MUSIC.
THE MUSIC-SEASON: PHILHARMONIC CONCERTS.
THE musical season has now fairly commenced. The Italian Theatre has opened, with an opera bearing a new title by DotazEi-m; the Ancient Concerts have resumed their accustomed career ; and the Philharmonic Concerts entered on another year of existence on Monday last. In no quarter of musical London have these events excited any stir : there is nothing to furnish matter for coaversatiou—nothing to discuss—nothing to anticipate. We have not heard of any preparation, nor is there ap- pearance of any change. The Philharmonic Directors have filled the music-shops with an- stouncement-bills, which quietly repose on the counters. The public have ceased to take any interest in their affairs; and the very circum- stance (therein stated) of a more ready access to the concerts being at- _Minable, indisposes people to go. While admission was a favour, and two or three years' waiting was necessary before a candidate could be allowed the privilege of paying his four guineas, it was eagerly sought : now, that anybody can go to any concert, the public appetite has abated. In one respect the announcement-bill promises a reform—" the best music available for a concert-room" is said to be forthcoming during the present treason. This will be is change indeed ! Hitherto the utter disregard the character of their vocal music has been notorious ; it has not even been denied. "Ours are instrumental conceets,' it was said, "and the vocal pieces are merely inserted by way of relief—one is as good as another." Persuasion and remonstrance have been equally fruitless ; to these the Society has always been inacces- sible; and those who ventured to predict the fatal effects upon the Society have been denounced as its enemies. Twelve years ago, we find the prevalent disregard of the vocal music thus justly condemned in a musical periodical of high character and repute- " Is it not disgraceful, that the miserable trash of contemptible composers should be thus inflicted on those who pay their money to hear classical music? Many of the vocal pieces in the Philharmonic Concerts would have been hissed in provincial towns ; but the name of the Society has served as a cloak, and saved them from the fate they so richly merited. There is no excuse here for failure or imperfection. The concerts are fixed long before the season begins, and there is plenty of time for arrangement : the singers are all handsomely paid, and there ought to be no excuse pleaded of their being found unprepared or intractable. The managers of a regular subscription-concert are bound to engage singers who can and will do their duty, and who are qualified both by nature and education to perform such music as persons possessing good natural or cultivated taste can bear with pleasure and approve on reflection." The same cause of complaint has existed from the time that this pas- sage was written to the present moment. It has been urged again and again, in public and in private ; but in vain. The result (of which no- body then dreamed) is now apparent ; and to mismanagement alone can the decline of the Philharmonic Concerts be attributed. The Directors have ample powers ; they have hitherto had ample funds ; they have abundant time—for, chosen in July, their concerts don't begin till the following March ; they are feuered by no engagements ; they are bound by no rules that preclude the performance of music of any age or country. "The world is all before them where to choose" : what more can they possess or desire? And yet see the deplorable result ! If we doubt the fulfilment of the promise here held out, it is partly because there has been no evidence of any intention to redeem it. There has been no preparation—no previous arrangement. The vocal portion of Monday night's scheme is, evidently, the suggestion of the singers ; and "the best vocal music available for a concert-room "is found to be four songs:
ACT I.
Sinfonia in D A. ROMBERG.
Sceua, Miss A. REMBLE, "Alt! come rapida" (II Crociato
Egitto) MEYERBEER. Fantasia on an Indian Air, Pianoforte, Madame DuLcarx Huai MEL.
Preghiera, Mr. STRETTON, " Ciel pietoso" LINDPAINTNEE.
Overture, Faust LINDVAINTNEH.
ACT U.
Stamm. No. 4 BEETHOVEN. Air, Miss M. B. Hawes, " Amplias lava me" .. CIAMPI (1742.)
Quiutetto, two Violins. Viola. and two Violoncellos,
Messrs. BLAGROVE, WASTE. LOOM, LINDLEY. and LIICAR• ONSLOW. Aria, Miss A. KestaLs, "Vol else sapete" (Le Noue di Figaro) • MOZART.
Overture, Deatophors. .
Leader, Mr. F. CRAMER-Conductor. Sir GEORGE Swaim The general character of this scheme, it will at once be seen, is that of inferiority. Second-rate names predominate. It is not to be ex- pected that every piece in each successive concert should be of the highest order of merit, but we have a right to look for a preponderance of music of the first class. Every concert may have this stamp, and it ought. A Sinfonia of ROMBERG'S is somewhat of a novelty, and so far welcome : but his grasp is insufficient for so bold an effort. He has to depend on others rather than himself; and to glean ideas when incom- petent to produce them. He is an adroit pilferer, and appropriates his plunder with dexterity ; but (like many of his countrymen) he has no style of his own, and therefore his work wants unity of design. His subjects of fugue receive their single answer from each part, and are then dismissed. His ideas never expand into greatness, and whole pages of his score might be expunged without injury. But his clever- ness in scoring atones for some of these defects; and we are content, occasionally, to hear his Sinfonias, oftener his Overtures. The LIND- PAISITNER Overture to Faust is noise and devilry from beginning to end ; Mephistopheles and his imps never quit the stage. BEETHOVEN'S Fourth Sinfonia was the bright spot of the evening : beside it all else was dim. HUMMEL'S Fantasia, though admirably played, is by no means one of his happiest efforts. Among passages of great beauty, much that is tricky and unmeaning occurs. OusLow's Quintet was wearisome enough. We suggest to the tribe of violinists, that his com- positions be preserved for the exclusive enjoyment of those who play them. We suppose, though we can't guess why, that they really find gratification in the operation : let them have it by all means. . PASTA'S well-known and hacknied " Ah, come rapida " displayed Miss KEMBLE'S powers to great advantage : she sang with facility, correct- ness, and feeling. In her other song, as we have elsewhere remarked, she was less successful than on the stage. Miss HAWES selected a very beautiful solo from CIAMPI, one of the composers from whom HAMM. has successfully gleaned; and she sang it with her accustomed good taste.
The audience seemed about as numerous as that of last year. A list of the band has been circulated, which shows several changes: Das- oosmTres name no longer appears, and HOWELL stands as first Contra Basso.
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