Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1854-06-30
Musical Congress.


CORRESPONDENCE OF THE FREE PRESS
Npw YORK, June 10, lsj4.
BAnSuM JULIEN, And what should you sup
pose would be the result of that combination Why,
of course great musical Congress- such As did come
of last evening at the Crystal Palace under their
joint auspices. such specimen Of g,thng mp has
not been seen recently indeed has fine a thing
been seen, when got up, ever before in this country
The way the public attention was compelled to-
wards it, wonderful First and foremost, We
had rumors of such thing while julien was yet
giving his concerts at Castle Garden and then Jul
lien out in card in the papers to say that it
that there hat been svmc talk OF IT,
but the expense was found to be 50 great, some SO,
900, that the plan was given up. Then out comes
Barnum with a card, saying, "Not quite SO fast
Wait till Julien gets through at Castle Garden, and
then shall sec what we shall See" And then the
joyful annunciations by advertisement in all the
papers, that the Grand Musical Congress would take
place. and that about all the orchestras and choir
in the country, would take part therein. Baruums
programmes" were more GLOWING" than ever, and
the "hams'' in them more "hgh -falutng" than on
the occasion of the rc-opcning and the papers re-
sounded with glorifcation of the occasion and the
preparations which were being made and the feast
of music which might be expected. And finally
came moving appeal to the public, announcing
that the arrangements had been made under the
mistaken notion that they could charge dollar ad-
mission F.; that 1t found that they could
only charge fifty cents, being restricted by the Act
of Incorporation, and that the expense could only
be met by full attendance, which was of course
confidently expected. Nor we're their expectations
disappointed. 1t is utterly impossible in such
building the Crystal Palace, to form any reliable
estimate of a crowd there and the estimates of the
crowd that was there last night. vary from 10000
to 10000 The East nave, and large part Of the
central open space, occupied by the seats built
up for the orchestra and singers. But from the 9TH
er naves the articles exhibition were mostly re-
moved, and they were all crowded thick with peo-
pie. The seats which were in the center were all
filled, and everywhere in the building where any
could sit down, ladies seated, benches,
railings, or chairs, sofas exhibition. The
view one looked down from the gallery,
magnificent The munstrous orchestra, the seats
rising to the roof marked OF on the floor below by
green shrubbery set round tho edge, With white
statues interpreted, the sea of heads beyond,
cupying all the open space, and seen down all the
vista' which open among the columns, the glitter of
the noble dome The sight alone wa, we'll worth
the trouble of going. The music fine, Julien
would not have conducted it otherwise. The build
ing is 50 immense and SO little adapted for music,
that the solos and the soft notes, mostly lost,
swallowed up in distance, and the constant roar from
the inuumcrable feet moving the floor, which
chec4 ed and dcadencd them. 1t like singing on
the beach. But in the powerful pa ssnges where
the whole force of the fifteen hundred performers
put forth, it rang out gloriously. julien had
contributed another OF hi, grand musical enormi-
ties. the Fireman. Quadrc. | could hardly de-
scribe it to YOU certainly not after hearing it but
1t contains effects, at least, The first
part descriptive of our annual Firemcn's parade.
in which all the companies march through the scve-
raj streets in grand array In this julien repre-
scented the marching by of the companies by haviu:
Dodworth : and other bands off in the picture gal
lery, and having them after another. march out
down into the orchestra whore they take their seats
to join in the grand finale which il descriptive of
New York fire. To heighten the Illusion when the
fire breaks ont in the Orchestra, and you hcar the
distant boom OF the city Hall he'll, which i. won
derfully initiated, they set fire to light, the
side Of the iom,, which gradually Il, the orchestra
red glow over III, dome aud the upturucd face, Of
the audience, till the grand finale comes with the
crash Of the falling building, 10 initiate which,
they roll cannon balls down a trough under the
orchestra. II was thought br.t, and with reason,
think, To caut ion the audience to he alarmed
whatever they should aud hear, before the
men'rmcit 9" the pu1dtlllc. If panic had broken
out in that iumensr crowd there would have been
dIciul tale to- tell. However an went oil with
great apppluu,e, sIl At the cl",' # It Rsrnum and
julien wet, both called cut g. tuaL, u slrech aud
then they uurull Il CANVAS. To- announce that the
g-and Musical Congress would be continued ter
few nights more, admittance - cents"
II was suggc strd that the only improvement which
could be made in the fucmrn's Quadrillc, would he
tor julien to lead the o'chcst'a in hrcusu', cap
aud red shit. If he should ad"pt that amendment,
may Ice tnvtv t. sc. lcuIs, Ac.,
ALPHA,
- W. SOC TINT tie MAsn Stnte Convention