6 NOVEMBER 1858, Page 13

g . "Concerts d'Adieu," as he calls them, which began at

the Lyceum on Monday evening, differ from those of previqus years only is the comparative smallness of the locality and the corresponding re- duction in the magnitude of his tuneful host. The interior of the louse is fitted up as usual, the ground-area being formed into a promenade with the orchestra in the centre ; the programmes present, as usual, an ,seeable melange of the more severe and classical works of the great !Rasters with Jullien's own light and brilliant dance-music ; and the one (lass of music, as well as the other, is executed with remarkable pre- cision and spirit. The diminution of the orchestra, to which he was driven by necessity, proves a positive advance. His sixty performers, all chosen men, are strong enough for every purpose, while they are tore fully under the conductor's control than tho useless multitudes now crowded into our orchestras by way of making a show. On Monday night, the overture to the Freischfitz, and the rivulet-scene, the storm, and rustic dance,. from Beethoven's pastoral symphony, delighted the whole audience, the denizens of the promenade included, who listened most attentively. Miss Louisa Vinning, the vocalist of the evening, sag two favourite airs very agreeably. The only novelty was the ap- pearance of a young Russian violinist, IA. Wieniawski, of considerable continental reputation. He evidently belongs to the Paganini school ; for though ho played Mend« lssohn'a concerto exceedingly well, yet he was much more at home while revelling in the marvellous tours de force —the one-string passages, harmonic tones, rapid flights, and grotesque imitations, of the " Carnival of Venice." Like all, perfonmers of this school, not excepting the great original himself, his tone is thin, fulness and volume being sacrificed to, execution ; and the same thing, it may be observed, is the, case with bravura singers. Among the dance-music, the best things were a "new Jetty Treffz Quadrille," in which the songs and ballads which that pretty songstre,as has made so popular were introduced, and a quadrille made up of Scottish tunes, and played with as true "High- land rage" (as Burns calla it,) as if the maestro had spent his days on the braes of Locbaber. This power 'of -Seizing -the, various nationalities of music is one of the qualities which have conduced much to jullien's po- pularity. On Monday night the theatre was very full, and the audience were quiet and attentive till the latter part of the evening, when. the noisy hilarity of idle young men, bent on a " lark," created some dis- turbance, but unattended with riot and not followed (as has sometimes happened) by a crop of police cases next morning. We made some remarks the other day on Monsieur Jullien's cos- mopolitan scheme, in which 9. certain greatness of conception is mingled with ludicrous absurdity. We think him a most deserving man ; but it isreally impossible, even for those who most seriously wish success to his labours, to suppress a smile at the genic grandiloquence of his an- nouncements. He tells us that he "gives these concerts d'adieu, pre- cious to his departure on his universal musical tour, through the capitals and cities of Europe, America, Australia, the Colonies, and civilized towns of Asia and Africa, accompanied by the elite of his orchestra, and other artists, savans, and homtnes de lettres, forming the nucleus of a Society already constituted under the title of " Societe de.PHannonie llniverselle," with the object not only of diffusing the divine and civil- izing art of music, but of promoting, through harmony's powerful elo- quence, a noble and, philanthropic cause." There is something positively astounding in this " Universal Musical Tour," in which M. Jullien is about to

"'Survey the world from China to Peru,"

and wave his baton where baton was never waved before. M. Iullien is another Alexander the Great setting out on an expedition to conquer the world—to reduce the whole globe to one empire of universal har- mony, of which he himself is to be the Emperor. He is to take the field, attended by " artists, savans, and bommes de lettres," like his prototype the Great Napoleon when he went to subjugate the East. It is a pity that M. Tullien has not announced the names of these sevens and men of letters. We fear that the musical commander, as the mili- tary commander did, will find this kind of camp-followers something of an incumbrance. When Napoleon's troops were forming to meet the enemy, the order used to be given, " the donkeys and sevens to the centre," in order to keep them out of harm's way. How will M. Jul- lien dispose of his retinue of artists, savans, and men of letters? What 80r93 of employment will he put them to ? and what is the' nature of the "Societe de l'Harmonie Universelle " of whieb, it seems, they are to form the nucleus ?

In sober sadness, all this is very absurd, and it is a pity that a really deserving man like Jullien should make himself ridiculous by such flourishes. It is in consequence of them that he is set down as a char- latan by many persons who do not know how much ability he possesses, and how much his labours have contributed to the diffusion of a taste for good music in this country.

The very limited iipertoire of Drury Lane has been varied this week by the reproduction of Wallace's Maritatta, which has been twice per- formed to full houses. Being liWely and bustling in its Subject, and in- cidents, with pretty, but not original music, it never fails of success when tolerably acted and sang; and such is the character of its present per- formance at Drury Lane. Louisa Pyne sings charmingly •, Harrison gives a bluff, John-Bullish reading of the thoroughly French character of Don Ctosar de Bazar; and Susan .Pyne pldys the Part of the boy with grace and spirit. Mr. Ferdinand Glover and Mr. Patsy have 'good gifts, but they are as yet mere novices. The piece is well put on the stage, and the orchestra and chorus are admirable. Aubcr's &Wall Diainonds is to be reproduced before the company migrate to Covent Gaiden. The engagement concluded. with Mr. Gye for that theatre; Wia learn, is for three seasons, prior to the opening of the Royal Italian Opera.

The Vocal Association, under the direction of Mr. Benedict, is pre. paring for the approaching season. The concerts will be, al last season, in St. James's Hall, and the utmost care will be bestowedio i'ender the choir as select and efficient as possible. Mr. Henry Leslierk:ffiloir have !Ilse begun their rehearsals for the ensuing season.