PHILHARMONIC CONCERTS.

Tax season terminated on Monday, with the following scheme: EIGHTH CONCERT—MONDAY, JUNE 27. am I.

Sinfonia in E flat Mozsar.

Scene. Miss Dom. " Ah perlido" . . Barrnovizre. Concerto, Pianoforte. M. Marrozzasousr-Brarrumor....F. Marrnsursonu-liarrnotor. Duo, Miss Brace aud Signor Masao. " Bettina divine " (Les Hu- guenots) Msmteera.

Overture, The Ides of Fingal F. MESDIES.ORN-SARTHOLDY.

ACT II.

Sinfonia in C minor llseruovitx.

Romance, Signor Mayo. " Plus blanche," Viola Obligate, Mr

MORALT (Les Iltguenots) MEYERBEER.

Concerto, Violin. Mr. SEAGROVE MAURER.

Scene, Miss Bram "Per pins" MOZART.

Overture, Jubilee C. M. yes WEBER.

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

Any one who will take the pains to register the instrumental pieces of these concerts, may safely predict from what have been played those which remain to be performed. Like cards, there are so many and such in the pack, which are played at the discretion of those who di- rect the ganpe, but sooner or later out they come. BEETHOVEN in C minor and MOZART in E flat are trumps, and by the present Directors played last. They have finished their season, as we anticipated, with éclat ; and the concert, if presenting little novelty, yet combined a choice selection of compositions.

MENDELSSOHN played his Concerto in D minor. In his compositions of this class MENDELSSOHN is uniformly successful. His style, though scarcely pretending to originality, is formed upon the best and soundest models ; and his intimate knowledge of the works of the older keyed- instrument-writers gives a welcome flavour and an additional charm to his pianoforte compositions at a time when among the fashionable players of the day these are little studied or known.

The well-known songs of BEETHOVEN and MOZART were respectably sung by Miss Billet' and Miss DOLBY; but MARIO'S singing was sadly thrown away upon the music of MEYERBEER. An Italian singer dis- tinguished for the pure and graceful nationality of his style ought to have found some fitting employment of his powers in the music of his own country, and not have been compelled to exchange its beautiful language and polished airs for those of a foreign nation, lowest in the scale of musical excellence.

The Philharmonic season having now terminated, it remains for us to glance at its general character, chiefly with reference to the in- fluence of the season that is' past on those that (be it one or more) are to come. It is certain that the concerts exhibit no symptoms of returning health or vigour. The subscription-list decreases year by year : the drain on the stock of the Society is of necessity increased, while their income is in every way diminished. It might be supposed, under such circumstances, with dissolution staring the Society in the face, that some vigorous and searching inquiry into the causes of decay, with a view to timely reform, would be originated. The Philharmonic Society combines the elements of musical strength and influence in a greater degree than any similar association in the kingdom: it enrols among it members may distinguished artists ; it possesses in itself the power to execute music of any kind in the most perfect way ; its de- signed object is worthy of the professors of a liberal art; and its laws leave those who manage its affairs a free and unfettered exercise of their power. At this moment there exist neither Philharmonic Di- rectors nor Band; the Society, its library, and its funds, alone remain. They are free to take any course they please—to devolve the direction upon whomsoever they may choose ; and in a month the new Directors will come into office, unfettered by a single engagement, with ample powers, and with the whole region of music at their command. And this is no new position—it is that of every race of their predecessors. But all seem equally spell-bound from the moment they enter upon their duties. The "signs of the times," though disastrously legible, operate no change, induce no exertion—none that is, of any moment or to any purpose. A capricious alteration, backwards and forwards, in the mode of admission—the circulation of puffing annonce-bills- laudatory paragraphs in the newspapers—advertisements of the "prin- cipal vocalists,' and all the petty devices of the craft—such have been the exertions of the defunct Directors ; all having the same tendency, that is to proclaim the decline of a society once so proud and palmy. There was a distinct promise in the prospectus put forth at the com- mencement of the season, of an improvement in the vocal department of the concerts; a promise which there has not-been even the slightest effort to redeem. The average ability of the singers has been lower than ever, and the vocal pieces have been uniformly of the most hacknied kind. It seems to be the fate of all similar institutions in the Metropolis to fall into decrepitude after a certain time. From the time of Baca and ABEL'S concerts and the Academy of Ancient Music to the present, a career of prosperity has uniformly been succeeded by a period of de- cline and final extinction. Such a fate awaits the Philharmonic So- ciety: but the cause of decline, in this case, has been chiefly from within. Its constitution is altogether liberal—unpledged to the ex- clusive performance of either• ancient or modern music—able to grasp the sublime and to conleseenct to the minute, and to combine within its comprehensive range-kb oratOrio or a harp solo. Such a body can adapt itself to any state -of4nusical society; it can expand with in- creased knowledge, it can supply every fresh demand. But this it re- fuses to do, content to plod on year after year in the same course ; so that the bills of the present season are not only, substantially, those of the last, but of every season for the last twenty years. Every concert embraces the music of only a single school,—the best of its kind, we freely admit ; but variety can be obtained of other kinds without de- scending to mediocrity ; and it will be found on examination, that the compositions of the greatest Italian, English, and early German masters, have never been admitted into the Philharmonic Concerts. Thus limited, not of necessity but by choice, in their range, the public appe- tite for these concerts pails; the apathy of those within finds a sure response in those without ; the Philharmonic Society will share the fate of its predecessors, and give way to some other association more suited to the musical wants of the times.