CITY AMATEUR CONCERT.
THE second Concert of the Amateurs took place on Thursday evening. A Sinfonia in C of MOZART (not the Jupiter), very steadily and correctly played, opened the performance. This com- position should be oftener heard in public than it is - and we com- mend the taste that selected it. It is a link between the old and new style of Sinfonia. Up to the finale, the thoughts are not elaborated, for MOZART even begins as if he had no particular design in his head ; and we feel surprised at the end of the first three move- ments, that we have been so well pleased out of such simple sub- jects. But at the finale his genius appears in its full splendour. After a light and brilliant introduction, the second and principal subject starts out, one of. the finest musical thoughts that ever pos- sessed the brain of composer. The reader certainly anticipates the passage : it opens something in this way,— The song for the bassoons is really exquisite in this part of the finale; and when the quavers are turned into the bass, moving in a sequence, with the violins holding suspensions, and then again the same thing reversed, (for MOZART with a tine subject may be compared to a little boy with a plaything in his hand,) it almost moves the hair on our heads. MOZART was himself aware that he had hold of something unusually good in this thought, for he does not leave it until he has done all that ought to be done with it. The whole execution of this movement was extremely creditable to the Amateurs ; and it pleases us still more to say that it was ex- tremely well listened to. To be silent and attentive during an in- strumental movement, argues good taste in an audience. Miss CHUBB and Mr. A. SAPIO sang " Come frenar il pianto," from ROSSINI'S La Gazza Ladra. This is one of those movements which lose in effect by being transplanted from the stage into the orchestra of a concert-room. Without scenic aid, and with the frigidity and formality which appear on all sides of the singer, who looks round upon a solemn evening party,—we cannot expect that the performer should pitch himself into the dramatic spirit of the author. We neither liked the performance nor the music of this duet. Mr. BIANCHI TAYLOR sang an air of CARAFFA, " When in absence doomed to wander." It has been charged against this gentleman, that he has not much voice. He appeared to resolve to set that question at rest on Thursday ; for he gave some of the loudest roars that we ever heard,—and our experience on this point is not slight. To exert the lungs greatly, is but to show the natural .defects of the voice ; for the truest power of the organ is shown in that tone which reaches farthest with the least effort. Mr. TAYLOR'S natural voice is sweet in quality, and fit for a chamber ; he does not appear to possess feeling, but his style is not overloaded with ornament. SPOFFORTH'S Glee for four voices, " My dear mistress," was delightfully performed. It is a long time since we have heard any vocal combination so per- fectly in tune, and blending so smoothly. The amateur who sang bass has a round and charmingly-toned voice. This glee was encored, and still better performed on the second trial. Miss CHILDE sang PASTA'S favourite seena, " Ombra adorata," in strict imitation of the style of that favourite singer. We like this young lady's performance much ; but we should have liked it better in this instance had it been the result of her own feeling of the composer, instead of the copy of another's. Although Miss Cl-TILDE'S voice is very sweet in the upper parts, she has contrived to acquire, in imitation of her model, a most meritorious huski- ness below. We believe that if the divine eyes of PASTA were to squint, all the young ladies of the Academy would squint in a fort- night. We have several times heard Miss Cm LDE sing so beautifully, that we are convinced, if she will patiently study her author, and trust to her own feelings, she may become eminent. Mr. A. SA- w's performance of Sorgeti from the " Inometto Secondo" of Rossi's', was characterized by much ease and self-possession, a very hard, coarse, bass voice, and an absence of all feeling. The grown gentlemen pupils of the Royal Academy are as little op- pressed with modesty as burdened with talent. Such a common- place and mechanical performance as Mr. A. SAPIO'S was a mere trespass upon the patience of the audience. A concertante for the violin and pianoforte of MAysEnEa, performed by Messrs. MORI and FORBES, concluded the first act, The composition was in C, not so good in point of writing as brilliant in its effect. MORI deservedly received thunders of applause for a brilliant passage of staccato bowing; which being encored, he repeated with wonder- ful firmness, neatness, and security of intonation. His tone was particularly fine in a slow passage on the G string. It is extremely admirable in the performance ofMoni,—and the same thing may be noticed in LINDLEY,—that the greatest difficulties never interfere with the grace of his execution. Mr.FonsiEs played his passages very creditably, but he appeared to labour more than a concerto-player ought. In the second part, the Overture to Der Freischiitz was given twice : but two horns and three trombones were wanting; - the har- mony was of course here and there incomplete, particularly in the introduction, and now and then prominent features of the score were wanting. Mr. BIANCHI TAYLOR sang the noisy battle-song, "Oh 'tis a glorious sight to see ;" which WEBER composed here, it is said to please BRAHAId. It was a particularly absurd choice of Mr. B. TAYLOR, who is quite unfit to shout by the side of that tight little warrior. "Mourn, ye maidens of Palestine," was the best part of his performance. A Fantasia on the Bassoon, by DENMAN, was interesting as a curiosity ; for London at present boasts no solo performer on that instrument. The City Amateurs are judicious in patronising this performer, who is greatly superior to MAcisissrosx, in tone, intonation, execution, and style. Some of the Variations on "Rule Britannia" were agreeably written, and neatly performed. The piece was of judicious length.. Various songs of Rossixi, and a new Overture of HUMMEL, concluded the performance. • We have great expectation of the improvement of the musical art in England from the institution of such societies as the present. It was both strange and gratifying to us to hear applause directed to its proper quarter, and to find poor compositions passed over in silence. In the West, it is generally to be remarked that the very worst thing of an evening creates the greatest uproar of ap- proval. Again, the quietness with which the ladies sit to hear Sinfonias played, and the steadiness and modesty with which the orchestral parts are discharged, are most acceptable to us. We are surfeited with the coxcombry of professional performance,— with the sight of people who, thinking themselves perfect, come into public, to chatter and grin ; who Pay the notes of their parts with the utmost indifference and unfeelingness, all the time think- ing of their pay or their supper. What infatuation it is to suppose that the spirit of MOZART or HAYDN can be apparent to an audi- ence, where the hearts of the ,performers are leagues off from their employment ! A revolution is quietly going forward in musical taste ; and the Amateurs are, in their patronage of good things, giving it effectual assistance. At the same time, they teach pro- fessors a lesson they have long forgotten,—namely, a proper esti mation of their art,
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