New-York tribune., 1871-11-15
MUSIC.
PRINCE aALuzIH's coNoxRr.


Prince George Nicholas Galltxin Ia q Russian
nObleman OF distinguished famiy Who has been led by
genuine enthusiasm Tor music 10 adopt
career and to travel the world with orchestra and
chorus, Interpreting the national and popular songs OF
hs native country. IN London and other parts VI Great
Britain his concerts have been well known for many
years. He is musician OF many accomplishments and
composer not indeed Of great originality but Of de-
cided merit, with vein Of pleasing melody and skill In
the handling OF an orchestra His entertainments there
fore have claims to critical respect and would be we'll
worth notice they interesting from
the novel and striking character OF the programmes Tho
Russian music Of which they are composed
ia OF TWO classes; the traditional popular IDolo-
dies chanted by the serfs at their labor their festivals
their social ceremonies, or sung by bOatmen on tha
rivers and reduced to muAical notation by Prince Ga
litEn and seectopsi from the formal compositions or
Russian composers, such Ginka and the Prince him
self The performance In NewYork is intrusted TO =
chorus Of about fy and strong orchestra both
made from the best material available In thIs city,
and the Prince tall, stout of imposing presence
conducts them with great skill The popular songs
naturally the most interesting TO foreign audience.
They are Of very distinctly marked character strongly
tinged with melancholy, but full Of strange dro.
which. at the first two or three hearings, power
fully affects the imagination They are deficient
in grace, but not In feeling. They abound In
abrupt, and, tO ears. unusual cadences
but, ike all fOlksonRs, they have a simple melody.
easily caught by tho and retained IN the memory
Sometimes they break out In quick, Wild yet musical
shoutinRs. such ono might expect TO hear at this
merry-makngs Of hafbarbarous peasantry; and these
passages toned down perhaps by the Princes arrange
men and sOftened by the harmOnies Of the orchestra
are exciting in u very curious degree. The music Ls
somewhat monotOnous; but the music Of an unculti.
waited society must always be that, because the ruda
musical instruments are Of such limited capacity and
the song uever gets much beyond the instrumen&
The compositions Of Glinka, who has furnished tho
Russian stage with s best and most popular operas, do
not seem to US strongly characteristic Of the nationality
Sometimes he bOrrows few strains from the peasants
songs and often without copying the airs he seems To
have drawn In something Of their spirit but Russian
art is nothing but an expatriated German art, and
Glnkas method Of treatment s much more suggestive
Of Lepsic than of st. PETERSBURG Tho overture TO his
opera Of Russian and Ludmila" is bright and spir-
ted piece Of writing which betrsys the Russian fond
ness for the bare Of much brass and the nnG OF tho
cymbas It Is not vulgar crash music. however, for tho
harmonies are rich and the effects brilliant and legit
mate There was excellent scherzo also By the Same
composer, entitled "Kamarinskaja," based upon two
wedding-soDgs and there polonaise frOm GbnkAs
OPERA "To Die for the CGar This pOOnaise, however.
Russian only in political sense-that is TO say 1t is
Polish remarkable CrcaSsian March, for orchestra ana
chorus, and an arrangement BY Prince Galitzin OF
a coaohmans song to his horses (" TrOika'D elieited
especial enthusiasm and certainly they well deserved IT,
In the last stanZa Of the Troka the Prince SHOWS
skill In working up strong and broad efects with ample
materials that would do credit to LsIt HIS Emanci-
patton Fantaise," composed In commemoration o tho
Liberation Of the surfs. Ia an arrangement OF three
Themes two being fOksongs for the orchestra and tho
third chorus Of GlfnkAs. The peOe Is interesting bus
It hangs together rather loosely and cannot be called
work Of high art.
The only solo performer was Mr.. Levy, who played Q
romanSa and polka Of the Princes on tho cornet. Ths
audience of small but considering the terrors
larger than looked for and 1t was
evidently delighted by the concert.
sTADT THEATER-wACHrEL.
Wachtel repeated on Monday night his pop
uar personAton of Nanoo; and. the previous Oc'
casOns when he has shouted tho woes and rapures OF
the unfortunate trOubadOur, g crowded audience
stamped capped and screamed approval, and rose As
him with enthusiasm that seemed little bit fero-
cous. As usual he threw ont his famous In alt In ths
D quea pira," and usual his listeners were appsr-
entity disposed make him do It over and over again fn
the rest Of tho evening. Unlike many singers who arc
fAmOus for ono extraordinary vocal feats, he
wears well He 10 artist, not indeed Of tho highest
nnish but st Of genuine culture and he yet In ths
Vigor Of those remarkable physical powers which
made him of the chief tenors Of Europe.
A season of hard work has not dmmed
the brightness Of his voice. The tones arc
as pure and firm as when We first heard him. and the In
strength after repeated hearings Not mnch can be said
tho company BY which he has been supported at the
stadt Theater though Madame Hohtnay has done we'll
10 the Huguenots and the Azeend Monday night
MAdamA Clara Perl, was cordially called out after her
sCena In the Third Act Miss CaniSsa was the LsonOr0
and Mr. Werling shocking d Luna. This evening
Wschtel reappears in The Position Of Longi1meau."
and his NewYork engagement cloes for the present
with tho same opera In which he made his American
debut. When we hear him again lt wiz probably be In
combination with artists Of his rank Tho present
season at the eadt Theater successful Il has been In
pecuniAry sense, has been the result Of accident
rather than managerial design. TheI impresario who
brought Herr wschtel TO hs country had facilities
for producing Opers and knew not what to do with his
prise after he had secured Il. The German tenor Waa
finally Leased 10 Mr.. Carl Rosa, who had tact ahd eX
perence enough to put him to good though tnfOr
tunately ho could not use him with the company then
organised for the Academy Of NUDE Mr. wachtel could
not sing English, and mono Of the members Of tho
Parepa-Ross troupe, except Madame ROoa herself could
ring German. All could sing Italian; hut clause in the
lease prohibited Mr. Rosa from giving italian opera at
tho Academy In advance Of the NSson season. Thero
nothing to be DONE therefore, but to pick up what
fragments OF German companies could be found short
nd about the city, and upon the whole the result has
been decent could reasonably have been expected