Nature and Art, June 1, 1867.] 
MUSIC AT HOME. 
195 
selves should be discovered to possess such an amount of 
martial energ-y, the figure they would cut in military array 
would be rather mirth-inspiring’ than soldierly. In fact, 
ten years ago, hardly the boldest ventured to predict per- 
manency for the institution of volunteering in time of peace. 
The pamphlet before us has been -written to urge the 
appropriateness of an expression of national gratitude to 
Lieut.-Col. Alfred B. Rickards, on his retirement from an 
active command in the force. It asserts that “ to Colonel 
Richards is due the merit of having practically initiated the 
movement in the face of discouragement and difficulty 
which would have daunted and silenced a man less devoted 
to the cause which he had taken in hand,” and therefore 
invites “ the nation, and especially the volunteers, whom he 
has done so much to call into existence, to respond to this 
appeal to their patriotic gratitude as Englishmen.” Here 
we find how one man, patiently struggling against ridicule 
or passive acquiescence, found means to ventilate, through 
the press and otherwise, his propositions, that the 
volunteer corps should be organized and drilled throughout 
the United Kingdom, and that, although we were styled a 
nation of shopkeepers, our ancient military spirit still 
existed. In the spring of 1859, Colonel Richards persuaded, 
not without difficulty, Admiral Sir Charles Napier to pre- 
side at a meeting convened in St. Martin’s Hall. That 
meeting crowned the enthusiast’s work. The speeches 
uttered at it were endorsed by the press, and found an 
echo in the hearts of the people of England ; and in twenty- 
six days a War Office circular gave the people’s army an 
official existence. We agree with the author, after perusing 
the ample evidence adduced in his pamphlet, that this 
effect can be justly ascribed to his hero, and to his hero 
only, and our acquiescence follows in his claim that such 
eminent service demands public and positive recognition. 
MUSIC A 
TI1HE huge vessel commanded by Manager ' Mapleson 
X slipped its moorings, and commenced the perilous 
voyage of 1867, to the flourish of many brazen trumpets in 
Verdi’s I Lombardi. Signor Verdi himself has taught us to 
believe in better things than those contained in this musical 
story of the Crusades ; and I Lombardi, in the present year 
of grace, is somewhat disappointing to all infatuated people 
who quail at the crash of super-abundant brass, and sigh for 
gentler strains. The opera is chiefly remembered through 
the air “La mia letizia ” for the tenor, Oracte. On the 
opening nights of the season Mr. Tom Holder deputized for 
Signor Mongini. The great feature of the cast is Mr. ■ 
Santley’s Pagano, a magnificent performance both as 
regards singing and acting. Le Nozze di Figaro has, of 
course, been again brought forward with a Cherubino 
neither so good nor so bad as some of her predecessors in 
the part. Madame Demeric Lablache is perhaps grateful 
for many kind things said about her by members of the 
fourth estate ; but she can hardly have appreciated a 
delicate attention paid her by a morning luminary, on 
Monday, May 20th. Referring to a representation of 
Lucrezia Borgia , on the previous Saturday, the friend to 
truth and the conscientious critic admitted a certain 
“piquancy” in Madame Demeric Lablache’ s Orsini, next 
stated as his deliberate opinion, that the piquancy aforesaid 
“was somewhat overstrained,” and concluded his reliable 
criticism with the declaration that the overstrained piquancy 
was approved of by the audience. Unfortunately for the 
censor’s veracity, Madame Demeric Lablache did not play 
the part on that particular evening. She, perhaps, would 
have given London exactly the Maffeo the commentator 
saw in his mind’s eye ; but Madame Trebelli Bettini stood 
in the way, and overturned all the pleasant theory advanced 
by the critic who so unhappily deceived himself in trying to 
enlighten others. On the night alluded to, Madame 
Giacconi, a new Lucrezia Borgia, was introduced to the 
London public. The lady came, and saw, but did not 
conquer; for the British lion is an animal of strong 
prejudices, and refuses to acknowledge the merits of a 
Lucrezia with a comparatively weak voice, and with a 
superlatively weak idea of acting. It was hardly probable 
that another great, or even notably good, representative of 
the terrible Duchess would be allowed, if able, to divide such 
honours with Titiens the magnificent. Herr Rokitansky is 
not so good a Falstaff as he is a Marcello ; but he is a 
genuine artist, and has a magnificent bass voice. 
Operatic London must have its “pet” or “pets,” and 
that one huge shell will hold two sweet kernels is tolerably 
evident at the Royal Italian Opera, where Mdlles. Adelina 
Patti, and Pauline Lucca exercise most despotic rule. The 
T HOME. 
former is again triumphant, as Rosina in II Ba/rbiere di 
Seviglia, and on the night of her re-appearance was invited, 
more cordially than ever, to tread upon the neck of the 
prostrate public. Neither real nor comparative novelty is 
yet the order of the day at Covent Garden. 
Euterpe has gained a new home in Langham Place, and 
lost an old one in Long Acre. St. George’s Hall, the peculiar 
and chosen resting place of the new Philharmonic Society 
is both commodious and admirably adopted for musicial 
purposes. Dr. Wylde is evidently no Tory in matters of 
art, for the welkin of St. George’s has already rung’ to 
songs made popular in Music Halls. The home to be 
henceforth reckoned among the things that were, is St. 
Martin’s Hall, which will be converted into a theatre, and 
opened to the public before the next Pantomime season. 
In this gloomy, cold, and depressing apartment, Madame 
Lemmens-Sherrington made, if we remember truly, her first 
appearance as a concert vocalist, in the time of the Hullah 
Class celebrations. Through various vicissitudes has the 
building passed, fire being the greatest, and Masquerades, 
Amateur Performances, Japanese ditto, Aztec ditto, and 
political meetings the least. 
The Grand Opera Concerts, at the Crystal Palace, are in 
progress, and at the first of them Signor Bottesini went 
through the ordeal of playing a Tarantelle of his own, with 
the same chance of making it heard, that he would have on 
Hampstead Heath. To all but those immediately at hand, 
the Tarantelle was literally a sealed book, and a profound 
secret. For the first and second concerts the vocalists 
were from the Royal Italian Opera ; and for the third, 
from Her Majesty’s. 
Miscellaneous, concerts, both morning and evening, are 
announced on all sides ; and from the mass of gaslight 
entertainments may be selected for very honourable 
mention, that given by Mr. C. I. Hargitt, at St. George’s 
Hall, early in May. Mr. Hargitt brought forward some of 
the earlier works of Beethoven, and deserves the thanks of 
connoisseurs for so doing. Miss Madeline Schiller, a few 
nights afterwards, tendered her contribution to the fashion- 
able concert season, and played Chopin’s fanciful Polonaise 
in E flat delightfully. Miss Schiller is not yet a great 
player, in the sense of the word, but she has the where- 
withal to make her one, and is endowed with a marvellously 
delicate touch — when she chooses to proclaim the fact. A 
slight tendency to exaggeration, both of tone and sentiment, 
is now the only blemish upon this singularly-gifted young 
lady’s playing. Miss Schiller must have been greatly edified 
with the statement made in a daily paper as to her having 
performed a solo by Stephen Heller as an encore, when the 
piece in question was Weber’s Rondo, “II Moto Continuo.” 
