SYDNEY PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY. - (original) (raw)

Tim llrat oonoort for tho prosont aotmon was givon last ovonitw.

Long before tlio time appolntoil for the commoncoraent, tho hall

was orowdod to oxoess, and seldom huve wo seen in Sydney a

moro brilliant assembly. The thanks of all lovers of muslo aro

duo >to - tho praisoworthy attempts . of this soolety to

advance t-.o canBO of tho soionco and art. of that

branch of diurnal recroation that most tends ta

elevato - the mind, and to raise tito soul to a point

ahovo tito ordinary dull and dreary routine of :worldIy cares and

.everyday lifo, with all their attendants of " envy, hatred, and all

uncharitableness." In noticing the performances of a prlvato

amatour BOO!ely, tho erltio has loss to regard tho moro oxooulion

of any particular piece than ' tho objects for whioh

such society has been founded. It would bo ? as

uncharitable as ttrijuat if wa wore to reqnlre from

amatours Ute same standard of porf otion ns wo aro taught to ex-

pect from publio performers, whoso solo objeot ia,tho amnso

mont of au audience.. Wo must be oontent to receive tito im-

provement offered to us, without carping at tho inatrumonls by

moans of which wo arrive at so desirable a result. Of whom do

tho m tnbors of tho l'hltbarmonia Sooiety consist? Principally

of merchants and professional gentlemen who . havo

mot together, Tinoreasing . gradually In numbers

their object-tho practice of ' muslo, and its' ' extension

and diffusion in society. Engaged as tho members are in th lr

various and irksome panmlta, aro wo to axpoct from thom tho

samo degree of precision tbnt wo look for from thoso who oro

enabled to dovoto thelr'whole timo to tho study of what reqnlroa

a lifo thoroughly to hooomo mastor of? And shall we not bosa'is

flsd if tho results wo look for are a talned, even if somo indi-

vidual concert bo less artistically èarrlod out than tho similar

entertainments provided by professional artistos. Narorlholoss,

if lenient ou this point, wo do sincerely hooe that tho oommltloo

-if thoy aro oarneat in tholr endeavours for the publio weal-will

not shrink from tho oxcrtion of inculcating a tasto for good

classical muslo ; lo' thom notyiold to popular taste, but lot I hem

-oven if ropoatedly unsuccessful-rulso that tasto to a blghor

. Tho oonoort of last ovening prosontod a few Interesting fea-

tures. Tho Allegro movement of Mozart's Jupltor" Symphony,

was, in our-estimation, taken rather too slow; Weber's Ovor

taro to "Earyantbo" though no laastorpiooo of execution, yot

showed a desire for making some, of tho raro goms. of muslo .

known to a Sydnoy oudloñoe. Wo hope to see iii futuro'program-

mes a greater uso made of tho material at tho Society's disposi-

tion In the production of good choruses from tho classical masters;

the modern Italian Behool ploasoB without cultivating tho tasto ;

tho latter point must be the loadstone that wo aro to aim at pos-

sessing. Tho ohorus from' " Ernani" was ancorod. Madame

Rawack's brilliant performance of Thalberg's "Sonnambula".

fantasia, elicited very deservedly an encore. We hope that this

truly gifted artiste will permit us to judge of her execution of the

classical masters. She likewise must aid in the

mission of regeneration. Tho Gorman quartett Booiety wera

notso successful,a* usual in their first effort, having commenced

at least a lona too high. In l'rauz Abt's beautiful m ar oh "Frisch

ouf, Kamoraden," they word quito ar homo, and well merited tho

encore thoy rocoivod. Wo regretted that wo had not the oppor-

tunity of hearing Mr. Spagnoletti, whom IllnesB prevont'd as-

sisting at this Concert: in hisjitoad Mr. Walter Sherwin sang tho

recitativo and aria from'-oonambnld," All Is lost now," ¿ko. In

futura attempts wo hope that our National Anthem may bo con-

fined to ohorus and orchestra. , , . . , .