The fifth Philharmonic Concert, on Monday last, was remarkable chiefly
for the performance of the IValpurgis Right which occupied the second part of the concert. This choral cantata, one of the most charac- teristic and striking of Mendelssohn's works, is now familiar to the Eng- lish public. We were first made acquainted with it by means of the Philharmonic Society ; but the knowledge of it was extended by liullah's concerts carried on in Exeter Hall when be was raising a fund for his new building in Long Acre. It requires, for the production of its full effect, a choral and orchestral strength which must be assembled in such a vast area as that of Exeter Hall ; and therefore (as we have already said) it ought to be left to those establishments who have such a space at their disposal. We now observe that it is about to be produced by the New Philharmonic, who certainly have the means, if they use them properly, to give it with an effect unprecedented in England. We must add, how- ever, that the performance of Monday last, was liable to no other objec- tion than that which arose from the confined space of the Hanover Square Rooms : it was careful, complete, and upon the whole highly satisfactory.
The miscellaneous portion of the concert included Beethoven's superb seventh symphony in A, the same composer's concerto in E flat, ad- mirably played by Mademoiselle Clams, the young pianist we have al- ready mentioned, and the overture to Euryanthe. The vocal pieces, sung by Miss Williams, Reichart, and Staudigl, were well chosen, well ex- ecuted, and well received.
The other principal concerts of the week have been those of the Musical Union and the Beethoven Quartet Society, on Wednesday ; both of them interesting, and well attended. At the latter, young Joachim and Ferdinand Hiller played. Madame Pleyel gave a morning concert on Wednesday, at the Hanover Square Rooms; and displayed the great- ness and variety of her powers as a pianist by her performance of Beet- hoven's concerto in C minor, Mendelssobn's concerto in G minor, and several solo pieces of Liszt. The room was crowded and a multitude of musical notabilities were among the audience.
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