SKETCH OF THE STATE OF MUSIC IN LONDON.

NOTHING'S

JUNE, 1825.

OTHING seems more unaccountable to those whose direction of mind or whose opportunities of observation forbid their devoting a pretty constant attention to the progress of musical affairs-nothing we say appears more unaccountable than the ebb and flow, the elevation and recession of professional exertion and of public favour. We do not recollect the season when either were at a much higher pitch than at the commencement of the year 1824-we have seldom seen more universal syptoms of languor than in 1825. But as in mechanics, action and re-action are said to be equal, so in all human transactions there is a compensating power which works similar effects. Effort is naturally succeeded by the desire of ease, and neither the mind of the pro▾ fessor nor of the public will bear more than a certain stimulus and a certain consequent exertion. When therefore we witness the employment of any extraordinary impulse, we expect it will be soon followed by relaxation, and particularly if disappoint ment and failure be among the results of the præternatural energy. The season of 1824 exhibited all this extraordinary impetus, and the season of 1825 exhibits no little of the reduction of power, which is the certain consequence of excess.

Of the events which signalized the season of 1824, the principal were the insolvency and emigration of Benelli, the sub-lessee of the King's Theatre, and the failure of the oratorios and concerts spirituels. Concerts there had been none of a permanent description, besides the Antient and Philharmonic. Of the affairs of the Opera-house we have spoken at large towards the close of our last volume. We shall now however resume the narrative, as the most important mart of music is certainly centered in the King's Theatre; for the performers and the performances there give much of the tone to the concerts, both private and public, in the metropolis and in the provinces.

* Vol. 6, page 514.

The engagements under which Mr. Ebers stood, both as lessee and to certain of the singers-the legal decisions upon actions brought against him before the Courts,* rendered it all but imperative upon him to open the house. He again applied to Mr. Ayrton, who was induced, at a very late period, to undertake the management, and we must say in justice to that gentleman, under almost every possible disadvantage. The legal decisions and private compromises which had held the lessee in suspense, had of necessity driven all the arrangements into such delay and disorder, that the director had little or no choice left him as to the selection of performers. The engagements which the opera circular announced were as follow:-Mesdames Ronzi di Begnis, Vestris, and Caradori; Signors Garcia, Curioni, Begrez, Remorini, Porto, Crivelli, Di Giovanni, Rubbi, and De Begnis, with a chorus of thirty-six voices; Signor Spagnoletti, leader, and Signor Coccia, composer and conductor. It was added that a negotiation with Madame Pasta was on foot.

No sooner however had the opening of the house been announced to take place on the 12th of February with Il Don Giovanni, than it was discovered that the north wall which supported the gallery was in an unsound condition, and the license was withheld until the building was pronounced on competent authority to have been rendered secure. In the mean while the little theatre at the Haymarket was prepared for the opera, and on the first of March the company opened with Le Nozze di Figaro. It scarcely falls within the limits of our plan to enter into the detail of the several performances. It is our part only. to convey general notions, except where any exraordinary incidents claim a place in our record. We must however incidentally

These ought to operate as a warning to future managers, who undertenant such concerns. Mr. Ebers, it appears, had signed engagements with most of the principal singers, having it in contemplation at that time to carry on the house himself. He subsequently lets it to Benelli, and there can be no question that in equity, Benelli took upon himself the payment of these engagements. But Benelli absconds, leaving these either wholly or in part unpaid, and Mr. Ebers finds himself compelled to discharge the arrears of salaries to performers, from whose services he could not possibly have derived any advantage, had the season been ever so successful. In our former article we stated all the obligations contracted by Benelli for the house at 60,000%. We since learn from authority upon which we can rely, that these obligations amounted to no less a sum than 83,000l. for the period he held the lease.

mention that both the first opera and the second, Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia, displayed a want of power in the company or in the manager, which left room for just complaint.

Mozart's opera was ruined by Madame Vestris taking the part of Susanna, while Porto, in whom there is not a particle of grace or vivacity, was the Almaviva. De Begnis's Figaro is perhaps one of the worst of all his characters, and Madame Caradori is as much too delicate in the Page as Vestris is too knowing and exuberant in the Chamber-maid; the rest of the characters were wretchedly allotted. Il Barbiere was lowered by the absence of Madame De Begnis, whose singing in Rosina is amongst the finest specimens of the art. Remorini is but a coarse Figaro. Garcia makes good amends in the Count, and we have seldom been more struck with his science than on hearing him in the beginning of the past month in this part, when affected by indisposition, ornament and transmute the original passages which he could not reach.

Generali's opera of Adelina was the first novelty of the season. This composition possesses many striking traits of melody, but is chiefly remarkable for having afforded the foundation of Rossini's manner. There can be no question that he has drawn much from this source, though it is not less evident that his fertility and his vivacity are far more certainly the consequences of his constitutional temperament than the effects of study or imitation.

We have abstained from any remarks on the causes of the indifferent cast of these first pieces, the world having been subsequently favoured with a document which throws a strong light upon the dissensions which always, more or less, tend to paralyze the exertions of the manager, and disappoint the hopes of the public. At the same time, the paper shows the difficulties Mr. Ayrton has had to encounter.

MR. EBERS feels it to be his duty to lay the following Correspondence before the Subscribers to the Opera, and the Public.

MY DEAR SIR,

KING'S THEATRE, APRIL 5th, 1825.

Last night, at the moment when a rehearsal of Cosi fan tutte ought to have commenced, I received a letter from Signor Curioni, announcing to me his determination not to accept the part of Guglielmo in that opera.

I by no means mention this refusal in terms of complaint: on the contrary, I am bound in candour to acknowledge, that the music assigned to the character which Signor Curioni rejects, is too low for his voice, and that in declining

it he has the plea of justification. My object in thus communicating with you is, to put you in possession of a few facts, and to refresh your memory concerning some others, in order that you also may be enabled to justify yourself to the public, in case any delay should take place in producing new works, or in reviving operas that have not lately been performed.

When, on the 11th of last February, I became once more Director of the` King's Theatre, I found the opera of Don Giovanni already announced for the opening of the house on the following Saturday. You had then engaged Mrs. Gattie, but her illness made it necessary to postpone the commencement of the season in order to supply her place.

After encountering some difficulties, I was fortunate enough to conclude an arrangement with Madame Castelli, by which she agreed to accept the less important parts that might be allotted to her, provided she were first allowed to make her debut as Elvira in Don Giovanni, or as Despina in Cosi fan tutte. Much as I wished to avoid giving the former opera early in the season, I nevertheless directed the rehearsals of it to be renewed, that Madame Castelli might make her appearance, and then be employed in other characters; when a bar was suddenly opposed to all our proceedings, by the reported danger of the house, and the repairs consequent thereon. The Haymarket Theatre was immediately engaged, pro tempore; but, at the moment that the preparations for opening it were completed, Signor Garcia was attacked by a cough, and rendered useless. Another opera was speedily got up, during the second representation of which, Madame De Begnis declared herself incapable of singing the airs, and the public had to regret the loss of her services for upwards of a fortnight.

Thus deprived of the prima donna and the primo tenore, I was driven for refuge to that charming, though hacknied work, the Barbiere di Siviglia; but shortly afterwards, by dint of forced rehearsals, and resolute perseverance, was enabled to bring out L'Adelina, and also L'Italiana in Algeri, reduced for the occasion to one act.

I now looked forward to the leisure week preceding Easter, as a period in which much might be done towards opening the King's Theatre with eclât. I was, however, destined to experience another mortifying disappointment, for Signor and Madame De Begnis demanded the performance of a condition in their engagement, by which they were released from the necessity of attending any rehearsals during the Passion Week; a privilege which, after the injury you had sustained by the illness of the latter, it was reasonably hoped they would waive. Not the smallest advance therefore could be made, for Madame Vestris had set out for Paris, where her mother was lying dangerously ill, and M. Begrez was confined to his couch by a serious accident, from which he is not yet recovered.

Yesterday morning I had the first rehearsal of Cosi fan tutte, an opera that has not been performed for many years, and allotted the two characters, Ferrando and Guglielmo, to Siguors Curioni and Garcia. To my surprise the latter refused that which was assigned to him, claiming the other; and when, pro forma, I requested Signor Curioni to attempt the rejected part, he declined it, as I have stated above, finding it as much too low for his voice, as that of Ferrando is, I fear, too high for Signor Garcia's.

The ground on which the latter refuses to take the part given to him is, that it is written in the base clef. When first this admirable opera was produced in London, in 1811, Signor Tramezzani, a tenor, and one of the finest singers and actors that ever graced the lyric stage, took the character of Guglielmo. Signor Crivelli also, another tenor of the highest class, accepted the same in

1817; and M. Begrez, with a much higher voice than either of the former, has likewise performed it. Except in one instance, the part has never been sung at the King's Theatre but by a tenor, and with the few alterations that have always been made in it, is well suited to Signor Garcia, whose compass is extending downwards, and will not permit him to sing with due effect the part of Ferrando, which he chooses.

But how can Signor Garcia justify his refusal to take the character given to him, after he has so repeatedly sung, both in Paris and London, in that of Don Giovanni, which is quite as low as the other, and is also written in the base clef? What he denominates a base part (which is, in fact, a barytone,) is in his compass when it suits his own purpose, but it is out of his voice when the interests of Theatre alone are concerned.

In short, Signor Garcia, like other singers who have been long in this country, seems now to consider the theatre as a matter of secondary importance. A salary of twelve hundred and fifty pounds for a season of forty nights only, out of which he, most likely, will not be required to sing above five and twenty times, should have prompted him to devote zealously all his talents in aid of the establishment; ought to have induced him even to make sacrifices, if necessary, in order to manifest his gratitude to the subscribers who contribute so very liberally towards the support of a theatre which grants him such generous

terms.

Thus you will perceive that I am for the moment crippled; I have not the means of bringing out Cosi fan tutte, without much loss of time; and, until the effects of M. Begrez's accident cease, Don Giovanni cannot be performed: unless, therefore, he shortly recover, Madame Castelli's debut must be deferred, and I shall be, consequently, incapable of producing any opera on the 12th in which there is a subordinate soprano part, except such as have already been brought before the public this season.

I am, my Dear Sir,

Your very faithful Servant, JOHN EBERS, Esq. King's Theatre.

W. AYRTON.

Since the foregoing letter was received by Mr. Ebers, Signor Garcia has written to say, that he will take the part of Guglielmo, provided he is allowed to withdraw from La Semiramide, the opera in which Mad. Pasta is to appear immediately on her arrival in London.

To this proposal the following reply was sent by Mrs. Ebers.

M. EBERS est charmé d'apprendre que Signor Garcia n'a plus d'objection à accepter le rôle de Guglielmo dans Così fan tutte, qui a toujours été rempli en Angleterre par un Tenor, par Signors Trammezzani, Crivelli, et M. Begrez, quoique composé dans la même clef que celui de Don Giovanni, rôle que Signor Garcia a si souvent chanté. M. Ayrton fera faire une Répétition de cet opera demain à midi, à la quelle Signor Garcia sera régulièrement appelé.

M. Ebers ne peut donner aucune réponse positif à Signor Garcia relativement à Semiramide; M. Ayrton est le Directeur du Théatre, et M. Ebers lui a délégué ses pouvoirs. S'il est possible de monter Semiramide sans Signor Garcia, M. Ebers est certain que M. Ayrton se fera un plaisir de le dispenser de son rôle; mais M. Ayrton dans sa décision doit être guidé par ce qui est du aux Abonnés et au Public.

27, Old Bond-street. Ce Jeudi 7 Avril, 1825.

This was answered by the annexed note.

M. GARCIA voie bien par la réponse de M. Ebers, qu'il n'a pas bien compris, ou il ne veut pas comprendre, la proposition qu'il lui a fait de jouer le rôle