New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-07-11
MUSICAL INTELLIGENCE.

ACADEMY OF MUsIC.-CaprciOus, seemingly at
least, is the public in operate matters. The very har
vest of the Italian Opera is at this heated, blazing
season of july When probabilities induce the sup
position that emptiness and desolaion sho1ld preside
over the Academy of Music, come the thick, sweter
ing, smoking crowds. They overshadow the broad
pit they perch in the loftier boxes they roost in the
cerulean cockloft of the muses. What though the
thermometer rise with each tier and represents high
the animal economy of roasting OK; there stick the
Summer flies of the opera, through four mortal acts
of the concidentay hot TrovatOre, with its seething
vagabonds of Gpses, boiling ures of knights, redhot
anvils, and Iurd cauldron wherein one brother mmo
lates another. fuller house never probably
seen at the Academy, than that Of last night. But
the faces were strange They were sojourners; peo-
pie en- route to the and the mountain; not averse
however, to a steambath while stopping here.
The performance of TrovatOre suffered with the
heat. The orchestra suffered AmOdiO suffered espe
cialy. Miss Phillips did not look the gypsy; she
does not bronze her face, seem the mother OF
BIignoli. Verismilitude of appearance apart, she
does her part well. She sings artistcaly and has
superior voice. and makes progress in her profession
OF the other vocasts, Madame La Grange included,
il is not necessary to repeat opinions. The new
Conductor Tor1iani, is NEST pains-takng musician,
and is decided accession to the directing powers of
the company.
Under present auspices the Opera Troupe will do
we'll to sing and perspire for some time to come.
MUSICAL SoIREE-PIANo.FoRTE on A NEW PRIV
cIPLE.-As the manufacture Of Pianos in the United
States has become prominent branch Of the national
industry, the Gales in this city alone being annually
FIVE million dollars, any great radical improvement in
the construction of the instrument merits special no
tice OF such nature claims to be the invention OF
Mr.. S. b. briggs. READY the pano-forte which
decorates and cheers many homes, has undergone
about eight hundred constructive changes to bros
TO its pre- sent admired state. Notwithstanding all
these, Mr.. briggs, mechanical genius, though not
mechanic, after twelve years of study, expert
ment and expenditure, has in the opinion OF
judges, made and applied invaluable inventions
to the piano. The powers of this new instrument
were exhibited at sOiree given by the inventor, on
Thursday evening. We never remember to have seen
together at any musical meeting great plumber OF
celebrities as there present MIR. Thalberg per-
formed for upward Of hour. He sfted every grain
of musical gold which the new Instruments possess;
and after completing his researches, gave bis verdict
in favor of the pianos which, though square, he con.
idered as the closest possible rivals of the grand
French pianos Of Erard, on account Of their immense
volume and purity of tone, and, above all, as pos
sessing the beauty of vocal quaity-that quality,
too, for which the jury at the Crystal Palace awarded
the first prize to Erards grand pianos. Mr. Srakosch,
after performing the new American pianos affirmed
that they were superb. The other judges present
were of the same mind.
The pecuiarities of this instrument are several:
prominent one being the shape and quality of an
arched upper and lower soundng-board, correspond
ing to the back and front of violin, and in accord
ance with the philosophical principle which, employed
in that instrument affords the largest and purest mus
cal response to the slightest touch of the player The
construction too of the frame pecuarunting great
strength TO reduced weight, enabling the wires to
keep their tension and accordance under hard playing
In common with all present We recognized the Won
derful vocal power of these newly invented pianos
that sympathetic, human quality of tone, which per-
mits the pianist " to sing on his musical instrument,
and make it eloquent and passionate under his touch.