5 APRIL 1834, Page 14

MEMORANDUMS OF A WINTER'S RESIDENCE AMONG THE MUSICIANS OF GERMANY.

FRANKFORT-ON-THE-MAINE, 3d March 1834.

I cannot quit this most agreeable town without indulging myself in dating one other letter from it ; although I shall not close it uutil my arrival at Cologne, whither I intend to proceed this evening. Luckily for my faltering resolution, there is no opera for two nights to come. Since my last communication, there have been fewer operatic perform- ances than usual ; for what good reason I know not,---unless it be that of breathing-time for the production of a new work called Lathivie, be- gun by poor HEROLD and finished by HALEVY; not to speak of Gustave, which I suppose will lay half the tallow in town under contribution, if it is at all to rival that wondrous display at Covent Garden as detailed in the English papers. WEaut's Oberon, Bt:Lum's La Straniera, PAER'S Sargino, and WINTER'S Interrupted Sacrifice, were all with which we have been indulged during the last fortnight. Of the three last, notice has been taken on a former occasion, and I certainly now see no reason to alter my opinion of them ; yet I would fain give La Straniera another kick regarding the frequent unmeaning pauses which occur throughout the opera. BELLINI deserves credit for this ingenious mode of getting out of a scrape. Ile runs on with a pas- sage through this key and that key, till the passage, like an unruly steed, runs away with him : he tries, but in vain, to recover himself: like the river that is said to disappear for a space and then to emerge as if from its source (my comparisons are like BELLisfs compositions, good subjects ill worked), he causes his music to disappear under two or three bars rest, and then to start afresh as if nothing had happened. The ludicrous frequency of this affords great diversion to the orchestra, as well as to myself. Yet these Italians always contrive to throw off beautiful melody ; and that is perhaps the WHY their operas are so at- tractive to the multitude.

How clear and satisfactory Sargino is throughout ! How effec- tive the Interrupted Sacrifice ! And, to rise in the scale, how poe- tical, how original, how charming (heron! I wish I could speak in equally high terms of the performance of the principal parts. A candidate for the vacancy about to occur by the departure of Made- moiselle GNED, appeared in the person of a Mademoiselle PODLESKY, who styled htrself chief singer of the 31auheim Theatre. She at- tempted the arduous character of Reim, and deliberately murdered it : indeed, long before the conclusion of the piece, she received very une- quivocal symptoms of our feelings. Her personal appearance was by no means engaging ; and this, with the puling voice which accompanied it, rendered her one of the least interesting performers within may re- membrance. The part of Oberon was taken by a bass-singer, and of course spoiled. In short, with the exception of the orchestral depart- ment, I derived very little pleasure from the performance. I lately saw a letter from SPOHR to a friend of his here, giving a charming account of his operatic affairs at Cassel. Among other news, be mentions the arrival of a pupil from London, Mr. BLAGROVE, of the Royal Academy of Music, who, he says,already plays so well, that be is convinced he will shortly surpass all his contemporaries. I think this information will not be unacceptable either to his former teacher or to his friends and companions. The Museum Concerts have given me considerable gratification, by the performance of Symphonies and Overtures. I cannot resist singling Out a Grand Symphony by SVIINYDER VON WARTENSEE; which is a work of the highest order, full of noble effects and masterly instru- mentation. Be so good as inform the London Philharmonic, that this Symphony has been in their possession for many years ; that it was sent as a gift to them by its excellent author ; but that their Secre- tary has not yet acknowledged its receipt, or if lie has written, the letter has never reached its destination. The score of this Symphony, if put into the hands of Mr. W. WATTS, the excellent Pianoforte ar- ranger of such works, would excite his admiration, not less by the massiveness of its character than by the beauty of its details. An improvisatore, 1)r. LANGENSCHWARZ, has been astonishing the natives here: but his outpourings have been cut short by the Police,— for the following very grave reason. He invited the audience to write subjects for his muse ; which, being put into a box, were drawn forth by him at random. Many and various were these themes—all dull enough, if you knew their givers : one, however, which approached somewhat to originality and humour, was drawn forth by the Doctor, in company with another hearing the. name of one of the opera-singers. The humorous one bore these words, " The Austrians in possession of Frankfort." The Doctor without hesitation commenced a dialogue be- tween two sentinels, who occasionally introduced the singer's name; and he made out a very plausible story, amidst the laughter of his au- dience. He announced another performance to take place in the course of a ft w days. The day arrived : placards greeted the passer's eye ; and the people were preparing for another evening's amusement; when, lo ! counter placards appeared, saying that 110 performance would take place, owing to unforeseen circumstances. The Police had warned the Doctor off the premises ! You know I write from the free town of Frankfort-on-the-Maine.

COLOGNE, 7th March.

I arrived two days ago in this famed town,—famed for its horrid streets, its unfinished cathedral, and its agreeable perfume. The joke regarding the latter is in full vigour,—namely, that the people here make their coffee and boil their victuals with eau de cologne ; which after all is quite true. There is an opera here at present, at which 1 have spent both may evenings. The house in the interior is elegant and well pro- portioned ; a striking contrast, by the by, to the one at Frankfort, which, I am grieved to say, is dingy and dirty, and will continue so till the present miser-manager abdicates. In all other respects, it must not be spoken of in comparison. The first evening was devoted to Masa- niello; which gave me an opportunity of hearing the powers of the whole company. The orchestra numbers thirty-two, and was feeble and bad. The violins were all miserable ; the flutes husky; oboe as hard as flint ; and the bassoons plump, plumped away with most painful assiduity. The chorus was much better, and might with good drilling become excellent. At present, its only sign of life is centered in the right arm of one of the young men ; who flung it up so often and so violently during the performance, that I was watching for its disap- pearance in the roof. The principals, however, were my especial delight. A Mr. SCHRADER, as the Spanish Envoy, was a most amusing burlesque on expressive singing; he gave such startling em- phasis to his high notes, which he always hit manfully a quarter of a note below par. Mademoiselle Somebody (the Envoy's Lady), looked like a grandmother ; had neither teeth nor tone, her voice being one of that numerous class which have sound only, and her appearance denoting a speedy emergence from that eclipse which shrouds in impenetrable mystery the years of a female from thirty to fifty. In every succession of four notes, she was sure to give one the go-by; and she heaved her shrunk bosom and shoulders with throes of expression quite overpower- ing to the risible muscles. Her shoulder-joints have more pliancy, for their years, than her voice : with one jerk she could almost tickle her ears with them. Elbow-expression is common enough, but this is literal shouldering. Masaniello promised to redeem the failures of the others ; but his endeavour to give a sforzando to every note entitled him to the like distinction. He shouted himself out of breath long before the conclusion of the opera, and was feeble where lie needed energy. The only thing at all bearable throughout this excruciating entertainment, was the fine duet between 21/asaniello and Pietro, where they pledge themselves to vengeance; though the bass of the latter reminded me of an old tar shouting " The Jolly Arethusa."

This evening was signalized by the production of a new opera, the first effort of a native composer, called BERNHARD BREUER. The author conducted ; and I must say he is the coolest fellow I ever saw on such tm occasion. The drama is adapted from a French piece by 'IltsaursoN, called The Rose Maids, and appears to be an excellent comic subject. The composition contained some very good things, but in no one instance did it go out of the beaten track. I should call it clever, not inspired. The overture was good, but not as such : it was more like a sonata arranged for a in orchestra. I would remark generally, that the opera abounds in well-known phrases : indeed, I almost nodded to many of my old acquaintances. The introduction to the overture was note for note the first bars of the slow movement in BEETHOVEN'S Symphony in D. The allegro subject was from IlAyns's " Spirit's Song." The first chorus was an ingenious and effective parody upon that of " Victoria" in Der Freiscliiitz. The phrase which always accompanied the appearance of the Rose Maids was the same as the slow passage in the E flat trio in the same opera. The second act was decidedly superior; the first scene particularly so. The third act fell off again : but in it was the very best thing in the piece, and by the by, the only comic attempt throughout,—a duet, namely, between a Rose Girl and the nobleman in disguise. It is written with great freedom, sustained with great skill, and it proved very successful. The performance of the opera was creditable ; although now and then an asthmatic wind-instrument would take a fit, or pant after its neighbours. And whom should I perceive tripping about as a Rose Girl, with light step, rosy cheek, and laughing eye, but may old friend of last evening, the Spanish Envoy's Lady—a second Vssmis—in all but figure, face, voice, and manner. I descried too my gymnastic chorister, as meek as a lamb, save twice or thrice, when, in singing, he sent his arm aloft as if to feel if all were right. Masaniello, having no occasion to shout, but requiring rather to keep quiet, being in disguise, sting pleasingly and effectively. The composer, having been called for at the conclusion, came forward and made his bow.

I must take leave of you for a time ; as I shall be too restless for letter-writing, now that I have fairly broken up my winter camp. Should you have derived any information worth the space you have allotted to the gossip of Mr. TUNELY, it is not altogether improbable that you may by and by hear from him in another part of music-land,- perhaps Berlin, or Dresden, or Vienna. In which of these places, you will learn by the date of the next communication from Your friend, T. P. S. Should you wish, for the sake of variety, to change my nom de guerre, the Police list published this morning will supply you; as there my real name is announced to be Tourney.