4 Visit of a Musical Amateur to the Metropolis. [Aug. 1, 
None, like wine and true friendship, are 
lasting and sure, 
From jealousy free, and from envy secure. 
Then fill up the glasses until they run o’er, 
A friend and good wine are the charms we 
adore. 
The Philharmonic Society is 
composed of the first performers of the 
age, who agree to lay aside all party 
feelings, and to co-operate for the pro¬ 
motion and improvement of the art.— 
This concert is for the exclusive study 
of instrumental music, and is the only 
band in Europe where effect can be 
given to the Sinfonias of Haydn, Mo¬ 
zart, and Beethoven. The simulta¬ 
neous effect of forty masters upon the 
stringed instruments, performing with 
an identity of taste and expression, is 
truly astonishing. The force of this 
combination is ten times that of a 
common band of equal numbers, and 
the sudden transitions from loud to 
soft are as striking upon the ear, as the 
effects of lightning in a dark night 
upon the eye But we must hear the 
performance of Beethoven’s Pastoral 
Sinfony before we can appreciate the 
talents of (his extraordinary orchestra. 
This piece exhibits, by the power of 
sounds alone, a picture of the events 
of a summer’s day,—the sunrise—the 
freshness of the morning—the singing 
of birds — the buzz of insects — the 
storm—the calm—the rustic song and 
dance—and the close of the evening. 
As it is the first object of this society 
to exhibit the art, and not the per¬ 
former, no solos are admitted ; but the 
finest talents are displayed in the most 
elaborate and scientific compositions. 
Moscheles . a German, made his first 
appearance this season. This perform¬ 
er, by the peculiarity of his touch, gives 
to the piano-forte a new 7 language and 
character, and impresses us with an 
idea that the powers of this instrument 
are but just developing, and that, like 
the harp of Terpauder, there still lie in 
it hidden treasures. The velocity of 
his execution is more striking thau 
brilliant, as he elicits a series of new 
effects. Those Arpeggio passages w hich 
are common to the instrument, he 
weaves in a new 7 and beautiful texture, 
seldom resorting to the ordinary rou¬ 
tine of modulation, but enchants, like 
Mozart, with the simplicity of nature. 
But it is in the sublime that he excels. 
44 In his left hand lieth the thunder , and 
the lightning in his right.” At a blow 
he w ill strike the scale of sounds into 
a thousand pieces, and re-collect them 
in showers of harmony. This won¬ 
derful performer is a young man, and 
a pupil of Beethoven ; and his appear¬ 
ance in the waning light of his master 
may prove a fortunate thing for the 
musical world. 
THE CHAPEL ROYAL. 
The French say that our palaces are 
not equal in magnificence to their royal 
stables. We certainly cannot boast of 
our Chapel Royal: a more incommo¬ 
dious place could not be attached to an 
alms-house. Here, we might have 
thought, the service of the church 
would have been given in a style of 
the greatest excellence; but, on the 
contrary, it is in general carelessly per¬ 
formed, under the disadvantages of an 
incomplete choir and a bad organ. 
Most foreigners are in the habit of vi- 
siting this place, to see the reigning fa¬ 
mily and our court religion ; but, after 
paying at tw 7 o places for admission, how 
miserably must they be disappointed l 
Our church music is distinguished for its 
simple grandeur above all others in the 
world, and it w ould well become a great 
nation that there should be at least one 
place in the country where it might be 
heard in perfection.— What we have 
expended in gun-flints, in the late de¬ 
structive war, would have built a 
sumptuous palace, with all its appen¬ 
dages. 
If we go to the Museum and view 7 
the marbles, we ask ourselves—what 
have w 7 e done that was not done by 
the ancients three thousand years ago ? 
In sculpture and architecture we have 
not yet equalled them, but in the lean 
ideal , in music and the arts of de¬ 
sign, we have left them in their first 
lessons. The Egyptian tombs will 
convince us how little the imagination 
was concerned in their drawings—and 
the rude structure of their instruments 
how 7 little they knew 7 in music. But it 
was reserved for this age to unite all 
the charms of the fine arts, in that 
grand dramatic spectacle, the Italian 
Opera. Immediately on entering this 
house, our sensations are strongly ex¬ 
cited by the grandeur of the place. If 
w 7 e pass from the hall to view 7 the in¬ 
terior, at the door which enters the pit 
by the orchestra, we cannot but be 
struck with the sublimity of the sight. 
A spacious dome opens upon you with 
240 boxes piled one upon another to an 
immense height, filled in every part by 
the nobility of the land, glittering in 
the richest costumes; and the eye wan¬ 
ders 
