❧ Professors’ Concerts

Feb 1 Philharmonic Society A.R.

(Trial of Beethoven's Choral Sinfonia)

PHILHARMONIC CONCERTS

Previously to the re-commencement of these concerts, the Philharmonic Society had three private meetings in the months of January and February, for the purpose of trying, with the full orchestra, new compositions, and deciding on their fitness for public performance. Amongst these were, a symphony by Mr. Cipriani Potter, an overture by Mr. Goss, Weber's overtures to Preciosa and Euryanthe, and a Grand Symphony recently composed for the society, by Beethoven. All of these we shall have to notice when they are regularly before the public. But much curiosity having been excited by the latter composition, from the pen of so great a master, we shall anticipate in part our regular criticism of it, by observing, that it manifests many brilliant traits of Beethoven's vast genius; that it imbodies enough of original matter, of beautiful effects and skilful contrivances, to form an admirable symphony of ordinary duration: but that unfortunately, the author has spun it out to so unusual a length, that he has ‘drawn out the thread of his verbosity finer than the staple of his argument’, and what would have been delightful had it been contained within moderate limits, he has rendered wearying by expansion, and diluted his subjects till they become weak and vapid. When we add that the time which it is calculated this composition will take in performing, cannot be much less than an hour and twenty minutes, our readers, though they have not heard it, may almost judge for themselves of its inadequacy to fix the attention of any audience, or to produce such an effect as the admirers of Beethoven must earnestly wish.H

Philharmonic Society A.R.

PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY

FIRST CONCERT

Monday February 21, 1825

(Began at 8)

ACT 1

(1) Sinfonia, No. 4 (in Bb) (31 minutes) Beethoven

(9) (Duetto) Madame Ronzi De Begnis (& Mr. Sapis) Il Don Giovanni (‘La ci darem’) Mozart