The National Register. — London, England, 1812-02-09 00:00:00

'66 , aik;,4 THE NATIONAL lIT,GISTER. PRISON . MEMOIRS of LIVING GENIUS• No. 4. Mr. MUGNIE. Continued ,from our Last. Genius is a citizen of the world. Let him range from land to land, and where er men have eyes to see, power to reward, and passions to struggle with, be Will be admired, patronized, and envied. This truth • has been apparent through the eventful cou rse of Mr. lk.lugrae e s exis • tense, both in France and Spain. We have seen kim distiuguished, wherever he moved, as a man of superior abilities, and Royal homage done to his merit. We shall find that our soil has proved as fertile of honorary testimonials to his genius, as either his native, or the Iberian land. The admiration excited by the " Marche des Royalistes," described in our lest, encouraged Mr. Mugnie•to produce .other works, and to become an iin;iish composer. In a few years he published many ex cellent eie , -es, wli:eli we shall more closely examine in a future num ber, and over which we now pass slightly, in order to come to his beautiful variations on " Geri Sene the King," a performance which establishes his claims at once, as. a British composer of the highest order. The task of varying this grand national air was attended with peculiar difficulties. A foreigner could not fail to raise a host of pre judices anitist hi rashness. A Frenchman, it might be thought, would lose a;1 do majestic simplicity of the air in trifling modulations. He would be handled with all the severhy of criticism, and his failure must be followed by the sacrifice of his fame. These considerations, fortunately for the lovers of harmony, did not induce Mr. Mugnie to aesi,t. Conscious of his o.vii powers, he proceeded courageously in his labours, and at last accomplished a work, which does honour to the science of music it this country. .rlt that period, Mr. Mugnie taught the piano in the Castle, at Win!:eir, to several of the Young Ladies of Honour belonging to the • Princesses, who frequen'ly listened to him with adiniraion. He bail no sooner finished his ." C.6.)d save the King," than he brought It down t ) the Castle, where the rumour of its excellence soon reached the Royal ear. Her Majesty, who is acknowledged an excellent judge of music, expressed a wish to hear it performed by its author, and Mr. Mugnie bad the honour of playing it before the Queen. Her Majesty was so mach pleased with these variations, that she graciously allowed their composer to dedic at , .! them to her, and condescended to receive a copy, as well as each of the Princesses. The part where the Air is so skilfi..ily and originally turned into a march, was performed on the terrace at Windsor, before her Majesty and the Royal Family, by the Stalford hand, as well as some of Mr. Mugnie's other marches, encl. Royei publicly sanctioned their merits. It may he siii ce r. Mugnie received so many flattering marks of dieintelott from our Sovereign -and his Family, why he is not more generally knoxu ?—Because, it appears to me, that with the modesty inherent to genius, he always shrunk from public notice. He studied to excel, but disdained to employ the means which he saw daily used by intrigue and ignorance, and left his excellence to make its own way among the crowd of insignificant productions, puffed up by their Au thors, to the prejudice of real merit. Secure of the admiration of con noisseurs, he took no trouble to attract the attention of the vulgar, and thus whilst every person who possesses a pure taste and scientific know ledge is acquainted with his works, the milk of the Public, deceivcd by the forward pretensions of inferior masters, obtained that portion of public favour to which he is so justly entitled. Mr. Mugiiie's Cod Save the King, consists of eight variations. I • have them now before me : they are engraved in a superior style, most dutifully inscribed, by her Majesty's gracious permission, to the Queen, and surmounted with the British Crown. The first remarkable feature in this production, is the originality of the base. Without altering the treble part of the simple air, Mr. Mugnie has corn' ye 1 by a new and most harmonious base, to increase its effect, and even its dignity. In every succeeding variation, the air then assumes a different, but decided character. Now it rushes forth with all the . rapidity cf a fugue, and now softens into a melodious melancholy strain. Now swelling with the solemn fullness and dignity of sacred hymns, It now vibrates with all the eloquence of Italian taste. Suddenly the light Polacca carries us along without causing us to lose the original melody of the air, and a grand march bursts in all its magnificence and richness of harmony upon out ear. Stich are the powerful and well FER. 9. contrasted effects which the chief variations produce. Their basis are the finest that have ever been composed, and all strikingly original. That of the sixth variation is particularly happy and scientific, it is so entirely of Mr. Mugnie's own invention, that it is now known by his name, having been imitated in other pieces. The base of the march excels in grandeur almost any thing I have yet heard. Among the other most remarkable variations, the fourth deserves to be pointed out, nut only on account of its powerful t;ffect and harmony, but of the deep science which it displays. The fifth is perhaps still more striking. The whole air in this is played once by the left hand, with the addition of a third part, in the reprise, which restores its employment to the ri,l t , and produces the most pleasing diversity. SCRUTXI'OIt, FINE ARTS. BRITISH INSTITUI lON. Ego, apit Mat in* More motloritie Grata carpentis Thpn,t." Most benevolent in its intention, most wise in its plan, and evidcntlt conducive to stimulate the art of Painting in this country, the British Institution has opened again its rich bosom to the curio,ity of the pubilz, and the Rooms in Pall-mall display themselves with a proud and welt. grounded claim to admiration. Keeping t watchful eye over the pro gress of the artists, the Governors have, this year, exercised tl:eir right of chusing, with a well intentioned and most laudable severity ; and although there are still, here and th-re, a few shy pieces which se t m to peep humbly, as if through the lattice of modesty, in the gnat blaze emitted above by superior performances; we must say in general, that the selecion is good, and cantains individual pieces of the highest merit, in the historical and landscape departments. _ _ _ We ara much gratified also to iinA that the unbounded liberality of the Governors, did not confate itself this year, to reward historical compositions only, and that it now exten•ls to those whose minds, glowing with the noble emulation of copying nature abroad, among the azure ntountains, in the verdant fields, under the ever char ling and always pleasing appearance of the skies, uttempt to win the 'Lurch which once adorned the 'heads of CLAUDE, Duct; c•r, .and WlLsos. This year, for the first time, a premium of one hundred guineas is offered for the best landscape. . . The first objects which presents themselves to ttr)se who ascend the elegant flight of steps leading t)the Rooms, are several pieces of Sculp ture which certainly do honour to the plastic hands that formul dem. A small figure of Neptune, by E. H. BAYLY, displays a great GuAtp ,itud a good pruficiency in anatrany. A group of Cilpid and P,TchP, re minds us of the antique, and shows that P. Cu eat a understood well his subject; a model of Cupid's Head from the antive, by Mrs. DEN• MAN, exhibits a great deal of softness and delicacy, and, in the center,* Venus Anadyomene, wringing from her flowing hair the briny fluid, out of which she appears to have just emerged, entitles the Sculptor, H. HOPPER, to a merited praise. We are sorry, however, to find ourselves under the necessity of remonstrating against such a naked figure being inevitably forced upon the eyes of every female ascending the stairs. We have witnessed the affect of such an exhibition of the Nud, and have seen many a young lady, many decent matrons, turning their heads aside, not to meet what they naturally deem an in:lecoroul object. We are not prompted by any sense of puritanical nicety, or of outrageous scrupulousness, but we know that every visitor does not bring to the place, the accustomed eye, the superior mind of an Artist; and we hope that Venn: will he moved to another part, where decency and modesty may be at liberty, but not c,nnpelled to se her. 'I observations are.exactiv the echo of what we 'nave heard whispered se veral times in and out of the Root Whate'er you do, let Decency preside. Born from the Sea, when Vulcan's lovely bride Display'd her beauties to the woinn ins world, The willing Graces 'round their Queen unfurl'd The Veil of Modesty—the Gods were pleased • And, from her fears, young Pudor was, released. See Renter's Hymn to Tema. We intend to present the readers with our impartial opinion upon the Pictures exhibited, without following any particular plan. Accord ing to our epigraph, and following the.example of the bee, who in a rich parterre of flowers, flies from the rose to the Lilly, from the tulip to the carnation, we will alight upon those which particulary attract our attention, and do them all justice possible. The Paintings expossd the North Room will be the subjects (dour strictures in next bundaY's Paper.—(l'o be continued.) F tit 11 stt