CLOSE OF THE PHILHARMONIC CONCERTS.

THE Philharmonic season closed on Monday ; and as two choice Sin- fonias and two favourite Overtures were reserved for this night, it closed with eclat. This was the bill announced, though not the bill performed.

Sinfonia, l'astomle BEETHOVEN. Aria, IIE au K ROPE, " ('ad pietoso" LINDPAINTER. Fantasia, Pianoforte, M. THALBERO, introducing favourite Themes from Mcoi in Ey Ito THALBERO. 'Recitative ed Aria, Signora Eszatart, "Cud inclose

(Zelmira)

Overture, Anacreon

ACT II.

Sinfonia, in E flat

SPURR.

Recitative, Ma lame SCHR(EFIER DEVRIENT and HERR KROFT, "Don Ottavio, son morta," ed Aria. Madame Seuttcanaa DEVRIENT. " Or sai chi l' ORM" (II Dun Gioranni) MOZART. Concerto, Conti abasso, Signor AN01.011i ANOLOIS. Duet, Mallarne SCHIVEDER DavateNT and HERR KROFT, " Der Liebe holdes Lila (Die Zauterftolle) MOZART. Overture, Euryanthe WEBER.

Leader, Mr. LODER—CORdUCtOE, Sir GEORGE SMART.

On the Pastorale Sinfonia epithets of admiration and praise have been so often and so justly lavished, that we may content ourselves with saying that the performance was worthy of the composition. The last time we heard this Sinfonia was at the Worcester Festival, where it was played (with very few and unimportant exceptions) by the phil- harmonic band; and as our lucubrations probably find their way into the bands of some who were also present on that occasion, and who witnessed if they did not join in the general conversation with which the audience amused themselves during its performance, it may be worth while to state for their information, that the Pastorale Sinfonia of BEETHOVEN was listened to on Monday night, by an audience as numerous as the Hanover Square Rooms could contain, with mute attention, interrupted only now and then by an involuntary murmur of delight; nay more—that 130 persons, in addition to the regular audience, applied for permission to pay a guinea each in order to enjoy the pleasure which such a performance is capable of affording. :fie power of understanding and enjoying such a composition is spreading.; but it spreads slowly—as indeed it must in a soil so musically unculti- vated as England Seona's Sinfonia had, originally, to encounter opposition arising from the same cause. SWIM was a new writer ; and those who were too ignorant to detect the beauties of such a work, received it with portentous shakes of the head and sagacious shrugs. The same per- sons have now discovered that SP01111, may safely be praised—and he is praised accordingly. This Sinfonia is, in truth, one of the most per- fect compositions of its class, and well deserves its periodical recur- rence with those of Havnx, NIOZART, and BErritovesz.

THALBERWS playing defies description. It must be heard to be con- Ceived. The best notion that Ave can give of it is that two pair of • hands seem to move by the same volition. Having cheerfully awarded the .:hjghest praise to this eminent artist's power of execution, we must qualify that which attaches to the music be selected for performance. 4rs wigh variations rank among the lowest efforts of pianoforte-wri- ting, and are rather the amusement of a drawing-room than fit associates for the master works of BEETHOVEN and SPOHR. At the Philhar- monic concert, THALBERG should have played a Concerto. His themes were from the Allostl in Eyitto; and the concluding one, on " Dal tuo stellate soglio," was splendidly wrought up. This lie intemled as his climax ; but the audience were unsatisfied, and demanded the per- former's reappearance—an ill.timed request, with which lie reluctantly complied, having then no alternative but to descend to something po- pular, and make a second finish with " God save the King" and "Rule Britannia."

But THAT.BERG was not the only instrumental lion of the evening; Signor ANGLOIS exhibited his wonderful feats on the double bass. This performer's command of his instrument far surpasses any thing we have witnessed. What he is as an orchestra-player we know not, but his Concerto brought out tones and effects from the double bass which we never heard any other performer attempt. his instrument is differently strung and differently tuned to other contra bassi, his

ACT 1.

ROSSINI. CHERUBIM.

bridge his higher, and his strings rather smaller. He bows the mitre. mem like a ; as, we believe, it used to be bowed before DRAGO. NETTI'S time. The usual position of the left arm would not give suf- ficient reach along the finger.board to ascend to the height of Signor ANGLOIS' double-bass scale, (his Concerto finished on B in alt); but this difficulty he surmounts by passing his arm, whenever necessary, in front of the finger-board, and supporting his instrument by his knee. His notes are sometimes produced in the usual way, but as often by pinching the strings. Tone, as is commonly the case, is somewhat sacrificed in passages of passages of rapid execution, but less than might be expected. A Concerto on the double bass, after all, must be an exhibition more marvellous than pleasing— a display of formidable difficulties overcome, rather than of the best attributes of music; but a performer who develops new capabilities on any instrument, indi- reedy, and remotely if not immediately, benefits his art; and it was this consideration that imparted the (lief gratification we derived in listening to Signor ANocois. He has taught us what the double bass can do.

The folly of engaging SCHIUEDER at these concerts we pointed out in noticing the last. This night, in consequence of Fidelio being the

second piece at Drury Lane, it was clear that she could not arrive till eleven o'clock, the hour at which the concerts usually terminate. Such an engagement was a gratuitous insult to the subscribers, as both parties must have known its fulfilment to be impossible.

Instead of the seem, from 11 Don Giovanni, Mrs. SHAW, who chanced to be in the room, sung " 0 salutaris hostia ; " and, after waiting for SCIIRCEDER till past eleven, she arrived, as before, exhausted by her theatrical exertions, and unable even to get through the simple and well-known duet from Die Zaubctfialte with tolerable credit.

Signora EKEREIN is a Milanese, and her style that of the modern Italian school. Her preteosions to vocal celebrity are but slender ;

and few occasions, we apprehend, will be afforded her to exhibit them. Why the PhilharmonieConcert was selected as one, can only be guessed —or why either Madame Cainsuom and Mrs. BISHOP (who were both listeners) was not requested to occupy the place which she attempted to till. The best song of the evening was the first. Herr KROFF'S voice is a high and flexible bass—pure in quality, though deficient in power. His singing evidenced good training and a cultivated taste.

The season has closed with its usual success, and, we believe, with more than its usual profit. The experiment of reducing the number of subscribers to 350 and issuing 30 single tickets at the doubled price of

a-guinea each, has fully answered. The funds of the Society have been benefited, and countly amateurs have not found the doors of this con-

cert-room closed aguinst them ; the transfer of tickets, from which so much inconvenience mid annoyance resulted last year, has been stopped, and the audience are again attentive listeners.