VIENNA.

Hofoperntheater.—The opera Ferdinand Cortez has been reproduced, with M. Wild as Telasco, Madame Ernst as Amazily, and M. Breiting as Cortez; the minor characters were also well sustained. Donizetti’s Anna Bolena has also been given, and with even greater success than at the Josephstadttheater.

At the Hofburgtheater a new oratorio by the organist Assmayr has been performed; it displays great ability, and the music is eminently expressive of the words; it was well received.

At the first and second of the Concerts Spirituels have been given a symphony of Mozart composed for the Concerts Spirituels in Paris in the year 1778, Vogler’s overture to Castor and Pollux, a mass by Cherubini, symphony in C minor by Beethoven, chorus from Jephtha by Handel, a new Te Deum, a sterling composition, by Tomascheck, &c. &c. For the third and fourth concerts were announced Beethoven’s symphony in B, the ninth psalm of Fesca, Weber’s Jubilee overture, the AbbÉ Vogler’s Litany, Mozart’s symphony in Eflat, chorus and fugue from the oratorio Der Tod Jesu by Graun, Beethoven’s festival overture, and the Gloria from the second mass of Cherubini.

The annual concert at the Conservatory of Music, to display the progress of the pupils, took place a short time since, when their performance of Mozart’s symphony in D, and the meritorious efforts of the vocalists, gave great satisfaction.

A concert of a brilliant character was recently given by the horn virtuoso, M. Lewy; he was assisted by Demlle. Heinefetter, and MM. Thalberg, Titze, HÜrt, and Sachner.

Romberg is at present sojourning here, and has played on the violoncello at a concert in the KÄrntnerthor Theater. Age seems to have produced no effect upon his mighty powers; his reception was enthusiastic in the extreme.

BERLIN.

Spontini’s opera Alcidor, after an undisturbed repose of many years, was lately reproduced here. Its success was but indifferent, notwithstanding the laudable exertions of the singers and the splendour of the scenery and decorations. Dlle. Gerwer is about to leave us; her place, however, will be supplied, for a short time at least, by Dlle. Heinefetter.

A. M. Liebrecht, aged thirteen years, a pupil of M. C. M. MÖser, has given a concert here, showing the degree of perfection to which such a child may attain by assiduous and persevering application; he exhibited an extraordinary mastery over his instrument—the violin. Shortly afterwards M. Wagans gave a concert, at which he played a concerto on the trumpet with a degree of taste and brilliancy calculated to sustain the fame which he has already acquired. Other concerts have been—that of the three brothers Gabrielski, in which two of them distinguished themselves as clever flute players, and the other as an accomplished pianist; and one at the theatre, at which Dlle. FÜrst, from Dresden, sang; her voice is rather powerful than sweet, and tolerably flexible.

At the Singing Academy the Passion music of St. Matthew the Evangelist, by Seb. Bach, was performed; and on Good Friday the annual performance of the oratorio Der Tod Jesu took place before a very crowded audience; it was subsequently given in the Garrison Church under the direction of M. Hansmann.

MUNICH.

The performances during the present year have comprised the operas Johann von Paris, ZauberflÖte, Figaro, Fra Diavolo, Der Maurer and der Schlosser, (Le MaÇon) Die beyden FÜchse, FreyschÜtz, Der Schnee, &c. The management of Baron von Poissl terminated on the 28th February, when he was succeeded by M. KÜstner.

STRASBURG.

During the last year it was our good fortune to have a German company, under the direction of M. Carl Bode, exclusively devoted to the opera; and their productions were therefore comparatively of so perfect a nature, that the direction of the French theatre was quite unable to compete with them. They performed during the season, Fidelio, Die Schweizer Familie, FreyschÜtz, Die Weisse Dame, Preziosa, Die Stumme von Portici, Don Juan, Koskiusko, Der Dorf Barbier, (The Village Barber,) Tancred, Oberon, Das Donauweibchen, (The Nymph of the Danube,) Wiener in Berlin, Der Kleiner Wilddiebe, (the Little Poacher,) Sargin, ZauberflÖte, Wilhelm Tell, and Robert der Teufel. Among the company, consisting of about forty members, the most distinguished were Madame Brauer DÜringer, whose principal characters were Fidelio, Donna Anna in Die Weisse Frau, Elvira in Die Stumme and in Don Juan, Sophie in Sargin, Mathilde in Wilhelm Tell, Isabelle in Robert der Teufel, and Tancred. She has a powerful, rich voice, which is of extraordinary effect in the concerted pieces, and she sings with much taste. Madame Mayer, too, was delightful as Annchen in Der FreyschÜtz; in fact, in all the characters which she sustained. Demlle. Liszevsky also called forth great admiration as Emmeline, Agathe, &c; but particularly as Jemmy in Wilhelm Tell, and Alice in Robert der Teufel. M. Wagner, from the WÜrtzburg Theatre, as principal tenor, was successful in all his efforts; he sang with equal skill and excellence the high part of Sargin and the low one of Don Juan; as Robert and as Arnold, he has few equals. M. Heisel, as second tenor, was not without merit. The other singers were MM. Popp, Netz, Krieg, Fischer, Kaibel, &c. Great credit is due to M. Bode for having by his judicious management cultivated the taste for classical productions.

With regard to the French theatre, as matters were not going on very prosperously, the direction was taken out of the hands of M. Deville, and the company continued to perform to the end of the season on their own account. Under these circumstances, many new operas were not to be expected; one only was given, Auber’s Liebestrank (Le Philtre). The company consisted of Mesdames Lamotte, prima donna, possessing a rich voice, but often out of tune; Langlade, an agreeable second singer and excellent actress, Demouchi and DesprÉs; M. Vernet, principal tenor, with a flexible but thin voice. The rest were scarcely above mediocrity, and the wretched apologies for choruses were below criticism.

LEIPZIG.

Under the management of M. Friedrich Seb. Ringelhardt, the Stadttheater has lately enjoyed much of the public favour and patronage; the music director, too, M. Stegmeyer, is an active young man and a thorough musician, and the Regisseur, M. Hauser, who is also a clever musician, is a very good bass singer. M. Eichberger, the tenor, is excellent. Of the female singers of the establishment Madame Steinert ranked first; then came, after the departure of Dlle. Nina Sontag, whose place she supplied, Dlle. Livia Gerhardt. If want of novelty in the productions has been a fault to be imputed to the management, for new operas have been scarce, those which we have had have been given in such a manner as to compensate for what might otherwise have been a matter of regret. For instance while Madame Schroeder was here we had Fidelio, Don Juan, in which she performed Donna Anna, and Otello; she was great in them all and efficiently supported.

Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s overture to Shakspeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, was played for the first time in Leipzig, at a concert for the benefit of the poor, and received with great applause; on the same occasion Beethoven’s symphony in A major was given, and M. Poland played a violin concerto by Pechatschek with delicacy and spirit.

The Euterpe, the season of which is now closed, has given various symphonies, overtures, and concertos. In the last selection were a new symphony of M. F. KÄhler, Beethoven’s overture to Egmont, Weber’s overture to Der Beherrscher der Geister, &c.; M. Sipp placed a violin concerto of Rode, and M. Faulmann a concerto of Hummel on the Oboe.

Dlle. Henr. Graban gave a concert on the 21st March to a brilliant audience. The selection was good; among the instrumental pieces was Marschner’s overture to Hans Heiling, which, it is said, will shortly be produced on our boards.

An interesting sacred performance lately took place in St. Peter’s church, conducted by the organist, C. F. Becker; the selection comprised a fugue by Handel, and fugues and choral subjects with variations by Sebastian Bach.

PRAGUE.

Gretry’s Blaubart (Bluebeard) has been once more produced here for the benefit of M. Strataky, and experienced a favourable reception, notwithstanding the fact that the whole of the characters were not well sustained. Demlle. Lutzer however as Maria was all that could be desired; her voice has acquired increased strength, and she may soon prove a dangerous rival to the gifted Madame Podhorsky. Zampa has also been given again, and Die Unbekannte. The performance of the old opera, Der Lustige Schuster (the Merry Cobbler), was attended with little success. Demlle. Lutzer has lately performed Zerlina in Fra Diavolo, Helena in Das Fraulein am See, Desdemona, Semiramis, the Princess of Navarre, and Camilla in Zampa, in which latter opera she shone particularly.

There has been a concert given by the pianiste Dlle. Nina Trenkler; one by the pupils of the Conservatory of Music; and a third by M. J. B. HÜttner, the professor of that institution: they were all good and attractive.

FRANKFORT.

Aloys Schmidt’s opera, Valeria, was given here for the first time a few weeks ago. Although the opera displays some beautiful original ideas, it also abounds in reminiscences of Beethoven, Cherubini, Mozart, &c.; it was very successful.

CASSEL.

Motives of economy, and the state of affairs in the grand duchy of Hesse-Cassel, have occasioned the breaking up of the musical establishment of the chapel, and the closing of the court theatre. The consequence of this suppression is distressing to the artists, who were quite unprepared for such an event. Our celebrated composer, Spohr, is thus deprived of a very lucrative appointment. The greater part of the performers, instrumental and vocal, are dispersed, and endeavouring to find in the different German courts those resources which they are deprived of here. This is an unfortunate occurrence for the musical art, for the ducal chapel was one of the best-organised establishments in Germany.

WEIMAR.

The celebrated Hummel has just received the decoration of the order of the White Eagle from the hands of the Grand Duke. All Germany applauds this mark of distinction conferred on a great musician who is a living honour to his country. M. Hummel has just set out for London, where he is engaged to direct the German opera at the King’s Theatre. It is said that he is to receive a thousand pounds for his services, and his travelling expenses. [The Weimar editor is much misinformed on this subject.]

MEININGEN.

An opera in two acts by the Ducal music-director Nohr, under the title of Die Wunderbaren Lichter, founded upon a Thuringian tradition, was lately produced here. This is the second great effort of M. Nohr as a composer, and was received with well-merited applause; he was called forward at the conclusion.

BRUNSWICK.

M. Albert Methfessel has, since his appointment as Kapellmeister last year, strained every nerve to raise the opera to a degree of perfection to which we had hitherto been strangers. The prime donne of the grand opera are at present Mesdames Cornet and Franchetti, the former a most delightful and finished bravura singer. The principal tenor is M. Cornet, the idol of the frequenters of the opera, who is not less gifted and accomplished as an excellent dramatic singer than as a sterling good actor.

There is at present here a Dlle. Bertha Lewig, aged fifteen years, a pupil of M. Methfessel, who displays wonderful proficiency on the piano-forte.

BERNBURG.

A series of subscription concerts, which commenced here in December last, terminated on the 9th March; they were under the direction of M. Victor Klauss, a young and talented composer. The principal solo performers were MM. Probst and Fischer, on the violin; M. Wustenhagen, on the clarionet; M. Bosse, sen., on the oboe; M. Klotzsch, on the violoncello; and M. Bosse, jun., on the flute. M. Klauss, too, himself also delighted us with two very excellent performances on the piano-forte. Some overtures and symphonies of Mozart and Beethoven were not only faultless in their performance, but really presented a very rich source of musical enjoyment. The singers consisted of a few members of M. Atmer’s theatrical company, besides some dillettanti of great ability.

ATTENBURG.

The New Dessau Opera Company of M. Jul. Miller, commenced their performances here on the 10th March. The music director, M. Ed. Theile, a pupil of Fried. Schneider’s, is already known to the public as the author of some clever piano-forte composition.