THE BIRMINGHAM FESTIVAL.
Ora remarks on the Birmingham Festival large been partly copied into the Jammu/ of that town, and subjected to the criticises of its editor. We cannot continue the discussion of this subject at nov lens ; for the controversy, to most of our readers, would be a one- sided and an uninteresting. one. 'We did nut use " more severity than the occasion required." There is a wen which has been growing for years from the neck of this Festival, and a sharp knife and a steady hand are necessary to remove it. The patient rimy saatrt under the pain, but this is his only chance for recovery. It is with this view, and no other, that the operation was performed. Without arrogating a par- ticle of metropolitan infallibility, we may be :Wowed to say that we enjoy better opportunities of comparing festival with festival, and music in London with music elsewhere, than our fellow journalist. Possibly we have. known and attended more even of the Birmingham Festivals than his recollection 'reachesto. We lament over their fallen state, and r.ould fain see them again what they were twenty years since. Ora remarks on the Birmingham Festival large been partly copied into the Jammu/ of that town, and subjected to the criticises of its editor. We cannot continue the discussion of this subject at nov lens ; for the controversy, to most of our readers, would be a one- sided and an uninteresting. one. 'We did nut use " more severity than the occasion required." There is a wen which has been growing for years from the neck of this Festival, and a sharp knife and a steady hand are necessary to remove it. The patient rimy saatrt under the pain, but this is his only chance for recovery. It is with this view, and no other, that the operation was performed. Without arrogating a par- ticle of metropolitan infallibility, we may be :Wowed to say that we enjoy better opportunities of comparing festival with festival, and music in London with music elsewhere, than our fellow journalist. Possibly we have. known and attended more even of the Birmingham Festivals than his recollection 'reachesto. We lament over their fallen state, and r.ould fain see them again what they were twenty years since. Our lis: of pieces performed referred solely to those of the morning perfurnmaares : we expressly exempted the Conductor or the Managers from any ,--•;a:rol over the vocal compositions of the evenings. But the Journal's amplified list makes the affair more conspicuously ludicrous ; since there, BEETHOVEN and COSTA, Wraana and Kxvvrxr, are sllowu to have contributed to the Birmingham Festival in equal propurtieus. We find also compositions by KNIGHT. flonns, floaNcAsTkE, STE. VENSON, DONIZETTI, 31E1ICADANTE, " et HI genus orone "—hut nothing of Sroun or Hemons—nothing of Puntio.t., and the least possible contribution from the other great masters of the English schc.cl. Touching the motives and reasons which prompted the bringing forth the twin babes of the Birmingham Festival—we mean The Ascensi,m and The Triumph of Faith—the matter stands thus : Either those who concoct the scheme are competent judges, or they arc riot: if the latter, what are we to say to their unparalleled impudence in assuming the direction of' so important an affair, and the puerile weak- ness of those who suffer the interests of the charity for whose benefit the Festival is undertaken to be so compromised ?—if the former, we must have recourse to the supposition of some unworthy motive. The Journalist is not able " to find out the parties seeking advantage from the perpetration." Perhaps not—these intrigues arc not negotiated altogether at Birmingham : London is the proper scene and centre of musical intrigue, and the game is planned and partly played there. Be this as it may, the alternative is precisely what we have stated, and no other—either palpable imbecility and ignorance, or a dirty job. The other points at issue between us concern mere questions of taste. We have our opinions as to the comparative merits of certain singers—tine Journalist has his. On such subjects it is useless to argue. The question concerning the merits of Paul is much of the same kind: but we must not be understood by our previous silence to have admitted that its author " has not copied freely from Handel." The contrary is visible enough to those who are acoltainted with flamno.'s voluminous compositions. Some of the choruses arc clever parodies upon those of HANDEL; in others are to be found entire phrases mid subjects; while the chorales arc the composition of SE- BASTIAN BACH. The truth is, the works of llsaint. are so little known to this age, that they may he gleaned from almost with impu- nity. The advice of HORACE, partially quoted by the .Tourhalist, we will cite entire : it contains just the lade on which Paul was con- structed—that is, " if you find it difficult to e:icel in any new subject, you may make another's your own if yon take care not to copy too literally."
Dlificile est propri2 communia dime : tnqua Pectins Iliacutn carmen &duck in actu., QuAlll si proferres ignota indict:Nue primus.
Publica inateries privati joris erit, si
Non circa vilem patulunique moraberis elbow:
Nee verbum yerba eurabis reiblere lulus
Interpres : nee desilies imitator in ;mum,
Unde pedem profane putlor vetat ant operis les."
It may have been, as the .Tourealist supposes, from "modesty" that Mr:Noni.ssouN chose to adopt the style and the passages of another, but in him this argues an undue want of selfreliance. Oratorios almost without number have been written after the manner of HANDEL, all of which are forgotten. It belongs to lesser minds to copy. KENT, when reproached with stealing from his master Cuorr, justified himself by the plea that be could not have written any thing so good : but MENDeassolos should be urged to disdain such a justification. 'fire general tenor of the Journidises observations is too strongly marked by candour and good sense to excite any other feeling in oar minds than that of respect : and it is in the power of such writers to accomplish a restoration of the Birmingham Festival to its former rank. Let him, for example, compare the materials A.hich composed the last Worcester Festival and all its musical arrangements with that of Birmingham, and he will see the inferiority of the latter in every thing save mere numerical strength. " The means of reform," he says, "are entirely in the hands of the subscribers to the Hospital: " let those means, then, be properly and effectively used, and the object which we mutually aim at will be accomplished.
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