THE PHILHARMONIC CONCERTS.

SOMEHOW or other, we had a good Philharmonic last Monday. It might have been better—it ought to have been better, with the same materials; but we were content with all, and delighted with most that we heard. It is not in good taste to have a vocal selection of mere songs, especially in two successive concerts. It is true that Miss INVERARITY cannot speak German, or HAITZINGER and PELLEGRINI English; but to all singers, Italian is (or ought to be) like a mother tongue ; and three such artists should not have been restricted to a par seul each. Every concerted piece during the season has been a miserable failure; and we suppose the Directors regard this as the work of fate, against which it is in vain to struggle, and mean quietly to submit to what they re- gard as their inevitable destiny.

SEVENTH CONCERT—MONDAY, MAY 28.

ACT 1.

Sinfonia (Jupiter) Mozart. Aria, Herr HAITZINGiTm (Euryanthe) C. M. von Weber. Concerto (MS.). Mr. F. MENDELSSOIIN BARTn01.DY F. MendelssohnBarthaidy. Seena, Miss INVERARITY (ilzor and Zemira) .Spohr. Overture (Euryanthe) C. M. con If"eber.

ACT II.

Sinfonia, Letter V Haydn: Aria. Siglior PELLEGRINI, "Vedra mentre io SOSpir0,"

(Le ilrozze di Figaro) Mozart.

Fantasia Flute, Mr. NICHOLSON Nicholson.

Aria.Ilerr1iAtrzINGER, "Dies Bilduiss," (Die Zauber-

jliite) Mozart.

Overture, (Proserpina) Hinter.

Leader, Mr. WEICHSEL—Conductor, Mr. POTTER.

The Jupiter Sinfonia of MOZART was substituted for one by ONSLOW, upon which considerable pains were wasted in the re- hearsal. We think the decision which struck it out of the bill a correct one. ONSLOW is one of

" The mob of gentlemen who write with ease,"

and perhaps a little more : his Sinfonia exhibits the experience of a man who has lived in music, and blotted a good deal of paper ;

but it is an effort beyond his powers. A man cannot be schooled and drilled into the composition of a sinfonia; something of the spirit which moved HAYDN and MOZART must dwell in him.

MENDELSSOHN'S Concerto, take it for all in all, was the most splendid composition of the kind we ever heard. This may seem exaggerated praise, but we give it with the strictest sincerity. We believe that writing for the pianoforte is not MENDELSSOHN'S favourite employment, and that he is most in his element when wielding the whole power of an orchestra : this feeling was per- ceptible in the structure and performance of the present Concerto. In grandeur of conception it resembles a sinfonia, and demands an equally powerful band to give it effect. The duty of the orchestra is not, in this case, discharged by coming in now and then with a few forte passages in order to relieve the player's fingers and the hearer's ears, but every instrument has an important duty to sus- tain in working out the magnificent proportions of the piece. Those with whom execution is the sole object in pianoforte playing, were indulged to their hearts content ; but the brilliancy and power of MENnsi.ssoiv's fingers are riot the most extraordinary or capti- vating features of his playing; it is the mind which governs and the genius which directs this power to its only legitimate and proper end.

It required an overture of no common stamp to serve as a climax to the finest act of the whole season, but such a oneis Euryanthe.

The first act was one of excitement and intoxication; the se- cond of mild and serene enjoyment. HAYDN -S letter V Sinfonia does not promise so much at its commencement as many of his others; but the lovely Andante, in which LINDLEY sustains so de- lightfully prominent a part, is in the author's best and happiest style. NICHOLSON'S Fantasia was received with deserved ap- plause.

The Vocal music was, we were going to say necessarily, good. HAITZINGERS first song was received with a general encore,—a compliment which has only been paid to one other song during the season. And this is the best answer to all the foolish insinuations that the audience don't like so much German music. The Italian version of this very song was brought out at the Philharmonic two years ago, during the season which gave us so many gems from the operas of WEBER and SPOHR ; nearly all of which have since then- been quietly reposing in the Society's library, while tenor-singers have been engaged for the purpose of wearying their hearers with the trash of PACINI and Dotizarri. The former is welcomed back to the orchestra with enthusiasm, the latter are received with contemptuous silence or loud disapprobation. We take this song as one instance among many, and we ask why has it been banished from the orchestra—why, after a solitary exhibition, was it care- fully laid up for two years, until dragged to light again by a foreign artist ?

Miss INVERARITY gallantly met the German singers on their own ground. From sonic accidental and physical cause, she failed to give the song its due effect. Her performance of the part of Zemira is, usually, so satisfactory and so successful, that her failure on the present occasion will not detract from her reputa- tion as a singer. PELLEGRIN es style of singing stands in direct opposition to that of his Italian rival TAMBURINI. The former sings every note of his author with scrupulous exactness and undeviating precision : the latter, for one note of the text gives you a page of commentary,. using his author as certain commentators do SHAKSPEARE, who arrest your progress through every sentence by perpetual and often wearisome digressions. The German singers esteem it pro- fanation thus to treat MOZART ; their ambition is to display their author, not themselves. HAITZINGERS second song was given in the same pure and proper style; and a vigorous attempt was made to encore it, which nothing but the lateness of the hour frustrated. We apply our question to this beautiful air, and ask why it ha*. been so long classed among the prohibited pieces ?