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    r ^ fhP delightful air , "II mio tesoro , " by Signor Ku * lini in which his brilliant upper notes told with SSffiAg - effect , although in the lighter and more « -SS -nassaetes he lacked power and purity of mto-? nn This is liis first appearance at Gloucester for some years , and perhaps he hardly sustained the favourable impression which he created here in the 5 ? rl ? instance . Nevertheless he was encored . The 3 ! v "Ah taci" introduced to the Gloucester people the priraa donna of the evening concerts , Mdlle . nSfiPna and the primo basso , Belletti . The sensation rreated ' by the lady among the dilettanti was great , SSSSi perhaps hardly equal to the merits of an

    artiste who bids fair to be a worthy successor to Pr si The " Batti , batti , " by Madame Novello , was perfect , and was enthusiastically encored , but the lady declined to repeat it . Signor Badiali ' s artistic delivery of the rattling air "^ "chee dal vino" took the audience by storm , and drew down an unanimous encore . In the air , " Non mi dir ' Mdlle Titjens ravished her audience , who appeared now more fully to appreciate , the talent and wonderful gifts of the fair cantatrice . The concluding sestett of the Mozart selection , " Sola sola , " brought together " all the talents" of the Italian ODera , besides Madame Novello and Miss Dolby . choral fantasia followed the selection

    Beethoven's , and introduced to notice a youthful pianist , Miss Cecilia Summerhayes , who played with considerable skill , and , here and there , with feeling ; but she has not yet acquired sufficient mastery over the difficulties of the instrument to be able to interpret Beethoven as she very probably understands him . It must be remembered that Miss Summerhayes is very young , and that the choral fantasia is neither very easy nor very short . In the opening passages the pianist played with a certain amount of vigour and distinctness ; but , it seemed to us , that before the end , she was somewhat fatigued ; at all events , her execution became rather confused . But Miss

    Summerhayes has sufficient talent to * make it incumbent upon her to study , and to make us anticipate that she will in time attain a very" high rank in the profession she has chosen . The reception of the piece was very favourable . Miss Dolby sang her ballad , in the second part , charmingly ; Mr . Thomas was very successful in " I am . a Roarner ; " and Mrs . Clare Hepworth made a marked impression in Mr , Henry Smart ' s beautiful song , " The Merry Bells . " The quartette from " Martha" and the duet from " Rigoletto" were omitted . The audience numbered upwards of 400 .

    The performance of " Elijah" on the following morning was thoroughly satisfactory . A little mistake occurred in one of the quartets , which went on for some bars as a trio , owing to the absence of Signor Belletti , who divided the bass music with Mr . Thomas , and who , we are informed , was not aware he had to sing in " Oast thy Burden . " Mr . Sims Reeves had completely recovered , and sang the whole of his music magnificently . Mr . Reeves ' indisposition was accounted for by his exposure to the night air , and to his alarm for the safety of his wife and family , at the recent fire at the Oatlands

    Hotel , where he -was residing . The attendance at the oratorio was not sp numerous as could have been desired . There were 1 , 414 persons present , and the collection at the doors amounted to the large and curious sum of £ 157 Us . lid . Amongthe audience were the Earl of Ellenborough , Countess Dunraven , Lord Wrottesley , Lord and Lady De Mauley , Lady Isabella St . John , Lady Isabella and Mary Howard , Lady Mary Berkeley ? Lady Charlotte Carnegie , Lady Augusta Wyndham Quin , &c . Mr . Sterndale Bennett ' s May Queen formed the

    first part of the concert on Wednesday evening , and was charmingly given by Mrs . Clare Hepworth , Miss Lascelles , Mr . Sims Reeves , and Mr . Thomas . The second portion of the concert consisted of a miscellaneous selection , Mr . Sims Reeves was set down to open with a ballad , but one of the stewards said that Mr . Sims Reeves had quietly walked way . Mr . Parry added that Madame Novello would sing a song . Accordingly Clara Novello sang the Prende per me" from Elisird' Amore magnificently . She was followed by Madame Titene , in " Tacea la notte" and Giuglini ia " La donna e mobile" after which the

    mayor announced that Madame Novello would sing a ballad in the place of that omitted through the absence of Mr , Sims Reeves , who , he added with enaphaais , had gone homo very unwell . Madame Novello thea appeared in the orchestra , and was wasmly welcomed . She , too , made a speech . She eaid that Mr . Sims Reeves was very ill , and did not leave the hall before he had obtained the permission of the conductor , to whom as an artist he was alone accountable . She could not allow a brother professor to * suffer in the opinion of the publw from the Btatyment : of a person who had made Jit , of course without-any intention to misrepresent , but without Knowing , the circumstances

    . r ** *'" T-ftwrsday morning were given--l . Engedi ( Mount of Olives ) ! 2 . Rossini Stabat Mater ; 3 . » ponr a Zast Judgment , Much regret was expressed

    at the inability of Mr . Sims Reeves to appear m public ; but it was stated that he is confined to his bed by indisposition . The whole of the music allotted to him this morning was therefore , at the request of the ., committee , undertaken by Mr . Monteni Smith , who most -ably discharged the double duty which thus devolved upon him , he having , in fact , to sing the tenor soli in all the three pieces of the morning . Madame Novello surpassed herself in all these pieces . It was the universal

    remark that never was her magnificent , voice heard to such perfection as this morning . The chief " points" made in the Stabat Mater were the the delicious execution of the duet * ¦ * Quis est homo ? " ( English version ) by Madame Novello and Miss Dolby , and the magnificent vocalisation of Signor Belletti in the trying air " Pro pecatis , " not omitting tomention especially the " Cujus ammara , " taken by Mr . Montem Smith in the absence of Sims Reeves .

    The second part of the programme was devoted to the Last Judgment , which was a most successful performance throughout . The collection this morning amounted to , £ 211 4 s . id . The engagement of Mr . Charles Matthews at the Hatmarket Theatre terminates this evening , and we trust that his benefit will be a satisfactory one . On Monday Miss Amy Sedgwick makes her reentrie upon these boards as Rosalind in V As . You Like It . " Touchstone is cast for Mr . Compton . A new farce by Mr . John Bridgman is announced for Thursday .

    Next Saturday the Olympic will be re-opened , and Messrs . Robson and Emden have novelty in store for their patrons — a comedietta , by Mr . Charles Dance , entitled " Morning Calls , " with parts for Mrs . Stirling and Mr . G . Vining . The St . James ' s Theatre , under the auspices of Mr . Chatterton , begins its season on Saturday , the 1 st proximo . Mr . Leigh Murray will appear in a new comedy , and a burlesque by Mr . Leicester BUfikinffhain is also announced .

    Princess ' s Theatre . —Mr . Augustus Harri s ci devant right-hand man to Mr . Gye at Covent Garden , opens this theatre on the 24 th inst . Rumour speaks of a new comedy ( translated , of course , ) by Mr . John Oxehford ; and so far , if the tale be true , the new management would seem to be treading in the footsteps of the old one . Mrs . and Miss Louise Keeley , and a Mr . George Melville as first stock actor , are to form part of the company . If the latter justify the fame that has been his advanced guard , he will be found a first-rate artist in tragedy , comedy , and melodrama .

    Sadler ' s Wells Theatre . —On Saturday the winter season commenced at this house with the tragedy of " Romeo and Juliet , " introducing Miss Caroline Heath , late of the Princess ' s Theatre , to an Islington audience ; the character of Mercutio being sustained by Mr . Phelps . The house was crowded to the ceiling by an appreciating and demonstrative audience , who greeted every one of their established favourites in the enthusiastic manner special to the place ; the manager in particular was unable to . proceed with his first speech for some minutes , owing to the applauditory hurricane . The and acted t

    play was judiciously cast , hroughout with good taste and artistic feeling . Miss Heath , who has for some time been favourably known to the London playgoers as a pleasing actress in light comedy , surpassed the expectations of her best wishers by the ability she displayed in the part of Juliet—so different to anything she has hitherto done upon the , metropolitan stage . Jfi . the earlier scenes her grace and the modest expression of her deep love w . ere fully appreciated and admired by an audience which carefully noted every word and gesture ; but the fire and energy she put forth in the last two acts fairly took the house by storm ; and

    a more completely successful deh&t we have rarely witnessed . In the part of Mercutio Mr . Phelps as usual strikes out a path for himself , and gives a personification of this Shakesperian character quite different to that of any other living actor . The witty Italian nobleman , as delineated by him , becomes a merciless satirist , who launches his pungent sayings at friend and foe for the pleasure of watching the effect of his shot . There is , however , no want of vivacity in his representation ; on the contrary-, it is a most agreeable specimen of light The of

    comedy , free from conventionalism , scene the duel of course gave full scope to Mr . Phelps ' s pternor , powers , and the death of Mercutio was an exquisite piece of acting . The Romeo of Mr , Frederic Robinson is most creditable—it is gentlemanlike without feeing too sentimental , and energetic without any approach to rant . The whole of the lesser-characters were well filled . We may particularly ; notice the Nurse of Mrs . Marstoa and the Benvolio of Mr . Belford . Mr , Lewis Ball , whose peculiar humour * is greatly appreciated at this theatre sustained the character of Peter .

    Crystal Palace . —About 7 , 000 visitors assisted on this day week at the operatic concert given at the Crystal Palace , by the members of Mr . E . T . Smith ' s Drury-lane company . The list of singers included excellent names— -those of Mdlle . Titiens , Mdlle . Piccolomini , Signor Giuglini , and Signor Badiali , besides Mesdames Borchardt and Vaneri , and Signori Aldighieri and -yialettjL Mdlle . Titiens , who appears to be neglecting the grand music of Mozart , Beethoven , and Meyerbeer , in which she . is pre-eminently successful , for that of the modern Italian masters , gave the cavatina from " Ernani" with

    much spirit . She afterwards sang , with . great feeling , the soprano part in the " Quis est homo , " from Rossini's " Stabat Mater" ( the contralto being Mdme . Borchardt ) . Mademoiselle Piceblornini sang twice , without counting the ^ nafe to the second par t of the concert , and was twice encored ; first in the duet from the " Traviata , " " Parigi o cara ' ( with Signor Giuglini ) , and secondly , inBalfe ' s " I dreamt that I dwelt . " Signor Giuglini was heard in the air from . ** Martha , " for the first time , we believe , and sang the only expressive vocal piece ( of M . Flotow ' s writing ) that the work containswith

    ^ much dramatic feeling . He also sang , " Ah si ben mio , " from the " Trovatore , " which suits him better than anything else in that opera . In " Largo al Factetum" Signor Badiali delighted the audience , and was- encored ; but Signor Vialetti cannot be said to have done justice totheair " Nonpiuandrai , ' which fell flatly , and went without a hand . Verdi ' s hackneyed "II balen" was sung by Signor Aldighieri with more taste than it deserves . Mdlle . Vaneri ' s song was " Annie Laurie ; " Madame

    Borchardt ' s " Nobil Signor" and the rather barbarous trio from Verdi's " Attila" wrs given ( to a pianforte accompaniment ) by Vaneri , Belart , and Aldighieri The concert concluded with the " Preghiera" from " ¦ Mbse in Egitto , " which was very weakly executed , being conspicuous for the absence of a chorus though essentially a choral piece . The audience however seemed highly gratified , and we believe that no other " operatic concert" of the season has been better attended .

    On Wednesday , the juvenile festival of the Tonic Sol-Fa Association was held in the Crystal Palace , when four thousand children and about one thousand tenors and basses sang a series of musical compositions with an amount of precision and harmony that elicited loud and repeated plaudits from the immense audience , who thronged every available foot of space in and around the centre transept . The children who formed the choir were selected from eighty metropolitan schools where the system which is called the " new notation" is taught . The children were ranged in three parts—first treble , second treble , and alto—and above them , at the top of the orchestra , were the tenors and basses ,

    who added strength and volume to the weaker voices of the former , the whole producing a grand and enlivening effect . The music and songs were chosen from the best composers , and the manner in which they were executed detracted in nowise from their merits . The first part of the performance was opened with an overture on the grand organ by Miss Stirling ; and a Russian air with variations . Then the choral throng rose in obedience to the conductor ' s wand , and poured forth a volume of song that quickened every pulse in the immense audience . One of the great peculiarities of the solfa system is the distinctness with which the words are declaimed . The effect of this was strikingly

    produced in the song , "We waited for an omnibus in which there was no room for us . " The words were uttered with such distinctness ,., and , at the same time ; there was such unity in the souuds , that it was somewhat , puzzling to think how it could be produced . The audience called for an encore , which was responded to with a hearty g ood-will . Rule , Britannia was sung with great power and effect The choristers seemed to reserve their full power for

    the « National Anthem , " wWchserved as a nj cumax to the performances of the day . When the last words of the anthem had died upon the ear , the united choir , as if stirred by one spontaneous im-Sulse raised a cheer which made the crystal roof ? eboundrand waved , at the same time , P"P ^ nagfi . of oranffe and green . The immense audience caught Z ^ Sfo cheer , whichwas prolonged ^ several minutes . The total visitors during the day amounted to 31 , 487 , Mr . E . T . Smith and his operatic company have Jta ^ SSS ^^ SV « W rent , instead of £ 4 , 000 , be has now the liberty to open the house every niKht in the year , without the extra payment o £ five pounds , to which , under the old agreement , he was Sect «« each and every one after the two

    MiSs Anna Whitty , whose excellent voice , and cood style we took , occasion to notice on , the . occa * fion of her euoce » tful dbbfrvX one of Mr . Beneate ^ late concerts , has left thiflM count * y fo » a leading- , engagement at Florence .

    Untitled Article

    ' iNTo 495 . Skpt ; 17 . J 859-1 THE LEADER . 1055

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Sept. 17, 1859, page 1055, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2312/page/11/