DOI Heft:
October 4, 1856
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.16618#0140
[October 4, 1856.
REVIEW OF THE LONDON STREETS' MUSICAL
SEASON.
he musical season thi3 year
has been as noisy in Lon-
don as ever. "Round the
corners of the most po-
pulous streets, a perfect
gale of discord has been
blowing, which has scarcely-
ceased night or day. Any
vert from the sober ways
of Temperance and Gough,
could tell at any time where
a public-house was to be
found by the band of music
that was playing lustily
outside- Rude BofCas was
the essence of politeness
compared to the rudeness
of those brazen gentlemen.
Every Echo, in, round, and
about Losdon, must have
been made both deaf and
dumb by the incessant low
t hat they kept making, and
if Propriety has been fright-
ened from the isle, depend
upon it these murderous
band-itti have been instru-
mental in her departure.
Not only was Music exe-
cuted by them in a manner
which proved that their
ears were closed to the soft
tones of pity, but it was
also put to the most excru-
ciating torture during the execution. It, was a perfect, St. Bartho-
lomew of harmony, during which WebcR, Donizettt, Rossini, Balfje,
and Russell, were ruthlessly draggtd by the air through the bars of'
their own immortal compositions, and stunned, disfigured beyond all
power of recognition under the hard blows of their breathless assailants.
The landlords of the public-houses are somewhat fo blame, for no
sooner did these monsters begin a new overture in XXX., than they
supplied them with the score. Auber or Meyerbeis.k was all the
same to them, so long as their memories were refreshed with a fresh
measure of beer. Tne German Green Baize Bands have been not less
lusty, adding fresh laurels to their baize everywhere. However, it
must be confessed that these disturbers of the peace and quietness of
private ifamilies are less discordant than their fellow-confederates.
Though lagging far behind in the musical march of civilisation, still, their
movemenis have some little regularity in.them, and they do not throw
such dire confusion into the ranks of society as our English bands do,
by playing so uniformly out of time, and breaking so pertinaciously
through everything like a tune. The organs murder sleep with the
same organised hostility, and in the neighbourhood of tbe Haymarket,
about ten o'clock, the hideous chorus of yells arising from so many
musical murders being all perpetrated at the same time, must be heard
to be fully appreciated. It does not come within our unhappy lot,
fortunately, to lecord any great novelty in street-music this year. At
one time there was a feeble outbreak in the way of whistles, in con-
sequence of the tuccess of Picco, but the innovation made a sensation
i>f no great note, as luckily Picco's whistle was a very short-lived one.
The tunes which have made the greatest noise during the last twelve
months, have heen the Ratcatchers Laughter, Annie Laurie the
serenade from II Trovatore, and tbe Red, White, and Blue. When-
ever the Italian boys struck up the latter, the policemen always allowed
them mdulgenily to grind on, as they took the mention of the Bme to
he a complimentary allusion to the colour of their own cerulean uniform
We fancy there has been a slight decrease in the annual hordes of Ethi-
opians, and consequently we lean to the encouraging belief, that our street
musicians are beginning to put a cleaner face upon their vocation, The
step has still to be taken in the right musical direction, but, with pence
properly strewn in the path of gemus, our artists will not be long
before they take it. We hope next year to have it in our power to
comrnent in favour of our street concerts, both vocal and instrumental
rnat there na? been as our lively neighbours would say, " Moins de bruit
etplus de fruit ' We want fewer branches of music, but those branches
to bear more fruit!
RUSSIAN REFINEMENT.
During the late War, it was no uncommon thing to bear after-dinner
orators—when engaged in the discussion of the then prevailing topic
simultaneously with that of an extra bottle—dilate in glowing terms
upon our national refinement, and the contrast it presented to tbe
barbadsm of the Russians. Now, however truthful and unanswerable
that assertion might have seemed to listener* who heard it during
War-time and decsert, there is abundant proof before us now that it
was utterly unfounded. The truth is, indeed, that in matteis of delicacy
Russia is some miles a-head of Great—and Little—Britain; as a glance
at this ex'ract from the Times will show. The writer is describing the
carriage of the Empress-Dowager, as it appeared in the Grand Pro-
cession into Moscow:—
" To hide from her the coachman's back,perforce turned towards Her Majesty's face,
there was an array of little pag?s who sat outside the coach on the rail with their hacks
towards the coachman's, and their round vieageE vis-d-vis to that of the Empress."
Talk of refinement, indeed ! is not this the very height of it! Coarse
and untutored savage islanders as we are, we sadly are in need of such
Continental training, as an emollient to our ideas of what is decent,
and a preventive to their being brutish. Henceforth let our Gold and
Silver Sticks, or whoever else be charged with our state coaches and
processions, never be deemed capable of taking office until their
education has been "finished" by a Muscovite. Holy Russia enlighten
us! Now our eyes are opened, we never more shall see a lady driven to
a Drawing RoJm, without looking on the coachman's back as being in
fact, one of the indelicacies of the season.
Yet may the cynical perhaps remark, that the obnoxious sight was
merely veiled from the Imperial vision ; whereas, had the construction
of the carriage been amended—for instance, had Her Majesty but con-
descended to a Hansom—her driver would have ceased to turn his
back upon her, and the array of screening pages might have been dis-
pensed with. But the matter as it stood—that is, the coachman as he
< at—was but part of the great Russian System of the all-pervading
Sham. Throughout their who'e Court Circle—from the Czar and
CziBE. s even to the lowest of officials, tver blinded by a bribe—no one
e^er cares for what is going on, before their very eyes sometimes, pro-
vided they can make believe that they don't see it.
A CLEAR WAY AND NO EAVOUR.
Since the gigantic grow h of the ladies' dresses, the traffic in the
streets has been considerably impeded. To remedy this inconvenience,
*hich passes all conception, the Prefect of P<*ris has determined on the
following regulations. "Eor the future, the lad es are to walk on one
side of the street, the gentlemen on the other. The right, as a matter
of graciousness, is to be awarded to the former (though, in the strict
measurement of tbe truth, they little deserve it), and the left to the
Utter. PLtes have already been painted with the inscriptions, 'Les
Dames a Droite,' and ' Les Messieurs a Gauche,' and these are to
be stuck ua next week along the Boulevards, and all the large thorough-
fares." We can only regret that some ?uch regulation cannot be
enforced in London ;—at least at Brighton, Hastings, Ramsgate. Lowe-
stofft,. Scarborough, and all the principal places where at present
London is.
Travelling Experiences.
Which is the Way to the Bank?-If it is the British Bank,
you will have to go through Chancery, and when there, it is more than
doubtful it you will be able to s«e your way clear out of if,
There is a much stronger odour in Cologne than the Eau de Cologne,
and that is the odour of the Town itself. It's only the difference
between Eau de ai)d Odeur ! The Cologne Odeur is ten thousand times
more powerful than any Eau de Cologne, and goes much further. The
traveller has the further satisfaction of knowing, that, he gets it
veritable, ai'd no mistake about it.—N.B, More is genuine, unless it
makes the Voyageur stamp and sneeze instantly
Cases upon Cases Innumerable of Vanity.
Watchmakers are decidedly the most conceited of authors, for yon
never takr up the works of any watchmaker, but you are sure to find
his name on the frontispiece ! It is rarely indeed that a watch, let it
be ever so poor, is published anonymously. There are infinitely more
names registered at Goldsmiths' Hall than ever are "entered at
Stationers' Hall!"
Irish Topography.
We are told that " Every road leads to Rome," but the scboolmaster
who wrote that curious bit of proverbial geography must have been a
Puseyite. However, we are confident that in Ireland "Every road
ieads to Trinity College, Dublin," for we never met with an Irishman'
jet who hadn't t^een there !
REVIEW OF THE LONDON STREETS' MUSICAL
SEASON.
he musical season thi3 year
has been as noisy in Lon-
don as ever. "Round the
corners of the most po-
pulous streets, a perfect
gale of discord has been
blowing, which has scarcely-
ceased night or day. Any
vert from the sober ways
of Temperance and Gough,
could tell at any time where
a public-house was to be
found by the band of music
that was playing lustily
outside- Rude BofCas was
the essence of politeness
compared to the rudeness
of those brazen gentlemen.
Every Echo, in, round, and
about Losdon, must have
been made both deaf and
dumb by the incessant low
t hat they kept making, and
if Propriety has been fright-
ened from the isle, depend
upon it these murderous
band-itti have been instru-
mental in her departure.
Not only was Music exe-
cuted by them in a manner
which proved that their
ears were closed to the soft
tones of pity, but it was
also put to the most excru-
ciating torture during the execution. It, was a perfect, St. Bartho-
lomew of harmony, during which WebcR, Donizettt, Rossini, Balfje,
and Russell, were ruthlessly draggtd by the air through the bars of'
their own immortal compositions, and stunned, disfigured beyond all
power of recognition under the hard blows of their breathless assailants.
The landlords of the public-houses are somewhat fo blame, for no
sooner did these monsters begin a new overture in XXX., than they
supplied them with the score. Auber or Meyerbeis.k was all the
same to them, so long as their memories were refreshed with a fresh
measure of beer. Tne German Green Baize Bands have been not less
lusty, adding fresh laurels to their baize everywhere. However, it
must be confessed that these disturbers of the peace and quietness of
private ifamilies are less discordant than their fellow-confederates.
Though lagging far behind in the musical march of civilisation, still, their
movemenis have some little regularity in.them, and they do not throw
such dire confusion into the ranks of society as our English bands do,
by playing so uniformly out of time, and breaking so pertinaciously
through everything like a tune. The organs murder sleep with the
same organised hostility, and in the neighbourhood of tbe Haymarket,
about ten o'clock, the hideous chorus of yells arising from so many
musical murders being all perpetrated at the same time, must be heard
to be fully appreciated. It does not come within our unhappy lot,
fortunately, to lecord any great novelty in street-music this year. At
one time there was a feeble outbreak in the way of whistles, in con-
sequence of the tuccess of Picco, but the innovation made a sensation
i>f no great note, as luckily Picco's whistle was a very short-lived one.
The tunes which have made the greatest noise during the last twelve
months, have heen the Ratcatchers Laughter, Annie Laurie the
serenade from II Trovatore, and tbe Red, White, and Blue. When-
ever the Italian boys struck up the latter, the policemen always allowed
them mdulgenily to grind on, as they took the mention of the Bme to
he a complimentary allusion to the colour of their own cerulean uniform
We fancy there has been a slight decrease in the annual hordes of Ethi-
opians, and consequently we lean to the encouraging belief, that our street
musicians are beginning to put a cleaner face upon their vocation, The
step has still to be taken in the right musical direction, but, with pence
properly strewn in the path of gemus, our artists will not be long
before they take it. We hope next year to have it in our power to
comrnent in favour of our street concerts, both vocal and instrumental
rnat there na? been as our lively neighbours would say, " Moins de bruit
etplus de fruit ' We want fewer branches of music, but those branches
to bear more fruit!
RUSSIAN REFINEMENT.
During the late War, it was no uncommon thing to bear after-dinner
orators—when engaged in the discussion of the then prevailing topic
simultaneously with that of an extra bottle—dilate in glowing terms
upon our national refinement, and the contrast it presented to tbe
barbadsm of the Russians. Now, however truthful and unanswerable
that assertion might have seemed to listener* who heard it during
War-time and decsert, there is abundant proof before us now that it
was utterly unfounded. The truth is, indeed, that in matteis of delicacy
Russia is some miles a-head of Great—and Little—Britain; as a glance
at this ex'ract from the Times will show. The writer is describing the
carriage of the Empress-Dowager, as it appeared in the Grand Pro-
cession into Moscow:—
" To hide from her the coachman's back,perforce turned towards Her Majesty's face,
there was an array of little pag?s who sat outside the coach on the rail with their hacks
towards the coachman's, and their round vieageE vis-d-vis to that of the Empress."
Talk of refinement, indeed ! is not this the very height of it! Coarse
and untutored savage islanders as we are, we sadly are in need of such
Continental training, as an emollient to our ideas of what is decent,
and a preventive to their being brutish. Henceforth let our Gold and
Silver Sticks, or whoever else be charged with our state coaches and
processions, never be deemed capable of taking office until their
education has been "finished" by a Muscovite. Holy Russia enlighten
us! Now our eyes are opened, we never more shall see a lady driven to
a Drawing RoJm, without looking on the coachman's back as being in
fact, one of the indelicacies of the season.
Yet may the cynical perhaps remark, that the obnoxious sight was
merely veiled from the Imperial vision ; whereas, had the construction
of the carriage been amended—for instance, had Her Majesty but con-
descended to a Hansom—her driver would have ceased to turn his
back upon her, and the array of screening pages might have been dis-
pensed with. But the matter as it stood—that is, the coachman as he
< at—was but part of the great Russian System of the all-pervading
Sham. Throughout their who'e Court Circle—from the Czar and
CziBE. s even to the lowest of officials, tver blinded by a bribe—no one
e^er cares for what is going on, before their very eyes sometimes, pro-
vided they can make believe that they don't see it.
A CLEAR WAY AND NO EAVOUR.
Since the gigantic grow h of the ladies' dresses, the traffic in the
streets has been considerably impeded. To remedy this inconvenience,
*hich passes all conception, the Prefect of P<*ris has determined on the
following regulations. "Eor the future, the lad es are to walk on one
side of the street, the gentlemen on the other. The right, as a matter
of graciousness, is to be awarded to the former (though, in the strict
measurement of tbe truth, they little deserve it), and the left to the
Utter. PLtes have already been painted with the inscriptions, 'Les
Dames a Droite,' and ' Les Messieurs a Gauche,' and these are to
be stuck ua next week along the Boulevards, and all the large thorough-
fares." We can only regret that some ?uch regulation cannot be
enforced in London ;—at least at Brighton, Hastings, Ramsgate. Lowe-
stofft,. Scarborough, and all the principal places where at present
London is.
Travelling Experiences.
Which is the Way to the Bank?-If it is the British Bank,
you will have to go through Chancery, and when there, it is more than
doubtful it you will be able to s«e your way clear out of if,
There is a much stronger odour in Cologne than the Eau de Cologne,
and that is the odour of the Town itself. It's only the difference
between Eau de ai)d Odeur ! The Cologne Odeur is ten thousand times
more powerful than any Eau de Cologne, and goes much further. The
traveller has the further satisfaction of knowing, that, he gets it
veritable, ai'd no mistake about it.—N.B, More is genuine, unless it
makes the Voyageur stamp and sneeze instantly
Cases upon Cases Innumerable of Vanity.
Watchmakers are decidedly the most conceited of authors, for yon
never takr up the works of any watchmaker, but you are sure to find
his name on the frontispiece ! It is rarely indeed that a watch, let it
be ever so poor, is published anonymously. There are infinitely more
names registered at Goldsmiths' Hall than ever are "entered at
Stationers' Hall!"
Irish Topography.
We are told that " Every road leads to Rome," but the scboolmaster
who wrote that curious bit of proverbial geography must have been a
Puseyite. However, we are confident that in Ireland "Every road
ieads to Trinity College, Dublin," for we never met with an Irishman'
jet who hadn't t^een there !