PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY MORNING. Terms of Subscription, per Annum, 16s.; Half-year, 8s.; Three Months, 4s.; (Stamped Copies 18: per Quarter extra) Payable in advance, to be forwarded by Money Order, to the Publishers, Myers & Co., 22, Tavistock-st., Covent Garden, No. 34.-VOL. XXXI. SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 1853. THE FIELD AGAINST THE WORLD. We mean the Musical World. What business has The Field with music? Cannot he be satisfied to ensnare lepora and shoot snipes? What has Spohr done to The Field that The Field should take the field against Spohr? "What's Jessica to him, or he to Jessica?" Price Fourpence. Stamped Fivepence. the pit; and you could enjoy it at your ease, from your stall near the orchestra. "He that cannot see well, let him go softly," was a wise admonition of Bacon to the intellectually blind. The Field should note it in his commonplace-book-for in this instance he is very intellectually blind. Petronius Arbiter said also something to the purpose-we forget what; but let The Field search for it, before he sets forth, in September, to wing If The Field don't like Spohr, The Field might hold his pen.widgeon and take teal. What makes it that the Caperer spring To be blank would be to be discreet. "Assume a virtue if you have it not." The Field should be content with field-music-the music of from the Caddis, if the angler be not wary?—or that Phryganidæ be Trichoptera, to him that fishes foul? sky-larks, and so forth. There he would be in his element. said Sancho A field-fare would fare better at his hands than an orchestraa frog or a grasshopper than a vocalist. Everything in its place. The Field is in his place among grouse and phenicopters-out of his place among fiddlers and musicians. His locus standi would be better in a fen than in a music-room. The Field says, he who prefers "Rossini (poor Rossini!how little the "fieldings" know about him!) and Bellini to Beethoven or Mendelssohn," is "" a mere frivolous amateur ". or “a more frivolous amateur." In saying which The Field says well, but unwittingly deals himself a thump on the head —since The Field "prefers Rossini and Bellini to Beethoven or Mendelssohn," and is therefore " a mere (or more) frivolous amateur." Quod non erat demonstrandum. Ooon-choom bé-la-moe anna goo-loo 9. Nue footella moe anna gooloo Tartar wha decar jimbongo:" There, Brother Field, is a song for you, Criticise that. It has no "complicated scores." It is a nigger song, excellent good of its rhythm, and would be more likely, according to your own line of argument, to let "unsubscribed boxes for from four to six pounds," than to "leave the pit a howling wilderness." The "howling" would be on the stage, not in "If you hunt in the sky, Panza-who, according to his own confession, The starlings will fly."— was born bare, remained bare, and losing nothing, gained as but if he fish upon the forehead of a bare mountain he will be little. A fisherman may be a good fisherman of his worms; no better than a fish out of water. As for G., we seem him. His pen is a good pen of its nibs ; and there is pulp in his prose; but his fishy articles are the best. Of the scales of fish he wots well; but of the scales. of music he is wotless. Let him weigh his argument against ours, in the scales of justice. He would find himself lifted up on the lightness of his logic, while we should be sinking into the well of truth. It is not meet that a man fish foul; let him fish meet, not foul; it will then not be foul that he fish, but meet. G. may address us with a rod and a fly; but he shall not find that we in waters too deep for his line. We are fathomless to his hook. bite at him, let his bait be ever so downy winged. We hove Ask Albert Smith whether Spohr be not a good composer. The Doctor listened ponderously to Albert's “Galignani,” and laughed egregiously. Albert in his turn owes the Doctor his ear for a symphony. He shall lend his ear for so much; it will not be the longer. We will bet an exemplar of The Field, that Albert-now he has encountered Dr. Spohr face to shoulder, (for in stature the climber of mountains is less than the Doctor by a head-not to say headless by the side of the Doctor,)-prefers a symphony to a polka, and would rather hear the Last Judgment than see Robson, or the Lady of Camelianot to say Lyons. With Albert on our flank we shall b enabled to pulverize G. and write his epitaph:"Ci git G." ! ! ! All that we have hitherto written has been a digression, NEWSPAPER and we fear of the longest as long, indeed, as what The Field wrote of Jessonda, previous to his writing anything about it. Our excuse is, that all we have to say of the fishy feuilletoniste of The Field may be compressed into half-a-dozen lines, His plot is not undramatic ;-the editor of a deceased journal, saved from burning (for literary distinction) by a manager of a theatre who has taken a fancy to him. But even with the sub-intrigue of the union of the "feu" World and the Court Journal-which will never die as long as o'B supplies the fuel, that engenders the steam, that puts the engine into action-there is not half story enough to support three long columns. The second of the extra performances given for our res nowned tenor came off last night. We are again enforced to draw upon rumour, as Mr. Allcroft again forgot to transmit to us the customary invitation to the dress-circle for two. The performances were Sonnambula and the Waterman, Sims Reeves, of course, enacting Elvino and Tom. Again was the theatre, as it were, beleaguered and crammed discomfortably. The admirers of Sims Reeves may be denominated 'legion." There not being room for "legion," "legion was only admitted partially, and partially went away grumbling. The success of Sims Reeves-and Mrs. Sims Reeves, too,-whose Amina, by-the-bye, is a most charming and faithful impersonation-was triumphant. Could it be other And now we have ceased to diverge, we are at a loss what" to say. To be candid, we have nothing to say, unless in the parody of Solomon's famous sentence :-Musicus, qui cum piscatore contenderit, sive irascatur, sive rideat, non inveniet requiem. We shall therefore summon Rommi, and go to sleep. "Rommi!-Rommi!!-Rommi!!! (Enter Rommi.) (To be continued at intervals.) THE ORCHESTRAL UNION. THE members of this recently-formed and already successful body of instrumentalists have undertaken a provincial tour, A series of concerts will be given in the principal towns, under the direction of Mr. Alfred Mellon, the conductor. We believe that the starting point will be Bradford, where performances will take place, immediately after the festival, in the new Hall. We trust the speculation may be crowned with the success it so well deserves. A more efficient band in every respect, its number considered, was never heard, in this or any other country, than that of the Orchestral Union. That clever singer, Mrs. Alexander Newton, is engaged to contribute her aid to the vocal department. THE JULLIEN EXPEDITION. THE bulk of Jullien's band left Liverpool for New York, on Wednesday week, accompanied by Mr. Arthur Chappell. The Wednesday following, Bottesini followed, with Mdlle. Anna Zerr and Madame Fiorentini. The expedition is now complete in every department. The die will soon be cast. That it may turn up well for Jullien is the unanimous wish of those who know him, and who recognise the services he has rendered to art, and the impetus he has given to its popularization among the masses. SIMS REEVES AT THE LYCEUM. As Mr. Allcroft did not send us tickets, we are compelled to draw on rumour for our report of the Sims Reeves' EnterThe first of the three extra performances for our great tenor came off on Wednesday. Fra Diavolo was the opera, and The Beggar's Opera the afterpiece. Sims, of course, was Fra Diavolo. The house was crowded to suffocation, 17 wise? No! Rumour declares it to have been most triumphant. Had Rumour declared it to have been less than most triumphant, we should have discarded Rumour and set up for ourselves. But as Mr. Allcroft neglected sending us cards, we were obliged to fall back upon Rumour, which was universal and unanimous as to Sims Reeves's success. The third of the ultra-nights comes off on Monday, when Sims Reeves is again announced to appear in Fra Diavolo. He will have the assistance of Mrs. Sims Reeves, Miss Julia Harland, Messrs. Manvers, George Tedder, Weiss, H. Corri, Dussek, &c. &c. THE AMATEUR CHORAL SOCIETY. The members of the Amateur Choral Society, which was instituted by Mr. Charles Salaman, have presented that gentleman with a pair of splendid vases, with pedestals, and an appropriate inscription, as a testimony of their appreciation of his unwearied exertions to promote the welfare of the Society, and advance its general efficiency. As many of our readers may not be aware of the exact position of this Society, of its numerical strength, and the object of its formation, some particulars may not be without interest. The following is a list of the members. Those with stars prefixed have sung principal parts during the season just stars prefixed have sung principal parts during the season just expired, 1852-3-the third of the existence of the Society: AL Lane; Miss Salaman; Miss Eliza Türck; Miss Augusta Tod; organ, who expressed themselves highly delighted with the Madame Weil; * Miss Wilson. masterly execution of Mr. Henry Smart. The extempore performances of that gentleman were of the highest order, remarkable for science, invention, and manual dexterity. We append a very interesting description of the new instrument, which was circulated among the audience. "This large and fine Instrument, containing fifty-five stops and upwards of three thousand pipes, being, by many degrees, the most complete organ yet erected in Scotland, and, in a variety of respects, among the most remarkable hitherto produced in the United Kingdom, it is deemed advisable to place before the musical profession and the public a somewhat more extended description of its structure than is usually considered necessary. Designed specially as a concert-organ-as an instrument, in other words, not only capable of efficiently supporting and accompanying a large band of voices in the choruses of an oratorio, but equally adapted to every species of solo performance, from the severest fugue of Sebastian Bach, to the lightest modern French overture, the first point for notice is the unusually large compass of its key-boards. Each manual has a range of five complete octaves, or sixty-one notes, extending from CC to C in alt., thus affording facility for the just execution of any known orchestral music without the distortion, inversion, and consequently frequent mutilation, of its passages. The pedal clavier has a compass of two octaves and a third, and besides being capable of connection at will with any or all of the manuals, commands an independent The general contents of the instrument are most conveniently exhibited in a tabular form, and this is subjoined :No. of Stops. : November 24th, 1853, Mendelssohn's Oratorio, Elijah; December 8th, Spohr's Opera, Jessonda; December 22nd, Haydn's Ora-organ of its own. torio, The Creation; January 5th, 1853, Handel's Cantata, Acis and Galatea, and Mendelssohn's first Walpurgis Nacht; January 19th, Rossini's Opera, Guglielmo Tell; February 2nd, Beethoven's Mass in C, and Mendelssohn's Lobgesang. 1. Bourdon ... GREAT ORGAN. 2. Open Diapason 3. Stopped Diapason 4. Gamba Pitch 16 feet. 8 8 8 ... 8. Fifteenth 9. Ottavina 10. Sesquialtra 11. Mixture 12. Flute Harmonique 13. Flute Harmonique 14. Posaune 15. Clarion 1. Bourdon 2 ... ... 3 ranks. ... ... ... 3 ... ... ... ... 2. Open Diapason 3. Keraulophon 4. Stopped Diapason Bass 5. Clarionet Flute 6. Octave 7. Flute ... 16 feet. 8 8 8 4 4 2 2 3 ranks. ... 2 16 feet. ... ... 8 ... ... 8 8 ... ... CHOIR ORGAN: 16, Clarion ... 2288 7. Fifteenth 8. Piccolo ... 9. Corno di Bassetto 10. Voix-Celeste 1. Contra Bourdon 2. Open Diapason ... PEDAL ORGAN. ... ... ... ... ... 16 32 feet. 266846 3. Bourdon 16 the rest of the great organ; and this pressure is again increased in the three upper octaves of these stops. This increasing pressure is adopted in deference to well-known acoustic laws, and will be found to greatly augment the volume and quality of the reed stops, besides entirely obviating that tendency to thinness and irregularity in the upper portions of their compass, which has been otherwise found irremediable. Furthermore, by a peculiar mechanical arrange. ment, these four stops can at pleasure be thrown out of connection with the great organ-keys, and placed under the command of the swell manual-thus possessing in many respects, the effect and advantage of a fourth key-board. Two of these stops, the harmonic flutes, are entire novelties in this country. They are of French invention, and possess characteristics of volume and quality which must speedily render them indispensable in organs of any pretension to excellence. Another point demanding notice is the number and variety of the coupling stops, or, in other words, those contrivances by 5. {The Reeds and Harmopedal. The Reeds and Harmonic Flutes of Great Organ to which one key-board is made to act on the others. Thus, for ex 6. Swell Manual to Pedals. 7. Great Ditto to Pedals. 8. Choir Ditto to Pedals. And, lastly, there is a tremulant in connection with the swellorgan, six composition pedals for producing varied combinations of the great organ stops, and two for the swell stops. A mere glance at the foregoing enumeration will sufficiently show that the Glasgow organ possesses unusual capabilities for both power and variety of effect. Its great and remarkable peculiarities of structure, however, are not so easily discernible, and require, therefore, more detailed description. ample, the swell may be combined with the great organ in four distinct ways, and this wholly independent of the arrangement of stops employed in either manual. By these means, on the one hand, the power of the instrument may be nearly doubled; and, on the other, such a number of varied, delicate, and exquisite combinations--such close mimicries of the most fanciful effects of the modern orchestra-may be attained, as can in no other conceivable way be placed under the will of a single performer. It may also be here mentioned that the mechanism of these coupling stops is of novel construction, which offers infinitely smaller chances of derangement than that hitherto in use. On the same principles, and with similar objects, which govern the distribution of the wind in the great organ, care has been taken to separate and vary the air-pressure in the pedal sound-boards. A degree of pressure necessary to develop the tone of the 16-feet reed trombone would be wholly unsuited to the contra-bourdon, and provision is, therefore, made for a separate and differentlyweighted supply in each case. The whole may be regarded as an important step in a new direction, the outset of a carefully considered endeavour to ameliorate and exalt the entire character of the organ as a musical instrument. Great as have been the improvements in its construction in this country within the last twenty years, there yet remains much ground for the complaint, often urged, of its insufficient It remains to direct attention to three other important novelties adaptability to variety of style in music. While undisputedly-the voix humaine and tremulant of the swell, and the voir celeste suited to the grand, severe, and massive, it yet but cumbrously of the choir. The first two are only known traditionally in this lends itself to the tender, expressive, and passionate. Its tones, country-the last is wholly new here. All three have been admitted to be majestic and striking, are yet often too reviled as adopted from the most refined specimens of the organ-builder's art cold and unsympathetic. Its mechanism, while efficient in strength in existence; and it is confidently expected the result will justify and certainty of action, is frequently clumsy and unscientific in the taste which has governed their introduction. It is unnecessary detail, and invariably more or less distressing in its operation on to enter into any description of their structure, though it may be the performer. And, lastly, there are obstacles in the way of a well to explain that, in effect, they are capable of imparting, in perfect equalization of its tones, known only to those technically in various degrees, that breathing vitality to organ tone, the absence timate with the subject, and dependent on acoustic peculiarities but of which has hitherto rendered next to profitless any attempt to imperfectly understood, which have never as yet found a remedy, make it the exponent of impassioned music." -at least, in this country. On Monday evening there will be another meeting, on which occasion several of our most eminent organists-among whom Messrs. Chipp, Cooper, Prae, and Miss Stirling-will endeavour to display its capabilities. The Bach Society will assist. ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA. In seeking to overcome these disadvantages, attention has been first given to the internal mechanism immediately in connection with the touch. The fingers of the organ performer it must be popularly known, are employed-through the intervention of the keys and their connections-in opening a series of valves whereby compressed air is admitted to the pipes of the instrument. This compressed air at all times resists the finger of the player to a certain extent; but when, as in large instruments, two or three key-boards are united by means of the couplers, and thus twice or THE Favorita was played for the last time on Saturday, thrice (in the case of the Glasgow organ six times) the ordinary before a very crowded audience, it being the penultimate number of valves have to be simultaneously opened, the force re-appearance of Grisi and Mario this season. Donizetti's chefquired for the purpose is inconveniently and fatiguingly great. In d'œuvre-as the French Academicians dub La Favorita-is the present instance, all this is at once remedied by the adoption of the admirable mechanism patented some years since in Paris by the composer's least interesting operas, and,musically speaking, no favourite of ours. We have always considered it as one of Mr. Barker, and known as the Pneumatic Lever. This apparatus may be briefly described as a species of subsidiary engine interposed interminably dull to bcot. Donizetti was not in his native between the keys of the organ and the valves in the sound-boards, element on the French stage, and in attempting to be very and which, on being supplied with air by the fingers of the player, grand in Grand Opera, like vaulting ambition, he o'erleapt acts by pneumatic pressure on any required number of valves, himself. He was unwise-not having the plastic and actogether or in succession, and thus the wind, hitherto the anta-commodating power of Rossini, not to speak of the illimitable gonist of the performer, is ingeniously converted into his assistant. Another remarkable feature of this instrument is found in the "Great Organ," the last four stops of which (the harmonic flutes and reeds) are placed on a distinct sound-board, in order that they may be supplied with air at a higher pressure than that allotted to space between the two intelligences to jump from the Italian to the French school, and essay a kind of music for which neither his talents nor his inclinations befitted him. But the libretto of La Favorita is admirable, and when the two principal characters are supported by such incomparable artists as Grisi and Mario, can never fail to please in the highest degree. The performance of the "twain" on Saturday night was inestimable, and threw the audience into a furor of delight. Even we ourselves were held entranced in the spells of the glorious "two," despite our utter indifference to the music. Lucrezia Borgia on Monday night-a subscription night, instead of Tuesday, which became in consequence a dies non, or rather a nox non-introduced Grisi and Mario for the last time. Every access to the theatre was besieged long before the doors were opened; and one of the largest assemblages we ever remember at Covent Garden congregated to bid farewell to the illustrious "both." The reception accorded to each of the favourites was enthusiastic in the extreme, and the applause throughout the opera was even more frequent and vehement than before. Recalls and bouquets were numerous, and in short the whole performance was one continued blaze of triumphs from first to last. It was, indeed, a magnificent finale to the series of performances of Grisi and Mario for the year 1853. in his librettos. The opera has a pretty rustic tale, spoiled in the telling. Nothing can be better than the first scene. The airy and graceful coquetry of the Sylph in her brief interruptions of the nuptial festivities, and the bewilderment of Donald between his celestial and terrestrial love, aided by the impassioned vivacity of the music, invariably sustain the attention of the audience to the end of the scene, which comprises two-thirds of the first act. The rest of the story is quite worthless. Miss Lowe is attaining to a more skilful management of her voice, and, as the music is of a less noisy kind than much that has lately fallen to her share here, the want of strength in her voice was less visible, and the mellowness of some of her middle notes better heard and appreciated. She sang somewhat timidly at first, but improved as she went on. Her best effort was her last song (before the finale), perhaps the finest thing in the opera. This she delivered with an impulsive refinement worthy of it. As the part of the Sylph, histrionically, belongs properly to a dancer, we cannot blame the fair vocalist for the want of that airy and graceful occupancy of the stage needful to give full effect to the part of the winged heroine, although Miss We cannot bid farewell to Grisi and Mario without stating Lowe's expressive features and delicate form certainly lost emphatically our conviction that, in no former season of their none of their attractions by the tasteful choice and arrangeengagement at the Royal Italian Opera, have they so incon- ment of her draperies. Mr. Borrani was encored in the trovertibly declared their transcendant talents as in the pre-popular "Farewell to the mountain." On Thursday the sent; nor on any former occasion have they so zealously and burlesque of Aladdin was produced, in which the popular determinedly exerted themselves for the delectation of the and versatile Miss P. Horton was as amusing as ever. public. Something of this may be referred to the strong desire first song, "I'm a vagabond boy," was as full of street fun of leaving a profound impression before they bid adieu to their and vagabond humour as it need to have been; while a patrons in this country for a period of time longer perhaps second piece of vocal fun received an uproarious encore. than may be anticipated. That Mario and Grisi have been Miss Horton's star, which we thought had reached its culin better voice this year than they have been for the last three minating point, seems still in the ascendant. Miss Palser or four seasons, no one who has heard them can hesitate to was encored in a pas seul. believe. In the early part of the present season we pointed out the evident improvement in Mario's voice, and Grisi, beyond all doubt, was materially benefited by her winter's hybernation. The glorious "two" have sung their last on the stage of the Royal Italian Opera for heav'n knows how long! Although America, enchanted beyond herself, may endeavour to detain them longer than they purport, we still cling to the hope fondly, and believe trustfully, that Grisi and Mario will again be at their post at Covent Garden next Easter, and again constitute themselves the cynosures of all operatic eyes. May we be true prophets, which we sometimes are! Lucrezia Borgia was followed by spare extracts from the Elisir d'amore, in which Ronconi carried everything before him, and Madame Bosio sang most delightfully, and Signor Luchesi proved himself an artist of the good old Italian school without fuss or pretension. The Prophète drew largely on Thursday. Madame Tedesco sang very finely, and Tamberlik was grander than ever in Jean. It was the last appearance of the lady who, we think, had hardly chances enough given her this year. But we shall note upon this next week. To-night the season terminates with Guillaume Tell-a magnificent termination. Our Resumé next week. Dramatic. SURREY.-Mr. Barnett's opera, The Mountain Sylph, after an interval of three years, was resuscitated here on Monday last, to a crowded audience, and has been played throughout the week. Mr. Barnett, like many others, has been unlucky t GLOUCESTER MUSICAL FESTIVAL. Her from the list of artistes engaged there is every reason to hope Tuesday, Sept. 13th, full Cathedral Service, Tallis; Det- "I was glad," Attwood; and Dr. Elvey's festival anthem, The list of stewards is an unusually strong one, no less than twenty-three gentlemen having kindly undertaken the highly responsible and frequently very expensive office, the receipts from the sale of tickets scarcely ever amounting to |