THE MUSICIAN ABOUT TOWN. 499 
show what a host of notes could be squeezed into a bar of “ presto” 
time, and that he could articulate them ; for the movement itself 
might with propriety have emanated from a lunatic asylum. The 
compositions we have hitherto heard from the pen of Liszt have not 
impressed us with admiration commensurate with the immense fame 
he has acquired. One specimen of the old school of writing, played 
by Mr. Moscheles, proved highly interesting on account of its 
quaintly pleasing character: and that was a fantasia by Orlando 
Gibbons, adapted from the old virginal book, by John Cramer. A 
pastoral variation in one of the movements is extremely agreeable. 
The composition was also interesting inasmuch as it exhibits the ad- 
vance which had been accomplished in manual execution so early as 
the sixteenth century. 
One of the new compositions performed at these musical mati- 
nées, was a sonata for piano forte and violoncello, by Mendelssohn : 
his Op. 45, and, we believe, latest work. The piece is conceived 
throughout perfectly in the sonata style ; elegant and flowing, and 
admirably adapted to display the powers of the two instruments for 
which it is written. In the first movement, the composer appears 
to have been haunted by a favourite passage of melody in a romance 
by poor Malibran, called, we think, “Rien n’est doux comme la 
voix qui dit, Je t'aime.” We remember hearing Mendelssohn take 
the same subject for an extempore fantasia when Malibran was pre- 
sent, incorporating it with two other subjects from her romances, 
which she had been singing, and treating them with that astonishing 
power for amplification and combination, which renders him the 
most accomplished extempore player of the present day. 
At the same concert Mr. Moscheles introduced a new serenade by 
Hummel, upon favourite subjects from Mozart, Haydn, Cherubini, 
and Spontini. The piece was arranged for a quintett band, con- 
sisting of piano forte, violin, harp, clarinet, and bassoon ; and played 
with exquisite union of tone by Messrs. Moscheles, Blagrove, 
Wright, Willman, and Baumann. The vocal department at these 
concerts has been judiciously appointed, both as regards the selec- 
tion and the singers. he latter were Miss Masson, Miss Dolby, 
Mrs. Toulmin, Miss Hawes, Miss Kroff, Mr. Parry, jun. and 
Alfred Novello. Much may be expected from Miss Dolby, judging 
by the very creditable manner in which she sang the “ Ah! perfida”’ 
of Beethoven, and which was transposed one-third below the origi- 
nal key of £ flat, to accommodate her compass, being a mezzo sopra- 
no. This young lady (one of the Academy pupils) possesses four 
important requisites to form a successful vocalist: a rich and full 
