The Press. — London, England, 1858-11-20 00:00:00

" gentleman, after suggesting various expedients but "w no purpose, at last said, Well, he could see othirag for it but to trust in Providence.' Lord bless you, sir, why, Providence has been dead these ten years !'" This is a fair pendant to a story told t he writer of this notice by a young clergyman who h a d obtained a curacy in an out-of-the-way district under a very old and enfeebled rector. He had not long l eached the scene of his labours before he dis covered that a large portion of his parishioners were utterly ignorant of the simplest truths of the Chris tian religion. He therefore inaugurated his proceed ings by a brief, succinct outline of the life, sufferings, and death of the Redeemer. After service was over, be joined a respectable yeoman who was going in the same direction with himself, and asked his opinion of what he had just beard. " Well, sit," said he, raising his hat and scratching his head, " it be a bad business altogether, and I be main sorry they killed him. But it's so fair off, and so long ago, let's hope it baint all true." In the Forest of Dean "no sustained effort to impart religious instruction " was made until the year 1803, when the Rev. P. M. Proctor first turned light upon the thick darkness. The rude miners eagerly gathered around him to hear the Gospel creached, and from that time churches and chapels followed one another in quick succession. But nor these and many other highly interesting particulars we must refer the reader to the well digested labours of the Rev. Mr. Nicholls. rusitat gtv nit Juanita. A Song of Spain. Words and Music by the Honourable Mrs. Norton. London : Chappell and Co. EVERYBODY knows Byron's rhapsodical ebullition in " Childe Harold," Match me ye climes which poets love to laud, ttc., and how he rapturously declares, in the same canto, that Spain's maids are Formed for all the witching arts of love. Is he right ? Witness the country's popular songs, whose eternal burden is the one great passion. The truly Spanish poet may wish to sing of chivalry, of patriotism—of what you will, but love is still his national theme. We need scarcely say, then, that " Juanita," a " Song of Spain," treats of love ; but it is our bounden duty to state that the Hon. Mrs. Norton has thrown into both words and music much impassioned tenderness and quaint coquettish ness; that her melody, quite characteristic from first to last, is at the same time eminently vocal, and capable of being rendered highly effective by those who possess a contralto voice, for which "Juanita" is evidently designed. "Maraquita," a Portuguese love-song, is an other effusion from the same authoress, and pub lished likewise by Messrs. Chappell. It is even more interesting than its Spanish companion, and, like " .Juanita," is well adapted for the dis play of a contralto voice. The following extract will give our readers some idea of Mrs. Norton's verses : Oh, then, when passion and love are over, Though youth and beauty may fade away, On dove-like pinions shall memory hover And fondly hallow this bygone day. Words long since spoken shall deliver The echoed sweetness of Love's clear tone, Ani float like music o'er Life's wide river, hro' sunsets bright as the sunrise gone. Hamilton', Modern Instructions for Singing and . _ the Pianoforte. London : Cocks and Co. THESE useful and very cheap works have been so long known to the musical public that we need do no more than call attention to the fact of their republication by Messrs. Cocks, with certain addi tions and corrections which materially enhance their value, whilst the prices still remain within the means of almost every class of amateurs. One Hundred Voluntaries, Preludes, Interludes, Hymns, and Fugues, by Rink, Mozart, Beethoven, for the Organ or Harmonium. London : Davidson. 'fats publication truly deserves to be ranked amongst Mr. Davidson's " Musical Miracles ; ' and who would not purchase a miracle of any kind when it may be had for one shilling ? Her• are one hundred short pieces by the best masters, well -arranged for the organ or harmonium, clearly engraved, on good paper, and in a very conve- THE PRESS, NOVEMBER 20, 1858. nient form, to be sold at less than half the price frequently demanded for one piece of very ques tionable music 1 This new " miracle" of cheapness certainly surpasses anything of the kind we have met with, and its sale will no doubt prove commen surate with its merits, which are in every respect very great. D' Albert s Album for 1859. London : Chappell and Co. Tits is one of those productions whose showy and brilliant outsides never fail to attract and delight the eye of the general public. It is pre eminently a book of " fashionable exterior," and the costly elegance of its dress would insure for it a place on the most aristocratic of pianofortes. But this is not all. The gorgeous embellish ment is not confined to the cover, for inside there are illustrations by Mr. Brandard, which for excessive brightness of colouring could not pos sibly be surpassed. There is also music, and a great deal of it : polkas, quadrilles, mazurkas, waltzes, galops, &c. all tuneful, easy to play, and perfectly adapted to the requirements of light fantastic toes — music, in short, such as M. D'Albert himself a dancing-master, has a peculiar talent for making. Of course, in dealing with compositions of so trifling a character we would not be severely critical • but the simplest tune may be at least correctly harmonized, and direct violations of grammar cannot be tolerated under any circum stances. On page 2, at the penultimate bar, where the chord of the augmented sixth on B flat is followed by the common chord of A major, there are consecutive fifths. Page 64, bar 24, we find a naked D sharp in the bass against E natural, as a suspen sion of D sharp in the treble. The bass note here should be F sharp or B natural. Page 70, bars 4 and 7, there is a similar fault, and the bass note ought to be Eor A natural. Page 78, bar 18, the bass should be changed to D or A natural. Page 28, bars 35 and 36, there occurs another totally inadmissible progression. M. D'Albert is probably too much occupied with his profession and the invention of tunes to pay due attention to the laws of harmony; but he certainly might find some good musical scholar who does not dance too much, and has no fancy for making tunes for the million, to " touch up' his inspirations, and render them at least inoffen sive to cultivated ears. As we have already said, the music is in M. D'Albert's usual style, and some of the pieces, namely, the " Violante" waltz, the " Leviathan " galop (fancy a leviathan galloping !), the " Siren " waltz (which, by the way, very strongly resembles one of M. Jullien's waltzes), the " Reaper's " polka, and " Les Soeurs " waltz, all of which are really spirited and pretty, will doubtless become generally popular. On the whole, M. D'Albert's Album is one of the most gorgeously decorated and attractive things of its kind that have come under our notice. Fantasia on Favourite Airs from " Martha." For the Pianoforte. Composed by Brinley Richards Fantasia on Favourite Airs from " Les Hu guemits." For the Pianoforte. Composed by Brinley Richards. The Bohemian Girl. Arranged for the Piano forte by Brinley Richards. London : Chappell and Co. HERE, again, we have dazzling external splen dour. but with more interesting insides. The name of Mr. Brinley Richards, and the titles of the operas upon which he has exercised his phantasy, are embossed in large golden letters, and surrounded by an effulgent halo of glory; whilst underneath these highly appropriate tributes to the composer's genius lie modestly in a plain semicircular frame the name of the worthy publisher and the address of his ware house. The general effect is very striking indeed. The fantasies and arrangements afford fresh and undeniable evidence of Mr. Brinley . Richards's well-known fancy, taste, and skillias a 1139 composer for the pianoforte, on which instrument he is himself a highly-honoured performer. The most admired themes have been selected, and are allowed to speak for themselves, to appear in all their native worth, before being subjected to any fantastic treatment. Unlike many other writers of similar pieces, Mr. Richards' does not disfigure his chosen " motivi," or disguise them at the very outset, so that their best friends would not be able to re cognize them. Our respected author would simply say of the object of his musical solicitude and experiments, " Here it is in its inte grity. Now see what I will do with it." And then he does not, like inferior spirits of his order, abuse the powers which fashion has con ferred upon him by making all the members of his subject fly suddenly asunder like the limbs of the " fantocmi," only to bring them together again in an equally extraordinary manner, nor bedizen his themes with very tawdry and ridi culously inappropriate decorations ; but, without carrying out any further than the nature of his undertaking absolutely demands futile attempts to convert lead into gold, to paint the lilies, or throw perfume on the violets of song, Mr. Richards simply strives to make up an agreeable bouquet of melodic flowers, in which the sweetest shall predominate, connecting them by such links in the shape of transitional passages as his fancy or taste may sugest, and varying them by tints derived from their primary fundamental colour. Briefly, Mr. Richards has acquitted himself very creditably of his not particularly difficult tasks, and his praises will probably be sung before long in every drawing-room throughout the United Kingdom. Let Me Whisper in Thine Ear. Ballad. Writ ten by Jessica Rankin ; Composed expressly for Mr. Sims Reeves by M. W. Balfe. London: Cramer and Beale, and Chappell. THE prolific composer of The Bohemian Girl never produced a more tuneful or " catching " ballad than this, and we shall be much astonished if it be not presently ground upon every barrel organ in England. Composed expressly for Mr. Sims Reeves, it suits that distinguished gentleman's style exactly, and he will, of course, make a great effect in it ; but " Let Me Whisper in Thine Ear" may also be successfully sung by less gifted vocalists, lying as it does within the compass of most voices. Amateurs must not be frightened by the aspect of the key, which looks uncommonly " sharp," for there is nothing at all difficult in the song. PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED. Doom Mid day Thoughts for the If.ary.—llatehard. Help to District Visitors. By the Rev. W. Maswell Smitb. —Hatehanl. Henry 111., King of France and Poland. By Martha Walker Freer. Three Vole —Hurst and Blackett. A Handy Book on Criminal Law. By W. Campbell Sleigh, Egq.—G. Routledge. The School for Fathers. By Talbot Gwynne.—Smith, Elder, Ana Co. Cecil and Mary; or, Phases of Lore and ble. By Joseph Edmond Jackson.—J. W. Parker and S.M. - Three risits to Madagascar during the years 1653, 1854, 1855. By the Rev. William Ellis. F.H.S.—John Mnmy. De La Rue's Pocket Diaries.—De La Rue. The Derby Ministry. By Mark Rocheater.—Routledge. A Handbook for Tracellers in Surrey, Hampshire, and the Isle of Wight.—J. Murray. On Colours, and on the Necessity for a General Diffusion of Taste among all clarets. By Sir J. Gardner ViiUtinaou. —J. Murray. History of the Afghans. By J. P. Fertier.—J. Murray. PAMPHLETS. The Testimony of the Two Anointed Ones. A Debate on India in the English Parliament. By M. Le Comte de Montalembert. The Irish Quarierly.—Kelly and Co. xtstc. Nine Choral Songs. Set to Maio by Eliribeth Stirling.-- Novella. Mindelssohn's Open Air Music for Voices Alone.—Novello. Chappell's One-Hundred Dances for the Violin. Arranged by Edward F. Rimbault.—Chappell and Co. Chappell's One-Hundred Dances for the Cornet d Piste's. Arranged by Frans Nam—Chappell and Co. Chappell's Popular Instruction Book for the Flute. By Edward F. Rimbanit.--Chappell and Co. Chappell's Popular Instruction Book for the Violin. By Edward F. Rimbault.—Chappell and Co. The Three Favourite Masses of Morart, Haydn, and Beethoven. Edited by Vincent Novello.—Novello. Novello's School Round• Book. Parts I. and IL—Novae. Mesart's Requiem. Edited by Vincent