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18 52.]
Correspondence of the Southern Literary Gazette.
MUSICAL CORRESPONDENCE.
New-York, Nov. 29, 1852.
My Dear Richards : —Madame Sontag
has again returned to us after gathering
a rich harvest in Boston. I guess that
our down east neighbours have never be
fore had so thorough a musical waking
up. She gave eight concerts in Boston ;
and at the Oratorio of the Messiah, which
was given on Sunday night last with the
the Handel and Hayden Society, hun
dreds were disappointed in not gaining
admission. She has engaged for her new
series of concerts here, the first of which
1 will take place to-night, an orchestra and
chorus of COO. On Saturday morning
she gave a full dress rehearsal to the cler
gyman of New-York and the vicinity—
’ about fifteen hundred were present with
their families. After the performance the
audience was addressed by the Rev. Dr.
Cox, v\ko acknowledged the compliment
in behalf of the clergy generally, and
hoped that the religious community would
1 unite in support of Madame Sontag’s en
deavours to exalt her science, by allying
; it with our purer and better thoughts.
Alboni will soon visit you, but 1 doubt
; very much if Madame Sontag will more
than get through her engagements in the
Eastern cities this season. It is definitely
settled that she will give Opera in Janu
, ary next. 1 suppose you have seen the
announcement of Fry’s course of lec
tures on music. Mr. Fry is a Philadel
phian, and is the composer of an Opera
, called ‘’Leonora,” which was played in
his native city in 1845, and had a run of
; some twenty nights. He has been in
Paris for five years past, and was there
1 the Paris correspondent of the New-York
Tribune. lie is a gentleman of high lit
erary and musical acquirements, and his
entertainments will be both interesting
and instructive. The object of the illus
trated musical lectures is to explain, and,
at the same time, exemplify the different
I styles and characters of music. He has
engaged for this purpose an orchestra of
eighty, a military baud of fifty, and a
chorus of one hundred. The universal
language is but little understood by our
fashionables who frequent the opera and
concert room, either for fashion, or, at
the most because their fancy is pleased—
they have no sympathy with the inspira
SOUTHERN LITERARY GAZETTE.
tion of the composer, and, therefore, can
not understand that he is speaking to
them in a language which should leave
its impressions long after the applause
which may succeed it has died entirely
away.
If his plans succeed in New-York, his
lectures will be repeated in all the prin
cipal cities in the United States. Bochsa’s
attempt of English Opera, at Niblo’s,
was a poor affair. Madame Bishop has
past her prime and ceases to attract, and
the rest of the company, excepting Rosa
Jaques and Mr. Braham, was a dead fail
ure. Mr. Braham made his debut on
the operatic stage as Edgardo in Lucia,
and sustained his part very creditably.
Every thing else was very poor, and the
opera was withdrawn after the first re
presentation. Great preparations are
being made at the Broadway to produce
Maeder’s new opera, “The Peri” —$7,500
is to be spent for new dresses and scen
ery. 1 have heard some portions of the
opera, and have no doubt of its entire
success. It is not a great opera, but
abounds in little gems.
The publishing house of Hall & Son,
are getting out under the direction of
Mr. Henry C. Watson, a complete series
of gems of French and Italian operas,
for parlour use. They have English,
French and Italian texts. The first opera
chosen is ‘•'La Favorita ,” from which six
pieces are already published—“Ernani”
will be the next. I have also before me
a set of harmonized songs, by James G.
Maeder; among which is Wallace’s beau
tiful serenade, ‘"The Star of Loves and
also his hymn, “Searcher of Hearts ,” the
effect of which is much increased by be
ing harmonized. The melody is one of
the most majestic 1 have ever listened to,
and its perfect simplicity will make it as
lasting and universal a favourite as “Old
Hundred.” The Quartette may be sung
to any common metre hymn, and it will
become one of the standard tunes in all
good choirs. Lavenu’s beautiful song,
“My dreams are now no more of thees is
also harmonized in this collection. This
arrangement of harmonized songs is very
different from the tame and meagre style
generally found in the numerous glee
books of the day—they are very effec
tive, yet not difficult. Wallace’s Musical
Annual, for 1853, is soon to be published.
It will be a very elegant Gift Book, and
contains a selection of music, which will
be always useful.
Very truly your’s,
CUJUS SUMMA EsT.
CMtnr’s Dffrartmrnt.
CHARLESTON: SATURDAY. DECEMBER 11, 1852.
MURE THEATRICAL CRITICISM.
Our editor having gone into the country lor a
shoit time, we have been lelt in charge ot the col
umns of the Gazette. Who we are, readers, it
is our intention to leave in provoking uncertainty.
It will be so pleasant to be swelling sec etly in
editorial diguity, and at the same time to be en
joying the delightful nresponsibiliiy ot an anony
mous writer ! ‘The honour is a very new one to
us, and we feel much as did Abon liassan in the
Arabian Tales, when he awakes to his ca.iphate
of a day. We entertain a wicked desire to cui
off some author’s head, just to convince ourselves
of the reality of our power. As this however
might be a dangerous and d.fficult task, we will
content ourselves with a less high-handed exer
cise of sovereignty. We are only going to re
verse a late decision of the absent editor upon a
very interesting subject indeed. We mean, ot
course, Miss Julia Dean. Our arguments in the
question, however, having been given last week,
(for we can avow ourselves, without danger oi
discovery,to be the author of the criticism which
then appeared,) weshail make our editorial noth
ing more than a soit of sequel to the very impar
tial estimation of that young lady’s ability with
which they concluded.
The three lasi peiformances of this young lady
have increased our high opinion of her talents
as an artist. Her second impersonation of Julia,
in the play of the “ Hunchback,” was superior
to her first, in spite of an indisposition under
which we understand she was labouring. In the
“Wife of Mantua,” she commanded more than
once “the applause of silence.” As Mrs. Chil
ingtone, it is impossible to praise her too highly.
As Juliet, she was charming, but towards the
conclusion of the play, and especially in the
scene in which she takes the temporary poison,
the effect of Miss Dean’s fine acting was consid
erably marred by the wretchedness of the stage
accessories. The bed, composed of the coarsest
materials, was scarcely larger than a child’s crib
When she threw herself upon it, the scene closed
upon her near enough to leave a considerable por
tion of her dress exposed. To make the matter
worse, the clumsy mistake was made of sliding
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