The Sun.
London, England, 1850-05-02 00:00:00

LONDON WEDNESDAY CONCERTS.

It is worth a visit to Exeter-hall to hear the overture
and incidental music,of Beethoven to Goethe's tragedy
of Egmont, which was performed last night at the ninth
concert of the spring series. The Egmont ranks high
among the very few examples of dramatic music which
Beethoven has left. The overture is well known as one
of the sublimest compositions of the master, but the rest
of the music is almost new to this country. It com-
prises two songs for a soprano voice, and several in-
strumental pieces descriptive of certain passages in the
tragedy. The two songs belong to Clare, the betrothed
of Egmont; the first, illustrating the young maiden's
aspirations when her lover is gone to the wars, is a com-
position of peculiar wildness and beauty. The second,
which describes Clare's feelings previous to her last
interview with Egmont, is in a half-joyful, half-melan-
choly strain, that captivates and enchains the attention
by its intense earnestness. The instrumental pieces, con-
sisting of a brilliant war march, and a number of move-
ments of diflerent characters, which give musical ex-
pression to the most prominent situations of the drama,
are all highly dramatic, and some exquisitely beautiful.
In order to facilitate the public performance of the music
of Beethoven, independent of the theatre, Dr. Moisen-
geil wrote a poem which embodied the most important
characters and points of the tragedy of Egmont, with
pauses and directions for the music to come in. It is a
very loose translation of this poem which Mr. Stammers
recites at Exeter Hall, between the intervals of the music,
the instrumental portions of which were exceedingly
well performed by the band, under the direction of Herr
Anschue z; while the two songs of Clare are sung with
a great deal of energy and enthusiasm by Madame Zim-
merman. Herr Dreyschock, the pianist, has also been
engaged at the Wednesday Concerts, and made his se-
cond appearance last night. The difficulties he performs
are astonishing. His left hand has extraordinary strength
and agility,while his octave playing, for force and ra-
pidity,islmost unparalleled. Some variations on the
" National Anthem," for the left hand alone, in which
he accomplished quite as much as the majority of pia-
nists could achieve with both hands, created as immense
sensation.

de Parkla
GOVERNMENT INTERMENTS BILL.--On to-morrow
(Friday), a meeting of Members of Parliament and gentle-
men, will take place at the residence of
.W. Alexander Mac-
it n E
preparatory
to the Bacn.cl4, Hy ce, to consider the
measure being brought before the i
objectionablenno, sq ~
clausesA l .' ,
Com-
mittee of the House of Commons.
HOUSE or COMMONS.—The amount required for
the completion of the official houses for the Speaker and the
officers of the House of Commons is estimated, according to a
return just published, at 30,1001. The expense already in-
curred on this account is 74,0001. The amount of house-
rent paid for the temporary official residence of the Speaker,
together with allowances for house-rent to the officers of the
House of Commons, since 1835-6, has ranged from 1,552/.
2s. Ed. paid in 1835, to 2,56c1., the amount for 1840. The
total amount paid on this account has been 27,196/. 118. sd.
FURTHER APPEAL IN THE GORHAM CASE.—
Before next week, we understand, another court of West.
miuster -hall wid have the same question submitted to it, as
that on which the court of Queen's Bench have decided:—
The Guardian.