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ted at timeunless the previous permissio...
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XETTER FROM ITALY. EoiiE, 31st December,...
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LETTER FROM GERMANY. Hanoveb, January 2,...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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One Threepenny, And A-Lugiu-N- Of Penny ...
and St . Martin . Popular selections nt . vast rnusic-rooms m- IJo born , S ^ eth , Soinevs Town , and ; elsewl , ^ . ^ Ovatono , as usun ? mU , e Strand . Truly ,-if we are not yet a musical people , we are tending fast that way . This vear will , it is clear , be remavka ^ lc , from a musical point of view , for a revived—or say strengthened—feeling for old ballad music . Messrs . Beale and Chappefi have repubhshed a hne collection of some hundred and fifty " Old English Ditties . " Mr . Chappell , the musical antiquarian , is lecturing upon tliem every where . Miss Poole and Mr . Ramsden , who hayethemmhand assingers , are delight . in « - hearts and inspiring hands in city and suburb . We may fairly predict that this revival will be extensively felt . The " Popular
Concert" directors at St . James ' s Hall , who have been unflinchingly administering high-class chamber music , perfectly executed , to audiences not altogether prepared for such strong meat , -will , we expect , see their way clearer in 1860 than in ' 58 and - 59 . Mr . K T . Smith , with his renewed lease of Drury Lane , wil again , this year , open its doors to Italian Opera subscribers ( the old house still dosed ) , and has already made several of his engagements . Ifce skill of our native executants has . risen ,. and will continue to rise , in compliance with requisitions of improved public taste ; and , to conclude , while the dullest can see the steady development of music , m England , the mosfc penetrating can discern ahead no symptom ot check or unhealthy progress .
Ted At Timeunless The Previous Permissio...
ted at timeunless the previous permission of : 3 L 0 ^ [ Jan : 7 , 1860 .
Xetter From Italy. Eoiie, 31st December,...
XETTER FROM ITALY . EoiiE , 31 st December , 1859 . T WAS present on Christmas at the High Mass in St . Peter ' s . ¦¦* - The ceremony ia itself was much as snch ceremonies usually are—pompons and wearisome . There were fewer strangers and more cardinals present than visual ( Wiseman and Antonelli , by the way , among the number of the latter ) . About the religious aspect of these pageants there may be , and are , two sides to the question . About the artistic aspect there can be but one , in my opinion . They are ; after all , poor pageants , poorly produced . A Shakesperian revival at the did Princess ' s was decidedly a more gorgeous and imposing sight , and Charles Kean looked as good a cardinal as the
Pope looks a pontiff . It is rather difficult to say what one a feelings might be at these great " spectacles" of the Roman Chureh i if one could manufacture the requisite amount of faith The only fact from which an indifferent and unbelieving spectator nan draw any inferences as to his possible sentiments under a hypothetical state of belief , is , that the native worshippers appear to pay as little -attention to the service as an English pew-opener does to his incumbent ' s sermons , or household seivanta-to family prayers . In the midst of the gaping , staring , snuff-taking , whispering crowd , the English converts are always conspicuous by the fervour of their devotion ; but then , after all , £ hey are new brooms—and every one
encored or repea any , the Government inspector has been obtained ; mid no sp-vclntoi- ¦!¦* , on any pretence whatever , to take a stick or umbrella into Ihq pif , under pain of being tried by a military tribunal . However , if a inim has to sit upon a powder-barrel , you can hardly wonder at . his entertaining a reasonable prejudice against smoking ;¦ and on tbo " principle the Pontifical Government may be excused for a liliie uneasiness about popular demonstrations ^ „ -o » We have had a new opera produced here by a composer 1 en , unknown to English fame , and who , if " Carlo Pisani" be a wimple of his powers , is likely to remain so . The opera , indeed , is a poor imitation of Verdi , and has barely managed to live out the first week of its existence . On the other hand , ouv new ballot , the "Sylphide in Pekin , " has created a perfect furore ; and Miss Plunkett , the chief danseuse , wins applause from all , even from the . - stony-hearted , inspector , who , with doubtful kindness , permits her f pas seuls" to be encored . We have a new tenor , too—Be . ttim , who , I think , will , before long , make a sensation across the Alps ; and we are promised a new opera , written expressly for the Apollo Opera House by Pacini , perhaps ., next to Verdi > the most celebrated in his own country of living Italian composers .
knows the proverb . I own , however ; that the reflection which struck me most during the whole performance , was the curious one , that upon the hidden resolutions of the Emperor of the French depended the question , whether or not this Christmas pageant was to be repeated next year within the walls of St . Peter ' s . The Emperor has only to issue his commands for the French armies to quit Rome , und forthwith the Pope must leave his throne with what haste he can . The position of poor Pio Nemo is neither a dignified noi" a pleasant one , and I believe , he feels his troubles acutely . I have been told his Holiness says tliat all this worry will be the death of him . His Jienllh too is said to have been much affected of Into , though I saw little change , if any , in h is appearance , beyond
perhaps an increased air of good-natured feebleness . I hear too that there is great agitation in the Papal conclaves , and general jinxiety about the Congress . Antonolli , as of course you have heard , long ere this , is to be the representative of Rome . It wns first arranged that be should sail to "France in the one Papal frigate , the " tmmaculate Conception . ; ' * bul ? with a wisdom which savours somewhat of this world , tho Cardinal expressed a decided preference for a passage on board tho Neapolitan war-steamer which is to convoy the onyoy from the Court of Naples , Antonelli is to be accompanied by his s , ecrotary , Signer Barili ; and this fact gave rise to the following pasquinade , which wns found inscribed the Othei' day on tho statue of Pasquin •• i—* ' Andera con Bfirili , " Ititornevft oon fiasco . " the , point of which is obvious to anyone who recollects that " fiasco " means a final ? in Italian , ami also bears our anglicised sense of a failure . Everything lievo us so dull , and < lond [ , mul quiet , that thero is little news of any kind to comment on ; and it is only by stray indications that ono learns that there exists anything of life or agitation beneath tho surface . The thoatroa nro closed during 1
Advent , and Boxing-. Night is tho commonoomeut ot tho short Roman dramatic , aonson , which ends with the Carnival . A printed nofc ' loo wns in ooriseqiionco postod in nil tho fitroots , containing 1 dit « fbriy'iit regulations , to ho observed by tho audiVnoo and 'iotor $ nfc tho various theatres , Amongst others , there occurred tho following extraordinary clauses : —Wo person is to distinguish himself by yqcif ' ovops npplauso or clapping * , under a penalty of one month s imforiijovmient if tho offence js committed at nn ordinary theatre , ivud threo months if at tho opera . No piece or verso or phrase m ( o bo
Letter From Germany. Hanoveb, January 2,...
LETTER FROM GERMANY . Hanoveb , January 2 , 1860 THE Allegmeine Zeitungstates , that the -elite of the'Austrian nobility have resolved to place their salaries and other emoluments at the disposal of the Emperor , with at view to ease the treasury and enable the Emperor to pension off and assist those who have suffered in their persons or property in consequence of the late war . Prince Windisch-Gratz is the originator of the idea , and the following high personages have already subscribed to the project : the three Princes Lichtenstein , Edmund Schwartzenberg-Lobkowitz ,
Clam-Gallas , Wimpffen , Grunne , Reischach—all wealthy families ; added to this , it is said , that all the Archdukes who possess priv ^ to property have proposed to dispense with the incomes they derivefrom the State , for the space of five years . . To such straits has despotism brought one of the best situated and most fruitful countries of Europe , : While the Government of Austria , has been offering in vain high bounties , and even political privileges , for colonists to people the vast uncultivated ; fertile tracts' of Hungary , Bohemia , and Transylvania , thousands upon thousands are every year departins to fever-raging shores , or to lands the soil : and cliuiute of which has rendered inters
are of uncertain nKtme . This preference an ference on the part of the authodties absolutely necessary . The Vienna ,. Official Gazette publishes the following Imperial letterV addressed to Count Goluchski ; the Minister of the Interior ; —" Dear Count Goluchski , —The patriotism of niy people has been strikingly displayed during the late war , when thousands ranged themselves voluntarily under my banner ^ and since by remaining in the service ! By these volunteers , and the' conscripts of the year 1859 on hand , the war establishment of the army is nearly complete , and I am therefore induced to countermand the Impressment ordered for I 860 . Fh . vnk Joseph . " The Imperial letter contains the term " vekvuten , " i . e . recruits ; but to render this term by ti p English word recruit would tend to mislead the reader unacquainted with the continental system of raising soldiers . The despots of the Continent have adopted words which in English signify' free actions and things , to express actions and 'things . appertaining- ' to a state of political and personal slavery , Your readers have a specimen in the word " recruit , " employed for conscript , or man impressed by lottery . Another is the term volunteers ( lfyeiwilHf / en ) for those who , by entering the nrmy beforo their time has arrived , or without risking the lottery , enjoy a certain advantage , and servo a much shorter ppriod ., It would bo difficult , and occupy too much space , to explain the intricacies of the system followed by the different be corroct of stateisin
states and what may quite ono , , a greater or less , degree , incorrect of another , or all tho rest—a circunistnnco . which affords German journals , now * md then , opportunity of declaiming against the ignorance evinced by foreigners , with regard to the affairs of the confederated States of Germany . Sometimes , however ; , it causes German journalists to fall to loggei'heads with ono another , itere is an instance . Tho Times lately contained an article upon the present state of Germany . The article wns , of cotu'so , translated and criticised by tho German journals ; among * others , by tho Wbser Zoitung , which introduced it with tho following remarks : " After a long interval , tho Times once more ( incls leisure to vent somo general reflections upon German affairs . Tho nvtiolo in question contains much recapitulation , and a great deal of silly stuff ( towide-vliohes Zong ) , " In the next number of tho Wcsev Zeittcng , wo find its London * correspondent , n Gorninn , passing judg / rnont thus upon the waino nrfciclo : " " The lending article or tho Times upon tho stnto- of Gonnany' is written with considerably gvoator clearness than is uBunlly tho caso with tho onumations from Printing 1 Houao Square , mid " is , in general , hu . suil upon a very thorough knowledge pud appreciation of Gfornnin nll ' . iiiv , nlthoupfh tho \ yrifcer adniita that it ia iinpoasiblo for a foreip'nor (' in should havo said an Knyli . slnnan ) to mnstoi- till tho dotuil # ul' ( J .-i'mim jjoliticn . " Wlien the doctors disagree , who shall save tho patients : ' Tlio qtiestion of tho ibrtifioittlon of the coasts of tho U ' . iltio aii « l North Sea is likely to lend-to a wider sopnvation butwtton l' * nis » jii - and Huuqvov ; tho Inttor , whotio tendeiuMOH siro verydeoidedly in favour of Austrinn policy , ^ howjngno disposition to yolun ul-hi-hand with the othor ataton infcorestod in tho inuttor . '
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 7, 1860, page 16, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_07011860/page/16/
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