The Sun.
London, England, 1849-02-08 00:00:00

MEMORANDA OF A MUSICIAN.

BY GEORGE J. 0. ALLMANN.

"Notes, notes, tonooth,, and noting!"
SIIAKSPEEE.

No. VIII.

HANDEL.

Would any of our modern Musicians have taken as
much trouble, or put themselves to as much incon-
venience as Handel did, who was too conscientious to
compose music to words of which he did not fully com-
prehend the meaning, as is testified by the tollowin;a
anecdote respecting him? One fine morning in summer
Dr. Morell, who supplied Handel with the libretti of
most of his oratorios, was awoke from
" Soft slumber in the arms of Morpheus,
Being, in sooth, well tired with Orpheus,"
by Handel, who at five o'clock arrived in his chariot
from his residence, which was at that time a little dis
tance from London. The coachman go; off his seat aid
gave a thundering knock at the street-door —anottu r—
and another, but without arousing the inmates. Hai.d. 1,
in a passion, told his servant to continue knocking till
sombody came. At len4th the Doctor, who slept heavily
and occupied a room in front of the house, poked his
head, clad in a nightcap that, like " quills upon the fret
ful porcupine," seemed to expand with horror at so un-
usual a disturbance, out from the window. "A 1 Toe-
tor!" exclaimed Handel, looking comfortably out of the
carriage, "come down, I want to spheag to you!"
" %Vili it not do as well now !" returned the vexe.;
author. "Nein, nein! I tell you.!" replied the irascible
musician," it you vill not come—." He was interrupted
by the Doctor, who hastily shut the window, and in a few
moments appeared at the door of the chariot. " Now,
Mr. Handel," began the Doctor, " what is it you ss ant to
speak to me about?" Handel pulled out a manuscript of
the latter's, upon which he was at work, and answered,
" Vaat de teufel is de meaning of de vord billow'? at
the same time, pointing to the word alluded to in the MS.
oratorio which the Doctor had written for him. " 13i1-
low!" echoed the latter, at, the same time laughing at so
ludicrous a motive for disturbing him at such an un-
seasonable hour, " why it means a wave!" " A wave!"
repeated Handel, as if still in doubt. " Yes, a wave—
a wave of the sea!" " Ach! do vave of de saa; daat is
it, is it?" concluded Handel, and, leaning back in the
carriage, bade the coachman return, without addressing
another word to the Doctor, who stood in mute surprise
for some minutes, halt amused, halt angered by Handel's
visit, and contented himself with returning to his bed
partly smiling and partly grumbling.

EPITHALAMIUMS,
Or nuptial songs, according to Horace, Macrobius, Ser-
vius, &c. (the term epithalamium,
afterwards becoming their generic name), were supposed
to have been first in usage among the people of Fescenia,
an Etruscan city, and by them were denominated, in
honour of its name, Fescennince. The poem, .hich con-
sisted of three strophes, generally recited the pleasures
and advantages derived from marriage, but though
authorised by the laxity of the Age and supported by
custom, was gross and obscene. It was usually chanted
by the assembled party at the door, or sometimt s in the
open air, in front of the apartment assigned to the newly
wedded bride and groom so soon as they had retired.
The nuptial songs of the ancient Russians and the
Chansons des IV oces of the north of France in times long
past evince a wonderful similarity to those of the Greeks
on minute examination and comparison.

ROSSINI,
During the gran maestro's sojourn at Milan on the
production of his La l'ietra di Paragone, a youth of
nineteen years, named Pettini, possessed of neither
fortune or contpxions, but of considerable genius in
painting, was gifted with even yet greater-talents for
music, and although he had as yet produced nothing
before the Milanese public, he was held in high estima-
tion by a circle of amateurs and friends who doubted
not that by his powerful imagination arid earnest en-
thusiasm he would some day or another b come a master.
With ardour and in secrecy he pursued his studies,
though he had heard but little of modern music, and
none of Rossini's, to which, however, his own style so
very nearly approximated that it became, even to his
friends, evident. When the opera I have mentioned was
produced at the Scala, Pettini at the urgent request of
an acquaintance accompanied him thither to witness its
representation. Not a word did he utter during the
performsnce, and upon quitting the theatre appeared
abstracted, silent, and sad. A few days afterwards his
friend called upon him, and found him busily employed
at his easel, with not a trace of music about the apart-
ment. " How is this?" questioned he with ant prise.
" Ah!" returned Pettini in a tone of indescribable me-
*ancholy, "you see me thus because I have abandoned
music!" "Abandoned music?" echoed his friend with
astonishment. " Yes, my dear ," replied Pettini,
sadly, "there can be only one composer in that style, and
he (meaning Rossini) was horn a few years before me"—
Pettini—as all do upon whom the Gods look with eyes
of love—died young.

PAESIELLO
Would frequently tell other composers who were, per-
haps, not so successful as himself, that his golden axiom
was, " Manage your public, and humour their caprices."
This reminds me of what Rabelais once said, Perform
your appointed task but mediocrely well, never speak
anything detrimental of your superiors, and let the
lunatic world go as it will, fur, depend on it, it will go
its own way."