The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-12-27


MADAME CAsTEILAN's CONCERT AT THE WASH
INGToN HoTEL.-Since the departure of those three
great luminaries, Ole Bull, Artot and Damoreau,
the musical horizon was covered with heavy and
gloomy clouds, if we except the day Of Mr.. Wal
lace's concert Everybody looked. as if everybody
would have been condemned ga perpetuite," to
read Monsieur Greely's Tribune, who has been ad-
ding fresh leaf to his wreath of laurel by writing
an article Ole Bull, which we are certain would
kill the stoutest shareholders of the "Sylvania'
Association, provided they could manage to swal-
low it.
But, 10 the clouds part, glorious burst of light
sheds its rays over us,-hark, hark the lark No,
it is not the lark, it is the nightingae,-it is the
nightingale CASTELAR,, who MARBLES forth her sweet
notes; those notes, which could have outvied the
melody ofDavid's Harp ;-hose notes, which could
have struck dumb the strings of Orpheus' Tyre.
The appearance of Madame CASTELAR, was looked
for with increased interest," since We have lately had
the opportunity of admirlng Madame Damoreau's
finished, or better, "decately chiseled" style of
singing Many of her ardent admirers dreaded a
comparison between those two great " reines de la
scene - II was the anguish OF a fond mother Tor
her darling child. But CASTELAR, did not appear at
all to be daunted by the tug of war, ''when Greek
meets Greek"-she steppedforth with bold modes
ty her brilliant eye glanced quietly over the faces
hushed, in silent expectation, her powerful voice
filled the vast all,-its echo was deatening APP
plause-to us" familiar quotation, 'veni, GantaUi,
vicl."
We do not mean TO put CASTELAR, over Damo-
reau. Nay, we are certain, that Madame CasteL
Ian, (modest and great artist she is } would not
thank us at ALL We're we. TO do it. Madame Dam
oreau is rare, great SINGER In her " roles she
has no superior. Paris London and lately ST. Pc
tersburgh have ratified it. The grand Opera and
since she turned deaf ear to the entreaties of Yer
non and Crosnier, and refused renewal of her
contract. She retired from the stage, esteemed and
regretted by everybody. 1t was blow which fell
heaviest on Auber, the celebrated composer, with
whose glory her name is inseparable. But Madame
Damoreau is "passee - Balzac would consider it
twice, before he would receive her into his list of
"ia femme de trente an" Her voice is still sweet
times even husky. Whereas, on the contrary,
Casellan's is fresh full of metal, clear the lark s.
sweet as the nightingae's, bounding over the en-
chanted valley of harmony like a fiery. colt; But
enough; we must tighten the reigns of the hippo
grif, and give as the German poet says" the long
story's short meaning in few words. CASTELAR,,
although not above, is certainly not below Demo-
reau.
After a lively overture to Auber's .sDiamants,' %
which was performed with much spirit and precl-
sion, Madame CASTELAR, gave an air from DoniZet-
tbs "Betiy." This opera is not known in Ameri-
ca which is not at all matter OF regret, Betty be-
ing one ofthisgifted composers weaker works, and
could never boast OF favorable reception in Eu-
rope. The air "Se c,'uaelc IL mostrai' ought to
be very grateful to Madame CASTELAR, for having
been chosen and presented by her, in such an inyi
''scena ed ara from Coppola's. Nina. Her energy
in the deeper notes, and the impressive and dra-
NAUTICAL style lin the recitativo make us repeat the
wish to hear her in complete opera
In the second part, she delighted in the SPLEEN
did Duet "Non GER from the second act of
Donizetti's "Gemma di Pergy," which she sung
with Signor Giampietro. We have heard it by
Frezzon and Schoberlechner, and must confess
that CASTELAR, surprised and astonished u.s. re-
petition was loudly called for, and she could not
but yield tc the wish of the audience. But her
greatest triumph was in the air "Casta d,pa," from
Norma, which she, the "dipqq," sung divinely
elegance and taste in the roulades and foretu< OF
the allegro! Polygane would be tyrant if he
would not return to the enchanting strains of Cas-
tellan's ''Ah! bella, me retoyna %
We have seldom witnessed a concert where all
the pieces went off with so much ecat as in this.
The overtures to Prec,osa and Semudmide were
very well executed by the orchestra of the Philhar
monlc Soclety-the wind instruments appeared only
to be little out of tune Mr. Rapetti played va
riatlons Of his own composition. We prefer the
player to the composer We never liked mere
"concert compositions there is no music in
them-nothing but running passages, whose mono
tony is relieved here by shake, there by an arpe-
giO. Mr.. Rapetti's composition is neither better
nor worse than the rest of them, but we think it
rather sce',a odntante than a fantasia AS play
er, he will always occupy respectable place; his
tone is clear and strong and he possesses general
iy pure information. But, Mr.. Rapetti, are you
not wrong to put SO many ornaments into the air!
We always thought that hema should be played
as simple as possible. And was not the movement
of the adagio a little too fast!
The second piece, which Mr.. Rapetti played
with Mr.. Timm, was the Duet which Vieuxtemps
performed with his sister. Without drawing any
parallel, we were extremely satisfied with Mr.. Ra-
petti's execution, and he ought to be proud of the
laundering applause avished upon him by the au-
dience.
So ended Madame Castellan's last concert, but
we hope it will not be her last appearance. We
are going to have Italian opera at the Park and
at Palmo's. Her place is marked in company with
Sutton and Borghese. New York can well afford
to pay them; and where could we find better ones
We are certain that CASTELAR, will create tenfold
greater sensation the stage than in the concert
room.