The New York herald., 1865-07-18
The Mammoth Concert.

The Mammoth Concert.
A great has said "Iet write a nations songs,
and not who makes its laws" and there Is much
in the saying than would al 1rst appear Poetry
and her sister art Musc naturally 60 hand in hand and
nations characteristics. fangs and perfoctions may
easily be determined from its national music Thus the
light channetes of the French Opera Comique, espe
ciay suited to the pleasure seeking Parsians plainly
depict the superficial denonstrative and lively charac
ter of the Gaul The Irish music at ono time raught
with pathos and feeling another redoent OF fun and
frolic, especially mark the goodhearted senstive roll
licking Paandcr. Then tho English msc-what little
thereis of i-as hard tofathom changcablc decc
tive the nation itself Going to Italy We have the soft
tender %e,ady m @ SO s o. Inc Inc @
forms striking contrast to all Of others.
The German music dreams, tho Italian sings tho
French acts-at least 80 writes Nestor ROqueplan. Ono
listens to German opera with feeling perhaps less or
pleasure than wonder He gets confused with the
is thoroughly scientific and so styled heavy II Is as one
looking a picture who Is unacquantcd with laws which
govern perspective and light and shade He admres it,
that Is true TO naturebut In very different way
does the connosseur examine 1t; he views u with
the eye Of artist and appreciates IT, SO the listener
to Mendelssohn's or Mozart's compositions He
thrilled. but not pleased much as the philosophic
Duchman sitting next him, with open mouth drinking
In every sound German literature and painting are
the same they are all deep; the coloring Of the
Flemish paintings is heavy and dull Rubens,
Van Dyke, al give their works most sonbre cooring
The poems Of Schiller and Goethe all profound The
IDEAS II Ia true original but then the Imagination
refuses to peceso far into the unreal to judge Of their
beauty In the Italian opera the statue Is on the stage
the pedestal In the orchestra, whereas In the German
the order Is reversed Thus the assertion started with
is fully proved in this instance Abstruse heavy and per-
fcctiy stolid; nothing light about the nation save its
lager bier. No heard Of Dutch jg the dreamy
waltz Of Strauss supplies tts place. German comic
primo basso to give an cShsasng eject But wi.hai
they understand perfectly what music ought TO be- and
fully displayed that knowledge last evening at the Acs
There Is frehtfu mania existing in this age for ''bg
things To be good the consideration OF the dimensions
Oh sae article ana It's nS s.
This phasc Of human weakness, having first exhibited
itself IN crnolnes and waterfalls gradually psrmeatng
society Huge political demonstrations, an immense
national debt and the latest appearance OF the mania
In that OF monster musical performances BY this we
do not mean that trombones and corncts drums and
viollns have attained gigantic proportions that hu-
voices have been strengthened ~ any extraordinary
degree We mean that quantity more than quality is
begun. Quantity and quality were, however. both
present last night at the
ACADEMY or MUSIC.
From an early hour In the evening Dutchmen, At
case OF their Absence Recommended by tRc no. over
fragrant calumet which Ia Of the distinctive features
Of the race assembled outside the amphheare door OF
gathered waiting for the opening OF the doors
which would mark the signal for general rush for seats
powers induce the crowd to purchase tickets
from tem as they could not be had inside but TO no
purpose-the German Is always suspicious and will not
invest As the doors were opened general rush was
made policemen 70 no purpose endeavored to stem the
Tcutonc current which flowed in on ell sides High and
Low, with large quantity Of medium Dutch abuse
launched the heads OF those unasuming officials who
in round toned American expletves Of worry polite
Specification, returned very bad Englsh for, no doubt
superior German
fhey get in q last and sase admrnsly on the masnia
cent interior Of tho Academy with its myriad lights
rendered particularly attractive by the banners Of the
various singing societies, which were tastofaly aayed
from the balcony and upper tiers These banner
Of them extremely handsome have been loaned 10 the
committee by the various Sangerbunds for the purpose
OF decoration, and will be returned 10 ther owners
with all tho honors, on Wednesday next
As the time for the opening Of the concert approached
every available position had been secured. The
blage of fashionable description than that Of
Sunday evening, and, " anything, larger Those who
Gus, mustered In force last evening.
THE PROGRAMME.
The programme was inauguratcd by the performance
Of the overture Lttos Robespcren The orchestra
numbered hundred performers and was previously
conducted BY C. Bergman This overture is one Of the
efec ycy pourrays the character OF the opera The
struggle OF the Parans under the reign OF terror the
progress of revolution, the death OF R0besperre aud
the establishment OF the empire, all be from the
almost heavenly chords which permeate IL throughout
The eject Of La Marselase" introduced thrilling
the extreme Each present felt what In former days
the French popuace must have experienced during those
stirring times In later days. when Madame Roland
surpassed The glorious cresccndo in the first part had q
perceptble effect the asscmbagc who could scarcely
refrain itself from cheering Justify Had not been FOR
the concluding strains, full Of feeling they would
assurcdly have risen en- AT its conclusion the
curtain rose, and unparalleled for s imposing
appearance presented itself Two thousand five hundred
singers grouped the stare, whose faces the
lights shone, giving the truly grand aspect but
as they united In Rcblings glorious "Tbuermcricd,
united VA with voice. the effect was indcscrbablc
NOR p1n0C lie