The Sun.
London, England, 1857-06-16 00:00:00

The success of the first performance, which took place
yesterday—beginning at 1 o'clock and terminating at 5
far surpassed expectation. Long previous to the com-
mencement of the oratorio a briliant company had assem-
bled, and the Crystal Palace, from end to en .I—the nave
and courts and galleries, the terraces outside, and the gar-
dens beneath the terrace—was alive with visitors anxious
i❑ anticipation of the musical treat to come. Before the
appointed hour the majority of the numbered places in the
central transept were occupied, and the adjacent blocks of
seats in the north and south naves were tenanted soon
after. The galleries, more remote ant less easy of access,
had been filled earlier, so that when the principal singers
I entered the orchestra, and M. Costa (who was loudly
greeted) had taken his place in front of the conductor's
desk, there wore not many vacant spots to dwell upon.
Not that the crowd was inconvenient. On the contrary,
the fact that her Majesty the Queen had intimated her in-
tention of presiding at the performance of " Judas Mecca-
bowls" on Wednesday no doubt kept all those away who
would be likely to attend such a celebration in obedience
to fashion and an appetite for show, rather than for love
of music and reverence for the name and memory of the
greatest of sacred composers. There were thousands enough
present, however, to realise everything that had been pre-
dicted of the splendour of the scene. The weather was
superb, the sky unclouded as in the sunniest 'ltalian land-
scape, and the interior of the Palace looked nothing short
of enchanting. A prospect Was revealed, indeed, which
-dazzled the eye of the beholder, and suggested the idea of
some gigantic kaleidoscope, peopled with multitudinous
objects in every variety of form and colour. It is unne-
cessary to attempt a new description of a scene so closely
resembling that we endeavoured to portray in the no-
tice of Saturday's rehearsal—and the more so since

• hatever remains to be said will derive additional
weight and interest when embodied in the report of to-
morrow's
proceedings, which, as we have stated, are to be
graced with the presence of royalty. Moreover, the first
day of the Handel Festival belongs of ri4ht to tlandel,
whose immortal " Messiah" was given in such a manner
and with such a prodigality of resources as may justly be
styled unprecedented.
Bat there was an episode of the festival, which, in its
way, was quite as curious and unusual as the great com-
memoration itself. We mean the aspect which all the
approaches to the palace, both by road and rail, presented
as the tide of visitors gradually set in. The doors of the
building were not to open till 11, and, though even those
who came latest were sure of their numbered seats, yet the
" early_bird" maxim seemed to animate everybody. This
was particularly the case with those who came by rail. So
premature were these visitors ,at the station that it was
found necessary to commence running the trains soon
after nine ; and from that time till the oratorio had fairly
begun there was no pause or slack of passengers. The
railway arrangements were very good. On these great
public fetes most persons seem to come armed with the de-
termination to push and be pushed, and carry t heir notion
out on the first favourablo opportunity. Now, if the
much-enduring public would only c msent to forego this
idea they would be considerably the gainers, both in
bodily comfort and rate of progression towards the place
they wish to reach. Eagerness may, and often does, in-
duce four people to crowd into a place where only one can
stand with comfort; but no matter what the interest of
the spectacle, the public may depend that push as they
like they will never overcome the natural laws which pre-
vent two persons from occupying the same spot at once.
If this last general principle is kept in view, the visitors
to-morrow will get their places in the trains and palace
both more quietly and more easily.
The road from Dulwich to the Palaee yesterday had an
appearance which we can only expect to see again to-
morrow. It seemed a kind of harmonic Derby day, but
in every respect more orderly that the mixed riotous con-
course which always marks that great equestrian saturnalia.
All the pathways and hedgerows were Hued with specta-
tors, and on the lawns outside villas were groups of seated
ladiess which gave to the whole road the aspect of a long
fete clictimpetre. At the wretched little turnpike two stout
collectors gatbered the money and bad enough to do. The
Dulwich tollbar will soon be rich enough to take its place
among the institutions of the country, for it has acquired
the rare secret of taking much and expending little. There
was a good deal of delay at this gate yesterday, chiefly
caused by the visitors themselves, not one in a hundred of
whom, cr their servants, were ready with the money. The
consequent fumbling for gold or silver, with the delay of
getting change in nearly every case, caused a hindrance to
the progress of vehicles which was most annoying. The
remedy this, however, is very simple, and in th hands
of the visitors themselves. They know the toll fare well by
this time—let them have it ready on demand. The gate
once passed the carriages moved on rapidly, mounted police
directing all to their respective entrances, according as their
occupants had pink, green, or buff tickets. By this admi-
rable arrangement everything like confusion or hurry was
avoided.

An immense crowd of people were collected outside the
building, and remained there throughout the entire per-
formances. They were certainly not unrewarded, for dur-
ing the choruses the peal of voices seemed to swell from
the building and fill the air as though the Palace itself was
a vast organ. The Hallelujah chorus could be distinctly
heard nearly half a mile from Norwood, and its effect, as
the sound floated on the wind, now high now low, was im-
pressive beyond description, and sounded as if a nation
was at prayers.
The change determined on at the rehearsal in the posi-
tion of the choristers, by means of which the female singers
were all brought together in front of the organ and were
conspicuous from every point, not only afforded an agree-
able relief to the eye, but added materially to the effect of
the music. The different choral parts being now well ba-
lanced, the thunder of the men's voices no longer over-
powered the more mellifluous tones of their fair compa-
nions and fellow-labourers. Another desirable improve-
ment was achieved by the establishment of screens at the
back and sides of the orchestra, through which contrivance
the sound, instead of escaping into the empty galleries and
corridors in the immediate neighbourhood of that enor-
mous amphitheatre of timber, was thrown directly upon
the area devoted to the audience. Among other objects in
the orchestra that attracted general interest were a portrait,
a bust, and a full-length s atue (in marble) of the great
musician in whose honour this festival was instituted.
The portrait, hung in front of the organ, was the one
painted from life by Denner, which Handel bequeathed
to his amanuensis, John Christopher Smith, whose lineal
descendant, Lady Rivers, recently made a gift of it to the
Sacred Harmonic Society. It is said, on good authority,
to be one of the best likenesses extant. The statue on the
right for which Handel set (also in possession of the
Sacred Harmonic Societe), is by itoubillac. Horace Wal-
pole, in one of his letters, affirms that this statue laid the
foundation of Ronbillac's fame in England. It was his
first great work; and it is worth noting that his last was
Hinders monument in Westminster Abbey. A cast of it
has been forwarded by the Sacred Harmonic Society to
Berlin, for the statue to be erected at Halle (the birth-
place of the composer) at the centenary commemoration
in 1859, upon which a Berlinese sculptor, favoured by his
Prussian Majesty, is busily engaged. The bust on the lett
is cast from one beloneiog to the musical collection in the
Royal Library at Berlin. The name of the artist is un-
known.
The "Messiah," as every one who cares for music is
aware, was composed in 1741- planned, sketched, and
completed in the miraculously brief period of 22 days,
having been commenced on the 22d of August and finished
on the 12th of September ! A fortnight alter this the
first pert of " Sampson" was on paper. Such prodi-
gious rapidity, the very elaborate character of the music
considered, would be incredible had we not the authority
of Handel's own dates for the fact. This imperishable
masterpiece was first performed in Dublin on the 13th of
April, 1742, with the utmost success. How this decision
of the sister isle has been stamped by the approving ver-
dict of the civilised world—how nearly a century and a
quarter has elapsed since the composition of the " Ales-
Biel]," without fobbing it of one atom of its attraction—
how to this day, when music has made such strides and
gone through so many phases, when Haydn, Mozart,
Beethoven, and Mendelssohn have lived and written and
died, musicians and cultivated amateurs, strengthens by
the unanimous popular opinion, still look up to it as the
greatest piece of sacred music which the art can boast, we
need hardly say insist. The solemn and impressive effect
of its performance at the unprecedented celebration yes-
terday, the devout attention, edification, and delight of the
multitude assembled to hear it, sufficiently attested that
the " Messiah" was not a work for yesterday, to-day, or
tomorrow, but for all time—one of those inspirations of
genius for which we can only account by attributing them
to a higher source than that of simple hniman agency.
Through its means Hands)? has not only been a beacon to
the worshippers of art, but a benefactor to his speeies
since it has fed charities and promoted the objects of true
religion, besi les charming and refinieg the world by its
wealth of musical beauty,. for upwards of a century. There
is no parallel for it in any nether artistic form through which
mortal gifts and ingenuity .have been manifested.
The performance, as we have suggested, was wonder-
fully successful. The greatest effects, it may readily be
imagined, the extent and lie cularities of the arena being
taken into consideration, w eve produced by the choruses,
of which the " Messiah" any& so astonishing a variety.
All of these " went" more or• less well, while some sur-
passed in grandeur of tone, precision and unanimity any-
thing we can call to mind. The most irreproachable were
naturally those in which the occurrence of florid passages is
least frequent, and broad and re tassive harmony is the pro-
minent characteristic. The very first chorus, And the
glory of the Lord," at once dioclosed the signal advan-
tage, gained by the new disposition of the female
voices. The trebles more particularly, which at times
were scarcely audible during reht's xsal. now came out with
penetrating clearness. " And Hee shall purify the sons of
Levi" is one of those choral pieces abounding in florid di-
visions, and here there was a good deal of occasional un-
steadiness, especially (strange enoi lee their depth and
solidity of tone considered) anion% • the basses, which,
swinging to and fro, were only pa -evented from going
astray by the marvellous decision .e• f Mr. Costa's beat.
" For unto us a child is born" wa perfect. Mr. Costa
(calculating, no doubt, from the expe rieuce of Saturday's
rehearsal) discarded the " pianissimo" at the commence-
ment ; and thus the advent of the Meta eiah was decl.ared in
accents of becoming exultation. The gr, and burst--- Tell*
derful, Counsellor"—lost nothing by this , but rathergoal lntehde,
since a moment's reflection must coned!) ce any "X__
absurdity of uttering the preceding -ords—hr
.
h
of shallth called"ebe
annunciation—" in o scarcelyew o nerfn ucdoi e;
sa
e 1 wl
o tth eencal nameomsee
itself' -is shouted with the utmost poSsil Lie loudness. The
audience, moved to enthusiam by so fir Le a performance,
redemanded it obstreperously.; and the air applause con-
tinued until thehad been played half
buptastteracl symphonyond
conductor was exorable, and re-
way through ;
re-
solately declined to interrupt the course of the oratorio,
for wleich he is entitled to the thanks of 'all discreet pee-
sods. After " yolco 5357" 013 orqvia diDpereed,