THE Vicomte de Villeblanche, one of the ancient noblesse of France, was a distinguished amateur. His mother, a great proficient in music, instructed him very early on the piano-forte, and he having sought refuge in this kingdom during the most troublesome period of the French revolution, took lessons of J. B. Cramer. When Buonaparte proclaimed an amnesty, the Vicomte returned to his native country, entered into the army, accompanied Napoleon in his expedition to Russia, and is supposed to have perished in the retreat, he never having been heard of since that disastrous event. Of his skill in music the movement in the present Number bears full testimony; it is the only composition by him that we ever met with or heard of; it appeared many years ago, (in a musical magazine which had no circulation,) and may be said to be an unknown production. That it is in the manner of Beethoven will be apparent to all, and that it is a very elegant imitation of a master then little known out of Germany, must also be admitted: we are glad to have been enabled to rescue a composition of so much merit either from oblivion, or from being hereafter claimed by some one having no title to it. The March is arranged from a Notturno by Spohr. The Saraband and Gigue of Corelli are familiarly known to the frequenters of the Ancient Concerts, and to all—we fear they are few in number—who are well read in classical music. We have adapted them from the original score, and endeavoured to render the violin passages not only practicable, but easy for keyed-instruments. The Sarabanda was a slow Spanish dance. The Giga speaks for itself. For an account of the composer, we refer the reader to one of our early volumes. The Canzonet, ‘Forget me not,’ has always been ascribed to Mozart, though not noticed by him in his memoranda, and not included in any edition of his works. It certainly bears his impress, and, whether justly or not attributed to that great master, is undoubtedly worthy of his genius. We have cut out from the symphony some bars which we strongly suspect to have been an interpolation. The author of the English words seems to be quite unknown, and it will be no injury to him to let him remain incognito. As far, however, as the prevailing sentiment is concerned, the poetry admirably suits the music. The name of Prati is perfectly new to this country. He was MaÎtre de Chapelle to the Elector Palatine, and born in 1736. He visited Paris, St. Petersburg, Florence, &c., in all which cities he produced operas. In the latter city he brought out his Ifigenia, which met with prodigious success; and at Munich, in 1785, his Armida abandonnata first was heard, which procured him his valuable appointment under the Elector. He died at Ferrara in 1788. The gay and beautiful aria by him, which we now publish, is from Reichardt’s Musikalisches Kunstmagazin, for 1791. A taste for the Madrigal happily seems to be reviving. It is a kind of composition which possesses some of the best qualities of the fugue, but rejects all its formality and restraint. John Bennet published his Madrigals for four voices in 1599, and contributed much to a curious theoretical work by Ravenscroft, printed in 1614, and now lying before us, in the preface to which he is thus mentioned;—a ‘partner in this work is Maister John Bennet, a gentleman admirable for all kinds of composures, either in art, or ayre, simple or mixt, of what nature soever.’ Nothing beyond this is known of him, or it certainly would have been discovered by Hawkins, an indefatigable antiquary, and a zealous promoter of ancient music. The present madrigal is from Warren’s Monthly Collection, a work now exceedingly scarce. We have changed the alto and tenor clefs into the treble and base, and added an accompaniment, for the first time, it is our belief. The very pretty Canzonet of Morley is from a set printed in 1599. One of these appeared in the Harmonicon containing his memoir; to which the reader is referred for further information concerning this celebrated theorist and composer. MAY, 1833.
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