 
Mr. Pye’s work is, in choir language, a full anthem with verse, for soprano, alto, two tenors, and a base, in three movements: the first, full, in D minor; the second verse, five voices, in F; and the third, a fugue in D major, full, for four voices. The whole, both design and execution, is in the orthodox style of the latter end of the seventeenth and beginning of the eighteenth centuries. Weldon and Croft have been the composer’s models, but only so far as regards manner; he has borrowed nothing, for though we cannot ascribe any positive originality to this anthem—not any absolutely new thought,—yet the author has made himself debtor to no one for a single passage that we can recognise. The first movement is decidedly the best, it evinces much musical learning without any of its pedantry: the fugue style is adopted for effect, not for display; the harmony is rich without being loaded, and the modulations are of that grave and becoming kind which characterises the works of the composers whom we have just named; but throughout the whole we feel a want of their melody. There is, however, more of this essential ingredient in the verse, though it is not over-abundant even here. The last movement is a fugue of two subjects, sufficiently worked to satisfy those who delight in composition that smells of the lamp, and not so laboured as to offend such as think music an art to be addressed to the ear, rather than the eye. Mr. Pye, a very young artist, has done himself much honour by this composition. Will our choirs second his efforts, and encourage others to proceed in the same course, by immediately adopting his anthem? They ought, if they have any respect for talent, or if they consult the interests of cathedral establishments. Neither the title-page nor an advertisement, added to a large list of subscribers, enable us to penetrate deep into the history of the Cantata No. 2, which we at first took for a sacred composition, but afterwards found to be an abominable mÉsalliance of religion and politics, beginning with a part of the fortieth chapter of the prophet Isaiah, and ending with such profitless lines as the following:— ‘A Cumberland, Eldon, pillars of the nation, Newcastle, and a Mansfield, who nobly filled their station, As stars at midnight shone those orbs,’ &c. &c. But the music, by Hummel, and in his best manner, is worthy of so much of the poetry as is borrowed from the inspired writer, and far too good for the uninspired verses that follow. The promoters of this work, however, it seems, intend to make some provision for two orphans out of the proceeds, and we hope that success will attend their benevolent endeavours; wishing at the same time that they had been as fortunate in their choice of words as in their music and number of subscribers. No. 3 is a continuation of a work noticed before. In this appears the Lord’s prayer, set to music by Mr. T. Cooke, who—we are sure very unintentionally, but very unluckily—has, by his manner of setting, turned it almost into burlesque, e. g. Then we have a rest after ‘earth,’ but none after ‘heaven,’ so that the reading is thus,—‘As it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread;’ and ‘daily’ is made emphatic, (with a certain jerk,) instead of the word ‘bread;’ thus— After this comes ‘trespasses,’ with a strong accent on the third syllable. The last fifteen words are so often repeated as to fill two closely engraved pages, and the phrase, ‘for ever and ever,’ is reiterated no less than ten times, the movement being marked allegro moderato! Let us hope that but few, if any, will be found to misemploy this fine, comprehensive, universal prayer, by singing it as thus set. Indeed, we never wish to hear it sung at all. The other pieces in these numbers are, a very pleasing duet from Marcello’s Psalms; the first stanza of Sir Walter Scott’s translation of Dies IrÆ, well set, particularly the first movement, by Mr. M’Murdie; and Millico’s beautiful arietta, ‘Ho sparso tante lagrime,’ with English words adapted to it. No. 4 includes the greatest number of hymns we ever met with in one collection. The volume, which takes a shape we can only describe by its dimensions, is twelve inches wide by rather more than six deep, consisting of nearly four hundred pages, which contain at least five hundred tunes. These are selected from various works, and are all in score, in four parts, for soprano, alto, tenor, and base; and as no accompaniment is given, the want of a figured base will be felt by the organist. For the middle parts a new character is used—something in the form of a treble clef, and giving the same names to the staff; the intention of which is, to save the trouble of directing the alto and tenor to sing the notes an octave lower. The inventor of this is a Mr. Gay, who disapproves the employment of the base clef for the tenor voice, preferring the treble, or his own character. He assigns no reason for this, and most probably has none to offer, unless he can defend prejudice. But he is bound to show cause why such harmony as the subjoined is to be allowed:— Such consecutive fifths, though false fifths, are much worse to the ear than some successions of perfect ones. The crotchet A ought to have fallen to G. But the same gentleman—who it appears has ‘revised and corrected’ this work—is answerable for a very extraordinary error, in calling certain keys by their wrong names. For instance, he denominates the key of B flat, ‘B major;’ E flat, ‘E major;’ and, mirabile dictu! gives the right name to the real key of E major; thus making the keys of E three flats and E four sharps, &c., the same in denomination. Of these numerous tunes, only the notes are inserted, we therefore cannot tell how the words are adapted to them, or how accented; but, with an exception or two, the harmony of such few as we have examined is correct, and the parts sing well. The compiler, Mr. Hawkes, has inserted some few of his own compositions, which show great taste, and afford another proof of the progress making in musical knowledge by amateurs. The work is printed in a remarkably neat, small, but clear type, and we doubt not will prove of considerable utility to the large class of persons for whose use it is published. THE PASSIONS, being SIX SONGS, each with a descriptive Proem, and Graphic Illustrations: the Poetry by JOS. LUNN; the Music by G. F. STANSBURY, T. COOKE, J. PARRY, F. W. HORNCASTLE, J. C. CLIFTON, and E. TAYLOR. The Illustrations by R. J. HAMERTON. (Goulding and D’Almaine.) THE Passions are hazardous matters for poets, painters, and musicians to meddle with in the way of art. Collins succeeded in them well; Le Brun tolerably. Dr. Cooke set Collins’ Ode, but reaped no laurels from his labours; and we are not aware that any other attempt to describe, in musical language, these powerful emotions of the mind was ever made till now; for those choruses called ‘The Passions,’ in Handel’s Solomon, are improperly designated. But what are the passions? Metaphysicians are by no means agreed on this point. Nay, a distinguished writer goes so far as to allow but one, self-love! and asserts that all the others are but modifications of this. Mr. Lunn well observes, that ‘there are many affections, attributes, &c., usually denominated passions, which have no claim to that definite appellation.’ And he afterwards adds, ‘I am induced to consider the six which I have chosen for my task,—namely, Love, Joy, and Hope, and their opposites, Hate, Grief, and Despair, as the roots, or bases; or, if the expression be admissible, the Cardinal Passions, of which all the rest are ramifications, modifications, or combinations.’ (Introduction.) It appears from the Preface to this volume, that two composers were severally invited by Mr. Lunn to set his poetry to music, but that one, after requiring many months to consider the subject, declined; and the other was bound by engagements which prevented his undertaking the task. The probability is, that the latter, Mr. Bishop, well knew the difficulty of such an enterprise, and was not very willing to risk his reputation in it. The other was blessed with more intrepidity, and embarked in a work of a similar kind Mr. Lunn, being thus deserted and disappointed, at length presented his manuscript to the Melodists’ Club, six of whose members undertaking to set the words, the volume under notice was produced. The first, LOVE, is an elegant composition in A flat, but much too grave for the words, which, we should imagine, the author meant to be set in a light, playful manner. The second portrays HATE in the proem or exordium, but in the song launches out into certain moral reflections on valour, and the generosity springing from this, describing the passion by its contraries; which we cannot but consider as injudicious, because at variance with what was, or what ought to have been, the general design of the poet, Joy is the third, and, with the exception of a pastoral movement, which certainly is anything but suited to so active, so almost riotous a passion, the composer has well designed his work, but wanted vigour in the execution. No. 4, GRIEF, is evidently the work of a thinking composer, and of a very good musician. There are some excellent points in this; but the want of unity in the poem has necessarily influenced the composer. We conceive that each passion should have stood alone, unweakened by any adjunct. Here we have the pleasure of memory added to the pangs of grief; thus both poetry and music are enfeebled. The fifth, HOPE, is not lyrical poetry—the composer therefore must not be blamed for having made little of it. He does not seem to have spared effort, but his labour has been bestowed on an unfruitful soil. Mr. Lunn’s DESPAIR is nearly of the same cast as Virgil’s— ——Moriamur, et in media arma ruamus. We much prefer Spenser’s, who is found in ‘——darksome cave—— ———low sitting on the ground, Musing full sadly in his sullen mind; His greasy locks, long growen, and unbound, Disorder’d hung, about his shoulders round, And hid his face; through which his hollow eyne Look’d deadly dull, and stared as astound.’ The ‘proem’ to this, the actual description of the passion, is graphic; and, if we may use the expression, is graphically set. A modulation here is worth quoting:— But the rest of the song, though ably composed, is neither more nor less than a moral to the tale, therefore objectionable in our eyes, because abandoning that which ought to have been the sole object,—the passion itself. The lithographed illustrations have all considerable merit, that of Joy excepted: the work is very well brought out, and proves the liberal views of the society. PIANO-FORTE.
THE first of these is one of those happy effusions of genius that rarely occur, combining originality, most agreeable effect, and that simplicity of construction as well as of notation, which places it within reach of every tolerable player. It is in B minor, and consists of but five pages. No. 2 exhibits M. Czerny in a rational shape; he has here not only selected some of the best airs from the popular opera of Auber, but arranged them with taste, and in a manner that will exclude no ordinary performer from benefiting by his fantasia.
No. 1 is, we conclude, made up of German dance tunes, well blended, and arranged in an easy familiar manner for both instruments, the flute part being almost necessary as an accompaniment, if not what is understood by the term obbligato. This is a gay, exhilarating bagatelle; but some few passages, particularly for the left hand, show that it is not intended for mere tyros; and it may, without any loss of caste to the parties, be introduced by performers of the first class. No. 2 are the very pretty airs sung so often in public last season by Madlle. Pixis, and now very soberly arranged by the composer, making three remarkably pleasing divertimentos, not difficult, short, and sure to be admired by nearly every description of auditors. But the title is curious, considered as coming from the author himself. Few persons have the hardihood to speak of their own productions as ‘Gems;’ and that they are in the manner of, or À la, Pixis, cannot be denied, seeing that he composed them.
No. 1 is composed of Shield’s beautiful air, ‘The Streamlet,’ the march in MosÉ, ‘Il ne sont plus,’ and the Cobourg Waltz; No. 2, of three Swiss airs. These are formed into very easy divertimentos, extremely well adapted for young players; to be occasionally mixed, however, with music of We are not acquainted with the air of No. 3 in its original state, but it makes a good rondo, and Mr. Andrews’ share in this entitles him to some praise.
No. 1 is clever, without showing much invention. His enharmonic modulation is bold and effective. No. 2 has cost a good deal of labour without making at all a proportionate return. The subjects of No. 3 are, the Gallope in Faust, a chansonnette of Plantada, and an air in the ‘Sybarites of Florence,’ short and easy, but not possessing much of an interesting kind. DUETS, PIANO-FORTE.
THE overture to Semiramide, Rossini’s fine serious opera, is a most effective work in almost any shape, but as a duet, and with the accompaniments now added to the piano-forte part, it leaves nothing to wish, when performed in private rooms, where loud wind instruments are never heard to advantage, and a drum is unendurable. Mr. Watts’s arrangement is full, but not crowded, and he has given more than usual importance to his instrumental parts, which, however, are not difficult, but form highly valuable additions to the composition. No. 2 are, ‘Papataci,’ the everlastingly-hacked, worn-out trio from L’Italiana in Algeri, and ‘Ah! se a me riede,’ from Elisa e Claudio, both extremely well converted into duets, the second part quite easy, the upper not so much so, but far from difficult, and both moderate in length and agreeable in effect. No. 3 is a clear arrangement of a chorus very popular in Germany now, and which will be so here two or three years hence. VOCAL.
FROM the time of the Prince of Venosa, who died in 1614, to the present year, not a single instance of a noble composer of madrigals was to be found, till Lord Burghersh produced No. 1 of the above, which was first heard at Mr. Sale’s concert in May last. The decidedly favourable manner in which madrigals were received last season, both at the Ancient and Vocal Concerts, most likely induced the noble Lord to turn his attention to this kind of music, and we are glad that it has found so able and influential a patron. No. 1, in B flat, carries with it internal evidence of having been wholly designed before any part of it was committed to paper; the unity, so well sustained from beginning to end, is an incontestable proof of this. Herein consists one of its greatest merits, while the melody which flows through it is not less to be admired. This is written in the true stile madrigalesco, a style distinguished by its free imitations and double counterpoint, and the effect of the whole is remarkably good; though to bring it fairly out the singers must be on the alert, and give their earnest attention to the unexpected transitions that occur. While we state how much this has pleased us, we must confess that there are one or two points in which we differ from the composer. Had, for instance, the diminished 7th (page 10, bar 7) been resolved, we should have been better satisfied; and wish that the piano-forte accompaniment (which should only be used when singers require support) had continued with the voices throughout, instead of being raised an octave above them in the latter part of the composition. No. 2 will please the most uncultivated hearers by the beauty of its melody, and connoisseurs will discover that it possesses also other claims to notice, founded on what is not so obvious to the uninitiated in such compositions. The same consistency is observable in this as in the preceding; the subjects all stand in a certain traceable relationship to each other, and lead us to suppose that the whole was struck off at a heat. This is an original work, and not less pleasing than new. The ease and sweetness of the air will, of course, be most generally noticed, but those who are alive to the charms of harmony may find enough here to engage their attention very agreeably. In a word, there are no commonplaces either in this or the former; both bear the uncounterfeited stamp of true genius,—by which we mean, the union of invention and taste. No. 3 is a pastoral quartet, andantino, in six-eight time, the words are set with judgment, the melody is flowing and happily imagined, the inner parts are well written, and the whole produces that agreeable, tranquillizing effect which, we conclude, was the main object of the composer.
No. 1 is a deeply expressive air in A flat, with an accom M. Pixis’ three songs, though imitations of Swiss airs, are the most pleasing things that we have seen from his pen for a long time past. They were sung by Madlle. Pixis, at the Queen’s palace this spring, and pleased much. These are for a mezzo-soprano, and though not very difficult, require much flexibility of voice, as well as some skill to do them justice. The airs are varied to the second and third stanzas, and the singer is there called upon to exert herself. The English words are well adapted to the melodies. No. 3 is not distinguishable from at least a hundred airs of the same kind that have been heard on the Italian stage within the last fifteen years. Signor Rubini’s ‘Graces and Embellishments’ amount to little beyond a turn or two, written at length; and we are thankful to him for adding no more: if he had inserted only half that he sings, we never could have got through one quarter of this arietta.
No. 1 is a very humble attempt at composition. No. 2—which we rather think is by a fair amateur—is in the Scottish style, simple, tender and pleasing. No. 3 is a charming melody, well accompanied. Perhaps the music is a little too tranquil for words which speak such ill-suppressed agony of feeling. No. 4 displays more elegance of taste than originality; but the poetry is most correctly set, and the ballad being popularly composed, will soon make its way. No. 5 is the soliloquy of a very youthful dandy, the words entertaining, and the music not inappropriate. No. 6 is not less pleasing for being in the neglected rondo style. The melody is good, and the words correctly set, both as regards meaning and accent. No. 7 has cost the composer some labour, we fear in vain, for it is not calculated to become very popular; nevertheless, the hand of a musician is conspicuous in every part of it. No. 8 is a clever song, and the air has some novelty in it, therefore a rarity. The accompaniment is full, and may alarm those who are apt to take fright at double sharps; but it is ably composed. The poet’s notion, that music is ‘the wine of the soul,’ is to us new: we know by sad experience that it often operates as a narcotic, when not so noisy as Bellini’s Norma. No. 9 is respectable, but certainly boasts not a new thought; except, indeed, the introduction of a solitary bar of nine quavers, which had better have been omitted. No. 10 is a sly attack on the slave system. If the arguments against it had always been as feeble as the music of this song, real emancipation would have even a poorer chance than it now has, when a trifle of twenty millions is devoted to its accomplishment. In No. 11 is a great deal more than we fear will be properly appreciated. The composer will gain reputation by his canzonet—(a cantata implies recitative) but no profit. No. 12 is pretty, but like a thousand other songs. Why such a runaway ritornel? Is it an imitation of the West wind? HARP.
THE first of the above is in three short movements, besides a few introductory arpeggios. A certain gracefulness characterizes this, rather than originality or energy. It is, however, skilfully adapted to harp-players, who, generally speaking, are not very desirous of combating difficulties; and they have reason on their side, so far as relates to those of execution; but difficulty arising from novelty, from un No. 2 is a very lovely air, and, though Scotch, quite unknown to us, to which are added four variations of the usual kind. An easy prelude in a few arpeggioed chords, in fact, introduces the air; the whole filling six pages only. HARP AND PIANO-FORTE.The favourite AIRS in the Ballet-Opera of La BayadÈre, arranged by T. LABARRE. Op. 48. (Chappell.) WE have here the march in F, with the airs, ‘Ainsi pour me sauver la vie,’ and ‘Sois ma BayadÈre,’ combined into a Fantaisie. Neither of the parts is difficult, but the greatest responsibility is thrown on that of the piano-forte, which indeed is just, for this instrument possesses far more capability than the other. M. Labarre has made a very pleasant piece out of these airs, and will do well to select a few more for a similar purpose. VIOLIN.THEMA, with VARIATIONS, with an accompaniment for the Piano-forte, composed by HENRY G. BLAGROVE, Violinist to HER MAJESTY. (Boosey and Co.) THIS consists of an introduction and an air in E, with five variations. The air is delicate and pleasing; the variations are of the bravura kind for the violin, the piano-forte part being, as stated, a mere accompaniment. We find no room here for censure, and should not be justified in saying any great deal in the shape of praise. VIOLONCELLO AND PIANO-FORTE.
MR. CROUCH has selected for No. 1 an andante, and a romance with three variations, by Bideau; a romance by Bochsa and Duport; an allegro by Bernard Romberg; and an air, andante, by Weber. No. 2 contains an andante by Romberg; an air, with six variations, by Dotzauer; a rondoletto by Beezwarzowsky, the latter preceded by an adagio; and an allegretto by Weigl. Most of these are compositions of decided merit, those of Romberg especially so. In point of difficulty they preserve a just medium, but require performers possessing taste for both instruments. In the violoncello part the arranger uses only the base and treble clefs, which proves his good sense. He need not fear the anathemas of the sticklers for ancient practices; such folks are daily diminishing in number. GUITAR AND PIANO-FORTE.‘Jadis rÉgnait en Normandie,’ from MEYERBEER’s Robert, arranged as a Duet by M. NEULAND. Op. 13. (Chappell.) DUETS for these instruments are getting more and more into use, and M. Neuland is well qualified to make arrangements of this kind, as the present shows, which is a very excellent adaptation of the original, clever, and popular air in an opera which will be better understood in England a few years hence than it has yet been. |
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