3 APRIL 1841, Page 14

THE PHILHARMONIC CONCERTS.

THE Concert of Monday was an improvement on the preceding one. The musical standard was altogether higher : every thing was excel- lent of its kind, and the only defects were those of performance. The consequence of making, as in the former concert, one composition of second-rate character a prominent feature in the scheme, was to drag down the entire selection to its level. The Directors knew that a single production from a great master would have given the rest no chance of a patient hearing, and therefore associated MENDELSSOHN'S Hymn with a Sinfonia by RIES, an Overture by BERLIOZ, and a Concerto by KREUTZEIt. The entire tone of the concert was thus lowered. On Monday night the masters of the art, as will be seen, took their turn.

ACT r.

Sinfonia, No. 5 HAYDN.

SeaelIO, Miss BIRCH, Miss WOODYATT, Miss M. B. flzwEs Mr. HOBBS Mr. J. L. Harrow. and Mr. Mzclusr. " Lo !

cherub hands" (Palestine) . Dr. CROTCH.

Concern, Violin. Mr. WOLFF WOLFF.

Quintetto, Miss BIRCH, Miss WOODY vrr, Miss M. B. HAWES Mr. Bonus. and Mr. MACHIN, " Oh, cielo clemente" (II Ceoeiato is Egitto) METERBEER. Overture, Eurytinthe C. M. VON WEBER.-

ACT II.

Sinfonia iu C MOZART.

TeTZ04-1, Miss BIRCH, Miss Wuunrarr. and Miss M. B

HAwes, " GWV41e1l0 Cavalier " (II (rociato is Egitt”) MEVERBEER. Quiutetto, two Violins, two Violas, and Violoncello. Messrs. BLAOROVE. WATTS, LODER. HILL. and I.IND' FY BEETHOVEN. Qumtetto, Miss BIRCH, Miss WoonrArr, Miss M.13. HAWES, Mr. HODes, and Mr. MACHIN, " Zemira ! children " (Azar sad Zemira) SPOHR. Overture. King Stephen BEETHOVEN. Leader, Mr. T. COOKE—Conductor. Mr. Dome.

The execution of two Sinfonias so well known as the No. 5 of HAYDN and the Jupiter of MOZART ought to have been much more perfect than it was. The orchestra certainly is not improved this year. Many young performers have been introduced, who have not yet been disci- plined into orchestral duty. Very excellent players, we dare say, they are ; but they have yet to learn that they are but parts of a machine, directed by the composer and set in motion by the conductor ; and that for any individual to give his own reading or expression to a passage— to volunteer a crescendo or to make a display of himself in any way—is an impertinence, and an injury to the effect of a piece. A want of com- bination in the wind instruments is distressingly felt : it never seems to be aimed at ; each one thinks of himself, and cares little for his neigh- bours. NICHOLSON, WILLMAN, and MACINTOSH, used to play together; the colour, the expression, the quality of tone was alike. Their suc- cessors aim at nothing of the sort. The origin of this defect—and a grievous one it is—may be traced to the introduction of BAUMAN into the band; whose fuzzy, toneless noise, mixing with nothing, renders the combination to which our ears were once accustomed hopeless. LINDLEY played the trio in HAYDN'S Sinfonia with the same neatness as ever. It was precisely what we remember more than forty years since, and produced the same desire far an encore. Mr. WOLFF is not unknown to the London orchestras, although he has for some years studied in Germany. His playing is of a superior kind—abundant in execution, yet devoid of mere trickery. His Concerto was well written ; and its style was that of a gbod school, without displaying or aiming at much originality. The Quintet of BEETHOVEN was the most finished per- formance of the evening ; for every man was more than competent to his duty, and previous rehearsal imparted all else that was necessary.

This, as will be seen, was a songless concert. What a thing of sport and chance is the vocal part of a Philharmonic bill! One night we have songs only, the next songs are banished. This savours more of whin) or caprice than well-matured judgment, and makes us think that

the Directors really don't know what to be at. Having decided on the pieces to be performed, the next step, we should suppose, would be to engage competent singers ; or rather, the previous inquiry should have been, can we engage them—are they to be had? But this considera- tion, it is clear, never enters their thohghts. A treble singer, for ex- ample, is with them supposed to be competent to sing any treble part, no matter what her country or training ; and to a bass singer just escaped from a country cathedral is allotted a difficult part in a very diffi- cult Italian opera. Need we describe the ludicrous result? The only piece that was well sung was the Quintet from Palestine, one of the most satisfactory of Dr. CROTCH'S efforts. The beautiful finale to the first act of SPOHR'S Zemire and Azor (which ought to have commenced with " Sprich, guter Ali ") was, altogether, very imperfectly executed. MSS BIRCH, whose intonation was extremely faulty, was wholly unequal to grapple with a part requiring a first-rate singer ; and Mr. Mecum made sad havoc with the bass. So flanked, the efforts of the other singers were palsied ; and there was nothing like " concert of voices," from beginning to end. The band, too, always seem to forget that aportn's instrumentation, beautiful as it is, is but an accompaniment. Ile wind instruments were especially vociferous. The concert concluded with an Overture of BEETHOVEN'S, which has long remained in undisturbed repose in the Society's library. It is not worthy to rank beside his Egmont or Fidelio, although occasionally rising into grandeur. If worthy to be played at all, it should have had a better place in the scheme.