The Musical World Volume 33 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1855 edition. Excerpt: ...attention of an orchestra. There is a well-known toy, the delight of baby-hood, --a wooden figure, from the nethermost part of whose person depends a string, which being pulled, the arms and legs are suddenly thrown into contortions of a very amusing, but certainly not elegant, character. To this and nothing else can we compare Herr Wagner, when in the heat of directing an Allegro. He gesticulates with much energy, and the least possible degree of grace, but yet fails to indicate the divisions of a bar with anything like intelligible point. On his new "readings," as they are termed, we nave but two short observations to make: --first, that in all the music whereof to assist our judgment we have only English tradition and our own taste, we notice that he applies the same description of alteration to similar parts of every composition, no matter what its style or intention, and this is, therefore, merely a mechanical artifice, and not a suggestion of intelligence; and, second, that in all the music we have heard directed by its composer, we notice that Herr Wagner's version differs essentially from the author's, and therefore, Herr Wagner's must certainly be wrong. The Times has said, "One more such season will destroy the Philharmonic Society;" and we may add, one more such conductor will annihilate the reputation of its orchestra. It is to be hoped that, in future, no experiment will be made likely to peril either one or the other, for the Philharmonic Society, with all its faults, is far too important an institution to be spared--at least for the present. THE MUSICAL UNION. The seventh regular performance, which took place on Tuesday afternoon, was more crowded than any others. It was the last appearance of Ernst for...