The Portland daily press., 1869-11-02

900. Besides the portrait OF the queen there
is also stlendid gold snuff-box. presented By
the Fishmongers Association of London. a
beautifully chased and valuable box contain
ing the " freedom of the city of London and
the magnificent medal, presented by Congress
in consideration Of the valuable aid Mr.. Pea.
body had given to the conse of education at
the South.
This Peabody Institute and the Danyers
Institute were formerly one building and one
affair." but short time ago they decided to
separate, and the Danvers Institute took its
moiety of the books and the property to its
own town. Mr. Peabody has given S150,OCO
to the Danvers and 100000 to the Peabody
Institute so that both corporations are now
selfsupporting. On the same floor with the
hall, and just across the entry-way as a Me-
mortal Library Room fitted up by Mrs.
Eben Sutton of this city, millionaire, in
memoridm of little son whose full length
portrait adorns the wall. The room is finish
ed in black walnut, exquisitely carved AID is
capable ofhoding 10000 volumes. The walls
are draped in damask folds, the carpet is of
velvet tapestry, the furniture very costly, and,
by conditions established by the giver, every
book must be bound in Turkey morocco.
the income of $4,000 is to be expended in
the purchase of books. By the time we had
examined the Memorial room it had become
so late we were compelled to make our way
homeward.
On our way home we dropped into the
Essex Institute for "a few moments to see the
nice little music hall afforded by the Institute
to club of some three hundred subscribers,
in its Library Room. Here the subscribers
meet every Tuesday light and enjoy the gems
OF melody performed by amateurs who would
do credit to the names professionals. These
concerts are ultra fashionable, and once every
week the creme de la creme fill the ball to the
number Of some four hundred Salem has the
honor of having furnished some of the finest
professional singers to be found in the country,
and their Oratorio Club received the compi-
ment from Zerrahn last spring of being the
finest amateur association he had ever heard
but then Zerrahn had not listened to the
Haydn Association OF Portland. Here in this
library room the subscribe.s are getting to-
gether musical library. and we hope that
the example viii be followed at home, and if
the Haydns' would devote one evening each
week TO little concerts we think it would be
pot only pecuniariy profitable but serve to
bring out and encourage talent, besides afford
ing great deal OF pleasure during the winter
THE THEODORE THOMAS CONCERT.
What shall we say about the Thomas Or
chestral Concert? Adjectives would fail to
express our delight. We feel especially called
upon to devote portion of our letter to this
subject, for this magnificent orchestra is to
give concert in Portland on Thursday nigh t
and we wish to see an audience in attendance
worthy of our city. Let me assure cur citi-
zens that unless they have had the pleasure of
listening to these musicians in New York,
they can have no comprehension of what a
perfect orchestra really is When we tell
our readers that Boston, the home of music,
the "hub" of civilization, admits that it far
excels anything they have ever heard, that
while the orchestra of the Harvard Musical
Association is very fine it cannot attain to
the perfection of Thomas, they can get
some idea of the musical treat in store for
them. From the opening Suite in d" by
Bach, to the closing Overture from Der
Freischntz," that immense audience, which
completely filed the Music Hall, sat and
listened, we might say without exaggera-
ton, in breathleSs silence. 1t is true there
is great deal of classical music on the
programme, and there is great deal of pop
ular music also. But this CLASH cal music is
rendered in manner that gives it an entire
ly different character from the Interpretation
afforded by ordinary orchestras. We are not
excessively fond of classical music, Or at least
we thought we were not, until Saturday eve
ming. The immense orchestra seemed but
one man, an immense machine governed by
one WILL and impulse; and yet not machine
for M machine pO11,H oi cunh 1olioa fa limits
and shades, such magnificent crescendos, such
execution and more than all these, such ex-
preston. In the upper balcony with us were
number OF musicians, several of them men
and women whom Boston delights to honor
and in a number of the minor passages we
saw tears streaming down their cheeks, so
powerfully were they reflected. We asked one
of the most celebrated of these why it was
that this New York orchestra should be SO
much superior to ally body of musicians Bos-
ton possesses. Because, said he, we have not
the number of finished musicians to draw
upon that are to be found in New York. Sup
pose we have a moderately fair, or even poor
performer on an instrument only used in
orchestral concerts and we should turn him
Off or lose him, it would be very difficult to
supply his place. In New York on the con-
trary there are four or five to come forward in
such case, all good men. Now all the mem
perS oI tnlS orchestra nave played night alter
night under Mr.. Thomas conductorship for
four years, and consequently you have the
pleasure OF listening to such music as can be
heard in only two other pl. ces in the world
in London and Vienna. Let our city then
grant an audience to this concert which shall
fiji every seat in the house and our readers
can take our word for it that the pleasure
they will receive will be not for that evening
only but will lnger in the memory for years
IN o0ma