The Express.
London, England, 1859-05-06 00:00:00

MUSICAL PUBLICATIONS.

The Songs of Beethoren; with the original text,
edited and adapted to Fri words, by WILLIAM
lIILIA Cocks and Co.

In the midst ofthe gnat works which ham
rendered his name immortal, Beethoven was wont,
in his " home of ease," to recreate his mind and giro
vent to his teeming fancy by the production of
" fugitive pieces "—Lieder—eongs and ballads—
thrown out without apparent effort, and probably
regarded by himself as trifles. He seems to
have solaced himself io this way daring his
whole career. The perusal of fine verses,
especially of his favourite Goethe, inspired him
with some beautiful thought which was in-
stantly embodied in a lyrical form; and the little
gems thus created were given to the world, probably
without his are or knowledge, by publishers who
profited more by his genius than he did himself.
Some of them are named in the catalogues of his
works ; but, as to the bulk of them, little or nothing
is known about their production. From their va-
riety of style—changing from the old smoothness
and regularity of Haydn and Mozart to the eccen-
tricities of his latest days—they appear to have
been written at very different periods of his life; bat
all of them are unmistakeably marked with the
master's hand ; and many of these seemingly slight
effusions are among the brightest gems of his genius.
To gather the richest of these gems into a casket,
presenting them at the same time in the light most
pleasing to English taste, has been the task of the
editor of this work. Tee volume contains thirty-
one of Beethoven's wogs, edited with the utmost
care and correctness, and having English, in addi-
tion to the original words. Mr. Hills' verses are
entirely in the spirit of the German originals; bat
they are not translations, nor are they always even
version,. While the poet's leading thoughts—the
thoughts which inspired the genius of the musician
—are completely preserved, Mr. Hills is quite inde-
pendent in his treatment of them. He himself pos-
sesses poetical talent as well as musical skill. Hence
his verses have all the freedom and force of original
English poetry, while they are most delicately
adapted to the rhythm, amok and eharaoter of the
music, and cleared of those blemishes al thought and
expression in the originals which are sometimes an-
pleasing to English ties. Many of the soap in
this collection have been published separately, with
English venom from different peas; bat none of
them that we have ever met with will hear a
moment's comparison with the poetry of Mr. Hills.
Of his graceful lyrics, the beauty of which is in-
dependent of, though much heightened by, their
connexion with Beethoven's music, we shall giro a
couple of specimens, which we select, not became
they are smog the best, but as they are among the
shortest.

The following, from the German of Burger, is
united to a simple melody of exquiaite tendentese
ead beauty:

Ob, burin, tho;tsoeres WM mg
Friutd, a guide, X all mg hopes &IT;
Be 'a sag Sri ob, my treasure,
Blteet Maw Sem, witss far away I
Tsk• three gills Ben Yr who testy loves thee ;
Neer thy beset title Otero baldly wear
Lt it tall to sir, when surer more thee,
Ear, who wade thy senate deity share.
Sesp eh I beep these es& I Brig sever,
Chsaaelesa when their sister leeks ars grey;
Grief and aspge may {save their trace, bat sister
Xy devstten alter et dray.
Ms other is hen °oaths :
?us OTPCKS.
How joyous we Gyriss, bow happy oar life!
We bre either envy, we Bye Without swigs ;
Led war the usuaters is gaily we stray,
Ws gladden set boors with a soul-cheerer lay.
. •

We ibis with the sass s, at sunset we skis;
While Mrs thesiie tee their weld' der as Imp;
As py as the ss tee ae the eh,
We ream thief the without mew er ems
We laugh al the Lily of pia-swift sl
aams,
Whim ma sew anis they sk gram;
Bat Mrs by the messiah, the valley, sad idesam,
Om lite poem by Me a bright massy dream.
With nature la Nash so, all at we Swim;
Our beets see tie mismiews, the shammies, owl skim;
For whit cis He boom Mart do for mos,
Bei win se an bock to sweet sense spin ?
The English verses to the celebrated " Adelaide,"
' Beethoven's masterpiece in song writing are an im-
mense improvement on the original. How Matthi-
as.% piece of frigid, incomprehensible mysticism
mad
understand ; but Mr. Hills, by clothing it in words
of the most fervent passion, has exprmeed its true
moaning, and immeasurably enhanced its charm.
The new versions, too, of the famous " Know'm thou
the land?' and of " The hong of the Quail," are
remarkable instances of the perfect union of poetry
with music.

Thew incomparable lyrics, now for the first time
collected and laid before the English public in all
their beauty, moat give the greatest delight to
Beethoven's greatest admirers, by showing his su-
premacy in every branch of his art, from the most
coke's' symphony to the simplest ballad.

TIII MICROSCOPIC SOClETY.—ThsTannusl arch
of this moiety ins held yesterday mobs( at the South KW.
eisston Museum, sad was mo.t densely attended, upwards
ot 3,000 persons having responded to the invitations of the
committee. The whole of the Museum wee thrown open to
the .Mess -o precaution which obviated the crumb meal en
such acesslawa, sod allowed, except in the nalacroicopie
mem, and In the department devoted to Mr. She-phut&
mambos, tolerably fres circulation. From Bei lock until
10 linens is. neverceming tide of visitors Bowleg In.
The prat attraction of the evening was the microscopes, of
whits it would be haserdons to stets or even WINS at the
sandier Sevinlug tables, in four long rooms, were
Moray covered with them. Is spite, however, of this
liberal supply, there wore scarcely sufficient for the sages
wood, who woes Britannic. cease "to do" everything, and
conseirationaly en4savoured to rat ry out their objcat. Ths
slides were of the usual charecter. with enhossologleal
curiosities, which alternately delighted sad di/gust-d,
animal and vqrstabla product', and doss usrulloos
at pbotographic *wiry, bay sdaistoras Med
far dasolos {oust Mu soy awl Vial cloy
tibet *du das odorous* argosy sossmod priva-
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