VIENNA.

A SECOND concert has been given at the Hofoperntheater by Bernhard Romberg, which was in every respect equal to the first. The young prodigy, Apollinar Kontsky, aged seven years, has also given a concert; this precocious virtuoso, who still plays upon a small-sized violin, evinced extraordinary strength of arm and perfect fulness of tone, and particularly delighted his audience by the correct taste he displayed, and by the expression which he infused into his performances. With the genius which is already apparent in him, and the promise which his present astonishing proficiency holds out, if he persevere in the cultivation of his instrument, under the care of a really good master, there is reason to expect that he will become one of the first violin players in the world.

BERLIN.

A YOUNG singer, Mad. Schodel, from Vienna, has made her first appearance at the KÖnigstadt theater; her voice, which is of an agreeable quality, is rather weak, particularly in the lower notes; she has, however, considerable flexibility, and she sings simple melodies with exquisite sweetness and taste; her acting, moreover, is very good. There has been no novelty at this theatre of late; the operas of Melusine and Des Adler’s Horst have been the principal attractions.

A new opera has been produced at the KÖnigliche theater, Das Schloss Candra (Candra Castle), by Joseph Wolfram, which was rather favourably received. The music makes no pretensions to genius, at the same time the opera contains much that is very meritorious; the choruses, if not beautiful, are at least good, and the same may be said of the concerted pieces; the arias, however, are weak. The other performances have been, Alcidor, Die Stumme, and Fra Diavolo.

DRESDEN.

THE unceasing efforts of the Kapellmeister Reissiger have led to an engagement as a compensation for the temporary loss of Mad. Schroeder Devrient, whose characters will be sustained during her three months’ absence by Mad. Kraus Wranitzky; Mlle. Maschinka Schneider is also engaged for one year. The opera, however, experiences an irreparable heavy loss in the departure of Mad. Schebest, who appeared for the last time as Irma, in Der Maurer und der Schlosser (le MaÇon.)

On Palm Sunday there was a grand performance of Bach’s oratorio, St. Matthew the Evangelist, at the great opera house, under the very able direction of Kapellmeister’s Morlacchi and Reissiger, in aid of the fund for the relief of the distressed widows and orphans of members of the Royal Chapel; the choruses consisted of upwards of two hundred voices, and there were ten eminent solo singers—among them, Mesdames Kraus Wranitzky and Schebest; the tenors, Babnigg and Schuster, and the bases, Risse, WÄchter, and Zezi; and upwards of a hundred instruments judiciously proportioned.

FRANKFORT.

MLLE. Carl has arrived here, and has sung at a concert which, notwithstanding her fame, was but thinly attended. On the 15th April M. Kalkbrenner gave a concert and was received with enthusiasm.

BREMEN.

THE winter concerts, which were very successful, having terminated, there was a benefit concert got up for Mad. MÜhlenbruch, the principal singer, who has a sweet voice and exquisite taste. On Good Friday, the Messiah was given in the cathedral, when Mad. M. and the younger Mlle. Graban, and some talented dilettanti, did justice to the music of the immortal Handel.

DUSSELDORF.

IT is expected that the musical festival which is to take place this year will be one of the most brilliant on record for many years. Among the attractive pieces which are announced for performance, are Mozart’s symphony in G minor, the overture to Leonore, by Beethoven; Handel’s oratorio, Israel in Egypt; a cantata by Wolf; and Die Macht der TÖne (the Power of Sounds), by Weber; and some compositions of M. Bergmuller and of M. Felix Mendelssohn, director for the present year. Mad. Decker (late Fraul. von SchÄtzel) is to sing on the occasion.

DESSAU.

FOR some years past few foreign artists of eminence have played at our concerts; the recent visit therefore of M. Haase, jun., from Dresden, was the more welcome, from the rarity of such occurrences. He played a fantasia by Molique, on Swiss airs, a duet by Lafont and Hertz, from Fra Diavolo, and Mayseder’s Thema, with variations in D major. His tone is full of exquisite expression, his style remarkable for elegance and freedom, his cantilena is exceedingly grand, and his bowing masterly, like that of Polledro his instructor.

JENA.

OUR usual concerts and musical entertainments under the direction of Dr. Hand have given great satisfaction. A concert by the Vocal and Instrumental Society was the first of the season. The selection comprised an overture by Reissiger and one by Lindpaintner, and concertos of Hummel on the piano-forte, Keller on the flute, and Jansa on the violin, all played by dilettanti.

Mad. Filipowicz gave a concert, at which she played a polonaise by Kalliwoda with much feeling, and Mayseder’s variations in E major. There was also a musical entertainment given by M. RÖssner of Darmstadt, and MM. Buschmann, father and son, the former playing the harp, the other the terpodion.

UTRECHT.

AT the two hundredth anniversary of our City Concerts, on the 14th March, was performed a cantata composed by M. Kufferath, a pupil of Spohr’s. The performance was conducted by the composer and surpassed every expectation; there were also given a symphony of Kalliwoda, and Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s overture to a Midsummer Night’s Dream, which were well played.

ST. PETERSBURG.

A CONCERT was lately given at the palace of M. von Narischkin, for the relief of the widows and orphans of musicians, at which several dilettanti of rank, namely, Prince Wolchonski, Count M. Wielhorsky, Mlle. von Bolotnikow, and others, contributed their valuable services.

COPENHAGEN.

THE season just past brought before the public two new operas which were very successful; the first Das Bild und die BÜste (the Portrait and the Bust), in three acts, by P. C. Berggreen, the other, Die Braut von Lammermoor, by the Kapellmeister J. Bredal; both composers in their productions successfully clothed in musical expressions the ideas of their poets, regarding melody as the first consideration—in style however they differ widely. Besides these, there was another vocal piece, Der Rabe oder die Bruderprobe (The Raven, or the Test of Fraternal Affection), by J. P. E. Hartmann. The other performances of the season were Boieldieu’s Die Zwey NÄchte (Les deux Nuits), J. L. Heiberg’s humorous operetta, Ein Abentheuer im Rosenberger Garten (An Adventure in the Rosenberg Garden), Weyse’s opera, Ludlam’s HÖhle (Ludlam’s Cave), Die Stumme, Fra Diavolo, Der Liebestrank, Die Weise Frau, Figaro, Joconde, Die Weinlese (The Vintage), Der ErlenhÜgel (The Alder Hill), music by Kuhlau; Don Juan, Das Schloss Montenero, Der Schatz (Le TrÉsor SupposÉ), Der Schlosser und der Maurer, Preciosa, Der kleine Matros (Le petit MatelÔt), and Die verliebten Handwerksleute (The Love-smitten Mechanics.)

MADRID.

ITALIAN operas are performed here twice a week, alternately in the Teatro del Principe and in the Teatro della Cruz; thus the lovers of the opera are obliged to take boxes in both houses. None, indeed, but Italian operas are tolerated, and Rossini is the favourite composer. Hence piano-forte arrangements of his music are to be met with all over Madrid, and there is scarcely a female of the middle rank in life who has not acquired some degree of proficiency on the piano-forte. The guitar is almost entirely discarded. People alone of the lower class are now and then to be seen playing that instrument before their doors. Spanish music, too, is completely out of vogue, and the ladies invariably sing that of Italy, unless expressly entreated to sing a national air; so that the lively Spanish airs are now only to be heard in the mouths of the common people.