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PERFECT ORCHESTRAL PLAYING.

to the sight of the audience, a tone is seldom permitted to escape from them; they are seen but not heard. Not so here; every instrument is not only represented to the eye, but is in the hands of a master who makes it speak to the ear. The consequence is, that such combinations fall upon the ear as are not heard with us. The brass instruments too are made to tell their story without any impediment of speech; whereas, with us, they stutter, or falter, or hem, or cough, to the no small disturbance of the equilibrium of one's temper. We do not know that in this concert every instrument is played in all respects right; we do not know but some notes may have been omitted, or wrong tones produced, but certain are we that we did not discover any such imperfections. There are four things, (technical points,) that we have seldom heard well exhibited. elsewhere, which were exceedingly well brought out here, viz.: Piano, Crescendo, Diminuendo and Fortzando. These, with the other technicals of playing were so well observed, that added to the pure tone peculiar to each particular instrument, and connected with a most perfect &malgamation or blending of all the different elements of the orchestra, they seemed to produce, not a mere musical performance to be listened to, but a living being, or moral, spiritual existence, capable of expressing the deepest feeling, and of calling forth the strongest sympathies of humanity.

The Sinfonie being over, and a few moments for rest having been given, old Handel visited us in an Arie from his Opera “Aerio”—“ Folle é colui che al tuo favor si fida." It was sung by Herrn SALVATORE MARCHESI, who was the only vocalist for the evening. The song was well sung; but we sometimes hear quite as good singing across the Atlantic. Belletti is decidedly his superior. The third piece was a Flute Concerto; it was a tiresome affair. A Flute Concerto is a Flute Concerto, whether

GOOD MANNERS IN A CONCERT ROOM.

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in the Gewandhaus, Hanover Square rooms, Tripler Hall or the Melodeon; and although it may not be always played by Herrn W. Haake, (who certainly did his duty well,) it is always the most dry and uninteresting of musical performances.

In part 2d was given, 1st, the beautiful overture Echoes of Ossian, (often played in New York and Boston,) by N. W. GADE. 2d. Arie from Zauberflöte, by Mozart, "Qui sdegno non s'accende." 3d. Mendelssohn's concerto for the piano forte, in D. Minor. 4th. Arie from Don Giovanni, by Mozart, Madamina, il catalogo é questo," and 5th. The very fine overture to the opera, "Der Wassertrager," by Cherubini.

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Gade's overture may be regarded as a sacred piece. It speaks of greatness, and calls forth emotions of the sublime. Something like an Old Chorale pervades the whole, which seems to tell of worship, and to call forth humble adoration. With what grandeur this subject was given out, and oft in the course of the piece alluded to by the brass instruments, or exemplified and illustrated by the others, cannot be told. The overture is known with us, but it requires and deserves close study.

The Piano Forte Concerto, D (not G) Minor, failed for want of a performer; a highly promising young lad of the conservatory attempted it, but he had neither grasp of mind nor of hand enough for Mendelssohn. Herr MARCHESI sang both

airs well, gaining for himself decided applause.

On the whole, here is a highly-talented and well-regulated orchestra. The conductor for the evening was Julius Rietz, well known to the musical world.

I will mention one or two things about the audience:

1st. Gentlemen took off their hats before passing the door of the hall, all of them, without a single exception; and this, al though they were there an hour before the performance con

menced. There was not a single man standing under the galleries or near the doors, uncovered. The ungentlemanly act of standing or sitting in a concert room with hats on, could not be seen in the Gewandhaus.

2d. Ladies were all in full dress.

3d. There was silence during the performance of music. The moment the music ceased, then indeed there was a perfect buzzing of voices, and very loud talking all over the room; but at the signal for the commencement of the music, all was still; and we were not prevented from hearing the music by those whisperings so annoying in some places.

On the whole, this was a very fine concert; the orchestra playing was as near to perfection, I doubt not, as can often be found; and that constitutes the great attraction of the Gewandhaus. Every man seems to be able to play on his own instrument well; every man seems to give undivided attention to the music, and to endeavor to observe carefully, not only the time, as given by the conductor, but all those little gesticulations by which expression is indicated. Our orchestra playing in America is fast improving. The Philharmonic of New York, the Musical Fund of Boston, and may I not say, especially the Germanians, have each done much to advance this cause. We must indeed be dependent upon foreign artists for generations to come; so it is even in England, where no small portion of the performers are Germans; but we shall run faster when once fairly started, than the English. The cause of musical education has already taken deep root with us; our music teachers are more numerous and more competent than they were a few years ago; many promising young men are entering the profession, and the work of teaching children and of teaching in schools is constantly on the advance. Better music, too, is being published now than formerly; the sonatas

of Mozart and Beethoven, for piano forte, and Gems of German song in the vocal department, are only specimens of what is being done in this way. But I must not enlarge. I only add that at the concert of which I have tried to give some account, two young Bostonians, students in music here, were seated beside me, (J. C. D. P. and W. M.,) both of whom, it is to be hoped, will ere long be engaged in the work, doing their part to advance an art and a science so important to human improvement and happiness.

LETTER V.

Concert of the "Musik-Vereins Euterpe"-Symphony by Westmayer-Von Weber's Oberon-Mdlle. Marie Wieck-Old and New School of Piano Forte playing.

LEIPZIG, January 27, 1852.

THESE Concerts are similar to the celebrated Gewandhaus Concerts. They are held in a somewhat smaller room, and at a small subscription price, and are given only once in two weeks. The orchestra consists of about sixty talented musicians, and if Dreyschock and David are not seen leading the violins here as at the Gewandhaus, they, together with the other instruments, string and wind, are in the hands of artists of deservedly high reputation. The selections are also of the highest order, and the Euterpe presents its patrons with the works of the great masters in a style worthy of a Leipzig concert.

At a quarter of an hour before the time of commencement, the members of the orchestra were in their places, talking, tuning and getting ready. This, together with the general conversation of the people assembled, produces a buzzing chorus of

great power-a chorus with which the Leipzig concerts commence. Every ticket was sold at an early hour, and of course every seat was occupied.

The concert commenced precisely at the hour appointed, with a new Sinfonie in E flat Major, in manuscript, by W. Westmayer, who conducted the performance. He is a young candidate for fame, who has been educated at the Conservatory here, and who is regarded as already a successful composer. The Sinfonie consisted of four parts, and occupied in its performance exactly thirty-eight minutes. I dare not attempt anything like a particular description of it, or comparison of it with other like compositions; it was listened to with good attention by a discriminating audience, and met a favorable reception. It seemed to me, however, to want light and shade, and variety in the treatment of the different subjects introduced. Parts of it were exceedingly interesting, considered in reference to modern combinations and contrasts of the different orchestral elements, but there was a too constant forte, and a too frequent reiteration of the tonic and dominant harmony, with brass instruments, in military rhythm-this, indeed, is a general resort of such composers as are sometimes at a loss for an idea, or in a similar condition with the public speaker who is obliged to speak, but has nothing in particular to say. I do not mean that Mr. Westmayer was minus thought, but still there was not such a flow as we often find in a Mozart.

The Sinfonie was truly good, and seemed to give much satisfaction—and yet I could not help thinking that it was an excellent preparation for the high appreciation of the next orchestral piece, which was no less an overture than the celebrated No. 2, C Major, to Leonore, and which was given with an effect far beyond what can be often heard.

The overture by C. M. Von Weber, to Oberon, was also