one
may pass from the colours naturally belonging to
the original to other colours caricaturing it. Mr.
Henry Cooper recommends the following process
for executing photographs on silk. Take 6•sogms.
of chloride of ammonium and 4gms of Iceland moss ;
pour 600gms. of boiling water upon these substances
and let the infusion stand till it is barely lukewarm ;
then dip the silk in and let it remain for a quarter
of an hour. It must then be sensitized with 1-30 gins.
of nitrate in 30 cubic centimetres of water, an
operation requiring sixteen minutes. When dry,
the silk is exposed to the light under the negative,
so as to obtain a strong impression, after which it
must be thoroughly rinsed and toned with the fol-
lowing solution :—Water, GOOgnis. ; acetate of soda,
3.50 do. ; chloride of gold, 0.25 do., and a little
chalk to neutralise acids. The print should now
be fixed with a solution of 120 gins, of hypo-
phosphite in 500 gms. of water. Hun t's chro-
matype process consists in coating the paper
with bichromate of potash and sulphate of copper,
then printing, and afterwards treating with a solu-
tion of nitrate of silver and nitrate of mercury.
Now, as chromic acid brought into contact with
salts of aniline is transformed into blue, green, or
black tints, and as Hunt's process, after insolation,
sets chromic acid free in certain places and oxide in
those places which have been reduced to light, Mr.
Willis has come to the conclusion that if a chroma-
type print be dipped into a solution of salt of ani-
line, the parts containing chromic acid will become
black and the other will undergo no change. Ex-
perience has shown the correctness of this view, and
Mr. Willis, by sensitizing with bichromate of
potash or ammonia strengthened with a little
sulphuric acid, then printing and exposing the print
to the action of an atmosphere of vapour and aniline,
and, lastly, rinsing with acidulated water, obtains
excellent photographs.

Explanation.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIII,—As an act of justice to ourselves, will you
allow us to state that the gentleman referred to in
the morning papers of yesterday (a filthy case, not
reported in The Sun) as having been charged before
Mr. Mansfield (and, as we believe, unjustly) with
an assault in a railway carriage, is not in any way
professionally connected with us in business, nor is
he a member of our firm.—Yours obediently,
LEWIN & SIMEON MOSELY & SONS, Dentists.
30, Berners-street, Oxford-street, and
448, Strand, May 31.

THE ONLY LIKENESS OF PRINCE CHRISTIAN
worthy of the name is an authorised portrait now
immediately about to be published by Mr. Mitchell,
of the Royal Library, Old Bond-street—a copy of
which portrait has just been submitted to our con-
sideration. The original drawing pencilled by
George Thomas—has been delicately copied
upon the lithographic stone by J. A. Vinter,
the printing of it having been confided to the
Messrs. Day and Son, Limited. The result is
so satisfactory in every way that we cannot but re-
gard all the other likenesses we have yet seen of his
Serene Highness, the future husband of H.R.11. the
Princess Helena, as nothing less than odious cari-
catures. Contrasted with any one of them, Mr.
Mitchell's authorised Portrait of Prince Christian is
delightful to look at.

The Italian Government, letters from Milan state,
gives if. a day to each volunteer, the money being
paid each =ruing.