MUSIC.
MORNING OPERA CONCERT.
TEE last performance of Le Desert, on Monday morning, terminated, for the present, one of the most seasonable musical speculations of the day, the fluctuating fortunes of the instrumental art duly considered. We had hoped that the experiment would have at least extended through the nine Symphonies of Beethoven; that we should not miss the Eroica, or the Symphony in A, newly and effectively studied by the grandest orchestra ever collected for the purpose in London; that we should have vocal classics Eirm the Opera singers and concertos from the best artists. But, unfor- tunately, all this promising and exciting part of the speculation, so appo- site to the time present, when the symphony seems to be expiring with lan- guor in the Philharmonic S00111, is linked in with the success of a new com- position that is too learned for popularity and yet too artificial to take its stand by the side of the permanent creations of genius. They who can dis' - eliminate between tasteful contrivances and effects, the impression of which depends upon the talents of the artists employed, and ideas intrinsically original and beautiful, will be at no loss to estimate the real merit of M. David. No fresh sensation is gained by renewed hearings of his work; it has altogether failed to attract; and the verdict of the public, therein im- plied, is, in our opinion, the true one.
' The miscellaneous performance which preceded The Desert opened with the Sinfonia. Pastorale of Beethoven. The first movement was performed with an observance of the shades and gradations of effect, and a delicacy in the pianos, rarely met with in orchestras: we have seldom heard wind- instruments so finely subdued. In the rivulet-scene, where hitherto only two violoncellos have taken certain song-passages in the slow movement, the whole of them played sotto voce; which proved a judicious amendment. The scherzo received a peculiar accent on the second crotchet of the bar at *certain spot, by which a new effect resulted: but the players seemed too undetermined respecting this innovation, and exhibited it too partially to enable us to pronounce it an improvement. We incline, we must confess, to the old reading; the more as it has been authorized by Mendelssohn. The occasional ponderous FF of the ophicleides in the last movement struck us as additions of which the score stood in no need. On the whole, the Pastorale, though beautifully performed, was less perfect as a display of its peculiar style, than its predecessor, the C minor Symphony, of the im- passioned and sublime. But the Overture given on this occasion, Chem- bini's Anacreon, proved infinitely more successful in displaying the address of the violins than did that to Oberon at the previous concert; in which, from some cause or other, there was a little confusion and want of clearness towards the end. In the Anacreon, however, everything was as could be wished. The brilliant coda, with its flute solos responded to by the orches- tra, and the prolonged rapid scale-passages played in a short bow by all the violins, went off admirably. Though the effect here designed by a great master is somewhat ad captandum, and was indeed so deemed by himself, there is no more striking test of individual and collective ability of it stringed band than this overture. It is the triumph of modern art, that, with the risk of the work greatly augmented by increased numbers, it is even with greater security and aplomb at present than at any time since it as written.
The vocal music introduced, with the exception of Grig and Mario, all the fine singers who compose the present Opera corps; and most of the pieces provoked curiosity from their contrast with the general style of the artists. Thus, Lablache' in a psalm of Marcell°, and in the fine trio from The Creation, "On thee each living soul awaits," sung with Italian words, appeared in what was new to him, as was evident by his reading his part in spectacles. A piece of paper, held in the hand for form, is generally Lablache's sole armoury for the morning concert, and indicates the famili- arity of the great singer with the repertory from which its routine of pieces is selected. However, neither his correct reading nor the exquisite beauty of his intonation saved the trio from signal failure; the blame of which lay principally with Corelli, who was continually too flat and too loud, and whose vociferations prevented all satisfactory blending of the voices and instruments. Madame Rita Berle sang the soprano part like a good musician. Another curiosity was the attempt of Madame Castellan to sing the air "Let the bright seraphim," with obligate trumpet. This song would seem very suitable to the brilliant quality of her high notes, to her volubility and power: but the event proved, that before she can attack the oratorio songs of Handel, and so qualify as prima donna of our festivals, she has everything to learn in the style, in the articulation of the divisions of Handel, in the management of her breath, and in the pronunciation of he language. Her execution is not in the least adapted to this style of music: her shakes were forced and unequal, and the cadence was the most unfortunate that can be conceived.
On the whole, we take it to be best for the Opera-singers to keep within their own boundaries, and to leave English church and oratorio music to restive singers, who have more fully mastered the traditions of their style. La atria; in which Brambilla took part, and the duet " Crudel perche," which exhibited the pure style of F. Lablache to advantage, were among gtote choicest of the vocal performances. For the instrumental score of the
former, we believe we are indebted to Costa: it is well and effectively done, but errs a little on the side of noise, particularly where the subject is taken up by the trumpets in unison. So expensive and arduous a speculation as these concerts justifies the attempt to render them popular. But we hope they may be resumed on some occasion pervaded by more general fine taste. To accompany these new studies of Beethoven, there should have been concertos and solos from instrumentalists of celebrity, and songs not merely rendered new by un- accustomed performers. For the present, the public have hardly had time to become acquainted with the experiment, when, unfortunately, it is at an end.
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