THIRD PHILHARMONIC CONCERT.
Siufonia in E flat. No. 10 Romaine., " Ciel Pictoso," Signor Sxzvx, from the Italian
Opera, Paris, (Meet, di St. Bonifazio) First Movement of Concerto iu B minor, Violin, Signor
CAMILLO Sworn Becit. " Solitudini amiche,"Miss Itaiseoirrn,
Aria, " Zeffi I retti lusinghieri," (Idameneo) Quintetto, Pianoforte, Flute, Clationet,Horu, and Bassoon, Madame DOLMEN, Messrs. RUMS, LAZARUS, hairspr, and BAUMANNOverture, Preciosa SCP°. M. Vow WEBER..
PART Tr.
Sinfonia in A, No. 7 BEETHOVEN. Motett, •• Are Maria," Miss BAINPORTH, (Clarionet Oh-
ligato, Mr. Wrzwarts) Curavann. Adagio and Rondo, " La Cloclietle," from Concerto in B Minor, Violin, Signor CAMILLO SIVORI Recisznu.
Resit. '• L'empio duol," Signor SALVI, FACINI Cavatina, " A quest 'anima," J (OH Arabi nelle Gallic) Overture, La Clernerma di Tito MOZART.
Leader. Mr. Lonsz—Conductor, Mr. POTTER.
THE length of PAGANINI'S magnificent Concerto in B minor, now first heard entire from SIVORI, together with vocal novelties of which encores were correctly anticipated, and a long Pianoforte Quintet—a
series of pieces which made this concert run deep into the night— occasioned also some detriment to the orchestral selection. Repeats
were not only sedulously avoided save in the Minuets and Trios, but the slow movements both of HAYDN and BEETHOVEN seemed to us so hurried on by the Conductor as to leave little leisure for the repose and enjoyment of the audience. Imperative necessity should alone excuse a licence so destructive to the proportions of the first allegro or finale of a symphony as that of omitting to repeat the first
HAYDN. VERDI.
PAOANTNI. MOZART.
part ; and we trust that in future some other plan will be devised to bring all the music within due bounds, for the sake of the classical masters themselves as well as their admirers. We cannot compliment the baud on their execution of HAYDN'S Symphony ; which wanted delicacy and precision, a better ensemble, and very especially, better oboe solos. Failure in the execution of a symphony is the more unfortunate as we have to wait a year or more to have the imperfection corrected. BEETHOVEN'S Symphony in A has also been better executed ; the well- known slow movement having been taken some degrees too fast.
The vocal music, with the exception of one thing by PACINI in the second act, was pleasing. SALVI, a tenor-singer of whom the public have lately heard much, merits his reputation. His voice has great power and volume—with perhaps a little hardness in the quality of the tone ; his intonation is firm, and his taste correct. An uncommonly handsome person, a noble head, and gentlemanlike bearing, contributed to the effect of this first appearance; but what most excited admiration was his artistical management of his resources. It was very surprising to hear him at the conclusion of his first air sustain and diminish a note till his breath appeared exhausted, and then, without being perceived to breathe, end with another note as loud and long as the first. The music of VERDI, which he produced, strengthens favourable opinion as to the march of musical improvement in modern Italy. There was a nice feeling for melody, and a tasteful selection of accompanying chords, particularly observable in the introduction in B flat minor, while in the succeeding major the voice of the singer was sustained by very agree- able orchestral effects. In this piece SALVI was loudly encored : but he was less successful in the Recitative and Cavatina of PACINI—probably on account of the bad music. Miss RAINFORTH entered fully into the calm and simple feeling of her well-chosen air from Idomeneo—the in- troduction to the third act, in which the exquisite wind-instrument parts divided attention with her singing. The sacred solo of CIIERUDINI, though a gem of its kind, was less happily placed ; and, we suspect, mainly owed to its brevity its position in the present concert-bill.
Although the heat of the room was very unfavourable to the strings of SIVORIS violin, we believe that be now played in a more passionate and consummate style than even at his own concert. This was the arena in which all disputes as to competition and rivalry required to be finally settled; and he accordingly put an end to them in one triumph- ant and conclusive display of mastery. He certainly stands alone on all points of the violin. Whether we consider tone, expression, me- chanism, elegance and ease of manner, he is alike faultless; but in his combination of qualities, and the unfailing certainty of his hind in hair- breadth difficulties, he is truly a prodigy ; and the silence of the room— an impressive silence like that which PAGANINI commanded—testified that such was the general impression. One thing remained only to be improved ; but that did not concern the solo-player. The few orchestral parts for violins, employed in accompanying the Concerto, left the tutti parts comparatively thin, and insufficiently balanced against the mass of wind-instruments, and more especially the varieties of drums and the mere noise by which it pleased PAGANINI to set off the solos of his con- certos. On ordinary occasions, this noisy tutti would be the resource of a charlatan ; but united to such melodies, such modulations and per- petual successions of new effects, the idea cannot be entertained. More serious music than the first movements of PAGANINI'S Concertos does not exist ; and as be thought it necessary to employ the effects of an immensely full orchestra, it is incumbent on his present representative and pupil to fulfil his idea in every respect. The reproduction of these Concertos is a noble work of restoration, and one of the proudest records of the art in our day. The subject has also a prospective interest. Who will take such works from the hands of Stvonit and maintain their bril- liancy and purity ? After finding an executive PAGANINI of twenty- five, the art cannot retrograde. We will merely say of the Adagio and Rondo, that the first, by its vocal and graceful style and the purity of the double-stopping—and the second, by its piquancy, play fulness, and extraordinary tours de force in the pizzicato—placed the stamp of ge- neral admiration on the performance, as one of the highest instrumental exhibitions ever known.
The Quintet of Sponst—a very interesting work, but especially so in the finale—is one of the things which Madame DULCKEN plays in perfection ; and she did so on the present occasion, displaying delight- ful varieties of touch and unerring neatness of execution. Unfortu- nately, the wind-instruments could not lower themselves to the pitch of the pianoforte, and there was a quarter of a note of agreement want- mg between them. It would be almost better to trust to SPOHR'S ar- rangement of this same work for stringed-instruments, as a security for the future.