Local Intelligence,

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XXIII, Issue XXIII, 30 April 1864, Page 2

Local Intelligence,

NELSON HARMONIC SOCIETY. The members of this Society gave their first Concert for the present year on Thursday evening, in the hall of the Provincial Government Buildings. The weather, which, during the preceding day, and even within a few hours previous to the concert, had been exceedingly inclement, most unexpectedly cleared up, and the attendance at the hall was very numerous, the spacious apartment being crowded in every part by an audience representing most of the leading families of Nelson. The first part of the concert consisted of Schiller's " Lay of the Bell," set to music by Andreas Romberg ; the second was composed of a miscellaneous selection of vocal music. We have already, in a preliminary notice of this performance, referred to the beauties and peculiarities wliich distinguish this work of the immortal Schiller, a poet who may be more justly compared with our own great Shakespere, than perhaps any other author of foreign extraction, for not only was he a poet of Ins own class and character, but one who has also followed him in the historical drama most closely, and who wrote in a language most akin to our own. Schiller may not inaptly be compared to a sculptor, who will not begin hie work till he has prepared a most accurate model, and has the finished figure in wax or clay, standing before him. Every muscle, every vein, every hair, must be there definitely marked. When he wrote this celebrated " Lay," he had evidently made himself minutely acquainted with the details of bell-casting, and when he composed his charming poem of the Eisenhammer, it is said that he studied all the peculiarities of the iron-foundry. And so it clearly seems to have been the case also with his dramatic works; the manner, the costume, the phrases of the period were carefully studied, the very slang of the soldiery, and the quaint sermonß of their preachers, are faithful transcripts of by-gone realities. There is no danger of an error in geography, of an anachronism in history. All is beautifully accurate, all well arranged, nobly poised, and gracefully finished. We have thought it necessary to say thus much on the peculiar features of this noble composition, because not only have the fair proportions of the original poem been considerably curtailed, but, as must almost inevitably be the case, even under the most favourable circumstances and in the ablest hands, very many of the exquisite delicacies of the language in which it is couched, have been entirely lost by its transmutation into another tongue. This remark, too, is rendered still more imperative in reference to this especial subject, inasmuch as Romberg, in his adaptation of the poem to music, has necessaiily striven to illustrate not only the meaning and intention of his author, but, moreover, to re-echo the highly descriptive sounds conveyed by the very words wliich are employed by the poet, this is particularly observable m what is termed the " Fire Chorus," in which the might of the subtle element is pourtrayed by Schiller in language most powerful, both in sound and sense, and •which, the composer has not unsuccessfully imitated by employing an accompaniment of the most varied and characteristic description. We believe that the attempt of a more modern German composer, named Lobedantz, but little known to English' connoisseurs, who has lately produced another musical adaptation of this most suggestive poem, has been still more felicitous in this, and in other portions of the " Lay." The exhibition of ft constant flow of tranquil, soothing melody, interrupted only by the more masculine tones of declamation in which the Master-founder narrates the various stages of the process of casting the bell, and by occasional bursts of richest harmony, supported by graceful and appropriate accompaniments, seems to have been Roinberg's design, rather than the display of science, or any laborious attempt at originality. His subjects of fugue show far less technical skill in their treatment, and are far more speedily exhausted than is the case with many of his German fellow-musicians. It is tweet, amiable, but withal somewhat monotonous music, which gratifies the£ear and satisfies the judg» ment, but rarely, if ever, reaches the heart, and in this respect it affords a contiagt to the works pf Haydn and Gluck, of which it is frequently highly suggestive. Itß phraseß have no decided claims to originality, though generally pleasing, and there is, to us, an agreeable flavour of the old English stjle in one or two of the choruses of this cantata, reminding us strongly of Arne, and other composers of that period. We now come to the performance of the cantata by our Harmonic Society. A somewhat cynical old French epicuriet once remarked, that there were three inflictions from wliich he constantly prayed to be exempted — " II y a trois choses dont le oon Dieu me defende — un diner improvise, vne comedie hourgeoise, et un concert dcs amateurs." An impromptu dinner, forsooth, is even yet no uncommon event in colonial life, and one which the pioneers of our civilization were often compelled to endure; we ore but rarely required to sit out the performance of a comedy in low life ; but, as regards the last of theso antipathies, we, as journalists, must be pardoned for avowing a hearty sympathy, for, of all the unpleasant duties which occasionally devolve upon us, deliver us from penning a critique upon an amateur performance! We would not have it imagined, lor one instant, that we disapprove of such exhibitions of talent; quite th« reverse; ior,ap*rtfroni

the highly salutary and humauizing influence which the practice of the best exemplars of musical composition is calculated to exercise upon the taste and character of a people, we hare ever held that music, in common with all the other arts, is intimately allied in its development with the life of communities, and supplies one of the modes of expressing their individual existence : in fact, that we can trace in the music of a people the outlines of their peculiar character and history ; and, moreover, as being the only art in which it is. possible to express our modem ideas in all their comprehensiveness and generality, we may claim it to be the only one in which we are not only equal, but far surpass all bygone ages. Our difficulties as regards the criticism of amateur performances may probably be less easily defined than understood. In the present instance, our duty partakes of a two-fold character, for the contrast presented by the two parts of the concert on Thursday evening, must have been obvious to all who were present. As regards the first portion of the programme, we " must be cruel only to be kind," for the indubitable success wlu'ch has attended the far more ambitious efforts of the Society on previous occasions, and the known desire of its members to profit by judicious and well-meant criticism, afford us suflicient guarantee that our remarks will neither be construed into an anxiety to depreciate their powers, nor be received with a jaundiced eye by those who have its welfare equally at heart with ourselves. It must be candidly acknowledged, that whilst several portions of the cantata, taken individually, were deserving of the warmest praise, its performance, us a whole, was anything but satisfactory. We are disposed to believe that the" composer^ intention had never been thoroughly realized. It was evidently his design that the declamatory recitatives assigned to the Master-bell-founder should stand out, in the boldest relief from the strophes which are suggested by them, and taken cither by soli voices or in chorus, like the half-oracu-lar chant of the leader of the old Greek chorus, and obviously for this reason the same refrain, or strain, which commences and recurs ever and anon throughout the cantata, is severe and almost monotonous in its character. To this, as we have already stated, the other parts are plainly subjective, and in order to give full effect to the composer's conception, it is absolutely necessary that the bass part should be so massively and powerfully enunciated, as to make this readily intelligible to the audience. The gentleman to whom the principal portion of the music allotted to the Master was entrusted on Thursday evening, though possessed of a really magnificent organ, and reading the music in a most conscientious musician-like style, seemed almost fearful of giving his voice full play, and we need hardly therefore add, that what we believe to have been the composer's intention was not fulfilled. The graceful treble solo " Hark ! tis some birthday's joyful meeting," as well as the still more beautiful air, with recitative accompanied, "All these tender ties," were very sweetly rendered by a lady member of the Society, who is possessed of a highly sympathetic voice, which only requires judicious exercise to develope the full extent, of its powers. The solo, " Wearied now with toil of day," <J la pastorale, and reminding \is strongly of Haydn's Seasons, though allotted to the treble, was sung by the Director of the Society with much taste and feeling, as was also the difficult tenor eolo "Though Passion Fly," with its very original accompaniment. This, with the duett for treble and tenor, "Oh! Tenderest Passion," the quartett, "Peace, sweet Concord!" in which the full rich tones of the contralto part came out most effectively ; and the fine bass air for tho Master at the conclusion, were the most noteworthy features in the soli portions of the cantata. Tho choruses, if we except the elaborate "Fire Chorus," with all its varied effects, chromatic and otherwise, were generally given with much steadiness and precision. We would especially particularize the chorus, " In Fertile Womb of Earth Confiding," a lovely bit of harmony, which was admirably given, the light and shade, especially in the crescendo passage at the end, being most carefully observed. Almost equal praise is due to the gratefully lively chorus, "Thousands when in Union Joined," and to that which almost immediately follows it, " Peace, 6weet Concord ! " a repetition of the quartett before alluded to, which almost partakes of the character of a notturno, bo tranquil and soothing is its character. The concluding chorus forms a very appropriate finale to the cantata, and was listened to, we fancy, with feelings not altogether of regret, for, owing to the circumstances to which we have already adverted, and to a general want of verve and animation perceptible throughout this portion of the programme, it was impossible not to pronounce the performance somewhat tedious and monotonous. We must not conclude our notice of the cantata without expressing our sense of the hearty acknowledgments which are due to the lady who presided at the pianoforte, and who interpreted its difficult and elaborate accompaniment with true musiciau-likc skill and taste, and also to the members of the orchestra, especially the first violin, for their able assistance on the occasion. We undevstood that the success of tb& perfoM»a»ee was scanfe-what H»pEriJif>s by the absence of many members of the chorus, who were present in the hall, but, for some reason or other, did not take part in the performance. We should almost be inclined to doubt whether such faineant musicians had the interests of the Society sincerely at heart. The second part of the concert, after a brief interval, commenced with Miss Elizabeth Stirling's very harmonious chorus, "Red Leaves," which, with the " Wot Song " by the same lady, bear a strong family resemblance to the well-known part-song, " All Among the Barley," and were each capitally rendered. George Linley's pretty but melancholy ballad, " Little Nell," was very charmingly sung by the same lady who took the leading treble part in the cantata, and who was much applauded at the conclusion of each stanza. Her services were again called into requisition in Tom Moore's song, " Good Night, my Dearest," harmonized for three voices by Sir Johu Stevenson, in which the pure bell-like tones of her voice, in conjunction with the tenor and bass, came out most effectively. The trio was admirably sung, and most deservedly applauded. Tho duett, " Old Chiron," for tenor and bass, a specimen of the more severe English school, and sung by two valued members of the Society, followed, and was very warmly received, achieving, as we imagined, what the French term "unsuccksd'estime" — the meaningof which we leavo our readers to discover. The solo and chorus from the Christy's Minstrels' collection, was sung in a most pleasing manner by another lady member of tho Society. Though evidently suffering from the nervousness to which amateurs are so provokingly liable, the songstress gave ample evidenco of the possession, as well of a very sweet and telling voice, as of skill and taste in its management. This song was also received with marked favour. Then came tho jlos Jlorum, the very gem of this part of the programme, a septett, without accompaniment, by Hoesler, from the collection known to musicians as the " Orpheus," very exquisitely sung, which evidently took the audience by storm, for it gained a well-merited encore, the only one obtained during the evening. Balfe's favourite song, " The Light of other Day*," from the Maid of Artois, was then given by the Director, with good effect, which would have been still further increased by the introduction of the cornet accompaniment written for it. The concert was brought to a close, about half-past ten, by the performance of the concluding portion of the anthem composed by Handel for the coronation of George II. ; the audience all rising. Tho selection of this fragment of the anthem was somewhat hazardous, for it requires nil the pomp and massiveness of its orchestral effects to render it appropriately, and probably the time-honoured National Anthem, if properly performed — which, truth to tell, is rarely the case — woidd have been more warmly welcomed by the audience. Mr. Walcot, the director of the Society, wielded the baton during the evening most effectively, and to his efforts, in combination with those of the committee, were the public indebted for the enjoyment which they derived from the entertainment provided for them " on Thursday evening, which, in 6pite of (omo slight shortcomings in the first part of the programme, must be regarded m highly creditable to too Society.