MUSIC.

FIFTH PHILHARMONIC CONCF-HT—MONDAY MAY 26.

PART 5.

Shemin in A minor, (No. 3) Mendelssohn Bartholdy.

Recit., "Ungliickseerge," Mademoiselle 5 Mendelssohn Bar-

Aria, "Fahret wieder gold'ne Tage," f Schloss j tholdy.

Concerto, Pianoforte, in C minor, Mr. W. S. Bennett Mozart. Reelt., "Its s'eloignent," f Madame Gras Donis, (Cult-}Rossini. " Sombre foret," 1 launse TA) Overture and Duetto, " In Sinnenlu.st," Messrs. Ober- heifer and Staudigl, (Faust,) Spohr.

PART

Sinfonia in F, (No. 8) Beethoven.

Aria, "En vain j'espere.," Madame Gras Dents, (Robert le Diable,) Meyerbeer. Fantasia, Harp, (on Airs from Robert it Diable,) Mr

Godefroid Godefrold.

Aria, "Pro peccatis," Herr Standigl, (Stabat Mister,)• • • Rossini. Overture, Freyschiltz C. M. Von weber.

Leader, Mr. Loder—Conductor, Mr. Moscheles.

SIENDELSSOHN'S third and last Symphony, though given last season under the author's direction, seemed to advance in favour on Monday. Consi- dered with respect to design and orchestration, its elevation in the one and originality in the other, it is an extraordinary work. The combinations and doublinqs of the instruments in unusual parts of their scale produce effects so 'as to be difficult to the most experienced ear to analyze; , eighten the interest of this novel instrumentation, we have ever

and anon the classic harmony of Bach or the piquant combinations of Onslow. Rarely exhibiting a melody or subject that can be called thoroughly original, there is in the entire compositions of this master a character, a design, a choiceness in the harmonizing, that render them in- comparably the most pleasant things to listen to after Beethoven and Mozart. Mendelssohn is full of what this age requires, satiated as it is with exquisite melodies—no mannerist, but strong in harmony, new in effects, and bold in contrasts: but the forcible grasp of the affections of his audi- tory which characterizes the great symphonists—that passionate recogni- tion with which their ideas are met—is not his. Probably, it never will be. But what a singularly concentrated form of musical thought and beauty must the symphony appear—how difficult, nay almost impossible to real- ize—when the great and varied powers of Mendelssohn are still so distanced in testhetical comparison! The scherzo in F, with its rapid and difficult tongue-lag for the wind-instruments, and the song of the violins in the adagio, were very nicely performed. Beethoven's Symphony in F charmed the audience, as besides the tone of cheerfulness and musical plea- santry that pervades this composition, it is admirably characterized by

keeping.

The singing of the evening was distinguished. Mademoiselle Schloss re- produced a dramatic scene of Mendelssohn's, first sung by her at one of Ma- dame Dulcken's soirees to a pianoforte accompaniment; and we had now the advantage of hearing the orchestra parts. It is altogether an inconsi- derable production, reminding strongly in its plan and construction of Mo- zart and the Zauberflike. A recitative, an aria cantabile in B flat, and an agitate movement in G minor, comprise the whole; which is as little freed from the trammels of Mozart's classical style in spirit as in form. It will have been perceived that Mendelssohn's happiest efforts have been made in departures from models and in forms of composition utterly new: and this may account for some languor in the well-worn path of the German lyric drama. The voice of Mademoiselle Schloss is fine; but in the energetic parts of her performance she miscalculated the effort necessary, and pierced the ears by an exaggeration of noise. Madame Gras Dorus sang her scene from Rossini and that from Meyerbeer with exquisite vocalization— the most fluent graceful passage from note to note that can be imagined: yet was she not absolutely irreproachable on the score of intonation in her extreme high notes. The boldness of her ornaments, the truth and liquid isnoothness with which she executed chromatic descents, astonished the audience, and called away all attention from the music to wonder at the artist. Madame Gras Dorus is in truth a most admirable specimen of the vocal education of the Conservatoire: unhappily, we remember her too long as the heroine of several flattering notices of it in the palmy days of the Revue Musicale to anticipate a long career for her in the present fine condition of her voice. It is pleasant to see Faust and Spohr so upheaved by the waves of time; and we should little wonder if the music now pro- duced were really more effective in concert than in dramatic performance. -The two strong German basses—the high bass of Oberhoffer and the low one of Staudigl—made a grand combination. There was an approach to somewhat better time in the minuet than last year under Mendelssohn's direction: still, -however, it was too fast. It should be remembered that the character of this movement is that of the dance and not the symphony minuet: it accompanies a ball-room scene, and should approximate in oha- racter to the minuet in Don Giovanni, as that does to the stately Minuet de la Cour. In addition to all this, it is one of the loveliest and most enchant- ing things ever conceived by Spohr. There are the magic melody and grace about it which announce the tale of diablerie, and exhibit Faust spell- bound from the very outset.

We thank Mr. W. S. Bennett for Mozart's Concerto in C minor; second only to one among the manifold creations of this author for pianoforte and orchestra, the heroic and dramatic Concerto in D minor. Still it is the greater novelty—and, alas! not to the audience only, but to the band, who show all the uncertainty of novices in their mode of accompanying. The wind-instrument parts to this concerto are throughout of the most interest- ing kind, and so thoroughly interwoven with the effect of the composition, that a mere reading of the phrases with accuracy of time and intonation it by no means all that can be expected from them. They form a part of the whole—and a part from which expression is to the full as important as from the principal instrument. Pity therefore it is, that when these fine works are revived, as they used to be from time to time by J. B. Cramer, and now again by the excellent musician Sterndale Bennett, more time cannot be afforded for their accurate study by the accompanying instru- ments. Mr. Bennett played with elegance and simplicity: exhibiting great clearness of touch, and preserving reverently the characteristics of the master. He made also a very admirable cadence at the end of the first movement, and united different subjects with somewhat of the contrapuntal skill of Mendelssohn. The new harp-player exhibited a fine execution; and the concert altogether was very satisfactory, though too long.

It would be gratifying, we think, to the subscribers, considering the horrible mauling of the score of the Antigone by the orchestra at Covent Garden, if a selection from that work could be heard with the advantage of the Philharmonic orchestra, before the close of the season.