Since the Jubilee service on the 2ist of June last year, our magnificent cathedral has not been so full as it was on Friday evening. Mr. Robertson's former recital was well attended, and those who went to that had spoken so highly of his powers, and of the delight they had in hearing justice done to our fine organ, that it seemed that all Shanghai was present on Friday. The seats were all full, and there was a crowd of people two or three deep standing up at the bottom of the nave and aisles. "Punctually at nine Mr. Robertson commenced the programme, and he played admirably, so that those who were not [ce at the former recital said that they lad never heard our organ properly played before; and the organist was labouring under the disadvantage of the fear of miss: ing his steamer, which was to leave exactly at eleven, and of the' unexplained absence of one of the two gentlemen who had remised to assist him with the stops.
hose two causes combined to make him somewhat more nervous than he was on the former occasion, and he was also conscious that among the audience was the talented daughter of one of the composers whose names made up the programme. Notwithstanding all this, it was a thoroughly masterly performance, with a varied and well-contrasted list of pieces, and the july criticism we hoard that was not complete! laudatory, was that the Overture tu Wile liam Tell" seemed, to English ears, inappropriate to the organ.
The first number was the Allegro from Rinck's Flute Concerto. A concerto properly demands that an orchestra shall support the solo instrument, and the organ is called to on represent all this. In this old-fashioned, yet beautiful piece Rinck, famous for his *t Organ School," has interpreted on the organ all the peculiarities as well as beauties of the flute. The octave leap, for which the flute is celebrated, is admirably mimicked, and it would be easy to believe that it was a real flute that was being played. The programme included two purely pianoforte compositions, and these shewed the effects which are obtained from the organ by modern players. The first of these was the Adagio from the great master, Beethoven's, Sonata Pathelique, which, well-known as it is, formed a very adaptable extract for the organ. The melody is first thrown out by the clarionet, dis then appropriately varied as the ever-changing subjects snyyest. To many hearers it was the most seductive number on the programme. The third number, Mendelssohn's Sonata for Organ, No. 4, in B flat, was the piece de resistance of the evening. It opens without introduction into a rapid allegro in arpegyiv form. The crpeggi are soon broken by little snatches fugually treated, which Mendelssohn cannot resist in any of his compositions. The movement concludes by the two devices being, intertwined in a manner which shews the hand of a great master. The adagio is a sweet, simple air, but like all the composer's slow movements, full of rich charm. As we remarked before, Mr. Robertson, shines in combinations and "colouring," which are always in good taste; and the combinations of stops here introduced were very happily effected. The third niovement, the allegretto, is not one of the composer's: most striking movements. is simply a melody with a counterpoint running throughout; in the first part the melody is on the olive; in the second part, when the melody is in the baritone, the horn was used with great effect. "The burst of the last movement gives a welcome contrast. The first subject is martial in form, the base of which is a scale extending over nearly the' full compass of the pedals, The nievement is contrapuntally treated, and is full, as indeed all Mendeissohn's compositions for the organ are, of
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.