On Monday evening and Wednesday morning, there were concerts at
Her Majesty's Theatre; and on Tuesday evening there was a concert at the Royal Italian Opera, Covent Garden. The performances at both houses employed the vocal and instrumental strength of the respective establish- ments; and, being given at reduced prices, afforded an ample musical banquet on moderate terms.
The concert at Her Majesty's Theatre, on Monday evening, opened with a selection from Rossini's Stabat Mater, followed by a great variety of pieces; among them, Mendelssohn's Symphony in A minor, Beethoven's Pianoforte Concerto in C minor, played by Thalberg, and a couple of his own fantasias. On Wednesday morning, the chief features were a selection from Donizetti's opera La Favorita; Beethoven's Symphony in D; the same composer's Concerto in E flat, played by Thalberg; and a duet of De Beriot's for the pianoforte and violin, performed by Thalberg, and M. Hermann, a violinist of Parisian eminence, newly arrived in England. At both con- certs Milberg was the most prominent object. For the first time in this country, he appeared as the interpreter of the ideas of another, and em- ployed his powers in expressing the grand and beautiful conceptions of Beethoven. The effect which, admirably supported by the orchestra of the theatre, he gave to the two concertos, especially that in E flat, was much greater than we ever before heard produced by a keyed instru- ment. His duet with M. Hermann was admirably executed by both. The violinist is of the German school; his style is pure, legitimate, and free from any of the tricks of execution,—in which respects it is akin to that of Spobr. His tone, without being remarkably powerful, is not defi- cient either in sweetness or brilliancy; and his smoothness, facility, and finish, belong to the highest class of violin-playing. The two great sym- phonies of Mendelssohn and Beethoven were magnificently performed: the charming andante in the latter evidently enchanted the audience. On Monday evening, Mademoiselle Schwartz somewhat disappointed those who had witnessed her &hilt on Saturday, by singing an indifferent air of Mercadante with a degree of nervousness which considerably impaired her faculties. On Wednesday morning, Mademoiselle Cruvelli especially dis- tinguished herself by her admirable execution of the grand scena from the Freischutz; and Rossini's buffo duet " D'un bel use in Turchia," sung by Lablache and Coletti, was at once comic and beautiful.
At the Covent Garden concert, the Stabat Mater was given entire: the solo parts were sung by Grisi, Alboni, Mario, and Tamburini; and the choral and orchestral portions of the work were execnted with great care and completeness, and with immense effect. Besides this very beautiful music, there was nothing remarkable in the concert. As a set-off to Thal- berg, the Parisian pianist, M. Prudent, was brought forward, and played a couple of his own fantasias: but there was not either in his composition or performance anything to distinguish him from many other performers of the modern school ; and he made little impression. The remainder of the concert was made up of the favourite pieces which the singers are in the habit of performing on the stage.
Previous page
