MEMORANDUMS OF A WINTER'S RESIDENCE AMONG THE GERMAN MUSICIANS.

NO. III.

FRANKFORT-ON THE-MAINE, 12th February 1834.

[ MR. T ENE LY resumes his correspondence with an account of the causes of his long silence. One of them is traceable to the rascally system of our own Post-office, by means of which the circulation of English newspapers on the Continent has been impeded or made roundabout, so that Mr. TUNELV'S file of the Spectator did not reach him. Another implies a pretty compliment to the Post.office of the free town of Frankfort : letters passing through it, if they happen to contain any sprinkling of political allusion, have a trick of finding their way to Vienna, for the morning amusement of the Austrian Chancellor.] I have had a busy winter here in various ways, but I shall confine myself to musical matters. Since November there has been performed a great variety of operas ; as you may perceive from the following cata- logue,—Don Giovanni, Figaro, Flaulo Magico, and L'Enlevement dc Serail (MOZART) ; MatrimonioSegreto (CIMAROSA); Zemire Azor (Srona) ; Earyanthe and Der Freischiitz(IVEBER); the Swiss Family and Ostade Wares.) ; Joseph (MEnut.) • Otello, Corinth, and the Barber el Seville (RossiNt); La Stranicra ('BELLINI); Fanchon (Hiss- MEL); the Interrupted Sacrifice ( WINTER); and Robert the Devil several times, &c. &c. I need not mate any remarks on the operas first in the list : it is enough to say that they were admirably per- formed. In Italian operas, this company is certainly deficient : the style in which these require to be sung is totally distinct from the Ger- man, and one can scarcely look for the sprightliness of an Italian in a people proverbially sedate in all their doings. Whenever, therefore, they perform a piece by RossiNi, or the lighter Italian composers, there is an absence of animation which it is painful to witness. Had you but seen Count Almacica your countenance would have instantly fallen, he looked so wo:begone. M. HASSEL is the only one who endeavours to assume liveliness if he has it not. His Geronio is a capital performance—but I have seen LABLACHE. Madame FISCHER-ACIITEN still holds the chief place in my regards, with, if possible, a firmer grasp; as she has added many claims to my admira- tion in her performance of the arduous parts of Euryanthe, Zemire, Agatha (in Freischiitz), and others. That of Euryanthe has astonished every one here. Many who had been enraptured with SCIIRCEDER DEVRIENT declared that Madame FISCHER- A CHTEN was not inferior either in acting or singing. As Zemire, she was truly charming: but I must do Miss INVERARITY, whom I irst saw in this part, the justice to say, that her execution of the first part of the Trio in G was deci- dedly more effective. I have seen no Agatha superior to Madame FISCHER. Mademoiselle GNED has not improved upon acquaintance, though she sometimes goes through a character well. In the Queen of Night she is excellent ; and it is a part requiring no ordinary compass of voice.

A proposal came lately here from London, to engage the entire com- pany for your next season : but the management could not spare it. The performers are much displeased, and some have taken engage- ments elsewhere. Madame FISCHER goes to Berlin for a few weeks, but she cannot be wanted here longer. I should have wished much that the Londoners had heard her : no galeiie shakes—no roulades—no clap- traps—all pure and satisfactory singing. However, she would not do

for so large a house as Covent Garden or the King's : but in the Hay- market Theatre I feel convinced she would have made a great sensa- tion. The company at Darmstadt are engaged; and I think there can be no harm in giving my opinion of them, formed ( I candidly confess) after a single hearing. In the old Duke's time, the opera at Darm-

stadt had the first reputation in Germany : but its glory is departed— the orchestra is the only musical monument remaining; and even it wants the vivifying influence of its noble conductor's presence. There is also the beautiful theatre itself, which I should pronounce in all respects a model. Every corner of the house can see (if I may be allowed the expression) the stage. The stage is of prodigious dimensions, and transmits the softest sound beautifully; and the scenery is not sur- passed by the Acadionie Royale of Paris. In the decorations of the house there is perhaps too much of the petty prince—coronets here and arms there; but this is excusable. The period of my visit to Darmstadt was the scene of incessant festivity, in honour of the nup- tials of the Prince of Something ( I forgot what) and the King of Ba- varia's daughter. I then saw the opera to the very best advantage. SYONTINI'S Vestale was given ; and certainly in point of display it was very grand. I do not speak of the music, for the author is no favourite of mute: no doubt there are some fine things in it ; but they would, in my humble apprehension, tell infinitely better stripped of the orchestral verbiage which disfigures them. Yet this verbiage, being difficult of -execution, served to give me a pretty accurate notion of the powers of this once famous band. I was not disappointed ; but I was not in ecstasy, for that at Frankfort is as good as need be. The conductor is by no means good as fur as manner goes, and that goes a great way. .Every one must recollect how admirably CIIELARD managed an orches- tra of very indifferent materials. Gunn of Frankfurt is one of the same class : but he of Darmstadt wants decision in his marking of the time; and this indecision communicated itself to the performers, who of course are obliged to follow the baton strictly. There arc 5'2 in the band ; 12 First Violins, 7 Seconds, 7 Tenors, 6 Violoncellos, and 3 Double-basses, with the usual complement of wind instruments. Mademoiselle Wausau:a performed as the Young Vestal : she has a rich-toned voice, but it is never in tune. Madame Scumwr-Fiusss has a good manner in recitative : but not having heard her sing any thing else, I cannot judge of her portamento. RossER (who I rather think was in London last season) pleased me most; for he has good style and a voice capable of giving variety of expression : he has, how- ever, a vulgar custom of turning a grace at the end of every long note he draws forth, which from its frequency becomes annoying. The others are "leather and prunella." The chorus sung very often false ; Which astonished nit,, as I have no doubt-it is, with few exceptions, the very same that belonged to the old Duke's administration. Every one is full of anecdotes of this singular enthusiast ; such as, that after u rehearsal, all the female singers had to submit to a kiss. And, speaking of rehearsals, I have come by accident on a document which not only determines the strange character of the noble Duke, but also removes all wonder at the former perfection of the Darmstadt Opera. It is a list of the number off WI rehearsals which were thought nervssary to do justice to the comparatively simple music of GLucti's Arneida. The original is to be found in the part of the Kettledrummer, Written by that artist with a pencil—who knows in what agonies of musical despair ?

Previous to the first representation. on the 2fell November,

1:426, there were. between the 1st May and 25th November, 3:!fall rehearsals.

Beane the second representation, ou the 3.1 December 3 Ditto. .... third 10th December 3 Ditto.

Immediately after 2 Ditto. But no performance took place, reason unknown.

Before the fourth representation, 011 211 April MG 5 Ditto.

fifth 29th April 3 Ditto. sixth lath July 3 Ditto.

.... seventh .... 15th July 3 Ditto.

Making a total of 51 ! !

The poor devil does not say how many pianoforte rehearsals there had been : lie had enough for his share.

Fetruary 19th. Various interruptions have prevented me from des- patching this letter ; but they enable me to mention the performance of Fra Diavolo and Fidelio—two very different affairs, but each good in its own way. The latter I have long thought to be in some points quite 'unrivalled. I had hoped, or rather taken for granted, that Madame FISCHER•ACHTEN would have played Leonora ; and I prepared myself for a great treat, having already been in ecstacy with her Euryanthe. Judge of my indignation in reading the bill to find, not Madame, but a singer called LAMPMANN ; who, though very well as an ordinary per- former, is not fit to hold the candle to the other in anycharacter, and is as much adapted for the arduous one of Leonora as Miss HARRIET 'CAWS& The whole of the prison-scene, the triumph of SCIMEDElt- DEMENT, was on the present occasion a display of feebleness, which the magnificent music itself could scarcely redeem. Just where SCIIIDEDES rose to the highest pitch of grandeur, there Miss Lame- masis's inability was manifest. DOBLER acted and sung finely, and the orchestra left nothing to be wished. The Society of St. Cecilia, of which I spoke in my lust letter, has afforded me high enjoyment during the winter. We gave HAYDN'S Seasons lately, in a first-rate style : the choruses were prodigiously effective, our vocal and instrumental force amounting to one hundred and eighty persons. This was a concert for the entertainment of the pub- lic ; but we frequently give private performances with voices alone, and to these each member may bring a friend. The last one was on the whole admirable both in selection and execution. There were three choruses and a song from the Messiah. Two charming movements from a Mass by CIIERUBINI ; also a trio of exquisite beauty. A song in the old church style, by Mssossssons (well sung by an amateur), gave universal pleasure : so did an Ave Maria, by the same genius, of surpassing loveliness. Singularly enough, it commences like the Scotch air " Busk ye, busk ye." There is a noble fugue in this com- position : and a passage where all the voices are subdued into a mourn- Al strain, in allusion to the dead, is remarkably striking and impressive. The great feature of the evening was BACH'S celebrated Cantata in C minor ; prodigious in conception and effect : but, in the small space left to me, it will not admit of an analysis, such as could convey a proper idea of its various beauties. We are preparing for next public concert BACH'S best oratorio of The Passion—for he has written no fewer than five on the same subject. Wili no public-spirited musician get up this wonderful work in England at one of the annual Festivals? Mr. E. Taysoft has already shown a noble example on Inure occasions than one ; and with such great and deserved success, that I marvel why no one has yet endeavoured to follow it. What could be finer than this oratorio of BACH'S ? Mr. TAYLOR would merit the best thanks of all

musicians by adding this to the list of his achievements. T.