25 DECEMBER 1830, Page 13

.*THE,PHILHATtSfpNIC CONCERTS.

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IN our. notice, of the performance of Spoaa's sublime draterfp, The. Last.Judgment, lit- the Norwich Festival, we particularly. pointed the attention of the 'Philharmonic 'Directors to it; as a. work to which their band was alone able to give full. effect. This :opinion has since, been repeated by the able editor of the Harmo- nico-n and .we learn Abat..the Directors have, this week, decided upon its performance in the course of the' present Season. This is not the first time in which our suggedions have been adopted by. the Philharmonic ; and we Are quite Certain, that 'no 'decision more consonant with the principles upon which the Society was founded,, more creditable to the good taste of the Directors, and more agreeable to the great body of the subscribers, could have been made. Our advice has always been—let your first care be theselection of good music ; your second, the 'singers to whom it is to be intrusted. The inversion of these two' points—choosing first the singers, and then' leaving to 'them- the seleetion Of their songs--ehas led ,to the repetition of the mere commonplace trash of the season, to, the well-founded complaints of the subscribers, and threatened the very existence of the Society. The Directors should pater for their. audience-as they Would cater for themselves. We put it.to Sir GEORGE SMART, to Mr. BISHOP, Mr. ATTWOOD, or Mr. CRAMER—is them one of these gentlemen who would walk across-, the narrowe.st street in London to hear CARAFA'S "A iispettarrni,7' PACINI'S " Ah ! non, ha," Or MERCADANTE S "Claudio ?'!• We have-a better opinion Of their jiidg,ment than to iniagine that .they would so misspend their time. Why, then, should they offer to their hearers, music which they themselves WonldtUrn from with contempt.? We know that they did much, during the last season, to retrieve the character of the Society ; and our • thanks and commendations were, -for such merito- rious exertions,. cordially and freely given. But the change of 'system was not decided upon in time to carry it into full effect— it was partial and imperfect. The recent decision Of the Directors argues something like a deliberate and' fixed plan' of oPerations- . a desire.to lead the public taste to the highest productions of their art, and thus to Ore fresh bloom and verdure ta-thelaiirels of the jltilharraduic SOciety.