A Review of the Hallé Orchestra's Debut Concert on 30th January 1858

MANCHESTER COURIER

Saturday, February 6, 1858.

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FREE-TRADE HALL.

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MR. HALLÉ'S ORCHESTRAL CONCERTS.

SATURDAY EVENING, January 30th, 1858.

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Public expectation has been on tiptoe for the last few weeks indeed ever since Mr. Hallé announced a series of grand orchestral concerts, and we imagine that the most sanguine must have felt their anticipations more than realised by the performances of the opening night.

Speaking of ourselves this was decidedly the case, for although we have had experience of Mr. Hallé's getting up of concerts beforetime, we were hardly prepared for the splendid treat which we enjoyed on Saturday.

The band is certainly by far the best permanent (we hope we may have to call it so) band we have heard in Manchester; indeed we question whether there has been such an one congregated in the provinces excepting at the great musical festivals.

The performers must have been selected with great care otherwise so perfect a tout ensemble could not have been attained. Two-thirds of the orchestra is composed of the elite of our local artists, and the remaining one-third has been brought together from London, Paris, &c.

In the former division we recognise the well-known names of Seymour, Buck, Conran, Harrison, Baetens, Gregory, Siemers, Thorley, Waud, Gledhill, De Jong, Jennings, Grosse, Edwards, Richardson, Ellwood, Russell, Green, Roberts, Yardiey, Lockwood, &c. ; and among the strangers we may name M. Vieuxtemps, whose debut we noticed at Mr. Hallé's classical chamber concerts, the week before last ; and Signor Raspi, whose admirable performances on the bassoon are deserving of the highest commendation.

And then in addition to the first-rate solo players which are to be found in every department of the orchestra, we have Mr. Charles Hallé himself who, if we may judge of the future the first programme placed at the head of this notice, does not intend to be chary of his own performances.

The sixty instrumentalists are divided in the following judicious proportions. 10 first violins (Mr. C. A. Seymour, principal), 10 second violins (Mr. Buck, principal), 6 tenors (M. Baetens, principal), 5 violoncellos (M Vieuxtemps, principal), 5 double basses (Mr. Waud, principal), 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 cornets, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, 1 ophicleide, 1 kettle drum, 1 bass drum and cymbals, 1 harp, and 1 pianoforte.

The effect of the 36 strings, a portion of the orchestra which has been too much neglected in bands otherwise of considerable pretensions, was exceedingly fine, and their combined tone was crisp, forcible, and thoroughly unanimous.

The wind instruments are also in excellent hands. The trombones, those dangerous weapons, in any but the most experienced hands, are in tuneful obedience, and Mr. Ellwood at the trumpet, Herr Grosse at the clarionet, Mr. Jennings at the oboe, Mr. Lockwood at the harp, cannot easily be beaten.

M. de Jong and Mr. Richardson have obtained a great deal of popularity by their performance on the flute and cornet, at the Exhibition of Art Treasures, but the former, however clever his execution may be, is not the best orchestral player in the world, he is scarcely satisfactory in point of tone and he is not always accurately in tune.

Such are the forces enlisted for the campaign on Saturday evenings, but to arrive at achievements worthy of such an array of musical talent, it is necessary that there should be an able commander at the head. And this important requirement is not wanting.

Had we been previously ignorant of Mr. Hallé's abilities as a conductor, we should have seen enough on Saturday evening to prove to us that Mr. Hallé is thoroughly master of his position. He displayed all the qualities essential to an efficient chef d'orchestre ; firmness, promptitude, quickness of perception, intellectuality of interpretation, combined with quietude of deportment and suavity of manner.

An examination of the programme will show that the classical is the predominant, but not the exclusive feature, and that not of a dry or rigorous character.

What could be more deliciously transparent than the lovely andante by Mozart, or what more graceful and pleasing than the "Ballet dcs Sylphes," by Berluz. which by the way was beautifully played and encored.

The advocates of the popular school would rejoice in the selection from Trovatore, and the overture by Rossini ; but we are sure that they could not demur to the splendid symphony, though written by a man who is too often condemned, unheard, as incomprehensible and crude.

We confess we have little faith in the musical taste of this city, but we sincerely hope that the brilliant experiment initiated by Mr. Hallé may by abundantly successful.

If the result is a failure, it will not be that the claims of instrumental music have not been fairly and fully represented, but it will be a sure indication of an absence of musical cultivation, and therefore it will be sign of our inferior civilization.

Music is the greatest of all humanizing agencies, and has ever been the tide-mark of civilization in every age and in every region of the wide world.

The Rev. Dr. Maurice asks, "If we have no ear or taste for the music of the physical and earthly man, what can our anticipations be of the enjoyment of the spiritual and the heavenly man ?"

The Free-trade Hall is often enough crammed to suffocation by political or religious claptrap : we shall see whether the transcendant virtues of "the Queen of Arts and the Empress of the Sciences," are equally attractive and fascinating.

The tempestuous state of the weather prevented our being able to form an accurate estimate of the degree of success on Saturday evening, but we are inclined to consider that the attendance augurs well for the future.

It must, however, be remembered that the expenses of performances of such thorough completeness and efficiency must be very great. We imagine they cannot fail to entail a pecuniary sacrifice, unless the hall is quite full on every occasion.

The programme for the concert this evening is highly interesting, and promises a rich feast to the connoisseur. It includes with other compositions, Mendelssohn's Scotch Symphony, Beethoven's Choral Fantasia, March and Chorus from Beethoven's "Ruins of Athens," the Overtures to "Oberon," "William Tell," and "Domino noir," and a selection from the " Huguenots."

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Many thanks to the Hallé Archive for images.