The Sun.
London, England, 1849-07-09 00:00:00

[PRICE SD.

MEMORANDA OF A MUSICIAN

BY GEORGE J. 0. ALLMANN.

"Notes, notes, forsooth, and noting:"
SILIKSPERE.

No. XV.

HANDEL.
Dr. Burney relates that at Signora Frasi's, one even-
ing in the year 1745, Handel brought in his pocket the
MS. of the duet, "From these dread Scenes," in the
Judas Illaccabeus, in which the Signora had not then
sung. (It was produced in 1746.) When the immortal
Saxon sat down to the harpsichord, to give them the
time of the piece, and while he sang the first part to give
the Signora, who, liko most Italians, read music very ill
a prima vista, an idea of it, the Doctor, looking over
Handel's shoulder, hummed the second. "At first the
composer encouraged me," relates Dr. Burney, "by
desiring me to sing out, but unfortunately something
went wrong, and Handel with his usual impetuosity
grew violent, a circumstance very terrific to a young
musician. At leng:h, however, recovering from my
fright, I ventured to I,ay that I fancied there was a mis-
mat, in the writing, which upon examination Handel
discovered to be the case, and thon instantly, with the
greatest go ,d humour and humility, said, ' I pec your
parton—l urn vaary odt (odd) tog!—Mttishter Schmidt
is to plan:le.'"

JOHN CEIRISTOPIIER SMITH
Was the " Matt.hter Schmidt" above alluded to, and
besides being Handers amanuensis was a tolerable com•
poser; indeed some of bis music (esnt,cially Caliban's
song, "The owl is abroad") to the Tempest, is by so
means forgotten. Ile was entrusted to copy from
Elantivrs original sketches, which Booth to say were
composed of a series of mysterious hieroglyphics, which
nly he and their immortal writer could decipher-50
that to have borne the weight of mistakes loaded upon
hi 4 shoulders, John Christopher Smith should Lave
possessed those of an Atlas. How frequently would
Hatidel angrily exclaim —" :kelt! daat Mat,hter Schmidt!
it is all his fault. I really musht shpeak to him."

SHAKSPERE
In heart, soul, thought, taste, and feeling one of Nature's
lyrists, one of her most inspired musicians, must have
telt that there was a mutual, a reciprocal charm re&cted
from music on the singer, as well as bestowed by the
singer on music, when he penned that beautiful com-
parison of the sound of a cultivated human voice to

" ditties highly penned
Sung by a fair queen in a summer's bower
With ravishing division to her lute."
PAIR

Was not gifted with a placid temper, nor, truth to tell,
with a forbearing, gentle, and submissive wife. Bat it
is to these circumstances that we are indebted for the
chief beauties i❑ his operas, for we are credibly told that
he composed his most admired morceaux while engaged
in wrangling with his wife, upbraiding his children, and
q•iarrellinz with his servants. Ho then would summon
ii,s favourite dog, and white caressing and playing with
it with one hand would with the other substantializo his
thoughts.

PAESIE Imo
Composed always in bed. Thus luxurioufly ensconced
did he plln and N ri a his La Molinara, his Nino, and his
Il Barbiere di Seviglia. The latter opera was the cause
Rossini giving to the world his own chef datirre
the same title, and which the world has stamped with an
immortality coequal in futurity o. existence with itself.

CORELLI.
Of this famous musician an amusing anecdote is related
as exemplifying the vein of good-humoured wit he pos-
sessed and, more than that, his readiness to acknowledge
talent in others. Adam Strunek, chief violinist to the
Elector of Hsnover, on a visit he paid to Rome, imme-
rliately, to fulfil one of the chief objects of his journey,
paid Corelli a visit. The latter being unacquainted with
his person received him with the courtesy which was
customary to be evinced towards strangers, but without
inquiring his name. In the course of the conversation
which ensued he learned that his visitor was a musician,
and inquired on what instrument he performed. "A
little on the harpsichord and violiti"' replied Strunek
modestly, at the same time begging the favour that
Corelli would let him bear his performance on the latter
instrument. With this request Corelli complied, and on
la)ing aside his violin requested a similar favour on the
p.irt Strunek. The stranger commenced plsyiug,
but ut first carelessly, yet sufficiently well as to induce
Corelli to compliment him on the freedom of his bowing
Trio latter wound up his praises by saying that " wiih
practice he would become an excellent player." Strunek
then, with a strange glittering of the eye, unscrewed the
pegs of the violin so as to put it out of tune. He then
began to play with the most consummate skill, correcting
most marvellously the notes on the mistuned instrument
till ()until', amazed at such a display, exclaimed, " Why,
what is this I hear? they call me Arcangelo, but if I
am so, by heav,n, sir, you must be Arcidia'eolo."

WEBER.
What a sublime incident is recorded of this high•
souled musician. A grander and more imposing sentence
was n.-ver uttered from the mouth of even the divinely-
inspired Lutber. S. me vocalists who were ringing a
h)mn in prsis,, of the Great Creator of All Things were
vociferating v,ith nil the strength their lungs could boast.
" Quit, t hush!" interrup!ed Weber, holding up the palm
of his hand-- hush! would you sing so loud it you were
in the presence of God?"

HAYI)N.
The Prince von Esterhazy was at all times a munificent
patron and sincere friend of Haydn, and exemplified it
on many occasions. Twice was Haydn's residence at
Eissenstadt consumed by fire, and twice did the Prince
cause it to be rebuilt solely at his own expense, so that
had it not been for this generous noble, Haydn would
not only have possessed no home, but lacked the slightest
article of furniture. But the benevolence of the Prince
did not cease with the re•edification of his dwelling, for
he also replaced all the composer's lost furniture, linen,
household utensils, &c., in fact everything which had
bee❑ destroyed, deputing Pleyel, the favourite pupil of
flay dn, to attend to their entire reinstatement according
to the most minute wish of his unfortunate friend. And
Pleyel proved the most affectionate of pupils, and was as
active and zealous i❑ the ( xecution of this trust as his
master could wish. When the second conflagration oc-
curred Hay du was at some distance on a particular
mission, and so expeditious hal been his patron's kind-
ness, that, except for the new appearance of his houe,
Haydn would scarcely have noticed that anything had
occurred, and that it had been burned down and rebuilt.
His feelings of gratitude were, however, mingled with
bitter regrets that he had lost the only copy he had made
of his Armida, and this loss he bewailed as one of the
greatest he had ever endured. With pa!pable traces of
contusion, and after much hesitation, Pleyel at length
confessed that he bad clandestinely made a copy for his
own private use, and which now he would feel happy in
restoring to the right! ul possessor. Hayd❑ soon forgave
his pupil, and on, receiving the promised copy, his joy
was compligte.

MOZART.
We ell know the deep devotion, the passionate adora-
tion—the poetry of love which this glorious musician:
entertained for his wife Constance. And although it
was what the world cniltd "an imprudent marriage, ho
never repented thii important sup. Soon after their
marriage, and while n young family were increasing
around them they fell into embarrassments which
neither could have foreLeen. The Emperor Joseph one
day, addressing Mczirt, inquired," Why did you not
marry a rich wife, Mtir.irt ?" " Sire," replied the latter,
with that dilnity of mi.nner and manly independence of
character which termed knell distinguishing traits iu his
disposition, "Sire ! I hope that my genius—at least my
exertions—will always support the woman I love."

THE ART OF SINGING.
Sir John Hawkins, in his vratiable and elaborate work,
"A G ,nerai History of th6t Science and Practice of
Music" (5 vols. 4tu., 1776). informs us, " Formerly there
were in I,,:ndon many masters who taught the practice
of singing by syllables. Tne profession is alluded to in
some of tile corn( dig s written about the time of Charles
the Second. But singing 101 l :rrs so nuturally the smallest
degr.-e of proficiency on any instrument that the learning
.1 both is unnecessary; und, iu fact, those that teach the
hsrpsichor.l aro now the only singing masters that we
know of except a few illiterate professors who travel
4tiotit the country and teach psalmody by the notes at
•uch rates as the lower sort of people are able to pay."
Taus proving that the existing genus—the species, if such
tern:a mty be used—of vocal professors are only of souls-
what recent date.

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