The Sun.
London, England, 1835-09-11 00:00:00

PART I.

Sinfonia Eroica...
Aria, Signor Rubiiii—Tu vedrai (II Pirata) Bellini.
Duetto, Mddlle. Grisi and Signor Lablache—
Dunque io son . Rossini.
Song, Miss Postans--Rose softly blooming
Terzetto, Madle. Grisi, Signors Rubini and La-
blache--Ti parli l'amore (Otello)
Song, Mrs. Bishop—Lo, here the gentle lark ;
Flute obligato, Mr. Nicholson ... Bishop.
Grand Concertante Quartetto, with orchestral
accompaniments, Messrs. Mori, Seymour, Tol-
becque, and Blagrove
Aria, Mdlle. Grisi—Dall' asilo della pace (L'As-
sedio di Corinto)
Sting, Mr. Phillips—Ye mariners of England
Sestetto, Miss Kemble, Mrs. Bishop, Miss C
Novello, Signors Rubini, Lablache, and La-
blache, jun.—Alla bella Despinetta (Cosi fan
tutte)
PART 11.
Overture (Midsummer Night's Dream) Mendelsohn.
Song, Mr. Braham—Alexis ; accompanied on
the Violoncello by Mr. Lindley
Duetto, Signors Rubini and Lablache—Se inch-
nassi, a prender moglie (L'ltaliana in Algicri Rossini.
Song, Mrs. Knyvett—Auld Robin Gray
Aria, Signor Lablache—Largo al factotum
Reeit.ed aria, Miss Masson—Non piu di fiori ;
accompanied by Mr, Willman on the Corno
Bassetto
Aria, Signor Rubini—Adelaide; accompanied on
the Pianoforte by Mr. Knyvett
Glee, five voices, Miss Novello, Miss Kemble,
Messrs. Hawkins, Phillips, and Machin—
When winds breathe soft...
Aria, Mdlle. Grisi—Stanca di piu combattere
Finale (Overture to GUillaume Tell) Rossini.

The names of Beethoven, Mozart, Spohr, and Maurer,
are each a guarantee for good music, as they severally
possessed too strong and independent a genius to write for
other purposes than the advancement of the science, and
the gratification arising from so noble an exercise of their
skill. Rubini, in Beethoven's exquisitely beautiful cantata
of " Adelaide," distinguished himself as a musician of no
ordinary merit, and identified himself with one of the most
lovely productions of that immortal and gigantic genius.
This singer does himself great injustice by the attractions
with which he invests the music of inferior composers, and
to those who have not_ the high pleasure of hearing him
execute sonic choice specimen of a truly great musician,
however astonished they may be by the extraordinary com-
pass of his voice, and the extreme facility with which he
commands every part of the scale, yet they can have but
little idea of the power he possesess over the feelings
and sympathies of his audience. No singer uses
more frequenttly the voce vibrate, and no one with more
certainty of success. Grisi and Lablache so completely
captivated the audience that great efforts were made to in-
fringe upon the very excellent regulation adopted by the
Committee, that, of forbidding the encore of any part of the
performance. Had not this resolution been very strenu-
ously adhered•to we know not to what hour the concert
might have been protraded. Ural= and Lindley in the'

t opinion it is uesiranie to attain. ine concertnum- for wur
f violins, compcsed by Maurer, is an excellent specimen of the
genius of the writer, and was most admirably performed
and vigorously applauded. We have before noticed it at
some length, as it has been performed this season in the •
tropolis. Mendelsohn's overture, and thsoinfonia by Beetho-
ven, met with great attention and kv.airP e ived by the
audience ; but each composition,i,sq9efa fli rk e public
to claim a detailed analysis, tkistl‘ptanYch eAtiail 'll' for ma-
king the observation, but iti-jll,ileijt w•oul& *tit ble to.
omit one or two of the mov so/otlk-.oirif as the
"Eroica" of Beethoven, in rcippeOieis rasare
not like the Philharmon rreith all 'encei so
patient or attentive to instr tatingsic 'Bu scribers
to that far-famed establish "---1.-iTispeliposer carried on,
the art of orchestral writing to A•thaitStiPtlbich has hitherto
been unrivalled, for although Spohr may exceed him in
particular dispositions of the harmony, yet this last-men-
tioned composer cannot approach near Beethoven in the
epic writing of the art. To understand and fully to appre-
ciate the music of Beethoven, it is necessary to become ac-
quainted with the peculiar features of his style, which is;
the unerring index to his mind. No composer indulges so
often in complex ideas, or the carrying on of several mo-
tives at one and the same time, and no one at times pur-
posely makes them so mysterious and difficult to be under-
stood and'retained in the mind by the use of a variety of
measures, alterations of the rhyme, and enigmatical posi-
tions of the harmony. The " Eroica" sinfonia, in many
places, exemplifies these brief characteristics of this great
man's style, and, of course, it was caviare to the great mass
of auditors present. The new ballad, or convivial song,
" Ye Mariners of England," composed by Neukomm, and
sung by Mr. Phillips, was coldly received, nor did it de-
serve attention from the class of visitors present. The me-
lody is inherently but common-place, and the singer's
splendid talents on this occasion were rendered useless.
Why did he not follow the example of Rubini, and select
some movement of Spohr, Cherubini, or neethoven 9

Wednesday Morning.
The patrons of this great undertaking could not but
realize their warmest expectations in witnessing the large,
and highly respectable assembly which, this morning, ho-
noured with their presence, the second performance of this
Festival. The oratorio of The Messiah which, if we except
the Israel in Egypt, is the happiest and most stupendous
production of the prolific genius of its author, is ever the
most popular performance at the provincial Festivals, and it
is a composition now so generally known and so integrally .a
part of our national music, that its omission at so remark-
able a meeting as that of the York Festival would doubtless
cause great disappointment to the numerous amateurs of the
neighbourhood and counts'. This oratorio was the attrac-
tion of this morning's performance, and it was certainly
produced in a manner of unparalleled grandeur. The
whole of the nfdditional -accompaniments, the work of
Mozart, were made use of on this occasion, and a
farther additional score for the immense brass band
had been supplied by Mr. Kearns, the gentleman whose
talents were called into requisition for a similar pur-
pose at the late Festivals of Birmingham and Westmin-
ster Abbey. The interior of the Minster on our entrance
. .

presented a sight of overwhelming beauty and sublimity,
and the appearance of the assembled thousands from the
highest point of the orchestra was magnificent beyond cori
ception. Imagination could not but go back and reflect
upon the circumstances attending the first production of
this immortal composition—the apathy of the amateurs of
those days to its merits, and the undeserved mortification
of the composer. The constant repetition of this work,
and, the breathless attention given to the many solos with
which it abounds, and the simultaneous rising of thousands
to its matchless chorusses, is an involuntary tribute of admi-
ration to the sublimity of the subject and the splendour of
the composer's genius. The songs were rather unusually
distributed amongst the singers, and in some instances gave
the appearance of novelty in their execution. Made-
moiselle Grisi had assigned to her the difficult bravura,
" Rejoice greatly." Thiz lady gave the scena with great
effect, and her perfect articulation of the rapid divisions
with which the song abounds, sent forth with the thll
power of her magnificent voice, produced a murmur of
approbation throughout the crowded audience. She also
avoided the error into which she had fallen yesterday in
the too florid and brilliant style of her cadenzas ; and,
although her alteration of the received text at the close
of the song might be conceived by some rigid Hande-
lians out of the school of that master, her general
conception of the movement was exc&lent, and its execu-
tion deservir's of the highest commendation. Mrs. Bishop
sang the celebrated recitative, " There were shepherds,"
with exquisite feeling and perfect intonation. The all but
inaudible whisper at the words, " And they were sore
afraid," was so lucid and distinct as to be heard at the
furthest point from the orchestra. Mr. Braham, although
rather flat in the opening song of the Oratorio, gave the
aria, " Thou shalt dash them," with a power and precision
which is yet unrivalled. The genius of Mozart, in the
orchestral arrangement of this difficult song, has invested
it with the utmost variety of effect. The execution of the
scene, " The people that walked in darkness," by Mr. Phil-
lips, is the perfection of vocal performance. The pure in-
tonation and exquisite pathos, the distinct articulation of the
florid divisions, the absence of all effort and affectation,
place him in the first ranks of his profession. Miss Postans;
in " 0, thou that tellest," and Mr. Hawkins, in " He was
despised," severally distinguished themselves, as did also
Mesdames Knyvett, Masson, C. Novell°, and Kemble,
in the songs assigned to them. • Mr. Machin pos-
sesses a quality of tone which makes its way in a Cathe-
dral, but that of Mr. Bennett's is more effective in the
Concert Room. The chorusses were given with great
power and effect, and the additional accompaniments 'to
the score added a depth and weight to- the whole, which,
in so large a building, proved of incalculable benefit in
sustaining and carrying out the intentions of the compeSer."
The employment of the great resources of the orchestra in -•
the chorusses, " For unto us," the " Hallelujah," and
" Worthy is the Lamb," was perfectly overwhelming-, -and •
at the eloe of each 'the audience appeared actually en-
tranced by the sublimity of the scene before them.

. -
The company assembled at the Minster this morning,
was much more numerous than at the morning's perform-
ance of yesterday-; and we could scarce perceive a vacant
space in the side aisle galleries. The patrons' gallery was
as honoured by the presence of their Royal Highnesses
the Duchess of Kent and the Princess Victoria, and was

otherwise filled by per Sons of the highest ralnk and dis-
tinction. It is not knoWn'ut present what is the result, in
a pecuniary point of view, of the perfor►nances up to the.
present tnne.