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v^m iSSO THE LEADER. ^»
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Tlie RoTAi, Italian Opera, at the Lyceum...
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THE HANDEL FESTIVAL: GRYSTAL PAIiACE. We...
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THE COLOGNE CIIOHAL UNION. We were allud...
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Ok Thurs day evening, Mr. G. W. Mahtin, ...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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History Of The English Constitution. A C...
? « n ( V « M . a tkst the Plantagenets were forced to sorrender , and the Tudors n ^ er dW miof seiwng . Tet tbi * ty ranmcal d ^ spet is still n ^ urned over S i man , an insnlted sovereign , and a glonfied martyr . Jev er ^ nrtn ^ Nornrati Conquest had England been so degraded . « Londoners could not ^ tSad ^ ereXyIiked ,-oblerveS Mr . Howley , " nor cpuld trades-Sen in the City nave shops where they liked . The king thought it a Sendid slant to behold non * but goldsmiths' shops m Clieapside , and as a few shops lelongiug . to other trades broke the row of ^ ghttering jymdows , thlPiiVy CourTci ^ at the royal desire , asked the judge to certify . what statutes and laws there were to compel the goldsmiths to locate themselves In Cheapside and L ombard-streets . Whatever the answer of tbe fudees may baveTbeen , the Privy CoubcJL some years afterwards wrote letters to tke Lori Mayor and ; Aldermen of London , reprimanding them for their remissnesa ia bringing all the goldsmiths to Cheapside and Lombard-street , and removing all other trades from those streets . Ihe independent legislative po ^ er of the Crown was especially hostile to free trade Proclamations were issued against making starch irom wheat , the importation of alum , and the exportation of corn , regulating the sale of cOap , gunpowder , and tobacco , and limiting the prices of . poultry , rabbits , nnd butter . The nobility and gentry were commanded to leave London , and to repair to their mansions in , the country ; and evidence exists toshow that the "Court of Star Chamber fined many of them for disobedience . There "were many other proclamations , which must have irritated the aristocracy It was vexatious to be told not to vide a horse with a snaffle bit , nor shoot partridges -with the aid of " a setter , nor use a trawl net in fishing , nor wear a hat styled a demi-castor . " We have happily escaped the petty nnisancesr of legislation , afcove all we have escaped regal independent legis-Sio ^ A study of the » Petition of Rights , " the " Bill of Rights , " and the Act of Settlement , " which form separate chapters m this work , will nive the reader who is not familiar with Iiallam , an idea of the groundwork of the liberty he enjoys . It is , lowever , the general history of his country that tte student must consult to obtain a real knowledge of the manner in which those free institutions that form the fabric of the British Constitution have been built up and welded together .
V^M Isso The Leader. ^»
v ^ m iSSO THE LEADER . ^»
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Tlie Rotai, Italian Opera, At The Lyceum...
Tlie RoTAi , Italian Opera , at the Lyceum , opened with something less than , no novelty ; for it gave the Purkani without Mario or Lablache . ! Madame Gkisi is still the Elvira of other days , and even now has not her equal in those , characteristic qualities which are beyond the reach of time : Signor Gabtdomi is-a very pleasing singer , but on this occasion Ids voice was fatigued or affected with cold ; and Signor Gkaziani , who seems inseparable from Tlmio jBa / e * , was too hoarse to sing one half the music , and incapable of doing justice to the other : Signor Tm 3 liafico is always satisfactory and effective , but somehow we always , miss Lablache in that fine old Puritan dress . The opening night was on the . whole not very lively , but the performance of N ' orma on Thursday was infinitely superior . Gakdoni was in better voice , and Guisi is still nearer to perfection , than any of the singers who now contend for her supremacy . Bonconi appear * this evening in Maria di Rohan , and the Trovatore is coming , witlvMABio , and Grisi as the Leonora . The truth remains , however , that at the Lyceum , tne public is wanting , and ; without the public the Opera may be as select—it ram the risk-of being also as dull—as a drawing-room . Without the public , too Opera is an exotic deprived of vrarmth and air-(
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, ¦ ¦ ., ¦ '¦'¦ . ¦ ¦ " ¦¦ ¦ . ¦ " . . ¦ "¦" . ' ¦ ' ¦ ¦ THE OPERAS . mra i ^ The Old House in the Haymarket opened on Tuesday last , under the happiest and most encouraging aus | icesr with a brilliant and crowded audience , and a Performance that amply fulfilled the highest expectations , The ^ ne ^ tenor , SoVGiugxini , may 4 emphatically and distinctively pronounced a c / mrr ^ Ser . Oniris appearance us a Novice in tlie first act , there was something in the priestly cast of bis head and features that lent a romantic interest to Fernando who received tbe welcome of an assured success . And we may at once say that the anticipation was not destined to be disappointed . In the air " Una virgin un anatl" there was a perceptible and very excusable tremor m the voice which m a BUght Sree ? afle ? ted . the freedom and certainty of its delivery , and wluch . be- , trayed itself in a disposition to hurry the time , and in one passage perhaps to sacrifice the truth of the music to a doubtful ornament where perfect simplicity was desired i but this may be charged to the inevitable emotion of ^ tho singer bearing the feurden of a thousand favourable rumours , and presenting himself before an audience inferior to none in Europe . . There was more than enough , however , in the first notes of the singer , to satisfv the most exacting critics that here was at least a clear , resh , rich tenor ¦ voicef full of youth and promise , already well disciplined and not yet stramed , bavins all the delicious reediness in the higher tones , and something of the bellliko vibration in the middle voice which constitute that exceptional organism , a pure tenor . The transition , from the chest to the head voice was managed with perfect ease and without a break , and the sotto voce , tlie smorzando more especially , proved the accomplished method of tbe singer as well as the delicacy and beauty of his voice . In the great scene of the second act , where Fernando discovering his shame , and furious at the sneera of the Court and the dishonour heaped upon him by the King , dashes down the badges of bis disgrace and breaks his sword across his knee— " Car vous etes le roiT—Signor Giuolini displayed an energy and spirit for which , we confess , his manner in tbe first act had scarcely prepared us ; but it was in the concluding act , one of the most affecting situations in tlio whole range of the lyric drama , that the new Tenor may be fairly said to have ' brought the house down . ' He was rapturously encored in that exquisitely touching romance , Spirto gentil ( Align si } W ) , and he sang it the second time even better than the first—with infinite grace of manner and purity of stylo . Tlio chastened but not conquered passion , the subdued despair , the secret tenderness , the Buprcme melancholy not untinged with bitterness , were all expressed by the finished ait of the singer , and the effect upon tlio audience waa audible in their silence not less than in their applause . In the concluding duo where Fernando , reconciled to Leonora , beseeches her to fly from the convent— V a dans une autre patrie /—Signer Giugi . ini sang with a warmth of expression and an abandonment to the emotion of tho scene which were all the more remarkable since in the earlier scenes of the opera his demeanour , and even his voice ( clear as crystal as it is ) might have been accused of a certain coldness , more like the cloister than the stage . That Signor Gioomni is not yet a great dramatic artist , or a perfect singer , we are not disposed to deny , ho seems a little inclined to Bing from the throat rather than from the chest , his falsetto ( Tor which he lias happily little use ) appears weak and wavexing ; and his action is occasionally embarrassed and constrained . But ho has all the promise , and more than tlie promise , o a fine dramatic singer , who may one day take rank among the illustrious names which Italy has contributed to the lyric stage . Let him only persevere in study , follow the best models , sing the best music , and before the best audiences , and his success will be aa lasting as it is already sure . Madlle . SricziA , who made h « r dibut in London as Leonora , we shall bo glad to hear again before we pronounce a more positiyo opinion upon her merits . At present we may speak of her aa a singer not without charm and power , witli a voice deeper than a Boprano , a little worn perhaps , a little too much disposed to coo , buthaariBg ita fine moments , and in a high sense serviceable and effectivo ; while as an actress Madlle . Sjpezia is conspicuous for energy and intelligence .
She has been very well received , and we doubt not will gain m favour as the season proceeds . ¦ . ¦ ..- -. . ..- •* u i . ~ j Signor Viaxetti :, the new basso profendo , is a positive acquisition ; he had not much to do in tlie . Favorita , but wherever his voice was heard , id , waa fovaxd to be deep , weighty , and well-toned , and his acting was dignified and impressive . Sienor Beneven-jano , whom we remember not very agreeably as the heavy father in L a Traviata , has not gofc over his disposition to bellow—we are sorry we can find no other word to express the constant tendency to exaggeration in Ms singing ; but on the whole ,-as Alfonso , he seemed to ua certainly unproved ; and if he will only moderate his prodigious force of lungs , and take the stage * little less superbly , lie may yet become an acceptable , as he certainly is- a useful , member of the company . The orchestra is unmistakably better than last year ; it is more in hand , and plays with more discretion , and delicacy , and with undxminished vigour : we will only whisper a , protest against tile occasional excess . of the brass . The chorus was , for the most part , steady and efficient . . If Madlle . Carolina PqcciiiNr , the Esmeralda of this season , cannot make us forget the dreamy , voluptuous grace and exquisite refinement of the ^ incoiaparable Cariotta . Giusi , she is , at any rate , in complete command of all taa secrets and difficulties of the art . She dunces with a degree of self-possession , of fearless freedom , of precision , vigour , of neatness , of aplomb , only belonging to the very few ; and if she does not always charm , she never disappoints ^ The Favorita was repeated on Thursday , and will be given to-night . Madlle . Piccolomihi will appeaT on Tuesday next in the Figlia del Reggwiento , and on Thursday in the Traviata . Lucia di Lammermoor will ^^ be the first new part in which this bright young Star of Sienna will appear . Bon Giovanni , with the extraordinary trio , PiccoLoaitNi , Spezia , Outolani , and GiOrglini as Don Ottavto , will speedily follow , and last not least , Albosi is dailyexpected . The season promises to be quite a revival of the Golden Age of Her Majesty ' s Tkeatbe .
The Handel Festival: Grystal Paiiace. We...
THE HANDEL FESTIVAL : GRYSTAL PAIiACE . We abstract from a very interesting article in the Times a . report of the preparations for this great musical solemnity : — Tina important undertaking gradually advances , arid promises a result which , the Festival of 1857 is to be simply a preliminary essay , to test tlie possibility of still greater things in 1859 ( tlie centenary anniversary of Handel ' s death ) , will lead to expectations witll respect to the latter by no means easy to realise . ~ ' ¦ ' ' ' ,-. , - Duvinc the last few weeks material progress lias been made . The metropolitan division of tlie chorus has terminated in the selection of 1100 picked voices . Each applicant for a ¦< place in the chorus , before being admitted , hits been tried at the pianoforte , the compass ana quality of voices , or efficiency at sight-reading , and other essential gifts being registered , so as to guarantee the ultimate choice of the mast efficient . The " 1100 " have already passed the ordeal of two rehearsals at Exeter Hall , under tlie superintendence of .. Mr . Costa , m choruses of Israel in Egypt and The Messiah respectively ; and on Wednesday evening last the third oratorio , Judas Maccabmus , was submitted to a similar experiment . lm provincial branches of the chorus are forming in tlie principal cities and towns ot Gieat Britain under the guidance of professors and amateurs of acknowledged ability . Tbe numbers and distribution of tlie orchestra arc already determined on . There mlL be 76 first violins , 74 second violins , 50 violas , 50 violoncellos , and 50 doublo-bassca ( in all 300 stringed instruments ); 9 flutes , 0 oboes , 0 clarionets , 9 bassoons , 12 liornn , 12 trumpets and cornets , 9 trombones , 3 ophicleides , 9 serpents and bass-horns , 3 drums , and 6 sidedrums ( 90 wind instruments)—a force hitherto unprecedented . . The organ , constructed expressly for the occasion by Messrs . Gray and Davison , will be one of great power and on an appropriately gigantic scale . The org . nn will occupy a platform in the Crystal Palace of 40 licet wide by 24 deep , which will not only afford sufficient room for tlie pipes to speak , but ample passage between each division , so that any department of tlie immense harmonious structure can be approached without difficulty and at an instant ' s notice . The erection of the or ^ an at the Crystal Palace began on Wednesday inC The orchestra , already completed , occupies a space of 108 feet in width ( just 88 foot wiiler tluvn Exeter Hall ) , and 90 feet in depth . The seats for tlie performers arc gradually raised one above another , so . that every instrumentalist and vocalist can have a full view of tlici ' r conductor . The band will bo in front , the chorus at the back . We sball continue to report progress as the preparations approach completion . For the present we remind our readers that the three days of the Festival are to be Monday , Jane 15 , -when the Messiafi will be given ; Wednesday , June 17 ( Judas Maccabaua ); and Friday , June 19 ( jarosL in E < jypC ) . The total number of performers engaged ia this colossal concert will be two thousand five hundred . I } j . i ,
The Cologne Ciiohal Union. We Were Allud...
THE COLOGNE CIIOHAL UNION . We were alluding the other dny to the performances of the Cologne Choral Union and to their influence upon pure musical taste in this metropolis . We are now happily enabled to announce that this celebrated society , tlie most distinguished of the innumerable vocal associations of Germany , will reviait this country in tho month of May next , under the felicitous auspices of Mr . Mitchell . Their stay , however , will be necessarily limited to a fow days only ; we trust our readers will not lose the opportunity . The first concert-will take place on Monday , tho 25 th of May .
Ok Thurs Day Evening, Mr. G. W. Mahtin, ...
Ok Thurs day evening , Mr . G . W . Mahtin , who has distinguished himself for some years past as tlie writer of Prize Glees , gave a performance of his moat successful compositions at Exeter Ham .. A corps of as many aa two hundred male and female voices wus engaged for the occasion ; and the effect was highly creditable to the composer and to tlio executants . Tho gratification of the audience was enhanced by a duet for two pianofortes , admirably played by Mr . Benedict and Mr . Lindsay Sloven .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), April 18, 1857, page 19, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_18041857/page/19/
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