New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-11-12
MUSICAL INTELLIGENCE.
PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY-ACADEMY OF
MI'SIC

The Philharmonic Society of this city, from some not
overgood materials few years back, has grown into
contract body of orchestral players about eighty strong,
capable Of rendering with effect scientific music Cen
sidering what many musicians have 10 submit to,
marching through the streets in the eycr-recuTing
uarades civic and military the time marked BY an m
cessant barbarian brutal noise of drums and cymbas.
DESTROYING melody and grateful resonance, the wonder
il that they have any ear or sentiment left for the per-
Torrance Of the concert room, where light and shade,
delicacy refinement and poetca feeling are required
After the incessant din Of this street noise the auditor
ear too is hardly capable of tasting 1t deserves the
ethereal and gentle utterings of the muse and "a Tor
climax. it would be difficult to say what Is LEFT for the
tvmpanu accustomed as it is to such cannonadngo OF
sound at every hour Of the day and hght "A
target company of fifteen will have musical
band of thirty; and the banging ana changing
Of many instruments is az necessary to
a fire company water; and coIner-groeery ader-
man or shouder-hitter cannot die (of drink without
receiving funeral ovation musie-wlse-such as ro!i'
bands could not excel at the demise of Wellington.
What faculties musicians who do play IN these puonc
parades have left they all do not do SOL hey gNetothe
philharmonic Society whose concerts OIL reSu-
Aritv. The vocal part Of these entertainments ID so
mild-being little than much sop-gap OF MIKE
weght-that Il is poor task TO criticise 1t. Let H.
lcn be granted that vocal music belongs to the opera
and that the Society confines is supposed to conine
itself to the instrumental range OF art.
On Saturday evening they gave symphony OIL
Sciumnan. marked BY the everpresen desire to AVOID
tried ground and give, cov'c o." co"ic something ese'
The effort of several prominent composers has been %
extennate the old dominance of melody as ii reigned
after the musical progress of the latter portion oil The
last century when the Italian canblle TOOK the place
of the mechanical fugue and the fashion OF keeping inc
bias eternav in motion with the treble, making the
whole effect hard and dreary. La evidence OF ths e
amateur may take the bass movement TO Mozart ans
La e. dqrcn and II mi0 fes0rO, in Don Giovanni lo
example and see how the melody floats above II unlm
| pedcd and then compare it with the crnde works o.
Handel where the bass il restless uguc-ilshion, gi'
! ing the melody no chance for graceful individual
| expression. Modern composers, of certain school
| appear weary of this simplicity; and there ensue
| accordingly "A learned omission Of simple, graphic
melody such n the ear seizes and i'll it, place muci
harmonious elaboration. This school has been pushed
TO such an extent that now there is reaction, and th'
virtue Of tunes is again beginning to be reeognize'
| even for orchesiras. In this period Sehumanl
| bas eontrived TO evolve much that is NOR
odd than beautiful; but the sum OF his posthnmo"
reputation has given him al honorable place IN lh'
affections Of musicians. Among the instrumentalls
in composition who have extended their lame ny re
heated trials is Listz--and the performance Of III
works AT the concerts is proof Of disposition to ao'
new names 20 the old list Beethoven wrote three
four overtures to his opera Of Fdo, and one OF thes
| was PLAYED on Saturday, being lis debit here
| The house was usual well attended.
Acode,ay of .Wasic-This establishment will open
| q week. and Manager Ulman intends 10 prescli
| LIE Prophete." Les Hugueno,s" LEoile d.
Nord" &c With such essential nOyeies-though the.
have been produced here-he public ought to be AL
| islicd.