first concert-the most distinguished artists assisted at it, and predicted for the precocious youth a glorious career. It was then that Liszt and his family directed their course towards Paris, giving concerts everywhere, and everywhere enjoying brilliant success.

The father of the young artist thought of making him enter the Conservatory, and of entrusting him to the care of Cherubini for counterpoint; but his foreign habits opposed an obstacle to this project, which even the recommendations of M. de Metternich could not remove. Liszt arrived at Paris about the commencement of the year 1823; he was heard during this season in many concerts at the opera, and produced as much astonishment as pleasure. He did not seem merely like one of those infant prodigies, of which we have seen many examples since that time, but like a musician already remarkable by his correctness as well as his brilliant execution. His improvisations were not rich in new ideas; but they indicated in their author a rare knowledge of effect, and much sang-froid in the conduct of the plan. We shall soon be unable to speak any more except of the petit Liszt, and this manner of speaking has become so familiar, that he is thus designated even now at Paris, although he has attained the age and stature of a man.

Notwithstanding his success, his piano studies were continued under the severe direction of his father, who obliged his son to play every day twelve fugues of Bach, and to transpose them upon the spot into all the keys; and it is to this labor that Liszt is indebted for his prodigious power in the reading and execution at first sight, of every kind of music, however difficult. In the month of May, 1824, he went to London with his father; and his success was no less at the court of George IV, than at Paris, whither he returned in the month of September of the same year. He there resumed his studies, and began to compose. The following year, in the month of April, the father and son returned to London, and reaped in many concerts the abundant harvest due to the admiration which the talent of the young artist inspired. On his return to Paris, Liszt was urged by his father to write some sonatas, fantasies, variations, and even an opera of Don Sanche, or le Chateau de l'Amour, which was represented at the Royal Academy of Music, on the 17th of October, 1825, and to which the public listened with indulgence, on account of the interest attached to the name of the young musician. In the month of February, 1826, Liszt removed from Paris with his family, for the purpose of visiting the principal cities of France. His con

certs at Bordeaux, and afterwards at Toulouse, Montpelier, Nismes, Marseilles and Lyons, were a series of triumphs for him.

Until this time, however, he had learned composition by instinct and observation rather than by progressive and systematic studies. He now felt the necessity of being better instructed in this art. Reicha took upon himself the care of directing him in his labor, and made him commence a course which, I believe, was never finished, because the sentiments of a mystical and contemplative devotion began then to penetrate the soul of the young Liszt. In their progress, these sentiments inspired him with a disgust for the art which to this moment had caused him restraint rather than true enjoyment. Resisted by his father, his new inclination was made only to increase; and, in order to withdraw him from too premature meditations, he was made to travel, and, for the third time, he visited England, after having passed through Switzerland, as far as Berne. It was on his return from this journey to London that Liszt lost his father, at Boulogne. Then commenced for him the period of the liberty and disposition of his faculties-a good fortune, which he ought to appreciate so much the more, after his grief had subsided, from never having until then known anything but the despotism of a will stronger than his own. "Poor child, by whose precocious skill they had profited, he had come into the countries of strangers to seek that tribute of admiration which was paid to his age; and it is truly wonderful that, subjected to this severe test, his youthful vanity had not caused his talent to fall off, as has happened to so many others. Fortunately, however, the love of the art was as powerful in him as the thirst of fame was ardent; and when he was able to direct himself, he learned, in the midst of his irresolutions, that to give to the man success in proportion to that which the youthful prodigy had acquired, it was necessary for him to realize more wonders than another, and his courage did not recoil before the labor which it was necessary to make in order to attain this end. Persevering practice appeared to him necessary in order that no difficulty might arrest him, and that his fingers might be always ready to produce, without restriction, every thing that his head could suggest to him. From that time his life was retired-for many years, he was not heard any more, and when he reappeared, it was to create astonishment by the incomparable velocity of his fingers, by their skill in conquering all difficulties, and by their aptitude for the expression of every tone."

A severe disease, his recovery from which lasted almost two years, took him unawares, in the midst of his labors; and this contributed to the development of the religious tendency of his mind. His devotion became rigid, and the frequenting of the churches occupied the greater part of his time. But he was suddenly observed to break through his mystical habits, to reënter the world, and to resume his accustomed manners. It is thus that frequent variations have caused themselves to be observed in his tastes in everything, and have testified to the fickleness of his feelings and opinions-even his talent has by turns assumed different characters. Notwithstanding the success of the enthusiasm which he obtained every time that he was heard, it might be observed, in the frequent variations of his system of playing, that he was not satisfied himself, and that uncertainty always agitated his mind. He has been censured for giving up too much to the mechanism of his fingers; but he wished to prove that he had in him a fire of ardent inspirations, and he set himself to extemporising a sort of fantasies upon the works of the most celebrated composers, considering them only as a sort of theme, which he would vary and modify at his pleasure.

(To be continued.)

CONCERTS.

Sunday, December 27. The two first parts of the Messiah by the Handel and Haydn Society. The audience was not very brilliant, on account of the bad weather, nor was the performance a very spirited one. There was a short interruption from a discrepancy between the orchestral and choral parts, and a chorus, announced to be sung, was in consequence left out. This should not be, and shows the necessity of a full rehearsal with orchestra. In the concert itself the performance should go like clockwork, nay, its external machinery should hardly be perceived or thought of by the public. We think if the leader of the orchestra would agree a little better with the conductor, beforehand, on the spirit of Handel's music, that the effect would be better. We would distinguish among the performances the two bass solos by Mr. Greatorex. His voice is

rather an unpliant instrument, yet his conception and delivery of these solos was fine.

Monday, December 28. Mr. Rakemann's concert, to which we had wished a better audience. If artists of his merits, whom we see here so seldom, are not encouraged to pay us a visit now and then, we must not hope for a speedy general improvement in our taste. The main feeling in hearing him may at first be mere astonishment; yet that will wear off to some degree, and then will the many nice points of his playing be perceived, the music will begin to be understood and appreciated, and his example will be of benefit to us; but we must not be frightened off by our first feeling. Mr. Rakemann did not play anything new, except the Galop Chromatique of Liszt, which, although we had heard it played by Mr. Kossowsky, assumed under his hands new features. He took it much quicker than the latter, and yet brought its light dancing character fully and spiritedly out, while to Mr. Kossowsky it gave evident labor. The Duetto with Violin was finely played by both performers, and at a loudly called encore they played even with more spirit, although Mr. Schmidt did not succeed to get his violin in so perfect tune with the pianoforte as the first time, the pianoforte being tuned considerably lower than concert pitch. It is to be regretted that he has not yet been able to get an instrument fully satisfactory as a concert solo instrument. This duetto, beautifully as it was played by Mr. Schmidt, lost in many places by his violin being unable to compete with the pianoforte. The latter was a grand piano just finished by Chickering and Mackays, and which by its power and fullness of tone, must increase the credit even of that universally esteemed firm. It is an instrument well worthy to be placed under the hands of a master. Mrs. Franklin's first song was appropriate, and finely sung; we should, however, prefer not to hear Ned of the Hill, and Horn's Northern Refrain again in a concert of this character; they are not worth it. Friday, January 2. Concert by the Woods, assisted by Messrs. Brough and Maeder. Mrs. Wood's voice is glorious; it comes rolling and pealing along to us in that large hall, in its clear full tones, that we must open our heart to it; the higher notes, however, are made by the head voice, and are considerably thinner. Her execution and her embellishments are very skilful, yet we cannot make ourselves friends with her style of singing. It lacks the middle shades of expression; it wants gradation, and while we therefore agree that nature has favored her more in her proper register of

voice than Mrs. Sutton; while we acknowledge that she has more energy, yet we prefer the latter, especially in Italian singing; for while it is as pure, nay, even more distinct and correct, it is more varied in expression. The same defect is observable in Mr. Wood's singing, whose voice is moreover less smoothed by a severe and judicious course of study, and therefore a rougher instrument. The same is the case with Mr. Brough, who gave us in the concerted pieces several false notes. These concerted pieces gave a practical illustration of the fact, that solo singing and concerted singing are two very different affairs, for we must confess that we have listened with more pleasure to the performances of our own Amateur Glee Club; although, of course, each individual singer among them could not in the least pretend to compete with any one of this Quartetto. But they lacked the union, the blending of the voices which is so essentially necessary for effect in concerted singing. Each voice seemed to stand out alone by itself, and that of Mr. Maeder was entirely swallowed up by the other three. The Duetto between Mrs. and Mr. Wood was far preferable in this respect.

The two comic pieces, the Trio by Mozart, and Mr. Brough's song of the Pope, by the same composer, showed how little comic music is understood generally. The singers made of both, although as may be imagined from the composer's name, good compositions, the broadest farce imaginable, and in the "Oh, I shall laugh to death," of the Trio, and the "I wish the pope's lot were mine," all traces of singing were lost in the acting and mimicry. But singing should be always an art, that is above real life, and not dragging it down to its coarsest reality. So comic singing should show refined comic-not the broadest traits, but the more delicate touches. Mozart, by-the-by, probably never dreamed of hearing his table song of the Pope performed at a concert, and would have been utterly amazed, could he have seen it announced as a piece in a grand vocal concert. Mr. Maeder's accompaniment suffered much from his voluntary variations. It is an inexcusable vanity in the performer, if he make his accompaniment more obligato than the composer intended it.

Saturday, January 2. Fifth Concert of the Boston Academy of Music, again distinguished by a new and happy device to increase the interest in these Concerts, and their usefulness for the purposes of the Academy. Romberg's beautiful composition of the poem of “The Bell,” was given, preceded by some remarks of the president