New-York tribune., 1868-05-08
rHE BOSTON MUMcAL EEsTITAL.

SECOND DAY.
Prom Oar Special Correspondent
BosToS, May 6, 1853.
The festival seems to gain in excellence and
completeness as the days pass on; the players and
tho public both grow more and more enthusiastic;
and the numbers Of the band and chorus have greatly
increased. There are now about 500 singers,
and might be many more if there were
room enough. and the orchestra counts 1l5
pieces. 1t is very pleasant to observe the
hearty good feeling which prevails between the Bos
ton artists who form the nucleus of this great gath
ering and the musicians from other cities who have
been summoned 20 assist them There is no
jealousy. They are all working for a COM
mon object in the interest of art, and not
for the glory of any particular city. Mr.. Zerrahn is
loud in his praise of the enthusiasm and intelligence
of the 40 instrumental performers whom be has OBJ
tanned from New-York, and the many visitors from
our city are unanimous in confessing that in New
York there has never been anything approaching
the perfection of the Boston choruses SO there is
perpetual round of compliments and all parties are
delighted.
There was only one performance to-day-a miscella-
neous concert at in the afternoon. The orchestra
played the oyeTtures 10 Webers "Euryapthe" and
Boethuyen's Fidelio" the third and did both very
finely especially the latter and gave also Mozarts
svm1iouv I'm d, minor This was not rendered unite
so well as il was at our fourth Philharmonic concert
this last season in Now-fork, but the playing
ment, was especially inn aud certain Ihe allegro
frale was the best perfounedas il almost always is.
The pinuet, in the Jorte passages. seemed
attribute this 60 a defect in the acoustic prop
critics of the Hail. in some PORTIONS of which there
is an unpleasant reyerberatOn. A symphony never
VII sound as well here as in the New York Academy
of Music for there the faintest tone OF violin IS
distinctly audible, and tho loudest crash of full
band produces no perceptible echo Mr. Zerrahn
conducted with great deal of intelligence
and force, yet in quiet, undemonstrative man
ner, which it was very pleasant TO- contemplate
He pays less attention than Bergman TO
the subtlcr distinctions of light and shade; should
say he has not 80 nice conception or the poetry OF
mastery oyer his forces; he possesses the personal
magnetism essential for conductor; and in the
difficult art OF managing voices and instruments
together do not know his equal.
There were two solo.pieces on the programme this
afternoon. Miss Phillips sang the pathetic LGsca
chic piapga from Handelfs "Rinaldo, with an abso-
mte artistic fnish and such profound feeling that
hearing it was a pleasure akin to pain; and Miss
Aldo TOpp made her first appearance in
Boston, playing Schumauns pianoforte con-
interest was manifested in this young lady's
debut, and her reception when she came upon the
stage was extremely cordial Before she had finished
the concerto the audience were thoroughly aroused
tom the genteel lethargy which seems to be consid
cred proper in Boston and the applause at the end lin
which the orchestra loudly ionedl was quite stormy
In answer to q persistent demand for more, she
gave LISTS Hungarian Rhapsody with all her
accustomed fire and brilliancy. She PLAYED this
much better tnan Sne ulu tne concerto, Ill Wnlcn
there was lack of the sentiment which Mr. s. B.
Mills so we'll expressed when he performed the same
piece at the third Philharmonic Concert last Winter;
but she is too young to be avery poetical player She
has attained incompatible skin and brilliancy; feel
ing may come by-and-by There is great deal or
critical intelligence in Boston audiences, and dis
position to accept the approval of New-York as a
test of merit and il is therefore high compliment
to Miss Topp that she has proved so far the principal
sensation Of the festival
Tho Hall to-day was not only full but crowded, and
il seems probable that the pecuniary results Of the
noon We shalt have SchuberFs Great Symphony in c
major and other good things, and in the evening
e ST, Paul. The Choral symphony is to be produced
on Friday and the Reformation symphony on Sat
urday J, II. G. II.