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MUSIC.
The fifteenth of the " People'9 Tromenade'
Concerts" attracted the usual crowd to the
Exhibition-building last Saturday evening.
We understand that the promoters of these
entertainments are about to visit Sydney and
try the experiment in the Town-hall there.
Recent mail news bring9 full information
respecting the celebration of the Mozart
centenary in all the leading cities of the old
world, when in most cases the programmes
were similar to that produced in Melbourne,
the Requiem being almost always included.
It is rather surprising, however, to read that
in some places where musical culture is sup
posed to be flourishing—such as Dublin—
the apocryphal "Twelfth Mass" has
been performed. It may interest our
readers to know that this, which is
now by musicians generally considered an
impudent forgery, did not come to light until
thirty years after Mozart's death. Five years
later—in 1826—its authenticity was chal
lenged by Seyfried, under the title, " Scruples
Concerning the Mass in G Published by Sim
rock in the Name of Mozart." This essay,
which detailed various faults in part writing
and tonality that could never have come from
the pen of the great master, was so trenchant
as to elicit further particulars. It turned out
thatSimrock, who had apparently been him
self deceived, obtained the manuscript from
a man named Zulehner, who is known to
have tried to palm off a so-called "Corona
tion Mass" in C upon a publisher as
Mozart's, the composition proving to be, how
ever, nothing else than a pot pourri on airs
from "Cosi fan tutle." Sulwequently Sim
rock acknowledged that the " Twelth Mass"
was not in Mozart's handwriting, though the
imitation was a good one. When Zulehner
was called upon for an explanation he dis
creetly declined to give any. Further proof
of its being a forgery is forthcoming from
Leopold Jansa, whose pupil Lady Halle once
was. He has asserted that the "Twelth
Mass" was composed by a Bohemian named
Miiller, and that when a boy he had himself
been accustomed to sing it in the music
school, where it was known as " Midler's
Mass." ThiB was about the year 1812—nine
years before the mass was published by
Simrock. From the above it will be Been
that the weight of evidence is conclusive,
and therefore it is strange that existing
choral societies should associate it with the
Mozart Centenary.
The meeting at Messrs. Allan and Co.'s
music warehouse on Monday last, to consider
Mr. George Musgrove'a proposals respecting
grand opera, in Australia, was not so well
attended as might have been wished. After
a short discussion 'the following gentlemen
were appointed a committee, with power to
add to their number, the object being to
reuse by subscription the necessary £12,000:—
Messrs. Blyth, Geoige L. Allan, 8. G. Piraui,
and J. C. W. Nicholson,
When the Princess of Wales goes to the
Caucasus with the Czarina there will be a
review of 250,000 men, who will pass before
the Czar and his guests at the toot of the
highest peak ia Europe, tht Elbrus,
$