THE MUSICAL FESTIVALS.
Ws have often expressed our opinion of the importance of these provincial meetings as connected with the advancement of our national taste. London is the school in which our eminent artists, both vocal and instrumental, are trained ; but London is not the place in which their powers are most advantageously heard. Here as no eoneentration of effort, design, or purpose. Nobody has leisure to arrange or mature any thing really grand. Of puffing and lying and intriguing, there is enough, and too much ; but Attie or nothing is achieved, scarcely attempted, for the.highest departments of the art. Our Provincial Festivals, on the-con- trary, are rising in strength and importance every year. The first of the present season, that of Oxford, certainly failed to contribute its share to the good cause,—the reasons of which failure we pointed out ; and that of Hereford, which is to come, does not promise much. The conductor goes on in the old jog-trot way, reiterating the same eternal selections ; and the stewards wonder that the accounts wind up with a considerable deficiency. The most important English festival of the present year is that of Derby, which takes place the last week in September. The principal singers engaged are Madame STOCKHAUSEN, Mrs. KNY.• VETT, Miss MASSON, and Miss CRAMER ; Messrs. BRAHAMI, VAUGHAN, W. KNYVETT, PHILLIPS, and E. TAYLOR. Previous to the death of Mr. GREA.TOREX, the managers had engaged (for the first time) Sir GEORGE SMART as conductor ; and, under his direction, this festival will assume an elevation which it has hitherto been prevented attaining. As one proof of the zeal and good taste of the Committee, they have requested of the Cheva- lier NEUKOMM permission to perform, entire, his oratorio the Ten Commandments. The permission has been most liberally ac- corded ; and this splendid work, which it was considered as hope., less to attempt in London, will be produced, and produced under every possible advantage, in a small country town. The Last Judgment of SPOHR is also announced ; a work which, from the first, we predicted would take its station beside the Messiah, the Creation, and the Requiem. The long-talked of -Dublin Festival takes place on the 30th of this month and following days. This, also, is under the direction of Sir GEORGE SMART; and the principal singers engaged are Ma- dame STOCKHAUSEN, Mrs. W. KNYVETT, Mrs. ATKINSON (Of York), Miss ASHE (Of Dublin), Messrs. BRAHAM, W. KNYVETV. E. TAYLOR, PHILLIPS, and Signor DE BEGNIS. FERDINAND RIES is engaged to conduct the performance of his oratorio Der Sieg des Glaubens ("The Triumph of Faith"), which was pro- duced at the musical festival of the Rhine, celebrated at Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle), in June 1829. Of this composition foreign cri- tics speak very highly. Here also the Last Judgment will be per- formed. The performances at Dublin are all to take place in the theatre ; the reason of which we understand to be, that Arch- bishop MAGEE, that most liberal of prelates, has interfered to prevent either of the Dublin Cathedrals being used for a purpose of which one object is the support of certain charitable institutions, into which poverty and disease are sufficient passports, even though accompanied by a belief of " the damnable errors of Popery." The concluding festival of the year will be at Reading, in the month of October, under the direction a Mr. BINFIELD, a respect- able professor in that town.
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