The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-09-16 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

WEDNESDAY MORNING.—CHURCH.
The performance opened with the overture to Saul, f.;lllowed
by the " Dead March," The former is a favourable sample of
the Overtures of its day, chiefly confined to the violins, with an
occasional sprinkling of light and agreeable passages in the
oboe and bassoon parts. It was well played. Of the superb
effects of the march we find it impossible to speak in adequate
terms, or to convey the slightest idea of what it was. The
grave and solemn melody, with its attendant harmonies, exqui-
sitely played by the four trombones in combination, produced a
rich 'and indeed almost awful effect ; aided by the heavy beat of
the "doubling drum," at distant and measured intervals,
struck by Mr. Chipp with a nerve and precision which astonish-
ed us, and at the same time with a power that conveyed an
adequate notion of the discharge of a piece of heavy ordnance,.
and vibrated grandly through the c!;turch, producing an ensemble
such as we never heard surpassed and rarely equalled. We
should think the march was never better played than on the
present occasion. _ _

In " Deeper and deeper still," the veteran Braham equalled
his most successful efforts. There was none of that shunting
and bawling of which we have already complained. It was given
with intense feeling, in a beautifully subdued tone of voice, and
yet possessing sufficient power to be clearly and distinctly heard
in every part of the church. Even at the words " Lash me into
madness, he did not "break out" as we have sometimes heard
him, but imparted all that energy which the occasion required,
without " out-doing Termagant." As a whole it was splendid.
Pergolesi's " Oh Lord, have mercy," by Malibran was one
of the gems of the festival. Nothing more magnificent could be
conceived, even from this accomplished singer. The rich tones
of her voice pervaded the entire church with mellifluous full-
ness. At the conclusion murmurs of applause, without a possi-
bility of restraining them, burst spontaneously from the auditory,
a compliment which was justly her due.

" Gentle airs" was sung by Mr. Bennett in a very chaste and
unassuming style. Of the violoncello accompaniment of Lind-
ley it is impossible to speak in too high terms. His splendid
tone has nut apparently suffered the slightest diminution, while
the player was distinguished by the same neatness, facility, and
animation that were his characteristics in days long gone by.
We were happy to observe Mr. Lindley, as well as Mr. F.
Cramer, and other old friends in the orchestra, apparently in
the enjoyment of good health, despite their professional labours
and anxieties.

Signor Ivanoff, in "A te, fra tanti," from Mozart's Dai'ide
Penitente, eminently distinguished himself. The beautifully
clear quality of tone of his fine voice was heard to every advan-
tage. Ile also had the good fortune to be accompanied in su-
perior style.
Marcello's duet " Qual anelante" was a great treat. Malibran
was everything that could have been anticipated: while Miss
C. Novello acquitted herself with so much ability as almost to
induce us to regret we had ever written a word in her dispraise.
It was altogether a most striking performance, and the appro-
bation it excited led to its repetition at a dater period of the day.
The demon of exaggeration again possessed Mr. Firaham, in
giving the recitative " For the host of Pharoah." Such shout.
ing was never heard before, either within or without the walls
of a church. So strenuously did he exert himself, that we verily
believe he injured his own powers of hearing correctly; either
that, or he utterly lost the command of the vocal organ, for he
terminated in a totally different key from that intended by the
composer, and written in his part. Malibran, on the contrary,
in her recitative in answer, " Sing ye to the Lord," although
her voice was thrown out with prodigious strength, and with
animation inconceivable, did not deviate a hair's breadth from
the true pitch. It was a most superb effort. The double chorus
"I will sing to the Lord," better known as "The horse and
his rider," was given with tremendous power, and afforded a
splendid specimen of the effect of musical combination. We
never heard it better sung on any occasion, and it formed a
most appropriate termination to the morning's performances.
The weather was, fortunately, remarkably line again, and
our streets exhibited the same appearance of bustle and anima-
tion as on the previous day. Ihe performance at the church
commenced at eleven and terminated soon alter three o'clock.
There was a rather larger auditory than on Tuesday ; probably
258 U to 3000 persons were present.

WEDNESDAY EVENING'S CONCERT.
The selection of the night, from the many choice morceaux
which it contained, had excited considerable interest, and much
anxiety was evinced for securing tickets in order to enjoy what
it was anticipated would prove an exquisite treat. The result
was that the house was overflowing in every part. The fashion-
aides who occupied the pit and boxes were evidently much more
closely seated than on the former night, and the gallery and
slips were filled to their utmost extent. There was also appa-
rently no disposition on the part of this numerous auditory to
be fastidious or hypercritical. They came there to satiate them-
selves with music, and scarcely a piece was sung or performed
without an attempt from some part of the house to procure au
encore. To our thinking, however, the music, generally speak-
ing, did not go nearly so well as on the first night. The open-
ing symphony of Mozart was played in a very slovenly man oar.
from what cause we are not aware. Some of the other pieces
were also executed with extreme negligence; and were in parts
devoid of that distinctive clearness by which the effect of a spi-
rited composition is so materially enhanced.
Mozart's beautiful duet, well known to amateurs, from the
opera of Don Giovanni, " La ci darem," sung very charmingly
by Mademoiselle Assandri and Ivanoff, was encored after a
sharpish contention between those who wished to hear it again,
and those who did not. Ivanoff was every thing we could with,
but the lady a little too energetic in forcing the upper tones of
her voice.

Mr. Lindley's violoncello concerto excited considerable at-
tention. The veteran, on presenting himself to the audience,
was greeted with a cordial round of applause, and exerted him-
self to the utmost to afford them gratification in return. His
tone is as rioh and harmonious as ever, and the facility of his
execution does not appear to he impaired by time. The clear-
ness and certainty with which lie executed some passages in
harmonics excited the same feelings of surprise and admiration
as they did at least forty years ago.
Mrs. Bishop gave Spohr's beautiful air, "Rose ! softly bloom-
ing," with much taste, any anything better suited to her pure
and rich quality of voice could not be conceived.
Mercadante's Duetto, by Mesdames Caradori Allan and De
Beriot, was decidedly the most marked feature of the evening's
performance, and excited an extraordinary sensation. A power-
ful feeling of emulation seemed to pervade both ladies, and the
efforts of aach were met by a corresponding exertion on the
part of her rival—for rivals in a (we hope friendly) contest for
public admiration, they certainly were. 'We never heard
Caradori to half so much advantage, and have formed a much
higher opinion of that lady's capabilities, from her singing on
this occasion than we before felt disp'sed to entertain. She
sang passages of excessive difficulty with extreme brilliancy
and power, while the full rich tones of Malibran's voice were
heard in replication, in strains of equal intricacy. In fact, the
effect of the two voices was ratter that of two well practised
instruments in a concertante, than that of a vocal duet. At its
conclusion, a long continued round of the loudest plaudits
evinced the admiration of the audience, followed by loud calls
of " encore." In obedience to this call, the latter portion of
duetto was repeated, and again elicited enthusiastic applause.
In " Non piii Andrai " Lablache felt himself completely at
home, and did ample justice to this most excellent of buffo
songs. He received a full share of the applause of the audience,
but no attempt was made to encore the piece, which is some-
what surprising, considering how liberal the audience had been
in the course of the evening, in awarding that much coveted
test of public approbation to pieces of less merit.
At this period of the performance it was announced to the
audience that Madame Malibran was much indisposed, (in con-
sequence of her great exertions, we presume, in the Duette,
" Venue, se alberghi,") and their indulgence was solicited to a
change rendered imperative by her absence. The request was
good humouredly acceded to, and the concert proceeded.
In Cimarosa's duetto the ponderous weight of Lablachc's
almost supernatural voice effectually crushed poor Mr. l'hil-
lips's comparatively feeble organ. He could scarcely be heard,
and when he was, " gained a loss" by comparison. The duett
was tumultuously encored, and a portion of it was repeated.
In place of the air, with violin accompaniment, announced
for Madame Malibran De Beriot and Monsieur De Beriot, the
latter played a concerto on the violin. It was an exquisite
heat. The concert then concluded with Von Weber's over-
ture to Euryanthe, soon after eleven o'clock.

The Duke of Sutherland's improvements and alterations at
Trentham Hall, in Staffordshire, which are now in progress,
will cost, it is estimated, £lBO,OOO.

IRON AND STEM..—A pound of crude iron costs a penny; it
is converted into steel; that steel is made into watch-springs,
every one of which is sold for half-a-sovereign, and weighs only
the tenth of a grain. After deducting for waste, there are in the
pound weight 7000 grains, it theteloie affords steel for 70,000
watch-springs, the value of which, at 103. each, is .£35,000.

Extract of a letter of the 27th ult., from Flcrence :—" Travel-
lers to Italy are daily committing egregious errors, in attempt-
ing to pass by Switzerland and Genoa, by which they have to
encounter all the enormous obstacles and nuisances of the cho-
lera cordons which prevade every road. Tuscany is entirely
free from that malady, and the only road free from all inconve-
nience is from Marseilles to Leghorn. Some of my own friends
have gone to Genoa, and they have had to go back to Marseil-
les, and upon reaching Leghorn have had to perform quaran-
tine for 13 days for having been at Genoa."—Gailuinane s Mes-
senger.

SLAVETna TRADE.—Letters from the coast of Africa of
the middle of June mention that the Lynx, Lieut. Huntley, had
captured a very fine Spanish brig slaver, only four•hours out of
New Calabar River.

SILK WORMS.—II is calculated that 12700,000 of silk worms
must have toiled through their short lives to produce the quantity
of silk contained in the new Vauxhall balloon.
It is creditable to the national character that the most stre-
nuous opponents of the severity of the new poor law are to be
found among those classes who would be most benefited by the
savings which it professes to bring about.
Mendoza, the celebrated pugilist, died last Week in his 72d
year.

hands it will be a general favourite, however other singers may
fail in it. The accompaniment on the cornet d piston, by
Harper, displayed the capabilities of this new instrument to ad-
vantage.

Gugliehni's comic duet Oh quardate! may be considered one
of the most striking features of the concert, and is, indeed. one
of the best pieces in he bvii, style that we remember to have
heard. It was stin;Y by Malibran and Lablache, with a richness
of humour that was perfectly irresistible, and convulsed the
audience with laughter. There was, in particular, some capital
mimicry of an by Lablache, zind of Lablache by Mali-,
bran, in which the extraordinary capabilities of their voices
were strongly exhibited.

Monsieur de Beriot's violia concerto was an exceedingly
masterly performance, displaying- an unrivalled clearness,
sweetness, and evenness of tone. His style of playing, bears no
resemblance to that of Paganini; but in his own style he stands
perfectly unrivalled. With a very full share of execution, he
never resorts to trickery, hut touches the hearts of his auditors
by his admirable tone, and by the feeling which he can throw
into his performance. On this occasion the effect was quite
electrical, and something like the produced by a splendid piece
of eloquence on the hearts and minds of the audience. What
tended to heighten the merit of this performance. it was played
without book, and was a very astonishing effirt of musical
memory.

In Beethoven's terzetto, Tretnati! empi tremati Lablache
again had everything to himself; he completely overpowered
Mr. Bennett and Miss Novell°. When they could be heard ai
all, the effect was very good.
The air from Weber's Oberon was well suited to the voice of
Mrs. Shaw, and she sung it with very good taste and effect.
Perhaps no other person ever did ur ever will sing Largo al
factotum as it is sung by Lablache. His amazing power of
voice, his clearness of enunciation, and rapidity of execution,
together with his admirable comic talent. gave this well-known
song the effect of complete novelty to many who had heard it
frequently from singers din ferior qualifications. Not wit hstanding
the late hour to which the concert had been protracted, the
pierewas loudly encored.
The concert closed with \Veber's Overture to Oberon, whirls
we never heard better played. It was given with great spirit.
The effect of Mr. Platt's leading off on the horn was splendid,
and many persons who had risen and were making their way
out of the theatre were arrested, and showed their taste by hear-
ing this fine overture to its close.