MANCHESTER MUSICAL FESTIVAL.--This great festival--one of the greatest
and finest musical events that ever occurred in Manchester--was held in
the magnificent hall of the Anti-Corn-law League, the length of which is
135 feet, the breadth 102 feet, inclosing an area of about 14,000 square
feet. The services of all our principal vocal artists were secured. The
_soprani_ were Miss Clara Novello and Miss Rainforth; the _alto_ or
_mezzo soprano_, Mrs Alfred Shaw; the _tenori_, Mr Braham and Mr James
Bennett; and the _basso_, Mr Henry Phillips. The choir was the most
complete and efficient one ever collected in Manchester, and consisted
of nearly the whole of the vocal members of the Manchester Choral
Society and the Hargreaves Choral Society, with some valuable additions
from the choirs of Bury and other neighbouring towns, and from gentlemen
amateurs, conversant with Handel. The _Messiah_ was the performance of
Monday night; and, on the whole, was executed in a style worthy of that
great work of art, the conductor being Sir Henry Bishop, who wore his
robes as a musical bachelor of the University of Oxford. On Tuesday
there was a grand miscellaneous concert, the hall being even more
numerously attended than on the preceding evening, there not being fewer
than 3,500 persons present. This went off with very great satisfaction
to the very numerous auditory; and the _Manchester Guardian_ says, "As
to the general impression produced by this festival, we believe we do
not err in saying that there is but one opinion,--that it has been
throughout an eminently successful experiment. Sir Henry Bishop, we
understand, said that he never heard choruses sung with better effect in
his life; and that he considered the festival, as a musical performance,
most creditable to every one connected with it. As to the capabilities
of the hall for singing, we are informed that Miss Clara Novello has
declared that she never sang with more ease in any place in her life;
and we think the ease with which she did sing was obvious to all who
could see her countenance. We have asked many persons who sat in
different parts of the hall, especially in distant corners, and all
concur in saying that they heard most distinctly Miss Novello's softest
and faintest notes."
MUSICAL INTELLIGENCE.--Rubini is about to establish an opera at St
Petersburg, and has engaged his old colleague, Tamburini, to assist him
in the enterprize. He has also engaged Signor Pisani, a young tenor of
great promise. Lablache will not appear at the opening of the Italian
Opera in Paris. He has gone to Naples, where he will remain for two
months, and where he is to be joined by his son-in-law, Thalberg. A
grand musical festival, which was to have taken place in Paris on
Thursday next, has been postponed till the beginning of October. It is
said that this festival will rival those of Germany in splendour.
The Hereford Musical Festival, which was held on Tuesday, Wednesday, and
Thursday, in All Saints Church, in consequence of the repairs going on
at the cathedral, was on a much smaller scale than of late years has
been usual with the three choirs, and the attendances at the various
performances were by no means so numerous as had been generally
expected; still, as the expenses had been studiously kept down, it is to
be hoped the receipts may cover them, or nearly so. The collections
after the three services amounted to 865_l._, being 200_l._ less than in
1840, but 50_l._ more than in 1837.--_Cheltenham Looker-on._
Rossini has just left Paris without its having been possible to procure
a note from him. Every effort has been fruitless. Unwilling to hear one
word said of music, Rossini has not even been to the Opera. He is
returning to Bologna, cured of a painful disease by Doctor Civiale, who,
with reason, seemed to him a far more important personage than Duprez.
It is said that Rossini replied to the great tenor, who asked him for a
part, "I have come too early, and you too late."--_French print._