The Sun.
London, England, 1849-09-10 00:00:00

A LLE G RI.

Gregorio Allegri, a native of Rome, and from the
year 1630 attached to the Papal Chapel, both as com-
poser and vocalist, was a pupil of Nanino. Indepen-
dently of the fame he acquired for his ecclesiastical
works, he was no less celebrated for his benevolence.
Compa,sionate and charitable to the poor, he even ex-
tended his " righteous works" farther, for he paid daily
visits to the prisons of Rome, where he alleviated to the
utmost of his power the distresses of all whom he beheld
suffering and in want. With a heart brimful of pity for
the misfortunes of others, he is said to have on more
than one occasion stripped himself of his coat in order to
bestow it on some object of compassion. He was an ex-
cellent thereist ; indeed all of his works, which were
chiefly for the church, are indicative of his contrapuntal
skill. His most celebrated work is his Miser ere, in five
parts, in G Minor. So admired was it that it was
always performed on the most solemn occasions, and for
a long time the original manuscript was preserved in the
archives of the Pontitleal Chapel with the utmost care.
Of this noble work the Padre Martini tells us, there
never were more than three copies made by authority,
one of which was for the Emperor Leopold, the second
for the King of Portugal, and the third for himself.
MOhART.

As an instance of the wonderfully retentive memory
with which Mozart was gifted, it is related of kim that
when at Rome, in his early career, he went to the Sistine
Chapel to hear the celebrated Miscrere by Allegri, of
which I have just written, and of which any one, under
pain of eternal excommunication, was forbidden to take
a copy. Apprised of this, Mozart's ingenuity suggested
an expedient whereby to obtain the much-desired object.
He placed himself in a retired corner of the chapel, where
he was tree from interruption and could wholly give him-
self up to its accomplishment. He paid the closest atten-
tion to every bar, and when the performance was over
hurried home, his brain charged with what he had heard,
and, front memory, committed to paper the whole of this
elaborate work. At a concert some few days afterwards
Mozart sat down at the harpsichord, and accompanying
himself, sang a fragment of this Miserere. This display
of his profound knowledge of music and miraculous
faculty of retention evinced by. this extraordinary cir-
cumstance attracted the attention of all Rome to the
young musician. His Holiness when he heard of it gave
directions for Mozart to be presented to him, when,
instead of reprimanding and punishing his evasion and
violation of tke sacred prohibition, he liberallyreceived
him in the most gracious manner, creating him a Che-
valier of the Order of the Golden Spur.

STEPHEN JEFFERIES.
In my last I related an amusing instance of this
singular person's humour—the following is even a more
ridiculous proof of his extraordinary character. A singer
possessing a good voice, and who officiated at a distant
church, had been requested and had consented to sing
the solo in an anthem in Gloucester Cathedral. The
eventful day " big with the fate" of the new vocalist
arrived, and that individual took his station at the side
of Jefferies in the organ loft. The performance began,
and the latter, hearing him make some slight hesitation
and subsequently a mistake in it, instead of passing it
over silently, or endeavouring to set him right, imme-
diately rose from his seat and leaning over the gallery,
exclaimed in a loud voice, addressing the choir and con-
gregation—" Ile can't sing it, he can't sing it."
ROSSINI.
The reputation of the renowned gran maestro not only
as a wit but as a gastronome is almost as proverbial as
his enchanting strains are famous. In the salons of
Paris various tales are told exemplifying these charac-
teristics. Among them I select, at random, one:—
Rossini, who is as much at ease with a peer as with a
peasant, made a wager one evening with a diminutive
Italian Principe, the stake being a turkey with truffles.
The former won the wager, and as there is, sooth to
speak, scarcely anything in this world Rossini is less
liable to forget than this epicurean dainty, he looked for-
ward with the most lively impatience for the day being
fixed by the Prince when he should enjoy the fruits of
his wager. The bel memento not arriving, however, the
maestro happened to meet his noble friend. Tapping
him on the shoulder, he reminded him of it. Taken by
surprise, or perhaps not being overeager to pay, the
Prince began to stammer forth some excuse, saying that
knowing Rossini's exquisite taste, he had caused exten-
sive inquiries to be made, and as the result was informed
that the truffles had not yet reached their desirable
ma-
turity or acquired their delicious gout. Rossini laughingly e
rejoined, "Ma, mio care! it is the turkeys whoihcaevde
the
this silly rumour afloat." The witty reply pr.o( u
.of
desired effect, for the composer had the satisfactionbh
enjoying his favourite dish on the following day, ot
himself and host pronouncing the truffles exquisite.