Exhibition Notes.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVII, Issue 37, 3 January 1890, Page 2

Exhibition Notes .

The performance cf " The Messiah " may be looked upon as the principal event of the week, and the performance was very much to the credit of themunical director and the chorus ani orchestra. "The Messiah " is a work too well known to neei any desciiption from us, and criticism of it, in any case, must be reserved for critics alone who are special masttrs of their art. If, for example, there be faults in the woik of the c jm poeer, to them they must be l;ft, and th»e of Us who are of le-s pretensions can only marvel at the grandeur and perfection of the music. " The Messiah," is, in a certam sens% tre m ist tying work a co due or can uud^rtake 10 produce. Its great popuUiity i»mo er Kng ish-3De-tking peoples — and lei m never forget tnat it was a Dublin audi ncn that niat iJi-cern d its m rits — has led to is übiaiuing frequent and ihe v moit splendour of production. A chtius of a thousand trained voices, the m at emin> n* •0.0 singpis of the day; nothing hus been thought 100 muoh or on costly to pioduce it i< a manner coun ed worthy of it. Am >ng any audience that can te brought together, therefore, to hear •' The Messiah,"' there are numbers who have certainly heard tt alrea iy magnifici ntly performed, and no conductor who has erred in ts'imHting the powers at his command ein f iil to be reminded of his rat-h-ness. The appreciation shown of the performances at the Exhibition last week was alone sufficient to prove that tne selection made bad been judic ous, and that Mr. Towsey had not over-rated his strength. From the first bar of the overture to the last of the Amen chorus, all went admirably, and there was neither hitch nor jar, Beth orchestra and chorus did their work splendidly, and the eolo lingers also gave an excellent account of themselves. MisjSpensley 's iweet and flexible voice could hardly be heard to better advantage. A trua understanding of the com poser's meaning could alone enable Miss Kuigbt to Bin*. with the feeling shown by her. Mr. Izard sustained the part allotted to him very creditably, and Mr. James J»go even surpassed hirhself. A baritor c of finer quality than that possessed by Mr. Jtgo it would be difficult to find, and his spirited singing was quite in keep ng with the quality of his voice. There a 1 c few amateurs who could have undertaken the task performed hy him, fewer still who could have acquitted themselves so well. All the greater solos, iv thort were charmingly sung, the grandeur of the ChuniK* was finely expressed, and the orchestral performances wert

: admirable. In particu'ar the delicacy and tenderness with which the Pastoral Symphony was treated were beyond all praise. " The Messiau " r>as been twice performed, fud we conclude it cannot be hoped (or again, but lsteuiag to buch music iuevitably whets the appetita and mikes you long for more. At least, whtM sucn a performance has ben given, we nuy expect gr at thing* still tj come. From music to painting should be an ea*y transition, — though, perhaps, we had better leave to phi'osophers the relationships in the methods by which these arts affect tho faculties of tha soul. An hour or two of leisure during the holidays has been spent by us in the Art Qillery. Two pictures especially engaged our attention — both by the same artist, ihat is Millais, but diff ring strongly from each other, and yet in some sense sugges ive of kiadr>d ideas. The pictures we mean are that of the " E lemy sowing Tares," and tne po trait of Cardinal Newman. The firßt-named is a terrible picture. Under a sky wuh a lurid glare in it, nfl-cted in the water uuderneatb, aad by. which darkness is made risible, a m.n, clad solely in a red garment and with a red fantastic cap on his head, is seen. The attitude of the figure is suggestive of stoat tb, as with one hind it scatters the evil sacd — looking aside the while to prevent a surprise. The face ii terrible ; never have rage and hatred been more terribly depicted. There is nothing monstrous in the features thnriselves. The beard merely, and the hair so far as it is seen, ara unkempt and rough, but coarseness, brutality, and utter wickedest, stamped on the countenance, make the face a hideous and frigbful one to look ac. The light, that of the lurid sky aud water, is thrown on the figure from behind, and the difficult effects are marvellously worked out. The outline of the extended arm and hand is, for example, wonderfullyexecuted. Iv the darkness behind the figure is a wolf, shadowy and dreadful, and iv front, before the figure's feet, lies an adder. It ii hard to imagine that any painter could place on canvas a figure more suggestive of evil, or better illustrating a bdhth undertaking, it is a relief to turn from this terrible picture to the portrait of the great Cardinal. Whit a different face is there? Patience, pity, toleration, all that is good and gentle, look, out from tuise eyes, thai, nevertheless, seem to take so prof >und aud grave a view of life. It is easy to see at a glance the source of that mirvel of urbanity that Matthew Arnold has fouad in Cardinal Neman's wr.tiugs. The countenance, however, though mild and gentle, hai still a look of firaaaesa and discernment in it, aud it may be noted aa that a man to decide for himself the path to be trodden by him. As a work of art the picture appears to us perfect. It is impossible to conceive of a more life-like portrait. There is life even in the sheen of the silver hair. The Cardinal is a handsome old man. dis blue eyes, of which we have already spoken, are suggestive of those that Greuse loved so to paot, and of which his painting was so exquisite. The features are marked, but not excessive y, aud the face, taken altogether, is in itseif one to ba looked at with pleasure. Tne Cardinal has been painted in his scarlet soutaoe, with mczetta and lace rochet, bis scarlet skull-cap on his head and holding bis biretba, still of the same colour, on his knees. Not the least interesting part of the picture is that withered right h*nd which nas in its day done such good service to both Uod and man. How different a band is that from the one lit up by the lurid i,'ht of which we have been speaking, and how different a wurk has been performed by each. We have said th.t these pictures of Milla'V were suggestive of kindred ideas — but the suggestion is by toicd of co q tmat — iv the one case we are reminded f tne good fight bravely fought, and the victor waiting for his crown ; in tha other we see the pir»Dnification of the evil in struggling against which— and struggling successfully, the god old man has passed bis days. But realising the horrors of the evil, as tha ar i-ft enables us to do, w<* recogn.se the memo of the career spent m maufully opposing it. These pictures of Millais', taen, are in every way worthy of a prolonged siudy.

We have to acknowledge a rather^stupid blunder in our description last week of the Oiraaru mirror. By sooa*3 accident— and.-uot by the traditional printer's error — weomLted all mention of one of the finest views on the exhibit. We allude to the Hoc It of Cashel, on the right hand side. Tae viaw of the fam >us ruins oa tha summit: of the bock is very striking and picturesque, and half-way down an altar stands in the open air, — tha same, in all probability, from which Benediction of the Bles et BAormnemt wa* givea by tae Most Rev. Dr. Moran, during his recent visit to Irelaid. Tne school exhibits have receive 1 au unportauc ailition ia the shape of a qiantity of fxtmination papers from the Cans iaa Brothers' scaoo's, Dunedin. T'i^ que-tio >s have oee i based oa ibose >»f the Civil ."Service Examiuato s, aid they are giveu on printed papers. The answering is' almirabe ail me neituess ot" >hj wut eu woik i* quite in keeping wi h >t. The papers do a nple credit to tha sUtua of the Brothers' schools.