Nature and Art, July 1, 180().] 
MUSIC AT HOME AND ABROAD. 
59 
time, a proffered augmentation of his salary. The king of 
Wurtemberg, also, has lately been playing the Maecenas, 
like his two royal brethren. A new three-act opera, 
entitled Astorga, by Herr Abert, was successfully produced 
at the Theatre Royal, Stuttgart. The day after the first 
performance, the king sent for the composer, and, after 
conversing with him more than half an hour, and particular- 
ising those portions of the new work which more especially 
pleased him (the king), created Herr Abert Royal Musical 
Director ; a dignity highly prized by the musicians of a 
country where the rage for titles pervades all classes. 
In Vienna, VAfricain'e has been continuing its triumphal 
career. There is no doubt that this last clief-d’ oeuvre 
of Meyerbeer, has been a greater success on the Continent 
than it has hitherto proved in England. Since first pro- 
duced it has been- played in Madrid, Milan, St. Petersburg, 
Parma, Bologna, Pesth, Berlin, Vienna, Hanover, Darm- 
stadt, Coburg, Mannheim, Frankfort*on-the-Maine, Cologne, 
Nuremberg, Gotha, Leipsic, Wiemar, Schwerin, the Hague, 
Amsterdam, Brussels, Ghent, Brunswick, and a host of 
other places, too numerous to mention, besides finding its 
way across the Atlantic. But to return to music in Vienna : 
Bazin’s comic opera, entitled in German, Die Biese nach 
China, has proved a hit. The public were surprised and 
pleased to find that it was more of an opera, and less a 
piece of mere buffoonery, than the productions to which they 
have been aocustomed lately by composers of a certain 
school. Weber’s Preciosa was performed, after having 
been a long time absent from the bills, for the benefit of 
the wounded and the invalid soldiers of the Austrian army. 
The performance attracted a house crowded in every part, 
and brought in the net sum of 3,500 florins. The leading- 
artists of both Imperial Theatres lent their aid on the 
occasion, and some of the most celebrated names in the 
operatic annals of Vienna figured in the lists of mere chorus 
singers. A highly interesting performance also was given 
by the Italian company at the close of this season. In 
conformity with a practice becoming very prevalent of late, 
the entertainment, instead of consisting of one work, was a 
medley, made up of the fourth act of V Africaine; the great 
quartett and trio from Vltalia/no in Algiere ; the second 
act of a very popular ballet, Flick unci Flock ; and the 
second act of II Barbiere. M. Grisar’s operatta, Les Douze 
Innocentes, re-christened, Fin Dutzend Naiu/rlcinder, has 
greatly pleased at the theatre Unter Wien. Herr Starbeck, 
who was recently appointed Imperial Hof Kapell Meister, 
has written a mass which is very much admired. A few 
weeks ago there was hardly a place of amusement where 
the braying of the brass military bands was not heard : at 
present, stringed instruments alone are the rule. The 
military bands have been ordered off on active service with 
their respective regiments. 
In Berlin, there has not been any absolute novelty at the 
Royal Opera-house during the last month ; but two or three 
celebrated works have been revived with good results. First 
on the list comes Weber’s Preciosa. It is superfluous to 
say that the performance here was not for the benefit of the 
invalid and wounded soldiers of the Austrian army. It has 
been the fashion to laugh at the sentimental character of 
the book of Preciosa ; but, notwithstanding, the piece when 
well performed, always finds admirers. In 1811, Pius 
Alexander Wolff adapted it, as a spoken play, from the 
Spanish tale of La Gitanella, by Cervantes. When first 
performed at Hamburg, it proved an utter failure. Count 
Von Briihl, Intendant of the Theatres Royal, Berlin, in 
1820, liked it, however, and begged Weber — -then engaged 
on his Der Freischutz — to illustrate the play musically. 
Weber at first hesitated, but eventually consented. It 
would be superfluous to enter now on a criticism of the 
music ; but it is impossible not to be astounded at the 
inventive power possessed by the composer, when we reflect 
how rapidly he wrote the eleven pieces, illustrating the 
text. He was, however, attracted by the difference between 
the two subjects, and by the opportunity of employing a 
treatment quite distinct from that of Der Freischutz, yet 
not less pleasing-. On the 25th May, 1820, twelve days after 
Der Freischutz was finished, he commenced Preciosa. On 
the 15th July the work was completed. It was produced 
at Berlin, for the first time on the 15th March, 1821, 
some months before Der Freischutz. Weber’s music soon 
found its way to people’s hearts, and the dashing choruses, 
as well as the song, “ Einsam Bin ich,” are still almost as 
fresh and popular as ever throughout Germany. Another 
interesting- revival has been that of Sophocles’s Antigone, 
with Felix Mendelssohn’s music. It is now more than 
twenty years since the music — written at the suggestion of 
the late Frederick Wilhelm IV. of Prussia — was first per- 
formed, under the piersonal direction of the gifted composer. 
It was revived in 1843. Since then, it has not been per- 
formed up to the present time. The management of the 
Royal Opera-house deserves the warmest thanks of all lovers 
of art for affording them an opportunity of enjoying- the 
beauties of so grand a work, so grandly performed. By the 
way, those of our readers who have resided any time in the 
Prussian capital, may feel interested in learning that two 
very popular (though not, perhaps, first-class) fair artistes, 
Fratilein Leontine Garicke, and Fraiilein Santer, have 
left the Royal Opera-house, each on the occasion of her 
marriage. The former lady, who has married a Berlin 
tradesman, retires altogether into private life ; the latter, 
now Madame Blume Santer, transfers her services to the 
Theatre Royal, Dresden. 
There is not much to record concerning- the other Berlin 
theatres. At the theatre of the Friedrich Wilhelmstadt, the 
principal attraction has been a version of Jeanne quipleure 
et Jean qui rit, of which a version is now being played at 
the Adelphi, under the title of Crying Jenny and laughing 
Johnny. In the German playbills it figures as Die Hanni 
Weint, der Hansi Lacht. The summer season at Kroll’s 
well-known theatre has begun, and is now in full swing, 
opera being the staple amusement. The gardens belonging 
to the establishment have been 'much beautified, the system 
of illumination being truly magnificent. The al fresco 
orchestra is under the personal direction of Herr Engel, the 
enterprising manager himself. 
Fraiilein Cornelia Meyerbeer, the youngest daughter of 
the great composer, is shortly to be married to Herr Gustav 
Richter, a professor at the School of Fine Arts, Berlin. 
Professor A. B. Marx is dead. He was the author of several 
works, among- which, that entitled the Musikleure was the 
best known, perhaps, in this country. He composed, also, 
an oratorio, entitled Hose, which, though containing some 
few good points, was a comparative failure. In private 
life, Professor Marx was highly esteemed as a straight- 
forward, honourable gentleman. A letter has appeared in 
several of the German papers, concerning a curious relic. 
The writer, S. Gyutai, states that Beethoven’s piano is at 
present in Klausenberg, Transylvania. It is about seventy 
years old, we are informed. The sounding board is orna- 
mented with the composer’s coat of arms, and with his 
portraits, taken when he was young and easily recognisable. 
The name “ Louis Beethoven,” wreathed round it, leads 
Herr Gyulai to suppose that the instrument was manu- 
factured by J. A. Vogel — -who then resided at Perth — either 
as a present to Beethoven, or by his order. According to 
the statement of persons still living in Vienna, it was be- 
queathed by Beethoven as a memento to one of his pupils, 
who subsequently became a music-master in Hungary, and 
taught Madlle. Elise Kallais. This lady married the poet 
Joysika Miklos. She received the piano from her master, 
as a mark of his gratitude. After remaining in her posses- 
sion, and being used by her for many years, it passed into 
the hands of the Daniel family, at Dees. Thence it went 
to Pitaky Mihaly, at Klausenberg-, and thence to Herr A. 
Konez, a merchant there. Its present possessor is Herr S. 
Gyulai, from whom the above statement emanates, and who 
declares his readiness to leave the piano, as a relic of the 
immortal master, to any public collection or museum ; but, 
whether as a gift, or for a “ consideration,” we cannot say. 
Should any famatico per la musica desire further particulars, 
he may obtain them by writing to “ Samuel Gyulai, Belsas 
Farkas, Utsza, No. 8, Klansenberg, Transylvania.” 
In Paris, the Italian operatic season has been brought to 
a close without the production of Verdi’s much- talked-of 
Simon Boccanegra. On the whole the present management 
has hitherto proved unsatisfactory in an eminent degree ; 
