VIENNA.
OUR winter season was abundantly rich in concerts. Bernhard Romberg, the king of violoncellists, introduced himself to the public in the Hof-Operntheater, with two concertinos, a fantasia on Norwegian mountain airs, and a humorous melodic tableau, under the title of the Masked Ball, consisting of the following subdivisions. A. Introduction. B. Inclination for a dance. Tuning. Beginning of the dance. C. Dispute among the dancers. Peace and good order are enjoined. Tender endeavours at reconciliation. D. Music in the supper-room. E. Short interruption. Promenade in the Seufzer-Allee, ‘Avenue of Sighs.’ F. Crowding to the ball-room. Galoppade. Merry conclusion. Even those who are not particularly fond of the picturesque in music, could not help being pleased with the characteristic conception of the individual component parts of this medley, their ingenious combination into a consistent whole, and lastly, with the high skill and unique talent displayed by the master; for Romberg, although advanced in years, still continues to be the same great artist as hitherto, his instrument sings as sweetly as before, he playfully dallies with the most deterring difficulties, and will probably remain unexcelled for a long time to come. Mr. M. Schmidt, trombone player to the Electoral Chapel of Hesse Cassel, has visited us for the second time, on his return from Italy, and excited not only renewed admiration by his own performance, but also by the talents of a son, who fully promises to equal his father. Mr. Joachim Hoffman has brought out a new symphony of his composition, with which the theorist will scarcely be able to find fault; but the spirit of the present day demands imagination and inventive power, and is not satisfied with a mere learned combination of cold, dry, scholastic phrases.
The concerts of Messrs. Lewy, Krähmer and his lady, and of Miss Salamon, were very well attended; the first-named gentleman displayed his whole skill in a divertimento with the piano, by Thalberg; in a concerted duet between bassoon and piano; and also in a vocal piece, sung by Madlle. Heinefetter, accompanied by the same instruments. This mode of accompaniment with the tinkling of a piano, and a little horn, violoncello, or bassoon ‘sauce,’ which is gaining daily more ground in all Musical Academies—these pretty sort of instrumental duos and trios, however pleasant in a room, begin to be vastly tiresome and sickening in concerts. Mr. Krähmer and his lady played a concertante for the oboe and clarinet, with great taste, also solo variations on the czakan. Madame K. also played a violin rondo of Kreutzer, with a masculine power of bow, and the most vigorous precision; and in Beethoven’s Adelaide, which she gave on the clarinet with the greatest tenderness and feeling, we missed nothing but the text of the poem. A Polish family of artists, of the name of Kontsky, consisting of five branches, has created a great sensation here. Eugenie is a pleasing, cultivated singer. Anton, a pupil of Field, is a fine pianist, and instructor of his younger brother Stanislaus, who is only ten years old; Carl, who wields the violin with the hand of a master, is again the teacher of his younger brother Apollinar, who, although but seven years old, already creates surprise by his performance.
The Tonkünstler Societät (Society of Musicians) has brought out a new oratorio entitled Jephtha’s Gelubde, (The Vow of Jephtha,) composed by the court organist Assmayr. The poem is somewhat homely, but the composer has done all that could reasonably be expected, and has shown himself particularly conversant with the fugue style. The individuals of the orchestra and chorus establishments of the Kärnthnerthortheater have opened series of four subscription concerts, under the title of the Künstler Verein (union of artists). Among a variety of classic works of Beethoven, Mozart, C. M. von Weber, Cherubini, &c., some compositions of Mr. Lachner, their director, consisting of a symphony, a duet from his Cantata, ‘The four ages of mankind,’ together with some other works of his, were received with high approbation.
Although Vienna may justly boast of excellence in musical performances at all times, all parties nevertheless concur in opinion, that these performances excelled all previous ones, and that a composer may consider himself fortunate, if his works are seized with such deep feeling, and executed with such zeal, and a union of such masterly skill. The two movements from Beethoven’s last Mass, hitherto unknown to the public, appeared somewhat strange in their effect. The violin solo in this Mass, played by Mayseder with a rich bell-like tone, yet unembellished, raised expectations which were not realized: no one ventured an expression of censure, all was silent. This indeed was the most prudent course; and a critical judge observed very properly, ‘We hear all that this immortal master produced in the latest period of his active career, without being able to understand and relish his novel conceptions, because we have not yet arrived at the point of view from which the work is to be surveyed and judged of. We hear it for a second time, and individual passages begin to become luminous and clear; we hear it frequently, and then only we are struck with admiration and astonishment. Beethoven has made giant strides in advance of all of us: he will be better understood by a succeeding generation.’
The Concerts Spirituels were also of first-rate excellence. It would be superfluous to notice the numerous classic compositions of Mozart, Cherubini, Beethoven, C. M. von Weber, Vogler, and other great masters, which constituted the rich bills of fare; but a new Te Deum laudamus, by Tomascheck, must not be passed over in silence, although its merit can only be critically judged of when it shall have been published; it is grand and original, like every thing else produced by this great master.—Our Dance-Orpheus, Strauss, has lately launched a new set of waltzes, for the christening of which the whole of the Vienna public were invited to stand godfathers and godmothers. These waltzes were to be produced for the first time for his own benefit. Every visitor, on paying for his admission, had the privilege of giving in any title which he might like best. At the awful hour of midnight lots were drawn for the title to be adopted, and chance decreed it to be Tausend Sapperments Walzer[90], under which name the new-born child has already begun its terrestrial career.