Vtair.
Pon the first time since the recommencement of the series of Crystal Palace Concerts, I paid a visit on Saturday to Herr Manna in his eccentrically devised Concert-room. and listened with much pleasure to a very favourable specirnen of these attractive entertainments. Despite the ill-concealed malice of the clerk of the weather, who constantly threatened to let loose a chaos composed of every unpleasant meteorological phenomenon mentioned in the " Benedicite," the floor of the palace was pretty thickly dotted over with those unmistakable family groups, which form such a distinctive feature at Crystal Palace entertainments, and which, when united, sufficed almost to fill the concert-room. The piece de resistance of the concert, Beethoven's " Sinfonia Eroica," came first, and was executed in a manner which proved how thoroughly energetic leadership and steady practice will accomplish even that most difficult task, the creation of a really effective orchestra. Although a Crystal Palace audience is essentially a mixed one— that is to say, one of which a considerable proportion merely go into the ooncert- room because every one else does—this grand work produced its invariable effect. A grand work it truly is, but I must confess that I never hear it without a regret that Beethoven's disgust at the astounding discovery that the First Consul, too, "was ambitions like the rest," should have induced him to substitute the funereal adagio which constitutes the second movement, for the " hymne de gleire," as F4tis well terms it, which is the symphony under its original title of
Bonaparte." If Beethoven was determined, contrary to precept, to put his trust in princes, he might certainly have found a more favourable specimen than Bonaparte, and his admirers would not have had to lament the confusion caused by the abrupt abandonment of his original conception. In that case, on the other band, they would never have had the fifth symphony, to which the " hymne de g)oire" in question constitutes the magnificent/kale, so that, after all, the loss is not absolutely unredeemed. The vocalists on Saturday were Mademoiselle—or Miss which it it ?—Parepa,
and Mr. Swift. "Non midis," the too-frequenttyomitted air for Donna Anna in the opera of operas, and a new valse by Arditi, were sung by the lady, who obtained a hearty encore in the latter, one of those brilliant but flowing airs which their composer seems to have made his specialite. Hitherto Mdlle. Titjens has had the monopoly of them, and "La Stella" and "II Bacio" have been among her most effective concert-room tnorceaux. The new valso—I forget its title—however, was composed expressly for Mdlle. Parepa, and her execution of it on Saturday, as spirited as it was graceful, showed that he could not have entrusted it to better hands. The only objection to this species of com- position is that the intense longing for a waltz which the well, marked time of the accompaniment produces in a fall third of the audience tends to distract their attention from the vocalist herselE Mr. Swift sang "A young and artless maiden," the prettiest air from Howard Glover's "Once too often," with such taste as to obtain a merited encore, and after a brilliant but unsatisfactory solo on the oboe by Mr. Crozier, and a pianoforte performance of Hammars lively " &tour Londres." by Master Beronger, a not unfavourable specimen of the genus "infant prodigy," Spontini's noisy but inspiriting overture to "Olympia" brought the concert to a conclusion. These Saturday concerts promise to become a great " institution " during the ensuing season. To say nothing of the many merits of the concerts, per se, there are advantages attendant upon their locale which will always tend to render them popular. Many a man who would as soon immure himself in a living tomb as go to Hanover-square Rooms with the intention of sitting out a classical symphony, has no objection to sauntering in to Herr Manna' tabernacle daring the per- formance of the same music, because he knows Ile can leave the moment he likes, and return in time for the, to him, more intelligible vocal portion of the pro- gramme. Or if he does undergo that fearful calamity, "being bored," there is such an abundance of" sensations" to be had within five minutes' walk from the doors as to ensure his speedy recovery. A visit to the giant figures of Sesoetris, the fascination of whose stony glare possesses one with an anxious, though shuddering desire to propitiate them with some unhallowed rite or inhuman sacrifice, a stroll amid Mr. Waterhouse Hawkins's antediluvian revivals, a party of monstra korrenda before whom, when alive, " Gorgons, and Hydras, and Chimeras dire" would have hidden their diminished heads, or even a sherry tubbier in the smoking-room, are all easily attainable distractions Apart from the real merits of these concerts as concerts, the Crystal Palace Saturday after- noons bid fair to attain a popularity only second to that of the St. James's Hall Monday evenings. Leaving directly after the concert was over, I managed to reach Covent Garden in time to "assist," as the French say, at Miss Louisa Pyne's benefit, which marked the last night of the season. The house was literally crammed ; chairs were inserted in every possible nook and corner of the stalls and dress circle; every box was occupied, while the hundreds who went away unable to find evenstand- ing-room in the pit and gallery proved the universal character of the "bumper." The opera was Dinorah, and a better choice Miss Pyne could not possibly nave made. Surpassing herself, both in singing and acting, in a role which presents no ordinary difficulties in both respects, the fall of the curtain in the last scene was the signal for one of the most tremendous ovations awarded to an English vocalist for many a long day. For five minutes every one in the house stood up, and the fair benvicsare was literally pelted with bouquets, wreaths, and flags, Mr. Harrison and Mr. Santley, whose task it was to pick them upend present them, being utterly unable to keep pace with the rapidity of their fall. Miss Pyne bowed her acknowledgments for an ovation in every sense as well merited as it WaS hearty. Mr. Santley more than sustained his reputation as Hod, and was encored in the exquisite romance "Oh now I feel the burden"—the " Sei yen- dilate." of the original. Mr. Hhrrison also came in for his share of popular favour as Corentin, and Mr. Alfred Mellon, besides receiving an enthusiastic re- ception on entering the orchestra, appeared before the curtain in obedience to a general call. Of Mr. Clay's operetta, Court and Cottage, which was produced as an afterpiece, suffice it to say that, while the libretto, by Mr. Tom Taylor, which is full of funny situations and smart dialogue, would doubtless make a hit as a Strand comedy, the music, though light, and even pretty, has but little of the verve and genuine fun with which Offenbach would have treated such a sub- ject.
Mr. Clay, though very young, is known among his friends as a musical amateur of great promise, and it is certainly to be hoped that he will follow up his first essay as a composer for the public.
I reserve till next week a detail and analysis of Mr. Gye's prospectus, which
appeared on Monday. The principal features, however, are, that Mr. Gye has secured two soprani new to London, Mesdames Gordosa. and Marie Battu ; and two new tenors, Signori Capponi and .Nanni ; that Mdlle. Patti will add to her repertoire the characters of Dinornd, A disc, and Maria and that the principal revivals of the season will be those of Robert le Diable, L'Elisir &Amore, Pro Diavolo, anti Orfeo a Euridice. The two novelties will be Donizetti's Don Sebasti-tn, and the better known Figlsa del Regyirnento of the same author. The German opera troupe, to the probable visit of which to England we alluded last week, is that of the Theatre de la Cour at Darmstadt, considerably strengthened for the occasion; and the Maenner-Gesang-Vesein, a strong vocal association of Vienna, contemplates a series of three grand concerts in London in the summer. Under these circumstances, may we not reasonably expect a little antique de l'arenir in the course of the season ? Tannkauser or Loheagrin would at all events have a fair hearing. And if no one else would, surely Dr. Cumming and Professor Tao-Sze of " Zadkiel," would extend a helping hand to their brother " prcspecter" in futurity. They might take sweet counsel together, sad who knows whether Herr Wagner, with their inspiration, might not agrudiss his visit to London by the production of an opera many centuries in advance of either of his former works?
Flotow (says the Gazette musicale) in engaged in a new opera, in which the principal characters will be taken by Mae. Le Grange,who has lately achieved a great success as Marta at Madrid. Flotow's music seems in great vogue just now. Maria, I find on reference to the back numbers of the journal already quoted, has been performed in the course of the last few months in Paris, Berlin, Madrid, Vienna, Lisbon, Brussels, Barcelona, Rotterdam, Bilban, Stras- bourg, New York, and Melbourne, while the revival of Stradella has been the feature of the season at St. Petersburg. With the exception of Italy, stiU hopelessly under the sway of Verdi, his popularity seems nniversaL
AMATEUR.
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