CLOSE OF THE ROYAL MUSICAL FESTIVAL.

THE performances of this week offer no scope for criticism or re- mark. That of the Messiah has long been a dies non with us wherever it has taken place. Our opinion of the composition has been stated again and again. With many beauties, it has many defects; some palpable errors, and much that is feeble: its in- terest partly arising from the laudable custom of performing it entire, partly from the subject, and partly from the precision into which constant repetition has drilled the band. We need not set forth how BRAN AM opened it—how Miss STEPHENS sung "I know that my Redeemer "—VAUGHAN "Thy rebuke," and so on ; still less, how any of the inferior songs were given ; it being matter of very little motnent, either as regards the work itself or its hearers, whether they were allotted to one Mr., Mrs., or Miss, in preference to another. On such minor topics we need not descant; compa- rative success or failure is of little consequence. The Messiah is essentially, emphatically, a vocal composition. The instruments play in unison with the voices almost throughout : but at this per- formance HANDEL'S plan was inverted, and the apex of the co- lumn made its base. The voices were heard only as the accompa- niments to the baud. HANDEL'S vocal outlines are broad and

deep : but on this occasion they were, by comparison, feeble and shadowy. This defect palsied the exertions of the chorus, and pre- sented us with feebleness instead of power. The ponderous masses of sound which at York and at Nom ich came pealing down upon our ears, were smothered and deadened by interposing pillars and walls. The instrumental band, alone, was heard perfect and entire. These hindrances and imperfections, which arose from the injudicious construction of the orchestra, might to have been so many reasons for the performance of works iii which instrumental force and combination were eswntial : but, with an obtuseness of peteeption perfectly incredible, these were rojemed, and those re- qulring predominant vocal power seleeted.

The kind was led (need we say ably ?) by F. CnAeIER; and the 041111 was played by KNVVETT.

Time has enJed the long-talked-of Royal Musical Festival : and if we apply to it the rules of criticism with which we set out,—if we compare it with the great Provincial Feetivals, and (estimate its musical results with reference to the unbounded means and re- Soil tees which the managers had at command,— it must be re- garded as a display of incompetence and imbecility. The course of those who had, some hew or other, assumed to themselvee the -power of guiding this great inachnie, was plain and simple. Months ago we endeavoined to eetablish the principle on which they ought to have acted,-- numely, Inc selection of one of the greatest winks of' each of the greateet masters, and its performance

.entire awl unniut dated. The coneltrreilI voice of all ef nnpetent judges would have fixed on the felloe ing- HeNDEI The Lertil lit Eqqpi•

HAvl:N1 'II'

3101A ler 'lie 11mrnovEN The iihtss lir n.

SPOilit The Lust judimiLni.

To these might have been added shorter, though entire, pieces

frum the works of SEI3ASTIAN BACH, GRAI7N, CHERUItINI, alld iltfAIMEL, as well as of our own PeReven., GIBitoes, and Omer, classed with reference to their respective powers and sellouts. This principle, thus carried out into zillion, would have presented a noble, majestic, and well-proportioned fabric of sacred music, worthy the patronage under which the Festival started, and honourable to the country. Instead of tins, we have had the sweepings and gleanings of old Covent Garden selections, huddled together without plan, purpuse, or method, and presenting, with few exceptions, a mere "thing of slirct1S and patches." The an- nexed statement will exhibit the absurd preponderance given to one anther, and the consequent exelusion of others. The entire Festival comprised one hundred and forty-five pieces, exclusive of recitatives; which were thus apportioned- 101

Haydn 27

Mozart 6

Beethoven 5 Pergolesi Manuel 1 Purcell 1 Leo 1 Sir John Stevensm 14.5

By one and one only principle, it appears, the managers have been guided in their choice,—if that can be dignified with such a term, which, in truth, is only a confession of ignorance and hn- becility : we allude to the exclusion of the works of all living writers. What, in the name of common sense, has the life or death of a composer to do with the merit of' his works ? With equal propriety might the managers have excluded all writers who were less than six feet high—who had dark hair, or whose names began with A or B. This dictum of caprice or folly Las admitted Sir JOHN STEVENSON into their list, and shut out SPOIIR and CHERUBINI! Of any participation in these blunders and follies, we entirely acquit the Conductor. In one of our earliest announcements of this Festival, (Spectator, April 12,) we said—" If the selection and the principal details are com- mitted to Sir George Smart, we have full confidence that all will go right :" and it requires no secret information, no ac- quaintance with cabinet secrets, to discover that such has not been the case. Let any one look over a tile of Oratorio bills while that gentleman was the sole manager, and he will see in what direction Sir GEORGE'S tastes and habits lay. Ile began by pro- ducing Israel in Egypt; he then brought out BEETHOVEN'S Christus am Oelberge, an entire and very admirable work of WINTER, with many other of the finest compositions of the Ger- man school ; and SPOHR'S Last Judgment has been performed at every Provincial Festival at which he has presided. Such com- mendable exertions of influence, and evidences of industry and good taste, acquit him of the imputation of having concocted these schemes. But what can be said in behalf of men who, having installed such a Conductor, blundered on in their own .darkness and ignorance?

Humano capiti cervicem pirtor eryuinam Jungere si velit, et varias inducere pluman Undique collatis membris, out Wilmer atrum Desinat in piscem mulier formosa superne; Spectatum admissi risum teneatis amici?"

Buell a misshapen monster do their "selections" present: its limbs and features are similarly joined; and the "judicious" will "grieve" at being compelled to respond to the question of the satirist rather by a groan than a smile. Of the jobbing, trickery, and favouritism which have disgraced

ve had but too much occasion

the wid e conduct of this

ineosnpee41 have been admitted, nay, w.kiltt. meritorious professors rem-

to speak. Persons wholly brought front a great distance ;

exert-4A d. Boys and girls, en-

aide on the spot have been rudely

tie, 'eat tune, have been

able to perform the easiest passages he

.1 Street School into thrust fin-ward, io order to puff the Tentlordee have been shut notice: while some even of the choir of the. Alt,'1eY out. It were easy to meltiply instances. of inetty intolerance and paltry spite. One of the least attaches to ourselves. Our readers well know, that we have devoted many eesere laps too many) columns to the Festival—that we have prompted tin 'se measures which might have insured for it not only- success nu t renown— aye been that in several instances the announeed arrangemeets

altered in conformity to our suggestiens :, but, because we .bove not condescended to echo with iteliscriminate approbation eve,75( act of the managers, they have it ithheld from us tbe admissions which have been lavished me the most unmusical and ludicrously ignorant of our contemporaries ! Need we lay, that an exclusion, thus earned, is a badge of distinction?

The impression whieli the Festival is likely to make on such foreigners as are able to estimate its merit, or defects, will he highly fi,vourabIe as to our inneicel power, awl very discreditable to our musical taste. They will have heard with estonishment, a band amounting to nearly six hundred performers, gathered from all parts of the kingdom, and meeting for the firet time on the scene of action, performing, without pnevious rehearsal, two orato- rios so dissimilar in style mid ellaractee as the Creation and Israel in Eg2ipt, with equal power and prevision. They will learn with surprise, that the minority of that bawl have not played or sung the former oratorio fir fifteen years, while portions of the latter were new to almost all. They will admire the fine unien of the wind instrinnents, as well as their individual excellence, and the correctness and polish of the whole instrumental band. Pest they will form a very low though certainly too just an estimate of our musical taste, when they find the works of their greatest writers neglected as if unknown, or barbarously severed limb from limb, and the scattered fragments thrown in a promiscuous heap into a

selection. They will wonder at such a misdirection of' pewer, and: such a prostitution of talent : yet more will they marvel to learn the solution of the problem (which is simply the employment of incompetent agents), in a country producing so much musical capability ; and that the conduct of a musical festival should have been intrusted to an ex-ambassador and three we four general officers. Or perhaps they will think it passing strange, that, di- plomatic skill and military prowess being regarded as fit substi- tutes for musical knowledge, the Duke of WEememieetv or Lord Him. should not have been allowed to gather fresh. laurels in Westminster Abbey.

" Navem agile ignarus navis timet : ahrotonom nro - Non mulct, nisi qui (li,ticit, (1:tre : (moll melicuruin Ltt. 1'1.01114unit melici : tract:int Librilta fabri : Seribiums indorti," Sce.

Hence the tone of rebuke in which we have been compelled to • indulge. Never were such means placed within the reach of any musical committee, and never were those means nulled to so paltry a purpose. Our contemporaries judge of this as an indivi- dual effort : we must estimate it with reference to other Festivals;. and we look in vain for the research, the energy, the admirable arrangement of Birmingham and Norwich, where, in succession,- time finest works of modern times are produced—for the overpower- ing magnificence of York, or for the classic taste and skilful grouping of the Worcester selections. With greater facilities and more accessible resources than the directors of these Festivals have at command, the solitary novelty of the late attempt was Ru- RINI'S song. Every thing else has been gleaned at second-hand, and in the most bungling way. We look forward to the Birming- ham Festival, in October, for ten times the amount of musical enjoyment we have lately derived.

It is impossible to close without alluding to the fact that- MALIBRAN was in London during the whole Festival. It might' have been expected that the greatest vocal artist in Europe—that she who alone has proved herself mistress of every school—who is the finest singer of HANDEL'S. great songs, of' HAYDN, of- MOZART, in short of every variety of style into which music is divided, and who had established her supremacy at various similar, meetings beyond all doubt or question—would have been first ap-- plied to, as the prima donna of this Festival. But no such appli- cation was made till every other engagement had been concluded.. Her reply was, "I shall be happy to sing on the same terms as I. have received at other Festivals: and those terms were rejected. No matter—some dozen unheard-of ladies and gentlemen were there in her stead; much to their own and their patrons' gratifi- cation, if not to that of the audience.

On the individual merits of the singers we have said but Mike:: for two reasons,—as to those of whom. it was worthwhile to speak,. our opinion has been recorded again and again in connexion with the same songs ; and as to the relativedegrees of inferiority, it is note worth while to take note. We have left to most of our contempo- raries the easy and safe occupation of luxuriating over

HAMS splendid splendid voice and fine delivery of Martin Luther's Hymn,". or descanting on "Madame CARADORI'S sweet voice in !Nth ver- dure. clad;" and have rather endeavoured to render the subject available to the more important purpose of improving our national. taste, by pointing out the prominent excellences and noticing the principal defects of the Festival. Would that the latter halbeen. more,.and the latter less abundant!