תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

brilliancy for which he is eminent. The subject is a bold and vigorous allegro; the variations are however mostly of a light character. No. 5 has more the true character of the air, it contains some original passages, and the finale is very spirited. The lesson can by no means rank with Mr. C.'s higher productions, but it is rather difficult, requires delicate execution, and must please his admirers as a bagatelle.

The distinguishing mark of Mr. Pixis's music, is that of entering fully into his subject, and in the present Rondino he has succeeded in this point very happily. It is a playful, original, and superior lesson of its kind, although it contains none of the striking points which usually set off the music of this composer.

Mr. Pleyel has hardly made enough of the beautiful subject he has selected. His Rondo is however far from being devoid of merit. The Introduction is spirited, and the idea on which it is formed, striking. The allegro has a good deal of sameness, and has little more than easy and effective execution to recommend it.

The Ricordanza, which is in the same style as the Melanges from Der Freyschütz, published by Mr. P. some time ago, is a lesson superior in its way. The Introduction is formed upon that to the opera of Il Crociato, in a very ingenious manner; the slow movement is upon one of the most beautiful and least hacknied airs of the piece, and the concluding march adds great spirit to the lesson. It is not very difficult.

We must think Mr. Mayseder's style hardly adapted to the piano forte; it appears to want fullness and richness. His Divertimento would seem equally well adapted to any other instrument. It displays but few of the characteristics belonging to piano forte music, though it possesses some good points. The theme is very pretty, and the whole is marked by originality; but it is scarcely so good as Mr. M.'s former productions.

Mr. Pleyel's Lessons are easy, brilliant, and attractive. In the first there is perhaps too frequent a recurrence to the subject, which creates a sameness; but the Introduction is very good: the second presents more variety, by means of a striking flute part. The Melange contains pretty and new airs, and is perhaps for this reason the best of the three.

Sacred Melodies, from Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, adapted to the best English Poets, and appropriated to the use of the British Church; by W. Gardiner. Vol. 3d.

Mr. Gardiner is an amateur of considerable industry and acquirements, and entertaining much admiration for the great modern composers of Germany, he has laboured to introduce many of their works into the service of the Church of England. We are not able to say what degree of success has attended this undertaking judging by our own experience, we should pronounce it very small; for we have not met with a single instance of the adoption of Mr. G.'s publications.

little more contents of

Viewing his former volumes, with the indulgence which is due to one who has not undergone the severe discipline of a professional education, we spoke more favourably of them than we should otherwise have been inclined to speak, and we waived many objections which might have been made, both to the principle and the execution of the work. Perhaps we were rendered a little indifferent by the consideration that Mr. G. was chiefly engaged in sporting over his neighbours' manors. But now, as he is come into our home preserve, we shall look closely into his qualifications, carefully examine the his bag, and see by whose authority he presumes to "kill and destroy." Some of our readers may recollect that the two first volumes of the "Sacred Melodies" were principally gleaned from the compositions-instrumental as well as vocal-of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. In this, according to our editor, the singular merit of the work consists; for, like our friend Mr. Whitaker, of "seraphic" memory, he has discovered that reform in English psalmody is wanting, and rather than resort to those vast collections which have been introduced by singing men and conventicle clerks, for materials, he has had recourse to the highest fountains of musical taste in the German school." Very wellYet Mr. G. after this side hit at our old tunes, helps himself to many of them in his first volume, and thus again brings to our mind the exquisite compiler just mentioned.

We hope that the "highest fountains" of the "German school"

are not dried up; but strange to say, the volume now before us, consists, for the most part, of the works of our own church composers; beginning with Purcell, and ending with Boyce and Kent. In truth Mr. G. should have put himself to the expence of a new title page; for the great names which figure in this will mislead some persons, who may fancy themselves about to come into possession of certain beautiful exotics, while they are, in fact, only procuring plants of English growth: vigorous indeed, and with a promise about them of blooming for ages—but English, after all.

"In the former volumes of this work, the author has exhibited the most beautiful melodies of modern art, in connexion with the best English poets, with the view of forming a more elevated system of psalmody." "Another class of composition still remained to complete the author's design, namely, the anthem or motetto." This species of "sacred music, inferior to none in pathos and devotional feeling, is peculiar to this country, and it is with pride that we record the names of Purcell, Croft, Green and Boyce-the most distinguished writers in this department of musical science." "The anthem is too often marked by the same prolixity which characterized the sermons and disquisitions of the times in which it took its rise; but as that which was deemed an excellence, in the scarcity of musical productions, will now be considered as a defect, the author has used his best judgment in abridging many of the pieces in the present work."

"Some passages, having nothing to recommend them but their quaintness, have been removed, and other movements have been supplied, which it is presumed will accord better with the improved taste of the age. Many of these compositions have hitherto remained unknown except to the learned, chiefly from the obsolete character in which they are written, and partly from the want of an arranged accompaniment for the organ, and [or] piano forte. Another considerable impediment to their general use has arisen from the great number of parts in which they are written, and often for voices which are now but little cultivated. To render them more easy of performance, the author has compressed those of five or six voices into the compass of four; and many beautiful duettos and trios, intended originally for altos, he has accommodated to the soprani. In some instances, he has ventured

to change the course of the harmony.

These alterations are con

In the "Te Deum,"

fined chiefly to the works of Purcell. numberless errors have been faithfully copied into every succeeding edition, down to the present time. Some of them are doubtless to be attributed to mistakes of the press, but the same explanation cannot be given of the coarse transitions that occur in ‘O give thanks,' as this anthem was edited by the scientific and careful Dr. Boyce; its defects must therefore be attributed to an idea of modulation less accuratefthan that which we now possess." "The author then flatters himself that he has performed an acceptable service to the lovers of sacred music, in rendering easy and accessible these native and delightful compositions, which, scattered in many volumes, were not to be procured without great expence and difficulty; and that the alterations and omissions have been made with the spirit in which the admirer of nature removes from an enchanting flower, the extraneous foliage that obscures its beauty."

We shall soon discover what Mr. G. means by this touch of fine writing, at the conclusion of his preface, which we have copied almost entirely; because we like an author to speak for himself, when he can speak, and to give us his own explanation of his work, and of the considerations which have induced him to undertake it. In this preface, however, there are so many mistakes and bold assumptions, that, for the sake of those who honour our Review with their attention, we cannot let it pass without notice. We must not call amateurs to too strict an account; we shall therefore content ourselves with gently assuring Mr. Gardiner that the "motetto" is by no means "peculiar to this country." If he had been as conversant with the musical history of Italy, as we presume he is with that of Germany, he would have known a crowd of writers, who have composed motets for the chamber as well as the church. And what are the hymns, inserted in the Roman ritual, but so many anthems?—according to our use of the term.

But Mr. G. has discovered, that the English anthem is too often "marked by prolixity," and therefore he has abridged many pieces in his present work. How he has done this we shall see hereafter. He likewise informs us, that many of the compositions selected by him have remained unknown, except by the learned, VOL. VII. NO. XXVIII.-DEC. 1825.

2 U

in consequence of the "obsolete character in which they are written" this we profess not to understand. In Boyce's glorious Collection of Cathedral Music, the F and C clefs are employed for the voice parts, and the G clef occasionally for the organ: in this, there is nothing "obsolete," for every one of these clefs is commonly used at the present day, by all the musical nations in Europe, England excepted.

Mr. Gardiner probably means, that in the form in which Boyce has printed them, these compositions would not be easily understood by amateurs in general, and we think he is right: we also approve of his arranging the vocal parts in two staves, for the benefit of the million who cannot be supposed to read from four. But, if he has removed one difficulty, he has created another, and a greater, by the awkward arrangement of his score; for, in it, the treble is put below the other parts, the alto is written in the G clef, and the tenor is transposed into the alto. This mutation of clefs and inversion of the highest voice, occasion infinite trouble to the reader: the transposition of the tenor is particularly annoying, and as Mr. G. has not favoured us with his reasons for it, we will confess our inability to guess at them.

In these manufacturing times, a gentleman who engages in the trade of book making, must, to be sure, do something to give him a right of property in his wares; but then he should take good care-especially if he pretend to be an improver—that he really make them more convenient-or elegant-or bestow a higher polish upon them. He should do this, we say, else there are certain ill-natured people in the world who will think that he might have followed a more useful employment.

Some of the compositions contained in this volume having been written for five and six voices, Mr. G. to give them a wider circulation, has compressed them into four: this portion of his labour, the editor has often done very cleverly. At the same time, his re-arrangements frequently weaken the effect of the original compositions, by separating the voices too much. While we are on this part of our subject, we must say, that we do not understand Mr. G. when he talks of voices "now but little cultivated." No voice, that we are aware of, is gone out of fashion; and people who have voices, and love music, are as apt now to cultivate them, without regard to their register, as they were in the days of Pur

« הקודםהמשך »