On this page
-
Text (5)
-
Untitled Article
-
Untitled Article
-
Untitled Article
-
Untitled Article
-
Untitled Article
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.
-
-
Transcript
-
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.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
Untitled Article
EOYAL ITALIAN OPERA . Robert lb Diable was given on Tuesday night at Govent Garden , with two important changes in the distribution of last year : one , however , was purely accidental . Madame Jullienne w&s Alice , replacing Grisi , who , with all her admirable resources , was never , as it seemed to me , at home in this part ; or perhaps I should say , neither Alice enough , nor Grisi enough to do the part , or herself , entire justice . Nor did I find Madaiae Jullienne to my taste . That she was immensely superior to many ; that she sang with force , mastery , and ease , and with that perfect confidence and command of voice and style , which is so grateful to an exacting audience , you will be ready to believe from your recollections p i the IMartiri ; that she acted with intelligence and unassuming conscientiousness , I need not add ; but with all her great merits , Madame Jullienne was not the Alice of the story , however efficient an Alice of the Grand Opera . Alice has no business to be showy * brilliant , and effective ; she must be all simplicity—the simplicity of the pure heart , and the gentle courage of the , artless faith . Now , in Madame Jullienne , excellent as she was from a strictly operatic point of view , I could not lose sight of the deservedly successful prima donna . Marini , having undertaken the part at a very short notice , owing to the illness of Eorcnes , deserves a kind judgment . Formes is Bertram , as Jenny Lind is Alice ; but even Formes makes up Hertram as a starspangled fiend , when h& should be the high born , high bred , courteous nobleman , and quite a man of this world , as well as a fiend of the other . Castellan ' s voice is always , delicious to listen to . The orchestra and chorus were irreproachable ; the dancing of the resuscitated nuns , as unlike ladies from , the tomb as corpses de ballet can be , and as gauze petticoats p # eto grave-clothes . Of all Meyerbeer ' s operas , commend me to Jcobert UJDiable , It is more melodic , mororic ^^ nowing , more spontaneous , than the Huguenots or the JPropftjete ^ lmdr ^ e will not easily excel the instrumentation of this , his first and ^ freshest work .
Untitled Article
ROYAL ACADEMY EXHIBITION . ¦ " " . - ¦ ¦ ¦; ¦ ¦ ¦ ' ¦ ¦ . ¦ ¦ Webster ' s playgbound . Historical painting , if we understand by the term the representation of human life in action , under movements of passion , or important influences , has contracted to the style which is so admirably represented by Mr . Webster . In English society , perhaps , there is no Reid for the genuine display of natural passion or masculine energy , bestowed without stiiit upon objects of enthusiastic devotion , like the school playground ; and Webster has rendered himself the first master of historical painting , according to the present English style " . Besides his larger picture , he has , indeed , two others in the present exhibition—the " Letter from the Colonies , " and one of those studies of homely domestic life , which exercise rather than exhibit the powers of his painting . The " Letter from the Colonies" is a close companion to the " Game of Whist , " without , however , the vividness of that composition , either in vthe character set forth , pr in the colouring , or the costume . It is upon the " School Playground " that he has bestowed the full force of his power for the year . Let us understand why it is that p ictures like these are valued . There is a pleasure in the contemplation of life reflected in painting , even when that is no more than the mere copy of tangible and superficial objects ; and the pleasure is all the greater to many minds , inasmuch as it is easily comprehended within a grasp . However long it may take a spectator to learn the meaning of a picture , there shouldT ) e some point of time by which he may arrive at the comprehension of the whole in one view ; and evidently , with a small object , that point of time arrives the sooner—is , indeed , to many minds , a point of time attainable Onl y for small subjects . But when to that material imitation of natural objects you add the beauty of natural effects , especially the play of light and shade in masses , you introduce new pleasures of a double kind—admiration at the skill with which the difficulty of imitation is overcome , and the instinctive delight at the aspect presented ; as in Rembrandt . Add beauty m the object itself , and you admire the skill of Nature , as weU as the emulating skill of the painter . In the vivid , yet delicate crocus , in the sharp , firm , yet fragile fibres of a mayblossom , W . Hunt makes you feel the beauty oi Nature , the organic force , the life ; and you admire Nature and the
painter in one object . ' ., « •• ,-, c If we add the feelings in which human nature itself shares , the passion oi emulation , of pleasure , of triumph , we extend the double admiration to a much larger field . In this field the painter encounters new difficulties , not only in the changeable aspect of the traits by which he is to express his object , but also in the constant tendency of art to be depraved , by substituting conventional or artificial mockings of the real aspect , lor that which he intends to paint ; and his difficulty is increased when Jie lives not only amidst a school of art , corrupted by many departures trom the natural standard , but also in a society itself under constraint m tue outward expression of feeling , and under the aberrations oi tear 01 J | f rSy nature in its higher workings , the artist must ffo to scenes where it is less restrained , or , backed by the force of his own instinct ana witu
imagination , to times when a rougher freedom prevailed . J 5 uc , m proportion as he arrives at a region more congenial to art , lie dePail \ from the experience and the daily view of those who are . to understan his picture . It is in the field which Webster cultivates that you get the full swing of human activity in a form familiar to present 8 P f ^ , i hence the admirers that surround his pictures ; hence the value attacjiou to painted truisms which all can understand , so few fix and retain upon
the canvas . , nrf » in The boys who are engaged in watching the conflict ol peg-top ,, « u « the attitudes , and under the emotions that all of us who aro men a * * 1 ' have witnessed hundreds or thousands of times ; and yot , because * thoroughly enter into the feelings of anxiety or triumph , because recognise unchecked human nature in its genuine impulses wiucu ourselves have felt , we can understand what the painter has done , hi live again—in his work . . . ,, , . If you give a high sense to the phrase , a picture is adnuraoio 'i portion as it is matter of fact . The weaknesses of Webster ' s pictuio lie ^ its departure from strict fact . The painting of the boy who is gone » ^ to RnriHlr to his matiuvr . for exiimde . and still more , the painting i
mother herself , must be regarded as conventional and vaguo ; . ^ aro painted after the fashion so common for getting over tlie lto \ ^_ English pictures . There is a certain handwriting in the set oiu ^ tumo , and in the swoop of the handling in the flesh , which 8 tam > ^ certain expressions of form very well understood amongst paint ' ' faint tolerably intelligible to ordinary spectators , but yet having u . vti j ^ allijmco with actual nature , Tlie twist of the fingers in tlio uoy i grasping his top , the twist of the features in the mild boy wJio <*» h ^ to buy pastry , aro matters of fact so strictly within memory , 1-uu ¦ , ^ all awoar to thorn . Such passion and incident must bo fituau- ^ eventful field , and there alone ; the artist must acquire by pane * ^ tho power to observe , to remember , and to reproduce 5 lor no i » ] liH who cannot work without pencil , as well as make his penen j ^ mind . Such history as this , in tho field of school chivalry , is pen dead diagrams called by classic names .
Untitled Article
QUARTETT ASSOCIATION . The fourth performance of the Quartett Association was ( if possible ) even more delightful and interesting than the three preceding . The unknown work in the programme was a bold and original quartett m C , by Cherubim . Beethoven ' s Trio in B flat ( dedicated to the Archduke Rudolf ) , so well beioved by aspiring amateurs , not because it is less difficult , but because it is more clear and melodic Than the rest , was the gem of the concert , played by Sainton , Piatti , and Madame Pleyel— -the great pianiste waking worlds of beauty at every touch . Every finger seemed to be tipped with the fire of genius irrepressible . The execution of this trio was mdeed a triumph of strength and beauty met together . Madame Pleyel held us captive at the close of the concert , with a brilliant solo on movements of Lucia , the Huguenots , &c . ; and sent us all away exclaiming , What marvels of force and suppleness of wrist ! What largo ! what strength ! what decision in rapidit y ! what passion ! what tender delicacy ! what reckless abandon ! what impetuous defiance of difficulties , attacked only to be disdainfully conquered ! Plashing down the scale like a ray of light , or pausing to die in some cadence of divmest beauty , that lingers like a regret on the artist ' s quivering brow , and expires like a farewell on her parted lips . And so we came out again into the blank street , inwardly thanking M . Sainton and his associates for one more of these concerts , which , so unaffectedly announced , and so faithfully performed , rescue us for a brief moment from the turmoil of London life , and from the draggletailed misery of London streets in rainy weather !
Untitled Article
THE NEW PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY Closed the series of six concerts , on Wednesday , with a magnificent performance of Beethoven ' s Choral Symphony ( sufficient , alone , to establish the fame of the Society ) , and Fragments of Hector Berlioz s Faust , which fairly transported the immense audience to an enthusiasm rarely known , in jSngland . Madamo Pleyol's appearance at the piano nobly crowned tho success of the evening , and of the season . The success , as a matter of art cannot be doubted ; pecuniary success is quite another standard , and I should think , had , never entered into tho expectations of the directors — at least , for their first campaign . Of course , all tho promises of their programme were not fulfilled . What programme ever was fulfilled , except Mr . Mitchell ' s ? But Berlioz and tho Choral Symphony may fairly represent a great promise , and a very admirable result . Now , in taking leave of this Society , with best wishes for its future success ( for tlie sake of art in this country ) , I must emphaticall y remind all who aro concerned , that it is not enough to bring together a superb orchestra , under ono of tho most remarkable musicians in Europe : it 13 not ' enough to perform tho best music in tho best style . You must condescend to make tho public , who come to listen and to pay , tolerably comfortable . You must condescend to study the convenience of tho public . Now , what did I witness the other night ! In that most detestable hall in Europe , scorched as it is by the flaming reminiscences oi tho platform , some two thousand fellow-mortals were jammed together . It was a soothing Pandemonium : What with tho crash of tho orchestra , tho ' glare , of tho gas , and tho sonso that when once you aro floated you cannot find your way out again , do you wonder at ladies being ready to faint bofore tho concert is half over P Then , tho comfort of an enormous rooni , to which thoro is only ono impracticable entrance , through a labyrinth of rooms , and staircases , and passages : of a room into which you enter as through a trap-door , closo under tho orchestra ! But 1 have a worse complaint to bring against tho Secretary , or whoever that young man was , with fair hair , confident exterior , and complacent whiskers , who appeared ' to pass his ovoning in assorting his person and prerogatives , and bullying tho door-kcopora , when ho should have beon attending to tho P >? £ j 1 . t W ^ ftFvod seats . A gentleman and lady have taken " reserved seats : ^ vjr ^ rfSr . enter , confiding in tlio rosorvod scats , When they hand the gij . Jtfeti&itB to ono of tho countless and useless officials , ho glances at them ana fcfc '< > h % d
at the tickets with a bewildered stare ; he gives them the seats named in their tickets . Presently , for some unexplained cause or other , they are politely requested to move , as these seats are takenl ; and away they go all across that staring , glaring , Pademonium , backwards and forwards * consigned from one useless and bewildered official to another , until at last , in sheer desperation , they sink into the first vacant corner , and vow they will go no further . And all this ^ dreadful time , Beethoven ' s Choral Symphony is being played . ! Now , is this common decency in the management , or common good faith P Depend on it , if the New Philharmonic Society is to succeed , as I hope it will , you must look to your reserved s eats , and not boil your public alive . 1 * chat-huaw .
Untitled Article
570 IT HE tBADER . £ SATTO , D AY y
-
-
Citation
-
Leader (1850-1860), June 12, 1852, page 570, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1939/page/22/
-