SIXTH CONCERT OF THE PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY.

ACT I.

Sinfonia In B flat Beethoven.

Aria, " Fra tante angosciei" Signor Bordogni Caraffa.,

Concerto Pianoforte, Mr. Cramer Cramer. Aria, Madame Stockhausen, (La Clemenza di Tito) Mozart. Overture A. Romberg.

ACT II.

Sinfonia in C Mozart. Recitative, Mr. Phillips, " For behold." Song, " The People that walked," (The Messiah) with Mozart's accompaniments Handel. Concerto, Violin, M. Nauman Reese and Mayseder. Terzettn, Madame Stockhausen, Signor Bordogni, and Mr. Phil- lips " Parla, i timori" Overture in C Beethoven. Leader, Mr. Mori—Conductor, Mr. Potter.

BEETHOVEN'S fine Sinfonia in Bls was most delightfully played. The adagio, which is constructed on the model of some of Havosis, may vie with them in the gracefulness, the melody, the bewitching elegance of the motivo. There are a few whims in it, such as a startling " beat of drum" when least wanted or expected ; but these are only transient specks upon a. surface of brilliancy and polish almost unrivalled. The performance was equal to the composition. The distinct and powerful articulation of the violoncellos and double basses, the silvery tone of WILLMAN'S clarionet, and the skilful dovetailing of the wind instru- ments towards the close, were alike admirable. Mr. CRAMER'S con- certo was a fine development of the powers of his instrument. How completely does this great performer understand the true nature and character of the pianoforte ! There is every thing to delight, nothing merely to astonish. There are no difficulties introduced delight, the sake of showing that it is possible to subdue them. All seems to be the easy, unembarrassed execution of one who has the instrument perfectly at command, and who appears to check rather than to display the magic touch of his fingers. How truly graceful, how exquisitely finished, was every ornament in his adagio, commending itself at once to the good taste of his breathless hearers, and producing a vibration upon them as sensible as upon the wires of his instrument ! The striking feature in the overture of ANDREAS ROMBERG, was the powerful and articulate leading-off in the fugue at its close. MOZART s Sinfonia in C is not, perhaps, throughout, to be placed among his most striking instrumental compositions, but the slow movement is brimful of sweets. M. HAGMAN, a German artist, appeared for the first time in this country. He deserves to hold a high rank among violinists. His bowing is free and graceful, his execution rapid and distinct, his tone pure, though not distinguished for power. At the same time, we

must confess that the results of hard practice were more apparent in Iris playing than the inspiration of genius.

Having said thus much in hearty and sincere commendation of the instrumental part of the concert on Monday, we regret that here, as before, our commendation must end. The vocal arrangements were nearly as bad as at the previous concert. Let us begin with the first song and first singer : the former, a meagre, worn-out, thousand-times repeated Aria of CARAFFA ; the latter almost destitute of one of a singer's requisites—a voice. For this small deficiency, BORDOGNI en- deavoured to atone by an exuberance of ornament, thus bedecking a threadbare garment with gay and flaunting ribands. Madame STocif.- HAUSEN'S song is always delightful, if even decently well sung; and of her performance of it no more could with justice be said. We suspect that this lady does not know the Italian language, or it may be impossible to breathe into any German singer the intensity of feeling which animates the Italian artist. Certain it is that the sang froid with which she uttered- " Disperato vado a morte,

Ma it morir non mi spaventa; II pensiero mi tormenta,

Che fui teco un traditor "-

surprised and mortified us.

But the greatest offence against good taste and propriety was the in- troduction of "The people that walked in darkness." We believe this is the first instance on record of this song being wrenched from its place in the Messiah, and placed in contact with a fiddle concerto. To per- sons wholly unacquainted with that oratorio, the absurdity of singing it without the succeeding chorus, will at once be apparent, by reading the words. " The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light, and they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them bath the light shined : for unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given,- &sc. But this is not all : there is a musical connexion between the song and chorus, as intimate and as necessary as that which sub- sists between the members of the sentence. To the Directors, as musi- cal men, this ought to have been apparent, and the violation of so plain and obvious a rule is unpardonable. So far as to the choice of the

sone- • we have further to object, that it was little suited to Prunnies's •

powers. We say this with every feeling of respect for his singing. But, if it were expedient that he should sing a song of HANDEL'S, why not have taken " How willing my paternal love"—" Tears such as ten- der fathers shed"—" Nel riposo nee contento" (from Deidamia)—or many others which we could name, equally well suited to his compass and his style, rather than one which requires a depth and volume of voice which does not appertain to a pure baritone ? Here, again, we have a similar want of adapting the means to the end which was so much to be regretted in the last concert. The terzetto was as coldly received as it was indifferently performed.

The complaint against the vocal music was this evening loud and general ; and no wonder. " Whose fault is it'?" is the question. We at once impeach the Directors, and say the blame rests with them. It is their duty to fix what songs and concerted pieces shall be sung,. and to give them to singers capable of doing them justice. If those to whom they apply refuse, let them turn to others. There is no lack of vocal talent in London; there is no lack of excellent materials on which to employ it.