The Press.
London, England, 1858-11-13 00:00:00

THE PRESS, NOVEMBER 13, 1858.

lirench as in English, but means rather that the
result of a combination of different instruments
upon one note may be a tone (or quality of tone)
which could not be produced by any one instru-
ment singly, or united with others of its own
species, and that the result must depend upon
the composer's sentiment, and cannot be taught.

That no certain rules can be given for instru-
mentation, that all knowledge of that art must
be acquired by a careful study of the scores of
the great masters, and that the original applica-
tion of genuine principles is wholly dependent
upon genius, are doctrines so generally under-
stood and accepted as to render any arguments
in their favour unnecessary. The eternal Hora-
tian precept that a poet must be born, not made,
is in every schoolboy's mouth ; but, still, let it be
remembered that there was also such a man as
Aristotle, who contrived to deduce from the
works of the great masters of literature copious
and irrefragable rules, with which he wrought a
system which has endured to this day, and that
Horace himself is, after all, perhaps more known
to the modern world by his "Art of Poetry," in
which lie so successfully assumes the character of
an instructor, than by any of his other works.
Why, then, should we not have a musical
Aristotle or Horace, or (to cite another revered
literary teacher) a Longinus of music ? There
can be no reason whatever why that should
not be done for the art of musical composi-
tion which has been so successfully accom-
plished for poetry by the great men we
have named, and for painting by Leonardo da
Vinci, Sir Joshua Reynolds, and others; and
we can only regret that M. Berlioz,
eminent master as he >s cf that particular depart-
ment of art which forms the subject of the
present treatise, should not have thought fit to
give to the world something more than a mere
account of the compass and powers of orchestral
instruments, combined with a few examples of the
uses to which they have been put by certain
masters.

M. Berlioz must surely be capable of going
more deeply into the essence of orchestral com-
position than he has done in the present instance,
and in the course of his long experience can
scarcely have failed to acquire certain fixed prin-
ciples, which, judging from the excellence of most
of his own works, would be of great assistance to
students of that branch of the art which he has
cultivated with such extraordinary success.

So far, however, as this treatise extends it is
most admirable—the best thing of the kind yet
published, ; and as such we cordially recommend
it to all who would acquire a thorough knowledge
of the resources of modern instrumentation, and
a due appreciation of some of the most poetical
effects which have been realized by the great
masters.

The present edition contains " an exact table of
"the compass, a detail of the mechanism, and a
"study of the quality of tone and expressive cha-
" meter of various instruments; accompanied by
"numerous examples, in score, from the works of
"the greatest masters and from some unpublished
" works of the author." It has likewise been
revised, corrected, augmented by several addi-
tional (copyright) chapters on newly invented
instruments, and on the whole art of the orches-
tral conductor. The entire treatise is comprised
in one octavo volume, clearly engraved, strongly
as tastefully bound, and which is sold at a fabu-
lously low price—less than one-third of that de-
manded in Paris for the original French edition,
which does not contain so much matter by many
chapters.

Eighty-one Part-songs and Choruses. In pro-
gressive order for the cultivation of Part-
singing; with instructions for forming and
improving male choral-singers. By Nageli
and Pfeiffer. Translated from the German by
Sabilla Novello. London : Novell°.

THE above part-songs, though in no one in-
stance rising to the artistic height of really fine
music, are for the most part smoothly written,
tuneful, and easy to sing.
It would, indeed, be difficult to find a collection
of pieces better adapted to popular instruction—
the purpose they are professedly designed for.
To our numerous amateur choral societies, for
which the nauseous pill of practice must be well

sugared over with ad captandant phrases, such as
the veriest tyro can readily comprehend and
remember, these part-songs will doubtless prove
highly acceptable.
The book opens with a somewhat lengthy
preface, very German in style, in which "the
progress of human civilization," "man's capa-
city," "ever-widening spheres," " self-contained
art-sections" (whatever these may be), "means
ancillary to ends," " governments unequal to
the necessities of popular cultivation," "scholastic
principles of song," are discussed in a very
edifying and soul-refreshing manner; and this
preface is immediately followed by a still more
lengthy, and not particularly orthodox, treatise
on the cultivation of part-singing ; so that the
authors make many damnable faces " before
they begin their music, which certainly appears
rather small, reminding us of the mountain-born
mouse, after the voluminous and grandiloquent
introduction.

The part-songs notwithstanding are, as we
have already observed, good of their kind, and
arranged as they are in progressive order, ac-
cording to the various degrees of proficiency of
the singers, may be justly considered to blend the
utile et duke in a very praiseworthy manner.
The translation of the German words, whether
of prose or verse, is very creditable to the talent
of Miss Sabina Novello, and the work is got up
in the publisher's best style.

Metcalfe's Fifty Metrical Anthems. London :

Novello.
THE above publication consists of a collection of
short anthems, choruses, and " other choral
movements," set to words taken from the Psalms,
for public worship, and adapted for the use of
small choirs.

The selection is from the best English and
foreign composers of sacred music, such as Blow,
Greene, Farrant, Crotch, Handel, Haydn, and
Mozart. The words are generally well suited to
the music, and, taken as a whole, Mr. Metcalfe's
work may be considered as a happy accomplish-
ment of the author's design, and a real boon to
our numerous small church choirs.

Handel's Coronation and Funeral Anthems, and
Mendelesohn's Psalms. London : Novello.
IT were superfluous to say one word in praise of
these great and universally-admired compositions.
The anthetns include " The King shall rejoice,"
" Zadock the priest," "My heart is inditing,"
" Let thy hand be strengthened," and " The
ways of Zion do mourn.' The Psalms "As
pants the hart," " Come let us sing," " When
Israel out of Egypt came," and " Not unto us 0
Lord." If the sale of these inspirations of the
master-spirits of musical art, set off as they are
by all the charms of modern external embellish-
ments, and rendered still more attractive by
extraordinary lowness of price, prove commensu-
rate with their merits, it will be great indeed.

Vusir.

DRURY LANE THEATRE.

THE novelty at the above theatre this week was the
revival of the Crown Diamonds, an opera which has
long been regarded in this country as one of the
happiest efforts of its spirituel and graceful composer,
M. Auber. The music of this opera demands from
the executants delicate finish, sparkling vivacity,
and witty " point ; " qualities for which neither our
English singers nor instrumentalists are at all
celebrated, or, indeed, likely to be. Taken as a
whole, the Drury Lane version of the Crown
Diamonds mey be described as a good strong
performance; very solid, but somewhat hard of
digestion, and as unlike the French as it is becoming
in every genuine English thing to be. The horns
of the national bull were apparent throughout, and
he occasionally tossed the light Gallic composer
about in a very ruthless manner, and, still further to
show his independence, insisted upon singing a
ballad and a song of his own composition, which had
of course nothing at all to do with the opera. John
nevertheless wagged his tail, at times in a very
facetious and mirth-provoking manner, and gave
forth some sounds which in loudness far surpassed
anything that our "lively neighbours " could possibly
accomplish with all their conservatoires, imperial
academies, comic operas, lyric theatres, and sub-
ventions.

The one " bright particular star" of the perform-
ance was, as usual, Miss Louisa Fyne, whose singing

throughout the opera was artistic in the highest degree, and amply compensated for other short. comings. Mr. W. Harrison acted the part of Doi
Ilenrique with good, downright English spirit, ehi.
biting effectively all that knowledge of the details of
stage business and applomb which long experience
in such matters can alone confer—looked very in.
posing in his rich Spanish costume, and sang with
that hearty zeal and admirably distinct enunciation
of the words by which all his musical performances
are honourably distinguished. Mr. W. Harrison
was unanimously encored in Mr. Brinley Richards'
popular ballad, " Oh, whisper what thou feelest," as
was Miss Louisa Pyne in the duet for two sopranos
(in which she was ably assisted by her sister, Miss
Susan Pyne), and Rode's air with variations. In the
latter instance, however, the honour was declined.
Mr. H. Cord, who made his first appearance this
season on this occasion as Rebolledo, looked remark.
ably tierce, and acted with immense energy. Mr. H.
Cord has an excellent voice, and no small amount of
dramatic talent, but he must beware of exaggeration.
No voice can bear such tremendous straining as Mr.
Cord applied to his in the so-called "Muleteer's
Song " (introduced into the first scene of the opera),
and he likewise committed histrionic excesses, which
frequently marred the effect of good conceptions.
This gentleman is nevertheless a valuable acquisition
to the Pyne and Harrison company, and a great
improvement upon his predecessors in the same line
of characters.

Mr. Honey, Mr. St. Albyn, and Miss Susan Pyne
likewise played their respective parts carefully and
well, according to the traditions of the English
operatic stage, but the gentleman who performed the
character of Rebolledo's accomplice (we forget his
name) was by no means equal to his duty. A very
long tour in the provinces would benefit him greatly.
the band accompanied with perfect precision, but
were occasionally wanting in delicacy in their
execution, and generally too loud. Indeed, as
we have said, the performance, on the whole, was
good in its way, hut coarse will such efforts always
be until we can convert Englishmen into Frenchmen.
When will our musical countrymen learn to depend
upon themselves, and allow themselves to be warmed
by their own native rage ? When, in short, shall we
have a genuine English opera.

LYCEUM THEATRE.
M. JULLIEN'S CONCERTS.
Tim andante from Beethoven's magnificent C minor
symphony, Mendelssohn's grand and fiery overture
to Ruy Blas, and a new selection from Weber's in-
comparable Der Freischutz, cleverly arranged by
M. Jullien for his admirable band, have been the
chief orchestral attractions at the above theatre
during the past week; whilst the " star " soloists,
Miss Louisa Vinning and M. Wieniawski, have been
also winning fresh laurels—the former by her ex-
pressive rendering of Mozart's " Vedrai carino," the
latter by his really wonderful execution of Ernst's
well-known fantasia on themes from Rossini's Otello,
and two fantasias on Russian airs composed by
himself.
The senseless rows with which M. Jullien's season
is always inaugurated being happily at an end, the
famous " promenade concerk." have now resumed
their usual aspect, and are again classed, as they
have been for twenty years past, amongst the most
intellectual, innocent, and attractive of our popular
amusements.
A grand " Mendelssohn Night" is announced
for Monday next, when our eminent English piaiTte,
Miss Arabella Goddard, will appear for the first lima
this season at M. Jullien's concerts.

MR. ALFRED Wmax, having completely recovered
from his late indisposition, has appeared with Mrs.
Wigan at the Brighton Theatre, in Tom Taylor's
drama of Still Waters Run Deep, and snbseguentlf
in The Bengal Tiger. Mr. Wigan met with an en
thusiastic reception from a large and distinguished
audience, and his acting was as perfect as ever.

glom -Market anb 3uttiligtna.

FRIDAY EVENINd.
Tits retain of the Bank of England for the week
ending Wednesday last, the 10th inst., shows the
following changes compared with that for the week
preceding :
Dcrease in Circulation 1393,3•23
Increase in Public Deposits
Increase in Other Deposits 40,336
Decrease in Government Securities
Decrease in Other Securities 110,187
Decrease in Bullion
Increase in Rest
Increase in Reserve
Bullion in both moots
Circulation, had= Bank Post
Balls