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

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 course of Mr. lk.lugraees 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 setm
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.)