The Sun.
London, England, 1825-08-13 00:00:00

S A I. I E R I.

ANTONIO SALIERI, born at Legnano, in the
Venetian states, in 1750. At the age of eleven years he began
to take lessons on the harpsichord, and his passion for music
became so strong, that, at the death of his father, a distill.:
guished merchant, whose loss he had to deplore when he was
only fifteen years of age, he devoted himself entirely to this
art. The protection of Mozenigo, a patrician of Venice, in-
duced him to settle for a time in that city, where he continued
his studies, but afterwards completed them at Naples.- His
first master was Giovanni Pescetti, a professor of high repute,
and a pupil of Lotti. Death having deprived him of this in-
structor, he placed himself, for a short time, under the care of
Pietro Passirti. At this period the famous .eopold Gassmann
arrived at Venice, and the young Salieri, eager to profit by
such a circumstance, immediately offered himself, and was
accepted as his pupil, both in the art of singing and for the
harpsichord. The affection which he conceived for this master
determined him, with his patron's consent, to accompany Gass-
mann to Vienna, in order that he might there continue his
studies with him in counterpoint. He arrived at the capital of
the Austrian empire in 1766, where he remained the following
eight years, and lost no opportunity of benefiting by his mas-
ter's advice. His gratitude and attachment to Gassmann were
rewarded at the decease of the latter, by the appointments of
maitre de chapelle to the Imperial Court, and to the theatre.
It was then he attracted the notice of the renowned Gluck, who
now beginning to feel the infirmities of age, and discerning the
great abilities of Salieri, intrusted him with the charge of com-
posing " Les Danaides," which the former had engaged to pro-
duce for the Academie Royale de Musique, at Paris. He exe-
cuted this arduous task according to the plan which this great
and experienced musician had sketched out, and under his im-
mediate superintendence. The .result was so highly satisfac-
tory to Gluck, as to draw from him a declaration, that no one
.""" i.ofnra cn thn,"^"t3/'l3, antarari into the peculiarities of
his style, which not even the Germans themselves had been
able to imitate. However, it was believed at Paris, that Sa-
lieri was,only really entitled to the merit of having composed
the third act of the opera.
Salieri went to Paris in 178-I with his work, which was per-
formed before the Royal Family frequently, and each time
with increased effect. Even the Queen herself deigned to take
a part in it. At length it was brought out at the grand theatre
of the French capital. The critics discovered in some of its
parts, principally in the recitatives, a very peculiar style, and
all agreed that it displayed most extraordinary talent.
It was not till after the third representation that the Chevalier
Gluck, in an address to the Parisian public, announced .Salieri
as the sole composer of " Les Danaides." The managers of
the opera rewarded him with a present of ten thousand francs,
and afterwards gave him an additional three thousand, to de-
fray the expences of his journey. The Queen also very libe-
rally rewarded his talents, and he sold his score to an engraver
for two thousand francs. Before he quitted Paris, the admi-
nistration of the theatre engaged him to compose " Las Ho-
races et les Curiaces." A short time after this he produced,
for the theatre at Vienna, the opera of " Axur ltoi d'Ormus,
(or Terrare)," for -which the Emperor Joseph 11. made him a
present of two hundred ducats, to which he added a pension of
1 three hundred ducats. Shortly after this he married a young
lady with a considerable portion. Front that time he contri-
buted largely to the various theatres of Europe, particularly to
that of his own country, for which he wrote many operas,
chiefly of the comic kind. The following is a list of his
dramatic works :—" Le Donne letterate ;" " L'Amore in-
nocente," translated into German ; " Don Chisciotte ;"
" L'Armida ;" " La Fiera de Venezia," translated into
French ; " La Secchi3. rapita ;" " II Barone di Rocca An.
:tics ;" " La Locandiera ;" " Trionfo della Gloria e
della Virtu ;" "La Sconflitta di Borea ;" "La Calamia
de Cori;" " Del Vitas Daliso ;" "La Finta Scema."—
Immediately after the performance of this piece be went to
Italy, where he composed, the following pieces;—" Europa
reconosCiuta," Milan; "La Scuola de Gelosi ;" "La Par--
tenza Inaspettata ;" " II Talismano," translated into German
"La Dama Pastorella." He then returned to Vienna, and
composed "Le Itamoneur ;" " La belle Menteuse;" "-La
Semeramide," for the Court of Monaco ; " Les Danaides,"
for Paris; " Le Grotta di Trofonio," translated into German
" Tarare," an Opera, written by :Beaumarchais. The Poet
dedicated his Drama to this musician, in a short, elegant letter,-
whence we extract the two following paragraphs :
"To you I dedicate my work, cause it has become yours.
I only gave it birth; you have trained it up to theatrical-,
dignity.
" You have assisted me, my dear friend, in giving the French
such an idea of Grecian spectacle as I have always conceived.-
If our work has been successful, 1 owe it almost entirely to you.
And though your modesty prompts you to say that you are my
musician, I honour myself in being your poet, your servant,
and friend."
This piece was afterwards brought out at Vienna, under the
title of" Axur, Roi d'Ormus." " Les Boraces, ,et lesCuri-
aces," for Paris; " L'Avaro.e it Prodigo ;" and" La Ciffra."
Besides these, he has produced a multitude of detached airs,
&c., both-serious and comic. Amongst his sacred works there
is but one oratorio, " La Passione." ' Be however wrote seve-
ral small pieces in the church style. -Be composed many sym-
phonies and serenades for the orchestra, also some.concertos for
the piano-forte and other instruments; but he did not set any
great value on these, as he had no -strong motive for exerting
his talent, except in dramatic .or vocal music. " Salieri,"
says the Count Orloff, " united the melody of Italy with the
harmony of his adopted country, and made a most happy use of
both one and the other ; exhibiting to the heirs of his learning
and his style, a wise moderation, which confers honour on that,
and imparts to this all its charm."

*** As the Opera of TERRARE is announced for representa-
tion at the ENGLISH OPERA liousE, and, we understand, is
to be brought forward with the whole vocal and theatrical
strength of the Company, and with a splendour of costume and
scenery hardly ever equalled on the London Stage, our readers,
we trust, will be gratified with the foregoing account of its cele-
brated Composer.

POYAIS.—Sir GREGOR AFGREGOR, it appears,
yet contrives to. draw some revenue from his caziqueship of
Poyais. He has lately made a grant of 256 square leagues to a
company at Paris, who intend, it is said, to found a French
colony there, under the denomination of Neustria. The first
expedition of these new adventurers will sail from Havre on the
sth September. The colonists will keep the French laws and
language, and be subject only to ta.ir own authorities.
We understand that a sum of 18,0001. has been
offered by an extensive clothier in England, for
premises near this city, to erect a manufactdry.—
(Limerick Chronicle.)

CORONERS' INQUESTS.

MYSTERIOUS CIRCUMSTANCE.

Yesterday an Inquest was held at the White
Hart Inn, Weston Hill, Norwood, before Mr. CAICTEIC, of
Kingston, and a Jury, on the body of Hannah Gillet, which
was found dead is the fields near there, on the morning of
Wednesday last. The situation and the circumstances of the
death, so far as they were known, gave the affair a character of
a disagreeable mystery. A ditch runs across the bottom of the
grounds, which is connected with another running trans-
versely from the side of the hill. There is a pond elvated a
foot or two above the ditches, in the corner of the field,
which is never more than twelve or thirteen inches deep, nor
wider than between five and six feet either way. In this
pond, partially immersed, was the body found; the posture
supine, the head reclining on a heap of stones, but with few
or no traces of violence or confusion, either in the person or
apparel.
Anne Saunders was called in.—She was a fellow-servant of
the deceased, and serves as cook in the family of Mr. P. Wynn,
of Dulwich. The deceased came last Monday week or there-
abouts, as under nurse-maid. Did not know any thing of
her before. She left the house last Tuesday evening at
half-past eight o'clock. She took her bonnet and shawl, and
said she would be out but a few minutes. She never re-
turned. She was ill, and complained of her mouth having a
particular bad taste. She complained the day after she came.
Witness asked how she felt herself; she said that she was
affected all over. She could not explain or describe what was
the matter ; she thought it was a cold. She seemed to have
lost all her strength. She did not appear to be in the family
way. Sho was always serious, and said she was afraid she
should not be able to keep her place, because her health was
so bad. _

Racnel Cutit is nurse to the children of Mrs. Wynn ; saw the
deceased first on the 2d of August; they entered the service of
the family on the same day; they sleptin the same room ; the
deceased complained from the first of having a cold; she had a
cough, and said she had a pain in her back and in her legs.—
On Tuesday evening last she took her bonnet and shawl ; wit-
ness inquired whither she was going ; she said, " I'm going
off for a few minutes." She left the house, and never returned.
Witness never saw her with any followers, male or female ; she
appeared dull, and not ready for conversation, but not at all
disturbed in her intellect.
James Dowset, a field-labourer, lives a Croydon-forest ;
discovered the body on Wednesday morning about ten o'clock.
Witness was mowing in the adjoining field, and went down
to get some water from a running ditch. The field belongs
to Mr. Tommons (one of the Jury). Perceiving the body
on the side of the pond, he started back, and ran up the
field for assistance. Two men came back with him. They
took up the body, which was lifeless. Her stomach was
not quite cold, but witness thought that might be owing to
the warmth of the sun shining on her. Her head had been
under water, but it was quite up out •of the water—there
was water enough to cover her ; but she had struggled
out of it—her legs were still under water. All that part of her
.which was out of the water was covered with mud. She was
lying on her bsck—her clothes were smoothed round her—her
bonnet was tiel under her chin, and seemed to be in its proper
place—her shawl was off, and in the pond near to her feet. She
lay so thatlher lower ear touched the water. The clay of the
pond had caked on her face--her hands were laid composedly'
by her sides in the water--from her shoulders downwards she
was laid in- or under the water. There were no marks
of struggling about the place. The combs of her hair
were neither of them broken. On one hand there was
a black plate or two of no significance. There was no
trace of blood or violence about her. Her bonnet was bent in.
Mr. D. Jones, surgeon, of Dulwich, examined the body on
Wednesday morning last, on the removal of it to the White
Hart. Fount externally some slight bruises, none of which
would cause death. This morning he opened the body with
two other medical gentlemen, and found nothing internally
that could be supposed to cause death. Does not mean to deny
that she mignt have been suffocated in the pond. The loins
were distended, with an appearance something like that of a
person killed by suffocation. Believes that deceased came by her
death by soffocation.
The Jury retired to view the body, and the place where it
was found; and on their return, pronounced a verdict, " Found
suffocated, but by what means no evidence has appeared."
The place was quite away from any road. The deceased was
labouring under violent obstruction of the bowels, and the system
generally, according to the evidence of her brothers, which
left one safe conjecture concerning her death, according to the
opinions of the medical men—that she might have strayed
thither during temporary insanity, induced by obstruction and
constipation, and the irritation consequent thereupon. One of
her brothers happened to be among the spectators who were
casually gathered round 11“. Whir. Hart on the arrival or tb.
body, and went up to view it, quite unconscious beforehand that
he was to behold the corpse of his sister.

EREAT Ull.—ln the article respecting the late Serjeant LENS,
in yesterday's SUN, instead of Wranger read Wrangler.

PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK.
Bank Stock
3 per Cent. Red.
3 per Cent. Cons. 891 90 89i Ex. Bills 10001. lid. 22 20 22
3i per Cent. Ditto 5001. 1.41 23 22 24
Ditto Red. , 98i i Ditto Small lid. 25 27
4 per Cent. New ... lo3i 1 Ditto Commercial
Bank Long Ann. 22 5-16 1 Bank for Act.
India Stock
Ditto Bonds 46 pm. Cons. for Opening 891 90 89&
South Sea Stock

PRICES OF FOREIGN FUNDS AT ONE O'CLOCK.
Austrian Bds, 5 per cent. 911i4 Neapolitan Scrip
Brazilian Bds

1825 4a dis. I Do. Scrip -
Buenos Ayres Bds
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Colombian Bds, 6 per ct.... Ditto New
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Danish, 5 per cent.
Do. Scrip
Greek Bds
Do. Scrip, 1825 l4a dis. Exchange ... —f. —c.
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Do. Scrip 1825 ... 3ii dis. Exchange ... 25f. 10c.
Neapolitan, 5 per cent. ...

PRICES OF SHARES AT ONE O'CLOCK.

Per Share

Anglo-Mexican Mining Company
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Castello and Espirito Santo Brazil Mining Company ••• Li
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Royal Irish Mining Conr
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Ditto, Marine Department
Palladium Assurance Company . .
American and Colonial Steam Company

51
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Australian Company
British Iron Company
British Rock and Patent Salt Company 14
French Brandy Distillery Company
General Steam Navigation Company
Great Westminster Dairy Company
London, Gibraltar and Genoa Steam Company
London and Dieppe Steam Packet Company
London and Antwerp Steam Company .... 2a
Provincial Bank of Ireland 6}l

FOMEIGN MAILS.
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H TGII WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE TO-MORROW.
Morning, 3 minutes after 2. 1 Evening, 33 minutes after 2.