The Sun.
London, England, 1822-08-24 00:00:00

ROYAL ACADEMY OF MUSIC.

" In taking a review of this Establishment, one. is naturally
fed to inquire what was the progress of, and what the reason's

that determined our neighbours the French to institute an
Academy of nearly a similar nature in Paris. The Musical
Conservatory, as it is now called, was first instituted in that
country under the auspices of Baron BRETEUIL, in the'year
1784, and was denominated the Royal School far Singing and
Declamation. The want of an institution of the sort had
been felt; it was from the Choirs belonging to the Cathedrals
that the Theatres devoted to Musical Pieces used to take
such assistance as they might occasionally stand in need OE:
But GLucx, Prccitir, SACCINI, and other celebrated
Italian Composers, by driving from the stage the vociferating
notes of their predecessors, introduced a new era in the history
of musical composition. This change took plate about the
year 1774, and it was immediately perceived that a supply
of Singers differing from those who till then had had posses=
sion•Of the stage, was absolutely necessary. This first esta-
blishment was not, however, as productive of improvement
as might'have been expected, and in the year 1789, Mons.
nETTE formed a more general School for Music, which was
supported by the municipality of Paris, and which continued
till 1791, when the National Convention adopted the principle
of organising an institution under the title of . National Con-
servatory of Music, fOr the Instruction of 600 Pupils of both
sexes, in vocal as well as instrumental music, and composition.
About IMO musicians, male and female, were formed in the
space of fifteen years in this conservatory, of which wore than
700 were engaged in the provinces. The most distinguished
had. engagements at the principal Theatres at Paris, and many
found very advantag,eous situations in foreign countries—
With similar views, but on principles more consonant to 13rf.-.

. .
tiSh feelings, the present Royal Academy appears to us to
have been founded. There cannot exist a doubt but that- int
England as in France, music has equally a claim tobe ranked
as one of the liberal arts, the cultivation of which is as genial.
in the one country as in the other, and in each as much,wlll
mark the progress of civilization and improvement. In Gres.
Britain the public taste for music cannot be contested : the
astonishing sums expended for musical entertainments in every
part of the country, as well as in the metropolis, are 'be
yond what there is any general conception of. Yet we mnst
admit, without designing to show any improper jealousy upon
the subject, that this very large expenditure cf money gees
almost entirely to enrich the foreign professors residin& in this
country. It is impossible not to inquire whence does this
particularly when we know that for talent and powers of voice
and execution we could produce Mrs. SALMON, Mr. Bitanasi,
Miss FEATION, Miss STEPHENS, Miss TREE,3III4. DICK ONS,
Mr. VAUGHAN, Mr. MIRA' sET.,..arld many Others, who certainly.
may rival all the talents which exist in any other country. To re-
solve such a problem, we must not deceive ourselves, but admit
that howevergreat we may be, and, perhaps, superior at present
to other nations in the music for the service of the Church, yet
in Opera music we are lamentably behind hand; and' the only
cause to be diScovered for this backwardness in a particular
branch of music, is that we have no school for it, either in coin--
position or singing. We are like the French in 1784, when the
performers who were brought before the public were generally
supplied from the Choirs of the Cathedrals, which in Fact were
the only schools for the education of persons meaning to devote
themselves to the profession of music. It is to supply this want.
of a school for general music in this country that the present
Academy appears to be established, connected as it is with;
the moral and religious education of the Pupils, and their eri-
tire instruction in every department of music ; an instruction
which will go as much to perpetuate and improve the style for
the service of the Church, in which we are on a par with'
other countries, as it will tend to place us -on a level with '
fo-
reigners in the lighter and more diversified music of the stage.
Some personshave objected to the establishment of the Aeademy,
that it would introduce too many persons into the profession
of music, when there already existed more than could live re-
spectably in that line of life ; to this it would be natural to an-
swer, first, that the Academy will not be sufficiently numerous
to have any effect in this way; and next, that if the Professers
are too numerous already, it must he remembered that-this sur-
plus is composed of foreigners, who drive the talent of our own
country out of the field ; and that it is by proper education, 'to
enable our own countrymen to compete and rival these natives
of other countries, that the present Academy is instituted.
An extraordinary objection has also been taken, that the
Academy will bring a nurnber of paupers into the profession
it is hardly worth while to answer to this—that every Pupil'
who enters the Institution must be above any Chance of being
so considered, since he must be in 'circumstances enab'ang him
to pay either ten; fifteen, or twenty guineas a year for his
education: and although this will go but a small way towartiS'
defraying his expences, yet it secures a reSpectable class of
Students, who must be to a certain degree easy in their ch.'.
cumstances. There remains, however, at the same -time, a.
power in the Directors of the Institution, where persons of.
conspicubus talents are discovered without the means of de- •
:frdying the charges of 'their education, to grant it free of all eN.-
pence. Upon the whole, we hail this Establishment as a most
benevolent undertaking, well worthy the high patronage of the'
'KING, and well deserving the approbation and support of the
'British People."

• As we have inserted two letters in opposition 'to the pro-
:posed plan of a ROYAL AcAtiEstit or Music, we conceive
that c►ndour and justice require the admission of the forezoing.
!article in defence of it. We shall not at present offer our own
opinion on the subject, though we confess that we were strongly
impressed by the reasoning of the two letters alluded to, and
induced to consider the scheme as not merely useless but inju-
rious. We have indeed heard that the amiable Nobleman Rho
first suggested the plan has been so fully convinced of its mis• 4
chievous tendency, as most humanely to relinquish his s;:.pport:
of it, notwithstanding the high patronage and enceutaging
liberality which attend it.