2 MAY 1840, Page 12

PHILHARMONIC CONCERTS.

Tim concert of Monday indiceted the departure of Easter, the advent of My, the commencement of the season, and the end of all effort on the part of the Philharmonic Directors. It would seem, to any foreign or rustic visitant of the Metropolis, that a musical epidemic efflicted it periodically, of' which the symptoms were an inordinate craving for some sort oi' noise or other ; that the fever was always at its height in .,May and June—beginning with the appearance of the cuckoo, and ceasing with his departure. As by the modern improvements in che- mistry the virtues of' a hundredweigia of bark may be carried in a pill-box, so a year's musical food in London is compressed into a few weeks. We gorge two months and starve ten. The anterooms at Hanover Square are papered with concert-bills ; concert-bills block up the entrance to all the music-shops, aud bespread their windows. Who the concert-givers ere, we know not : snore than half the names already announced may or may not be of the musical profession, and are pro- bably resorted to only as one way of aeqttiring notoriety. But, as usual, in this harmonious hurry-skurry the Philharmonic is left to shift for itself. Ilere is the proof.

ACT I.

Minor

Terzeno, Innell, Mrs. Toui.MIN, and Mr. HENNE'rT, BEMOVEN. "ii ii ni I.:nth'. (10

MOZART. V;...:11, ND. a, l.i M4

,.1■11-•

MOLIQUE.

r " S yr.;(1tr" (Mat rni Uri &condo) liconto.

C. N. %v.!: AY EMU.

elinre„lnbike

Tviz■ li!E■11. Mrs. Tcur.m IN, and Signor TAMBV- " Ui Wiwi:tie" (Erni t•r,

it, Vi..101;crIlo, Contra Basso,

l'h.!■•. (cc mid it, Madam!. 111•1.( Ht:N, MrsErs HILL,

CHEnelimi.

1,:N1.1,1 a, InonaNI vri, ROMS, I suit PI.ATT Miss Ilincu, Mr. BrNNLyr, nild Shona. TAAinu-

FN.

0%.'t Awcrion

My. I'. CRAM Mr, PUTTE1t1:1112:2'N'• Here the MI pieces, which are the principal and the only exclusive features of these concerts, are all of a class—all military ; a coincidence about which, ite dare say, the Directors never troubled themselves to think. After Easter they have other business to mind. Three pieces (the toneloding Overture only plays out the few auditors NV110 remain) are elappsd down at random, and the subscribers must take what they can vet, Do we object to any of' the Sinfonias or Overtures? By no means, separately considered ; we merely charge those with .culpable carelessness who inserted them all in the same evening's selection. MomQuies Concerto was, like his first, a finished performance of a beautiful composition. His execution of the adagio—the true test of a great player—was a display of exquisite polish and refinement. it waS more eomeletely modelled on the sellout of' Semites composition for the violin than his first concerto, and was worthy of it. The Septetto, though finely played, was tiresome from its absurd length. Nor do the seven instruments, which HUMMEL has here com- bined, blend in happy union. There is no amalgamation, no brilliancy of effect, no light and shade: they play, and play, and play, but with- out stirring up any feeling of interest in what they are after. Very i busy, but nothing comes of t. To TAMBURINI'S Aria ought in justice to have been appended " Ma senza Coro." Mahomees stirring appeal to his warriors, which is in- terrupted by their frequent reply, was on this occasion made to no- body, and of course excited no response. And this at a Philharmonic concert, where they profess to perform classical music umnutilated The Terzetto from Fara.ska was an agreeable novelty.

We had almost forgotten to mention that the Queen Dowager was present.