Hanover, where a very large choir and orchestra performed, under the direction of FRANZ LISTZ. The two most attractive pieces were "The Ninth (choral) Symphonie" of Beethoven and the" Walpurgisnacht" of Mendelssohn. There is also within a day or two from this date a large musical festival to take place in Brunswick, at which the great pieces are Mendelssohn's Elijah and Beethoven's Ninth. But we have lost musical meetings which we value, on some accounts, even higher than we do these. We refer to the several conventions and anniversaries in our country which take place during this and the next month, to which we were honored with invitations, and some of which we have for many years been accustomed to attend. Success to their summer assem blies! We hope hereafter to be permitted to join them again in those exercises of teaching and training which we have reason to believe have heretofore been acceptable and useful. LETTER XXXVII. Church Music-Catholic-Protestant-Old Psalms-Hotel des Invalides-Concerts-Meyerbeer-Onslow-Adam-Henrietta Sontag-Americans-Etc., etc. PARIS, July 7, 1852. WHAT shall we say of Church music in this city? Those who know what it is, will not expect much, and yet we must attempt to glean something. The church of St. Roch is said to be one of the best with respect to the musical service; but, the singing in the mass was so indifferently performed, the day we were present, that it is difficult to find anything to say in favor of it. At the Church 66 155 of Madeleine, it was about equally good, bad or indifferent. The fact is, the Roman Catholic service (musical) seems to receive but little attention, and to be very carelessly performed everywhere, with the exception of a few of the Cathedrals or Royal Chapels of the larger cities. The best choir-singing, (Roman Catholic,) without accompaniment, we have heard, was at Munich; and the best, with orchestra, perhaps, at Dresden. We attended, last Sabbath, the Church "De l'oratoire," one of the old Calvinistic churches of France. The church contained a good-sized organ, which was indifferently played. There was no choir. The organ led, and was followed by a very nasal precentor's voice, with a few of the congregation joining in humming under tone;-one of the worst specimens of Congregational singing we have heard, yet interesting by association, for it carried us in imagination to our home country (beloved) where we have sometimes heard similar attempts. At this, and the associate churches, the old psalms of Clement, Marot, and Theodore Beza, with the tunes originally set to them, are still sung. But the tunes have recently been much injured, nay spoiled, by a rythmical arrangement by Wilhelm. He has introduced dotted notes, which, with other things, makes them so difficult, that a congregation cannot keep together in singing them. Even the organist did not come very near to correct time in playing them. The Old Hundredth psalm tune (134th, in the book here used), is turned into triple measure, thus: The second, third and fourth lines are exactly like the first in rythmic form. Other tunes are treated with as little judgment and knowledge of Congregational singing. We cannot forbear mentioning in this place that we have been so fortunate as to obtain in Paris an old copy of the Bible, entitled "Calendrier Historial," published in 1567, containing the original "Les Pseavmes mis en Rime Française par Clement Marot, and Theodore Beza." The word Bible is not used on the titlepage or elsewhere. It was printed at a time when the Bible was not permitted, and the title "Calendrier Historial," was adopted, that the soldiers, who could not read, but had learnt the word "Bible," should not, when they came round to search, be able to identify the book, and thus it would be preserved. After the title-page, it contains a "lectevr on Almanachs and Calendriers," and a " Table du cycle solaire, Lettre Dominicale, dv Bissexte, Pasque, Nombre d'or, and indiction Romaine." We attended the service on Sunday at the "Hotel des Invalides," to witness the manner of worship provided for the old and disabled soldiers, who find their support here. They were formed in two single columns, one on each side of the centre aisle, each man bearing a flag-staff, which was "carried," "ordered," "presented," &c., at the word of command. The religious exercises commenced by a grand voluntary, by the military band in attendance, which was nothing more or less than the overture of the Caliph of Bagdad, by Boieldieu. The grand military mass now followed, and it consisted of a succession of popular operatic airs, played by the band, with an occasional roll of the small drums, an "order," or a "present by the old soldiers, and a pantomime by two or three ministers, bowing, kneeling, crossing, &c., &c., now here and now there. Words or thoughts are not necessary in such a worship as this, which seems to be designed for mere external sensuous impression yet there were a few words chanted by the drummers, towards the close of the solemnities. "It is a very solemn service," said a young man, whom we happened to fall in with as we came away, and whom, from his speech, we supposed to be an American or an Englishman. So may a theatrical exhibition, or other spectacle, or pageantry, be solemn, and yet be quite without that "spirit and truth" so essential to religious worship. To see these things is enough to make one long for the simple worship of a church of the Puritans; yet, there are young men who come from America, and see, first, perhaps, the Puseyite worship in England—then the more consistent Roman Catholic forms, and become decided Romanists, and, perhaps, take upon them Holy Orders. There are a multitude of concerts here, and musical festivals; grand orchestras of many performers, under distinguished conductors; and they play grand "Quadrilles, Valses, Polkas, Mazurkas, Redowas, Schottisches, les plus en vogue;" with "Cloches, Grelots, Fonets, Vapeurs, Tam-tam, Coeur-infernal, Feu de Bengale, etc., etc." Our Grand Concerts " every night in the week, Sunday excepted, as whites and Ethiopians," are not inferior to these Parisian daily grand performances. It is but justice, however, to say that the concerts of the "Conservatoire de Musique" have a very high reputation; so that even the Germans say that at them Beethoven is admirably performed. These are now closed for the season. Meyerbeer has been in Paris several days. He is out of health, and is soon going to Six representations of his opera "Struenzée" have been given lately in Hamburg. the waters of Spa. Onslow, the composer, is suffering with a severe malady of the eyes, which causes him, for the present, to rest from his labors. A new mass, by ADAM, was lately performed in the town of Avray. The composer, accompanied with a choir of singers, went from Paris for the purpose, taking with them one of Alexander's melodeons, and a harp, as a substitute for organ and orchestra. The accompaniment was so arranged and dis tributed between the reeds and the strings as to produce a fine effect. A Credo from Cherubini, and a Gloria by Dietsch, were also well performed. A late Munich paper contains an account of the last concert of Henrietta Sontag in that city. It was given for the poor of Munich; and, after its close, the artists and amateurs of the city complimented Mad. Sontag in a manner "worthy of themselves and of her." As they were bidding her farewell, in the name of the Bavarian public, they formed a circle around her, and sang a chorus composed many years since in her honor. Madame Sontag was deeply affected at recognizing in the words, an ode which was written for her by the present King of Bavaria, Maximilian II., when he was Crown Prince, at the University of Berlin, in the days of her first triumphs, upwards of twenty years ago. From Munich Madame Sontag went to Ems, where she spends a few weeks for rest, and will then soon proceed to New York. Mr. C. C. Perkins, of Boston, is here, industriously pursuing a course of scientific study. He has cultivated a taste for the most classic compositions; and his influence upon the Art must be of the highest advantage to American music, and to the progress of music generally in our country. He intends to continue his studies next season in Germany. We have had the pleasure of meeting here, also, Dr. S. P. Tuckerman. Dr. T. has now been in England for several years, studying the English church music. He has received the degree of Doctor of Music, from the Archbishop of Canterbury; the first instance of the conferring of the honor on an American. Dr. T. has just returned from a musical tour through Italy, and he intends to visit Germany the coming winter. Mr. Nathan Richardson, of Boston, left Paris a few days |