The Musical Standard VOL. VI. NEW SERIES. JANUARY TO JUNE, JUNE, 1874. "The powers of music are felt or known by all men."-SIR W. TEMPLE. LONDON: REEVES & TURNER: MUSICAL STANDARD OFFICE, 185, FLEET STREET. Price Six Shillings and Sixpence, bound in cloth. Concert, 415 "Stabat Mater" 70 "Alice Adair" (B. Gilbert), 310 "Alla Bourrée (B. Tours), 391 "Alla Gavotte" (B. Tours), 391 Amateur Musicians, Society of, 354 Anchor, The" (J. P. Knight), 310 "Aria composé par Le Roi Louis XIII." (G. Erlanger), 199 Arrangements from the Scores of the Great Masters for the O:gan (Best) 374 Artists' Society, The Musical, 304 "Ask me no more" (Cummings), 263 "Ave Maria" by Gounod (H. Leslie), 10 Bach's " Christmas Oratorio" at St. George's, Bloomsbury, 17 "Passion Music, 237, 238 at Paris, 259, 307 Shorter Vocal Works, 294 Il Talismano," 397, 400 Ballad Concerts, London, 21, 86, 113, 178 "Beacon Fire, The" (A. Moul), 310 Beethoven and Wagner, 285, 297, 303 M. Gounod on Improvement" of, 333, 341 66 "Bellini's Last Thoughts" (W. Smallwood), 391 Bell Music, Church, 126 Scales for, 58 Benedict, Sir Julius, on Weber, 85 "Bereft" (J. E. Richardson), 263 Birkenhead Cambrian Society, 226 Birmingham Amateur Harmonic Associa tion, 7 Musical Union, 146 "St. John the Baptist" at, 327 Boston Handel and Haydn Society, 307, 390 "Break forth into Joy" (T. R. Prentice), 407 Brighton Musical Festival, 36, III, 130, 176 Bristol, Sacred Harmonic Society, 242 "Feast of Roses" at, 385 "C. A. B.", Wagner, Beethoven, and Mr.“ Do," the Fixed and Moveable, 215, 296 Manns, 303 Changeling, The" (B. Gilbert), 310 "Chasse aux Papillons, La" (B.Tours), 391 Chelmsford, “Elijah" at, 407 Chopin's Polonaise in C Sharp Minor, 392, 408 "Choral Symphony," Beethoven's, 280 Church Choral Society, 82 Music in America, 94 Cimarosa's "Astuzie Femminili" at Paris, 117 Clarke, Rev. Scotson, in the Divorce Court, 414 Clifton, "Ladies' Night" at, 75 Coenen's, Mr. W., Concerts, 133, 178, 210 | Coleridge, Lord, on Genius, 335 Concertante Duet in A Major for Piano and Harmonium (E. Prout), 89 Exhibition Palace Concert, 76, 226 Duvernoy's, M. A., Recitals, 370, 416 Edinburgh, "Messiah" at, 7 Mr. Dannreuther at, 2, 4 Sacred Harmonic Society, 53 "Elijah" at Sheffield, 7 Ella's, Professor, Lectures, 74, 183, 225. Essipoff's, Madame, Recitals, 369, 403 Evening" (W. Genga), 263 "Fairy Music" (Chevalier de Konski), 10 "Fear not!" (J. Romano), 10 "Fidelio" at Drury Lane, 221 "Flowers" (J. F. Bridge), 274 Fly little song" (A. Cellier), 310 "Forsaken G.ave, A" (Mde. SaintonDolby), 10 Fugue in C (A. H. Jackson), 263 Gadsby's, Mr. H. R., Organ Concerto, 67 "Gethsemane" (T. Rivenall), 23 Gilbert's, Mr. A., Concert, 272 Crisis of Music in Schools, The Present (J. Gladstone's (Mr. F. E.) Organ Recitals, 36 "Maiden and the Sunbeam," The (B. Organ News:-Miniature Organ at Clif- Halle, Mr. C., Recitals, 322, 336, 354, Mendelssohn, Pianoforte Music by, 343 Menuetto (B. Tours), 391 Handel Festival, 253, 256, 365, 397, 413.417" Merry Children" (Rev. E. Husband), 26 "Messiah" at Paris, 7 "Heavenly Watch, The" (W. II. Cum-"Monarch Winter" (S. S. Stratton), 26 Heywood, The "Messiah" at, 1, 6 Monday Popular Concerts, The, 36, 52, 74, "I cannot mind my wheel, Mother" (J. T. "If missing Thee" (Lady Baker), 391 "King Baby" (B. Tours), 391 Krebs's, Mdlle., Recitals, 370, 403 Lady Vocalists, The Russian, 407 Leeds, "Elijah" at, 227 Messrs. Hopkinson's Concert at, 77 "Lénore" symphony (Raff), 227 Concerts, 125, 133, 210 "Love's Philosophy" (G. Erlanger), 391 Manchester, 145 Liszt's "Tasso," 3 Philharmonic Society, 50, 51, 227 Lucca, Mdlle., 69, 117 Musical Monthly, The, 26 Music in High Places, 359 My Home of Yore" (L. Liebe), 310 National Music Meetings, 6 Nazareth," by Gounod (Westbrook), 9 "Aida" at, 243 Church Music at, 54 Musical Season of 1873-74, 354 191 Novara" (W. Smallwood), 391 "O God, my heart" (J. Hele), 195 Organist, Religious Ceremony for admis-" sion as, 240 Playing on the Virginals" (W. H. Cum- Organ News :-Derby Road Chapel, Not- Pointing for the Congregation, 312 NOV 4 48 Russian National Melody, Variations on Sacred Harmonic Society, 285 Sauerbrey's, Herr, Concert, 327 Sterndale Bennett, 280 School Concerts, 10 Music, 26, 43, 59 Schubert's Masses, 423 Sheffield Amateur Harmonic Society, 385 Handel's "Jeptha" at, 77 Halle's Concert, 37 "Tasso" Liszt's, 3 "Te Deum and Jubilate" (Stratton), 343 Theatre, Her Majesty's, Haymarket, 351 "Though I walk through the Valley" Thousand Pretty Things, A (G. A. Mac- "Three Minuets for Pianoforte" (Gled- "Six Characteristic Melodies for the Piano-"Thy will be done" (Gounod), 274 forte" (C. Salaman), 263 " Skylark, The" (S. S. Stratton), 26 Spark, Dr., on "Pianoforte Music," 50 Tonic Sol-Fa College, 6. Sol-Faists' Deputation, 53 Training Colleges, Music in, 231, 248, 279 on, 34 Twelve Christmas Carols (Weeks), 26 The Music in this Week's Number is a Gavotte from the Overture to "Otho," by Handel. CURRENT MUSICAL TOPICS. for instance, at the Royal Albert Hall, of an orchestra T the turn of the year musical activity is some-half filled with ladies is one almost impossible to reprowhat suspended; and for the inoment there is duce in Paris. little to note in the way of performances No one can deny to Mr. Brinley Richards an admirable beyond the usual repetitions of the "Messiah," tenacity of purpose in keeping so well before the world the the singing of half-sacred ditties called carols claims of Wales. His speech at Liverpool-where, it seems, for the pious recreation of congregations, or a ballad con- a fair number of Welsh and others were induced to spend cert for Christmas visitors from the country. A contem- Christmas-day in attendance at a sort of eisteddfod, atplated performance next week of oratorio at a church in tributes much to these odd gatherings, and even threatens Bloomsbury may be noted as a novelty of some interest us, by implication, with a Welsh revival in London, and incidental to the season: it is much to be hoped that this a gorsedd-not the first, it would appear-on Primrose may prove but the beginning of a movement for which Hill. It would be idle to deny that music has been opinion is now fast ripening. The step taken at St. nourished in Wales by the revival of eisteddfodau; and George the Martyr's will at least have the negative advan- what is wanted, perhaps, is their reform, not their abantage of not associating the practice with any extreme donment. As at present conducted an ordinary Saxon ecclesiastical party,—a consideration of no little import-visitor has to make a great effort to see the good which ance. A performance of the "Messiah" in a church service at Heywood, which we mention in another place, seems to have had the positive advantage of uniting in worship those who had never met together in worship before. may be in them through an almost intolerable amount of conceit, confusion, and tomfoolery. It is very much a question whether the "true welsh harp" is not a deservedly obsolete instrument, better left in the poetic haze of the past than reproduced to compete with Erard in There are several obstacles in the way of the praise- the present. As for "penillion singing," let us ask in worthy enthusiast who is striving to naturalize oratorio all common sense, when, since the fabulous age of the in Paris. Not the least of these is the incompatibility of troubadors, did we ever hear of even bearable verses French character with anything so serious in its beauty. being made impromptu? As a matter of fact, no doubt The sacred music of the French is to us usually but too the "bard" upon whom inspiration settles at these consecular; they are not inclined in Paris to make even gresses sits for half an hour chewing the cud of invention devotion so very solemn a matter. In a city where music before he rises to "extemporize," and the fine fit of frenzy means first of all opera, and chiefly comic opera, Handel which apparently suddenly prompts him to rise, smite the will probably be voted too intolerable a bore to be syste- harp, and sing, never really comes till he has hammered matically accepted. There is however a more appreciable out his last rhyme and got his words into something that obstacle, which in France stands in the way not only of will pass for metre. But the result, however arrived at, oratorio but of all chorus singing. It is not the custom is but a pretentious and fussy delivery of some commonthere for ladies to join choral societies; and the beautiful place platitude, or some obvious compliment to a patron of scene, so common in England, so delightful to witness, the gathering. As to the prizes for Welsh produce-is no |