15G 
ANTICIPATIONS OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY. 
[Nature and Art, May 1, 180?. 
played several operatic parts at the Birmingham theatre, — 
among them were Figaro, and that nondescript travelling 
nobleman of Bellini’s La Sonnambula, the Count. The last 
concert he conducted was that of the Musical Society of 
London on the 20tli of March, and the concluding item of 
the programme was the late Vincent Wallace’s overture to 
Maritana. Precisely a week afterwards he died, and on the 
following Tuesday hundreds of musicians, literary men, and 
actors bared their heads as they stood by his grave in the 
Brompton Cemetery, and listened to the choristers singing 
funeral anthems. 
The old Philharmonic Society lias no longer the assistance 
of Professor Sterndale Bennett as conductor. At the first 
concert of the season, on March 11th, Mr. W. G. Cusins 
passed through the ordeal satisfactorily, and that, too, in 
the face of reasonable prejudice. The Philharmonic Concerts 
have hitherto been conducted by men known through their 
works, and it was unquestionably a great surprise to find 
such a young and comparatively untried man at the head of 
what is generally looked upon as the chief musical society 
of the metropolis. Every succeeding concert has apparently 
demonstrated that the choice of the Philharmonic powers 
has been judicious, and Mr. Cusins is to be congratulated 
on a piece of good fortune that -seldom happens to so young 
a man. 
Mr. Manns of the Crystal Palace has broken the ice in 
London, and, it is to be hoped, will frequently take up his 
proper position on the metropolitan platforms. On March 
28th, he brought the now famous Saturday Concert Band 
to St. James’s Hall, at the bidding of Mr. Arthur Chappell. 
The concert was chiefly remarkable from a faultless per- 
formance of Bach’s Triple Concerto, for pianoforte, violin, 
and violoncello, by Mr. Charles Halle, Herr Joachim, and 
Signor Piatti. 
The Sacred Harmonic Society is in full and vigorous 
action, irnder Mr. Costa’s direction. Mr. Benedict con- 
ducted his own “ Legend of St. Cecilia,” and has now 
witnessed its triumph in London as well as at Norwich and 
Liverpool. 
The “Monday Popular” season closed on the 8th, and 
this final concert was signalized by a magnificent perform- 
ance of Bach’s Concerto in D Minor, for three pianofortes, 
entrusted to Madame Schumann, Madame Arabella Goddard, 
and Mr. Charles Halle. The Winter Concerts at the Crystal 
Palace are stopped for the season. At the twenty-third of 
the unequalled series, two movements from an unfinished 
symphony in B Minor, by Schubert, were played for the 
first time in England, and no orchestra was ever engaged 
upon more exquisitely melodious and beautiful music. For 
most of our knowledge of jSchubert wo have to thank Mr. 
Manns, who certainly never did a greater service to pure 
art than in bringing these two “ things of beauty ” from a 
cruel obscurity into the strongest light. The “ Grand 
Opera” Concerts are at hand, but for the partial consolation 
of those who feel severely the cessation of symphonies and 
great instrumental works, there are the newly organized 
Wednesday Concerts in the music room, where good things 
are played by the ordinary band of the company, and where 
it is intended that young soloists, both vocal and instru- 
mental, shall constantly be presented to the public. 
ANTICIPATIONS OP THE ROYAL ACADEMY. 
I N our last, we intimated respecting the health of John 
Phillip, -what all his friends had too fondly hoped to be 
true, that he was out of all danger, and so far on the way to 
health again, as to be at work on his Academy pictures. But 
before our words were published death had, in a manner, 
rendered them untrue ; for he died on the 27th of February. 
A day or two before the sad event he had called upon his friend 
Mr. Frith, and, while in the studio of the latter, was attacked 
by paralysis ; the stroke was so heavy as to render recovery 
hopeless from the first. John Phillip is now known by his 
celebrated pictures of Spanish subjects, so much so that he 
was called “ Spanish Phillip.” His Chat round the Brasero 
was exhibited last year ; the Young Murillo was exhibited in 
1865, and La Gloria in 1864. These were his very finest 
works, showing that the man was, as an artist, in his 
prime. It was intended to have sent two of the pictures 
which he had been at work upon to the Royal Academy, but 
this was found impracticable ; so one or two other works not 
exhibited before will be sent. One of his last works was a 
portrait of Colonel Crealock : this he was so pleased with 
himself that he sent it as one of his contributions to the 
Paris Exhibition. Mr. Frith’s great picture of this year is 
already historical. It was while consulting about its merits, 
and while giving that brotherly advice and criticism which 
even such masters of the brush are used to give and take, 
that the attack first seized Phillip. A week afterwards he 
was no more. 
Frith’s picture represents Evelyn, who describes in his 
diary that he visited "Whitehall, and was amazed at the 
scene at court, and that aweek aftenvards the ldng was dead: 
Evelyn has entered, accompanied by two friends, one a man 
in the middle time of life, and the other younger. The day is 
Sunday, and before them is a picture of one of the worst 
periods, in point of morals, which the court of this country 
ever presented. Gambling is going on ; the king is sur- 
rounded by the celebrated beauties of his time — the 
duchess of Portsmouth, and the Italian cardinal’s daughter 
being most prominent — while some French musicians are 
playing and singing. The number of figures is very great, 
and after the eye has wandered about, admiring not only the 
beauty of the colour, drawing, and touch, but at the same 
time the beauty of the women, and the bright dresses of that 
period, it falls upon a carpet littered, over by a number of 
dogs of the “King Charles” breed. Some of them are 
lapping milk from a silver dish, a number of very small 
pups are attempting to use their legs, which are yet feeble, 
— they have not got over the nine days which open the 
canine eyes. One of these blind pups has a prominence 
evidently meant to satirize the moral blindness of the 
monarch, -whose name he bears. The portrait of the king is 
beautifully painted ; but perhaps the most telling point is 
Evelyn, who stands gazing at the scene, evidently impressed 
with deep emotion. 
Elmore’s picture will illustrate the passage in Luke, — 
“ That which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be 
proclaimed on the housetops.” It is still a custom in the 
East for the women to gather on the tops of the houses, 
where all the scandal of the place is retailed ; and when any 
one has got a bonne bouche of this kind, the hands are 
clapped as a signal for the other gossips to come and hear 
those personalities which human nature everywhere seems to 
delight in. As this is a picture which illustrates a scriptural 
text and a characteristic of the East, Mr. Elmore has not 
limited himself to any particular locality or period of cos- 
tume. It is the East, and that is enough. The view of the 
housetops, all white and shining, is something quite new, and 
most beautifully managed. Mr. Elmore’s power of painting 
the figure, particularly the female face, is such that it 
requires no laudation from us. 
Mr. O’Neil’s picture of the way Titian spent a leisure 
hour, is a very happily conceived subject. He is in a barge 
with some friends — ladies and gentlemen — and in the 
distance may be seen the well-known features of Venice, 
which point out the locality of the scene. 
The other picture, an incident in the life of Luther,, 
represents him as a monk, and a very young man ; so that 
