feelings when we went to the Royal Italian Opera to witness the debut of Malle. Patti. We had read about the lady in foreign journals, and had written about her no later than last week; but, although all we had read was highly eulogistic, and though we presented her in the most favorable light to the reader-as far we were enabled to do, not having heard her, without compromising ourselves-we were by no means sanguine as to the result. The general audience, of course, who knew nothing whatsoever about Miss Adelina Patti, was apathetic in the extreme, and there was not the least excitement manifested. The theater, though subsequently full, at first, indeed, was badly attended, and little interest or curiosity was betokened for the débutante. A few, however, who learned what had taken place at rehearsal, were anxious and excited, and these were her solitary friends; and so Malle. Adelina Patti made her first appearance in England with little or no hope or expectation from any feeling previously created in her favor. Never did singer make her début in this country with so little known of her antecedents, and with so little stir made about her beforehand. Generally speaking, a new candidate for lyric and dramatic honors, as soon as announced, becomes the topic in musical circles, and affords matter for speculation in clubs and drawing-rooms. A new 'first lady' in the operatic world is a great fact, and subscribers prepare their opera-glasses as astronomers their telescopes on the advent of an unexpected comet. Malle. Patti, however, had not figured in the programme of the season, and her name had only appeared four days in advance of her début, and without a single remark in the advertisements. Not only was the young lady unheralded by puff of any kind, but the usual, indeed indispensable, statement as to who she was, and where she came from, was omitted altogether. Did the director, assured of success, follow this unprecedented mode of securing a sensation? Or did he fear for the result, and so hold his peace? We think the latter most probable, as the temptation to disclosure involved in the complete conviction of having something great to exhibit, would be almost too much for managerial forbearance. Mdlle. Adelina Patti, we may therefore conclude, came out without any extraordinary hope on the part of the director-at all events until after rehearsal, when announcement was too late-and with no expectation on the part of the public. Never was surprise greater, nor result more triumphant. Malle. Patti was welcomed with the warmth due to her extreme youth and prepossessing appearance; but there was no enthusiasm. The utmost attention, however, was paid to the recitative preceding Amina's address to her companions, and the first hearing was satisfactory. The young artist for a moment or two betrayed nervousness; but she instantly shook off all fear, as if conscious of her strength, and executed a passage di bravura, which completely electrified the house. The audience was now, indeed, all ears, and Mdlle. Patti's success may be chronicled as a perfect climax, rising from the first scene, and attaining its culminating point in the famous rondo finale, Ah! non giunge.' What our opinions of the débutante are will be found in our notice of the young lady's performance in its proper place. Meanwhile, we may assert emphatically that Italian Opera has obtained an accession of strength in a certain line which we did not expect to witness in our own time. Mdlle. Adelina Patti is a triumphant refutation that art and genius have deserted the operatic stage. Having now obtained the legitimate successor of Bosio, Persiani -we were about to add (and why not?) Jenny Lind-why may we not look for another Pasta, Malibran, Catalani, Rubini, Tamburini, Lablache? Why should not the advent of Mdlle. Patti fill us with hope for the fortunes of Italian Opera? We may indulge imagination so far. At all events, we have experienced a new sensation, and that is something." MADAME GRISI is to sing Norma, "positively for the last time." She is, further, to sing Desdemona, Lucrezia, in Il Trovatore once, in Don Giovanni twice, in Les Huguenots twice-in all eight times, as by advertisement. She will sing four times more, says Rumor. In short, she appears resolute to sing to the last of her voice, of her farne, and of the world's pleasure.

MAD. JOHANNA WAGNER is said to be about to change her stage occupation, and, from having been a singer, to become a tragic

actress.

Ger

THE pianist Mortier de Fontaine has given concerts in Munich, many. He performed the piano part in the trio by Beethoven, in D op. 70. This is the only work of chamber music by this author which has been performed during the last winter in Munich.

A MUSICAL FESTIVAL will be held in Zurich (Switzerland) on the 25th, 26th, and 27th of June.

AN attempt is being made to revive the fortunes of opera at Naples and Milan. In the latter city, a new opera by Maestro Pedrotti, Guerra in quattro, is to be played during the spring.

NICOLAI'S opera "Der Templer," translated by Dangias, has been successfully produced in Antwerp. Nicolai composed this work under the title of "Il Templario," in Rome, before he composed the "Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor." It is quite Italian in style, and full of pleasing melodies.

A GERMAN paper tells its readers that "Ponsard, the celebrated author of an excellent method of singing, and Professor at the Conservatory in Paris, had accumulated a collection of instruments of all epochs, such as would not be seen in any other part of Europe. The City of Paris has purchased this precious collection and presented it to the Conservatory." We simply remark, to this bit of information, that Mr. Ponsard, Member of the French Academy, has nothing in common with Mr. Ponchard, Professor at the Conservatory, and that Mr. Ponchard, who for several years has not been teaching, has never written a Method. We further remark, that it is Mr. Clapisson, and not Mr. Ponchard, who owned the collection mentioned above, and that it is the Minister of State, and not the City of Paris, who purchased it. With the exception of these few rectifications, the notice in the German paper is perfectly

exact.

BOSTON.

Our Musical Correspondence.

JUNE 3, 1861.-Mlle. Gabrielle de la Motte, whohas been pursuing the class system of piano-forte teaching in our city for four or five years, gave a musical soirée last week at her residence, assisted by some of her pupils. The majority of pieces performed showed that Mlle. de la Motte has labored to educate her pupils' taste as well as finger dexterity. This is especially valuable as the great majority of our Boston teachers seem to have forgotten that the development of execution is of very little worth if it be done at the sacrifice of conception and expression, or representation. It seems to us that the selection of music for the pupil's study is one of the most important and most difficult parts of the duty of a music teacher, (and perhaps it is the one most neglected of all.) We presume to say no two pupils ever existed to whom the same course of study in every respect would be equally applicable or conducive to progress. It is plain, therefore, that the same selections will not do for every pupil, and also that it is only by careful persevering study of the pupil-his tastes, capabilities, inclinations, &c., that a judicious selection of pieces for his study can be made. The bent of one's natural genius may be toward Beethoven or Bach, while another of equal technical ability, will find those old veterans quite incomprehensible and at war with all his

musical susceptibilities, but will be in his element with Chopin or Liszt. This is of course only one consideration, there are others equally important. It is just here we think that Mlle. de la Motte excels. She seems to deal with her pupils intelligently, from an accurate knowledge of their musical habits, inclinations, and tastes, as well as their stage of advancement. We can not sympathize with all her ideas in favor of the class system of piano teaching. Nor do we think, as some critics seem to, that she has "completely vindicated the excellence of her system of instruction;" on the contrary, it is our firm opinion that if the young ladies who played at the soirée had enjoyed Mlle. de la Motte's private instruction for the same length of time, they would have done much better even than they have, and this for several reasons; but we will not enlarge. It is so much of a comfort to find one thorough, conscientious teacher of music in these days of proverbial su perficiality, that we are in no mood to carp at minor differences.

Sig. Bendelari, assisted by some of his pupils, gave a very interesting concert a fortnight since. The programme consisted of solos, duos, quartets, &c., from the principal Italian operas. The performance was excellent, and must have been very gratifying to Sig. B. and his friends. Mrs. Harwood lent her valuable assistance. The proceeds were devoted to the fund for the families of volunteers. We learn that the proceeds of Mrs. Long's benefit concert were $329. Carl Zerrahn has commenced a series of Saturday eve concerts, the programmes of which are to be similar to those of the afternoon series just closed. He is assisted by the Germania Band under Heinicke. B.

BORN APRIL 14TH, 1807. DIED MARCH 28TH, 1861.

(Translated expressly for the London Musical World, from the Vienna Recensionen.) (CONCLUDED.)

Was it not by the irresistible power of fine singing that Staudigl charmed all opera-goers, as Edmund, in Nicolai's Heimkehr? The assumption of this part-which, as the first step to Staudigl's unfortunate mania of singing music distressingly high for him, was certainly a most fatal one-proved indescribably effective, on account of the dash and spirit he infused in it. Was it not the same power of song which enabled him to create so energetic an impersonation out of Rossini's Tell? We might name other parts; but our consideration of Staudigl as a histrionic singer has already led us very far, and we have still to speak of him viewed in a different light.

That Staudigl should, from time to time, have undertaken to instruct vocal aspirants, is simply a proof of his good nature. His lessons were never lucrative. His imitators, too, have not been fortunate, with the sole exception of the dilettante and Imperial vocalist, Panzer, who really has something of

the master about him.

Staudigl was invariably most unfortunate in all operatic matters with the guidance of which he was mixed up. At any rate, the fact of his being stage manager-in-chief could not effectually check the failure attendant on Pokorny's laudable speculation, which began so brilliantly. As a member of the committee at the Kärntnerthor Theatre, in 1848, he manifested the most active zeal without much greater success; while, as stage-manager-in chief there, under Holbein, he certainly reaped no laurels, although, as is usual in such regions, it was impossible to find out what the stage manager might do, as well as what he really had done and had neglected to do.

Staudigl was always distinguished for his talent as a singer of sacred music-as distinguished, at least, as the partially defective management and organization of the Imperial Chapel at Vienna would allow him to be. His thorough musical education proved here of great use to him, and he was far from paying any respect to the tolerably general prejudice that sacred music should be sung without expression.

This last remark calls to our remembrance the admiration universally and justly entertained for Staudigl as an oratorio-singer. In the concert-room the singer, in his black dress-coat, with his music in his hand, together with the narrative form in which recitative runs, all necessitate a kind of expression somewhat different from that employed in the operatic style. When, however, narrative rises to animated description; when prayer assumes a more than ordinarily pressing and urgent tone; when some deeply-moving situation is depicted, and music is to be the interpreter of the singer's continually changing emotions, a greater amount of vivacity in words and tone, and a highly dramatically-objective expression, properly so called, may be justi

fiable even in oratorio. The most reassuring guarantee that Staudigl would, in most cases, not overstep the proper limit, was afforded by his own moderation as an individual. It is therefore far from astonishing that many per sons should maintain that oratorio was more especially suited to his talent; but in saying this, and in awarding more than due praise to the oratoriosinger, they were plainly guilty of injustice to the theatrical singer. It was more especially in oratorio than his mode of delivering the recitative showed how much of his inspiration he drew from the exciting influence of the stage,

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After oratorio comes the concert-room, with its airs, its ballads and its songs of all sorts-an endless field in which much that is good is mixed with a great deal that is worthless and absurd. For a long series of years did Staudigl labor in this branch of his profession; and our sketch would be incomplete if, after having described the histrionic singer, as well as the master in the sacred and semi-sacred style, we were not also to mention the world-renowned song-singer, (" Liedersänger.") In his mode of singing songs, we again come across all the good qualities and some of the defects we have already mentioned, namely, beauty of tone, correctness, warmth of expres sion, and clearness of exposition, but at the same time, touches of the Viennese dialect and a partial dragging of the time, for the purpose of showing off his voice. His conception was certain, intelligent, and calculated for dramatic effect, such as was not adapted, perhaps, to the alla camera expression of the "Lied," taken in its original acceptation, but admirably suited to the enlarged proportions which it has now assumed.

There was sometimes, it is true, just cause for complaint that, in the choice of his songs, as well as in the other details of his professional labors, Staudigl was not sufficiently penetrated by true artistic feeling; but, on the other hand, we must, in mere justice to him, recollect that the period when his powers were in their prime was the period of "virtuosity," a period when our musically-renowned Vienna was in a state of musical incapacity. Had Staudigl, whose mind was for five years plunged in darkness, been able to take part in the great change for the better which came over musical matters during the years of his affliction, it is very certain that he would have valiantly aided in rebuilding the new temple of music in Vienna; for, though he had undoubtedly sung rubbish enough in his day, he not only sang good music well, but was fond of singing it, and greatly pleased whenever he had an opportunity of doing so.

THE MARSEILLAISE.

THE question as to who is the real composer of the "Marseillaise," is again raised. A correspondent of the Gartenlaube, a Leipsic paper, asserts it to be composed by a German, Holtzmann of Meersburg, Hof-Capellmeister of the Count Palatine. The organist, Herr Hamma, at Meersburg, is said to have discovered Holtzmann's manuscript, which leads to the curious result that the song, afterwards known as the "Marseillaise," was originally sacred music, and copied by Rouget de Lisle from Holtzmaun's Credo in his "Missa Solennis," No. 4, and adapted to his words. It was always wondered how a dilettante in music, like the engineer-officer Rouget, could have produced in a couple of hours, in one night, such a splendid poem of many stanzas in the most perfect poetical form, and at the same time the beautiful air, without which the song, although fiery and enthusiastic, would hardly have acquired its historical fame. It was, therefore, always supposed that Rouget made use of a musical reminiscence for his words. But whence the reminiscence of such a fine air, was a question which puzzled many a critic. During the last two or three years, it has particularly occupied the French musical savans, especially MM. Kastner and Castil-Blaze. Prof. Bischoff, of Cologne, in reference to this new discovery, publishes a short historico-critical treatise on the subject, in the Kölner Zeitung, from which we gather a few more interesting facts. So long ago as the years 1793-8, a rumor was current that the tune of the French National Hymn was a German air; it went so far as to ascribe poem and melody to George Forster. This rumor was hushed for a long time, till it rose again in 1830, when the "Parisienne" was sung to an air notoriously German-a German national song, well known to the English-German Legion and the Hanoverian troops in 1814-15. At that time a note was found in Bouchey and Roux's "Histoire Parliamentaire de la Révolution," (xvii., p. 204,) to the effect that the "Marseillaise" had originally been composed by a German for Biron's army. In contradiction to this, Rouget de Lisle says himself, in a collection of French songs:-"I made the air and the words of the song at Strasburg in the night following the declaration of war, end of April, 1792." It is related that the daughter of the Maire Dietrich played it on the piano on the following morning. M.