The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-07-03
Critics In Muslc.
TFrom the philaaelphia Ledger. Ju

From the Phadelphia Ledger June 20
The criticisms Oh music and musicians, which 4
qusntly appear in the newspapers of New York,
curious specimens OF confusion and incongru5|
The New YORK HERALD denominates the AUTH
of these curiosities the oyster house critics; and
intimates that their literary labors are inspired
oysters ana champagne Or course we know
thing about this, and do not refer TO them insl
personalities. But il their published efforts
prompted by anything gastsonomic, VIC sho
sooner suspect opium stramonium, hyOscyamus,
some other mind. disturbing agent more potent u
champagne, That brain stirring, tongue-loosen
beverage, Of which the genuine French mportati
are now so well manufactured and branded
Philadelphia and New York, and doubtless o.
American cities, will sometimes enable people
behold objects duplicated, and will sometimes rem
everything, Of whatever color, rather blush. I
il will often accelerate the talking engine hey
the speed of discretion. But opium, hemlock
some other substance in the category of /" Potccai
stuff" is necessary to change sights into s0uI
odors into colors, dreams into flowers, semibre
into flames, and demi -quavers into stars, 4
the whole gamut into amber jelly. Therefore n
think that the oyster house critics must be rat
more Chinese than French, in their "search Of A
picturesque" in music.
These fabricators Of incomprehensibilities b.
now their pens full of the new musical arrival 4
prodigy, Alboni She has astonished.the who'd
them. and impelled them to astonish everybsj
else. They know not what to make of her; VI
feeling bound to make something, they have m
something which defes both definition and CT
prehension. They have succeeded, not to q m
cle-for that is something comprehensive in Fl
though incomprehenslble in mode of productio
but to prophecy; for prophecy is something
ceptible of any explanation, and about which +
opinion is as good rs another. Here is spcciI
which puts any thiDg in Ezekiel or Daniel quite
of countenance. 1t was born in the Nc,c Y
Courier and Enquirer. Concerning Albo
voice, it says 6 1t has cool lusciousness which
peculiar. 1t comes bubbling, gurgling, guski
from that full throat and those gently parted Ii
and reminds us Of draughts Of which poets h.
sung. but of which bacchan,es have only dream
A child, on hearing it, must needs have vision
seas Of amber jelly floating before his enamo
mental vision, SO materially rich, honeyed and !
lucid is it,
This deies our powers of translation, interpre
ton, explanation or calculation. This mixture
sound, sight, color, tact, form, motion, each
dressed to every sense but the right one, is quite
chaotic for our comprehension But we admit th
criticism, it is very learned, scientific and ar
tic; and it proves that criticism, as a profession
not within everybodys comprehension. A c
voice And lusciously cool! So is an ice crea
but we could never detect any resemblance
tween one and vocal music. According to IL
Alboni should sing only in dog days; for in fro
night OF January, one of her lusciousy cool sol
would make our teeth chatter. She has exhibi
her sagacity in visiting our country in mid SUNNI
And hersvoice is h0neye ed and pellucd Pray,
Critic, did you ever taste or behold her voic
Yet you must have done one to discover the fla
or SAVIOR Of honey, and the other to discover
appearance or aspect of pellucidity, which mel
clearness or Transparency, like glass or pure wat
How the audience must have licked their lips
the one quality And how clearly they must hi
seen every object around, through the other II
her voice been obscure or opaque, she could
have sung long without being enveloped in fog,
becoming invisible, ms if behind screen. A pei
cid voice enables the audience to see the sing
and the singer the audiences; but an opaque 70
would build something like brick wall betSt
them. And her voice is naturally honeycd and p
lucid! 1t certainly has two qualities of matter
sweet like honey, and pellucid like pure water.
in contradistinction from matter he had pronount
it spiritually honey and pellucid, we should hs
been wofully perplexed; and so he is not so bad
be might have been. And her voice bubbles a
gurgles and gushes Honey may gush, but we
especially when cool. Let the critic turn pitcl
Of it into tin pan with the thermometer at thir
two, and be convinced. But if her voice really bl
bles and gurgles, she must make sad work "
breves, semibreves and mnms, and her enunciat
OF quavers, semquavers, and demi- emqdav
must be rather indistinct. We should like to h,
a specimen of her gurgling in staccato. The au
encc might mistake it for gurgling, and apprehe
| that she were choked.
Her voice reminds the critic Of what spoets hs
| sung" but "bacch0ntes means bacchal
lians-" have only dreamed y Just now it v
| honey. and then pure water; out now il is meet.
How the critic sticks TO liquor But he is wro
in saying that nectar has been only sang or dream
/ for ii is manufactured III city for all the so
shops, and drank by our bacchanalians when I'll
want nothing stronger
But the best is to come; f r, as the critic warns
boni'svoice thckens, and has no. become amber iel
Among jellies We are acquainted with calves feet c
| rant, and guava, but know not the amber. AS a
her does not soften in boiling it is not good ma
rial for jelly; and as it probably originates in p
and ir-recs. il would sma elk too strongly of turn
tine. But admitting the jelly, we are puzzled
know how it could resemble Alboni's voice, or
a child, on hearing her sing, would think of sue
thing. And he would see whole seas Of it, too,
greedy little brat! This beats Professor Shurt
of Dartmouth College, who wished to be thro
into the middle of a pond Of pumpkin pie, wi
deep, and compelled to eat his way out. And til
seas Of jelly would feat! We can imagine it 9
vering, but should suppose it rather too thick
float. Such waves would be rather too heavy, e
for seventy. tours. But the protested musical cr
of New York can overcome all difficulties.