8,8

66

Dundas's fear of Hastings's ascendancy in Indian affairs, both from his knowledge and talent, and his favour with the king, to whom the arbitrariness of Hastings's government was rather a recommendation of him. Dundas used India as a sort of colony for Scotland. Talked of the great questions about the abatement of an impeachment by dissolution of parliament, upon which the lawyers and the statesmen divided, and the latter had the best of it in every respect. Erskine, too much of a lawyer not to join his craft on such an occasion. When Burke was told of Erskine's opinion, "What!" said he, a nisi prius lawyer give an opinion on an impeachment! as well might a rabbit, that breeds fifty times in the year, pretend to understand the gestation of an elephant." How admirable this is! Tried Lord Lansdowne on the subject of coalitions, and said that nothing could be more absurd than to condemn that sort of coalition of which all parties must consist, made up as they are of individuals differing in shades of opinion, but compromising these differences for the sake of one general object, but that it was quite another thing when the opposition in sentiments was not only total and radical, but recently and violently expressed. Here we were interrupted. At dinner sat next to Lord Auckland. Talked of Bowles and extempore preachers; the broken metaphors to which they are subject. Mentioned that I remembered, when a boy, hearing Kirwan talk of the "glorious lamp of day on its march;" and Conolly, a great Roman Catholic preacher, say, “On the wings of charity the torch of faith was borne, and the gospel preached from pole to pole." Lord Auckland mentioned a figure of speech of Sir R. Wilson at Southwark, "As well might you hurl back the thunderbolt to its electric cradle." This led to 's oratory. Mentioned I had heard him on the trial of Guthrie, and the ludicrous effect which his mixture of flowers with the matter-of-fact statement produced: something this way-"It was then, gentlemen of the jury, when this serpent of seduction, stealing into the bowers of that earthly paradise, the lodgings of Mr. Guthrie, in Gloucester street, when, embittering with his venom that heaven of happiness, where all above was sunshine, all below was flowers, he received a card to dine with the Connaught bar, at the Porto Bello Hotel," &c. When I told Curran of the superabundant floridness of this speech, he said, "My dear Tom, it will never do for a man to turn painter, merely upon the strength of having a pot of colours by him, unless he knows how to lay them on. Lord Lansdowne told a good story of his French servant, when Mansell, the master of Trinity, came to call upon him, announcing him as "Maitre des Cérémonies de la Trinité." Talked of the "Pursuits of Literatue," and the sensation it produced when published. Matthias's Italian poetry: Mr. Oakden said he had heard Florentines own he came nearer their poetry than any other foreigner had done, but that still he was but a foreigner at it. I mentioned a translation by W. Spencer of a song of mine ("The wreath you wove") into Italian, which passed with me and others for legitimate, till one day I repeated it to Buonaiuti, and when I came to "Un foglio inaridito" ("one faded leaf), he said, "Wrong; foglio is the leaf of a book; the leaf of a tree is foglia." This annihilated it at once, for "una foglia" would not suit the metre. Talked of the unlucky number, thirteen at dinner. Mentioned that, at Catalini's one day, perceiving that there was that number at dinner, she sent a French countess who lived with her up stairs, to remedy the grievance; but soon after, La Cainea coming in, the poor moveable countess was brought down again. Lord Lansdowne said he had dined once abroad with Count Orloff, and perceived he did not sit down at dinner, but kept walking round from chair to chair; and he found afterwards from Orloff it was because the Varishkin (I think) were at table, who he knew would rise instantly, if they perceived the number thirteen, which Orlof would have made by sitting down himself. Lord Lansdowne said that "blackguard" was a word of which he could not make out the origin. It had been said it was from a guard of soldiers in black, who attended at the execution of Charles I.; but the word was, he believed, older than that period; and besides, it did not appear that any such circumstance took place. Music in the evening: Mrs. Oakden played the "Ranz des Vaches," and the beautiful "Chaconne," of Jomelli.-Memoirs, Journal, and Cor respondence of Thomas Moore.

Soul speaks to soul, in song.

The orchestra! each at his post, contributing his part to
the general harmony,

Like the children of God, each in his place,
Playing their true parts in life,

Did each play his part correctly, however humble,
Life would be music.

E'en though but played frequently in a plaintive minor key,
In this "Vale of tears," yet oft life's harmonies, are grand,
solemn, beautiful, divine,

When soul meets soul, thought reads thought, mind sees mind,

Heart springs to heart, then life is Music.

A-B-A O-T Y.

TO CORRESPONDENTS. LONDON SACRED HARMONIC, and Our Correspondent's Reply to Mr. Etherington, are unavoidably postponed to next week.

SUBSCRIPTIONS RECEIVED.

Miss L. W., Shrewsbury; C. B., Sunderland; E. E., Edinburgh.

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A "Grand Opera" from the hand of M. JULLIEN was to be desired and to be expected. We now have it in a form that does not disappoint us; and self-interest, in looking to the future, as well as gratitude in looking to the past, might alone induce the English public to help forward, with their hearty countenance, a man of genius who is advancing earnestly into his proper sphere.-Britannia, 21st August, 1852.

VALSE HOLLANDAISE.

MAZURKA.

PULTAVA MARCH.

Sons of Russland famed in story!

Firm of heart, sincere, unchanging,
Ne'er from truth or valour ranging,
Honour's star still shines before you!

With ruthless hand we strike the foe!
Our home is on the battle plain,
Where groans arise 'mid heaps of slain!
Death to all-no mercy show!

When the cannon roars around,
And deep thunders shake the ground,
Thro' the flame and smoke we ride
Dealing death on every side!

"eal and patriot love that souls make strong Peace and freedom for your cause have won! While high gallant deeds all nation's own, Sha'l fame resound your power and glory!

And should some trembling wretch,
With lifted hand, for pity pray,

And plead for wives and babes,
Left sad and lonely, far away;
Shall we, to softness mov'd, our ma.
shame?

No,!—

Opinions of the Press.

From the TIMES.

M. JULLIEN's new opera, Pietro il Grande, was represented for the third time on Saturday night. The music improves on closer acquaintance--a strong testimony in its favor. Instead of three encores there were four, on both occasions; and on both the audience remained till the end. There is, to speak faithfully, much to admire in Pietro il Grande. In the first act, the choruses of sailors and vivandieres, the madrigal, the scena of Peter, and the Muscovite hymn: in the second, the banquet scene, including Menzikoff's drinking song, and Rossomak's Cossack war-song, the quartet, duet for Catherine and Peter, and septet; in the third, Catherine's prayer, Lefort's romance, with double-bass obligato, and the dramatic scene for Rossomak a d the conspirators; these, with the waltz and Hollondaise (act 1), and the mazurka (act 3), are fair proofs of M. alien's talent as a dramatic composer. That the opera, having so many good things to recommend it, will be me a favorite with the public, can hardly, we think, be doubted.

From the EXAMINER.

Our space compels us to give but a brief account of the details, and we must content ourselves with merely mentioning the chief musical features. The chorus of the vivandieres of the dockyard behind the scenes, is extremely pleasing; and Madlle. Anna Zerr's opening cavatina, "O mio gentil," is gracefully wr tten, and the variations written for a voir d'exception, light and sparkling. A madrigal," In sen dell' amis ." was redemanded, and after it comes the great feature of the opera, a hymn, "Di Muscovia letti figli," ft anded on a Russian melody, which was sung by Signor Tamberlik and the chorus. This, also, was most uvanimously encored. In the incidental ballet, Jullien has introduced a waltz which eclipses all his former Terpsichorean productions.

From the LITERARY GAZETTE.

M. JULLIEN'S Pietro il Grande was at length brought out at the Royal Italian Opera on Tuesday, the delay having added to the public curiosity concerning an event so novel. The performance has proved that M. Jullien is capable of higher employment than a leader of light Terpsichorean harmony. No one has ever disputed M. Jullien's great taste both as a melodit and harmonist, or his original talent for musical description in short pieces. His astonishing fertility of ideas, and facility in metre and rythm, which is the charm of orchestral, as well as poetical combinations, were universally acknowledged; but his astonishing capacity in these respects errated a presentiment amongst your every-day critics that here was his forte, and that. if he tried a higher flight, he would break down. Just as it was said how could Moore, however "sweetly attuned," enter into the lists with Scott and Byron, it was said how could Jullien enter the lists with the anthors of Masaniello and The Prophete He has done so, however, and though resembling none of his compeers, has proved himse.f as genuine poetical blood as either of them.

From the MUSICAL WORLD.

Pietro il Grande was repeated on Saturday and Tuesday, for the third and fourth times. The success of the last performance was greatly superior to any of the preceding. Indeed, the attendance on Tuesday was one of the most brilliant and fashionable of the Season-despite the time of year, when the town is nearly empty-and the reception of the opera throughout was nothing short of enthusiastic. Jalen was recalled after each act, and the favorite pieces, the Madrigal, Russian Hymn, and Quatuor, were encor with vehemence. The weekly journals have proved themselves strong in faith and appreciation, as may be rathered from the notices we have supplied elsewhere. The success of Pietro il Grande is beyond ali dispute, and we have no doubt it will prove, for many years to come, one of the most attractive operas in the splendid repertory of the Royal Italian Opera

SACRED HARMONIC SOCIETY, EXETER HALL.

CONDUCTOR, MR. COSTA.-ON WEDNESDAY NEXT,

FEBRUARY 9, will be performed, MENDELSSOHN'S HYMN OF PRAISE and MOZART'S REQUIEM. Vocalists-Miss Louisa Pyne, Miss M. Williams, Mr. Lockey, and Mr. Lawler. The orchestra, the most extensive available in Exeter Hall, will consist of (including 16 double basses) nearly 700 performers. Tickets, 3s., 5s, and 103. 6d. each. The Subscription is one, two, or three guineas per annum, and in each of the past three years, included 11 concerts. Parties now entering will be entitled to two tickets for the above performance. Tickets obtained and subscriptions received at the Society's office, No. 6, in Exeter Hall.

THE PIANIST'S PRACTICAL GUIDE.
TO develop from the Major and Minor Scales all the principal

Intervals and chords and Variations thereon, and to apply them them to Daily
Exercises in Composing and Performing; de igned to advance the Student simu
taneously in Theoretical Knowledge and in Manual Execution. By F. WEBER.
Organist at the Royal German Chapel, St. James's Palace.

London: to be had of Cramer. Beale, & Co., Regent-street; D'Almaine & Co, Soho-square; of all the principal Music-sellers, and of the Author. Price 10s. 6d.

NOTICE OF REMOVAL.

MUSICAL WINTER EVENINGS, WILLIS'S ROOMS. MESSRS. HAITE & LEACH, Musical Instrument Makers to

PROGRAMME, SATURDAY, FEB. 5, at half-past Eight:

Quart t in D, No. 10, Mozart; Snata, with the Funeral March, Beethoven; Quintet in A, Mendelssohn; Trio in E flat, Op. 100, Schubert; Solos, pianoforte, C. Halle, who will arrive expressly for this concert. Executants-Molique, Mellon, Goffrie, Webb, and Piatti. A few sofas remain reserved for parties of five. Single Tickets for non-reserved places and gallery, 7s. The three remaining concerts will be given on Thursdays, at which Pauer, Hallè, and Madlle. Clauss will perform. For other particulars apply to Cramer and Co., Treasurers, Regent-street, and

HERR JANSA

J. ELLA, Director.

BEGS to announce a Second Series of SIX SOIREES MUSI

CALES on MONDAYS, FEBRUARY 14th and 28th, MARCH 28, APRIL 11 and 25, and MAY 9, at the NEW BEETHOVEN ROJMS; when Herr Jansa will perform, with Herr F. Hennen (violin), Herr C. G ffrie (tenor), Mr. W. F. Reed (violoncello), and other eminent artists, compositions of the great masters, and several new works of his own. Subscription to the Series, Two Guineas; Family Tickets to admit Three to the Series, Four Guineas; Single Ticket, Half-a-Guinea. To be had of Messrs. Wessel & Co., Schott & Co., and of Herr Jansa, 10, Morning OL. : Crescent.

BEGS

MR. LINDSAY
LINDSAY SLOPER

EGS to announce that his FIRST SOIREE of CHAMBER MUSIC (Fifth Season) will take place at 27, QUEEN ANNE-STREET, Cavendish-square, on THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10. To commence at half-past Eight o'clock. Mr. Sloper will be assisted by Miss Kathlen Fitzwilliam, Miss Amy Dolby and Miss Dolby; ilerr Pauer, Herr Jansa, M. Rousselot, and Signor Biletta. Subscribers' Tickets to admit One to the Series, or Three to One Soiree, One Guinea each; and Single Tickets, Half-a-Guinea each. May be had of Messrs. Cramer & Co., 201, Regent-street; Mr. R. Ollivier, 19, Old Bond-street; and of Mr. Sloper, 7, Southwick-place, Hyde Park.

Fourth Edition, just published, price 3s. 6d.,

THALBERGARIAN EXERCISES OR, THE
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THE EMPRESS.

UGENIE, Valse Imperiale, by WALDMULLER, with a true Portrait of the Empress of the French by Leighton (the best that has appeared) is just published for the Piano, price 3s., and may be had everywhere.

TH

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GOLLMICK, PRUDENT, QUIDANT,

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LATEST MUSICAL PUBLICATIONS.

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Cheltenham, from his large folio edition, including Mozart's AccompaniThis edition contains the Appendix, and is printed on extra fine stout paper, imperial 8vo., pp. 257. Price (whole bound in cloth) 6s. 6d. Mr. John Bishop, coming after other arrangements, has profited by their omissions."

London: ROBERT COCKS & Co., New Burlington-st., Publishers to the Queen.

Printed and Published for the Proprietor by MICHAEL SAMUEL MYERS, of No. 3,
Studley Villas, Studley Road, Clapham Road, in the parish of Lambeth, at the
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St. Paul, where all communications for the Editor are to be addressed, post paid,
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PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY MORNING.

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No. 7.-VOL. XXXI.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1853.

MUSICAL WINTER EVENINGS.

The

Price Fourpence,
Stamped Fivepence.

tions established by Beethoven in some of the higher forms of MR. ELLA commenced his winter season on Saturday night, although on the whole effective, and as regards the first composition. The performance of Mendelssohn's quintet, at Willis's Rooms, with an excellent programme. Musical Winter Evenings were instituted last year, as a violin and violoncello beyond reproach, was not so complete pendent to the Musical Union, and, from their being now the two violas are of extreme importance, and while Mr. and satisfactory as that of Mozart's quartet. The parts for continued, it may be presumed that the essay proved success-Goffrie did full justice to the first, as much cannot be said of ful. The amateurs of quartets and other kinds of chamber music, who reside at the west end of the metropolis, will other things, led off the subject of the scherzo at such prothe gentleman who undertook the second, and who, among doubtless support Mr. Ella in his undertaking; and, with good management, there is no reason why the Musical Winter Evenings should not be ultimately established on as firm a basis as the Musical Union. Such institutions merit encou

ragement, since they are calculated to be of material utility in promoting the legitimate objects of art.

As at the Musical Union, the programmes of the Winter Evenings are virtually confined to instrumental music, the occasional introduction of vocal pieces forming an exception to the rule. The selection on Saturday was as follows: :

Mozart. Beethoven. Quintet, in A, Op. 18 Mendelssohn. Trio, E flat, Op. 100 Schubert. Executants. First violin, Herr Molique; second violin, Mr. Mellon; first viola, Herr Goffrie; second viola, Mr. Webb; violoncello, Signor Piatti; pianoforte, M. Charles Hallé.

...

...

Mozart's quartet was admirably played. No violinist is more thoroughly at home in this particular school of music than Molique, whose chaste style and finished execution are precisely what are required. To praise Signor Piatti-in this, as in other kinds of music, without a rival among existing performers on the violoncello-would be superfluous. The middle parts of the quartet were ably sustained by Messrs. Alfred Mellon and Goffrie; and, indeed, from beginning to end, there was hardly a point to criticise. The quartets, and other instrumental compositions of Mozart, have retained their freshness up to the present moment. Although nearly 70 years have elapsed since the quartet in D was written, it is in vain to search for any of those antiquated turns of phrase, and cadences made vulgar by too constant familiarity, which rob some of the finest works of Haydn of a portion of their charm. While Haydn appears at times as a prim and well-preserved old maid, Mozart bears always the stamp of youth. His music stands the test of comparison with anything that has come after it, in spite of the added means and appliances of modern art, and of the very important modifica

digious speed that, had it not been for the commanding preci

sion of Molique and Piatti, the whole would have gone to pieces at the outset. There was also a want of clearness in many places, not only of this movement, but throughout the quintet. The andante alone could be said to be unexceptionable. The quintet in A, one of the most original and striking of the chamber works of its composer, has long taken its place by the side of the G minor of Mozart and the C major of Beethoven (to neither of which, however, does it bear the most distant resemblance) as a model, unsurpassable in its way, of this species of composition. Mendelssohn wrote both this and the magnificent ottetto for stringed instruments before he was twenty years of age, shortly after the overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream, and about the same period as the Reformation Symphony, which the four gentlemen at Leipsic, who have had the charge of his unpublished manuscripts, have, on the most slender pretexts, resolved to bury in oblivion, amid a vast number of compositions demanded with equal anxiety by the musical world at large. Produced almost consentaneously with three such masterpieces, it is impossible to believe that the Reformation Symphony-a work of equal significance as to length and design, upon which it is well known Mendelssohn laboured assiduously-should be so destitute of merit, or so full of weakness, as to render it unfit for publication. Nevertheless, M. Paul Mendelssohn, brother of the composer, supports MM. Moscheles, Hauptmann, Rietz, and David in their resolution to suppress it, and has stated in a letter (M. W., No. 6), his perfect acquiescence in the line of conduct pursued at Leipsic with regard to the MSS. It should be stated, however, that M. Paul Mendelssohn is an amateur, and that the late Mendelssohn left no directions about the disposition of his unpublished works, the whole of which he preserved with scrupulous care as the very interesting and circumstantial catalogue, made in his own handwriting, and now in London, testifies beyond the possibility of doubting. The Reformation Symphony (to serve as an example) was composed in 1827; and in 1847, when Men

charily and sluggishly distributed, at the rate of a few pieces annually. The public is justly apprehensive; and it would be much wiser in the Leipsic gentlemen to abandon their task to others more zealous, if they have so little time at their disposal to devote to it.

delssohn died, the score was still in his possession. Surely, ments from Christus and Lorely, four; and the rest have been if he had wished to destroy it, he would not have taken twenty years to make up his mind. We have a right, then, to believe that he had no such intention; nor can we admit that a gentleman who, however near a relative, is not a musician, and therefore not a competent judge, should presume on his own account to do what Mendelssohn himself refrained While Mendelssohn's manuscripts are denied to the public, from doing. The four professors at Leipsic, to whose super- there was never a greater want of novelty in classical music of intendence M. Paul Mendelssohn has committed the unpub- all kinds. M. Charles Hallé, who was Mr. Ella's pianist on lished works, are all men of eminence; but, as Mendelssohn Saturday night, must have been at his wits' end to find somehad no hand in making them his artistic executors, and as, thing new to play, before selecting such a dry and uninterestmoreover, he left no instructions for them, nor for any others, ing piece as Schubert's trio in E flat, upon which his own to follow, it cannot reasonably be expected that the world great talents, in conjunction with those of Molique and Piatti, will be satisfied with leaving to MM. Moscheles, Hauptmann, were wasted. This piece is intolerably long, and quite as dull Rietz, and David, the option of publishing, destroying, or as it is long. Though executed to perfection by M. Hallé consigning his manuscripts to obscurity. In his very admira- and his coadjutors, it fell dead upon the ear of the audience, ble paper on the subject, Mr. Macfarren, who takes the same and was received with the utmost indifference. Schubert never view of the matter as the great majority of musicians, justly greatly excelled in the composition of instrumental music; and affirms that whatever weaknesses may be detected in the un- in this trio (which, unlike the Reformation Symphony, has not published works of Mendelssohn can in no way qualify his the excuse of being an "early work") he was more than reputation; while, on the other hand, such beauties as may usually unfortunate. All the good playing in the world—and be discovered in them must add to it. The mere fact of the better than that of Saturday would be difficult to get—could Reformation Symphony being an early work, and belonging to never make it effective. In the sonata of Beethoven (an early the Midsummer Night's Dream period, renders it all the more work, but not the less beautiful on that account) M. Hailé interesting. The world, which has decided the place that was in his clement. His playing was exquisitely finished, Mendelssohn is destined to occupy in his art, cannot but be both as to style and execution-worthy, in short of himself delighted and benefitted by every means that may now be and of the music. At the end of the concert M. Hallè perafforded of following the development of his talent, and the formed a romance by Henselt, and the first prelude from expansion of his genius, through the various steps by which Mendelssohn's book of Six Preludes and Fugues-a publication maturity was reached. We must insist that neither family by no means, so well kown as it deserves to be.* In the nor friends have a voice in the matter, and that, after the com- course of the evening, Mr. Ella introduced four Hungarian mercial property in the MSS. shall have been guaranteed to vocalists, who unexpectedly, but not unpleasantly, varied the the former, the whole should be printed and published with- programme by singing one of Mendelssohn's most popular out delay-dates and other essential particulars being care-table songs (quartets), "Liebe wohl." fully noted and confirmed. There are musicsellers ready and anxious to undertake the responsibility. No substantial reason can be adduced why the family of Mendelssohn should be deprived of the money's worth of Mendelssohn's labours, or why the world should be robbed of its rightful inheritance in another and more important point of view. If the publication be not effected, and quickly, we shall, at all events, have an unquestionable right to demand at the hands of M. Paul Mendelssohn, and at those of the Leipsic professors, a strict and accurate account of what has been done, or what is intended to be done, with the MSS. in their possession not to speak of those in the custody of M. Schleinitz, another friend of Mendelssohn, and another self-constituted tribune. friend of Mendelssohn, and another self-constituted tribune. Enough time has been already lost. Mendelssohn has been dead nearly six years, and not one-eighth of his manuscripts have been accounted for. The symphony in A (which, like the Reformation Symphony, was preserved by the composer during a long series of years in his portfolio, and might, therefore, have been suppressed with equal reason, and upon the same showing) was three years in coming out; the frag

The audience was numerous, select, and uniformly attentive.

LONDON SACRED HARMONIC SOCIETY. The oratorio of Solomon was given by this Society, on Monday, January 31. The soloists were Miss Birch, Mrs. Temple, Miss C. Felton, and Messrs. Lockey and Lawler, The character of this work is now pretty well understood. With the usual fertility in the choral portions, the rest of the the oratorio will, in its entire shape, stand the test of time. work contains too much dead weight to make it probable that Even the famous "Judgment scene" has failed to inspire Handel with his wonted dramatic power. The choruses are, as usual, thunder-crowned. Among these, that in the first act, "Praise ye the Lord," with the huge surging masses of eminent. The popular chorus, "Let no rash intruder," in its harmony in the introductory movement in C minor, stands pregraceful simplicity and repose, is as completely modern as if it had been written yesterday. Among the light and brilliant choruses, that in the second act "From the east unto the west,' one of the grandest achievements of Handel's pen, is the should not be omitted. But the great effort of the work, and chorus "From the Censer," which opens the very thunder clouds on us. Miss Birch, to whom the most important share Published by Addison and Hollier.

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