The Sun.
London, England, 1849-02-09 00:00:00

MEMORANDA OF A MUSICIAN.

BY GEORGE J. 0. ALLMANN.

" Notes, notes, forsooth, and noting !"
SHARSPERE

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 following
anecdote respecting him? One fine morning in summer
Dr. More 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 got off his seat and
gave a thundering knock at the street-door—another—
and another, but without arousing the inmates. Handel,
in a passion, told his servant to continue knocking till
EOM body came. At length 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. "Ah Toc-
tor!" exclaimed Handel, looking comfortably out of the
carriage, "come down, I want to spheag to you!"
Will it not do as well now!" returned the vexed
author. " Nein, nein! I tell yoc!" 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 want 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. " Bil-
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! de wave of de sea; 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, half amused, half angered by Handel's
visit, and contented himself with returning to his bed
partly smiling and partly grumbling.

EPIT HALA MIUMS,
Or nuptial songs, according to Horace, Macrobius, Ser.
vius, &c. (the term epithalamium, EttOzAccpay
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, Fescennina. The poem, which con-
sisted of three strophes, generally recited the pleasures
and advantages derived from marriage, but though
authorised by the laxity of the Ago and supported by
custom, was gross and obscene. It was usually chanted
by the assembled party at the door, or sometimes 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 Noces 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 Pietra di Paragone a youth of
nineteen years, named Pettini, possessed' of neither
fortune or connexions, 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 imaginhtion and earnest en-
thusiasm he would some day or another become a master.
With ardour and in secrecy he pursued his studies,
though he bad 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
performance, and upon quitting the theatre appeared
abstracted, silent, and sad. A few days afterwards his
friend called up )n 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 surprise.
" Ah!" returned Pettini in a tone of indescribable me-
lancholy, "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 born 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, for, depend on it, it will go
its own way."

PSALM TUNES.
The first set of ps,dm:tunes, which were arranged in
parts for different voices, was publish( d in Env,land in
1579 by William Damon, and bore the following title.
page:—" The Psalms of David in English Meter, with
Notes of Four Parts set unto them by Guglielmo Dam( n,
to the use of the Godly Christians, for recreating them-
selves instede of fonde and unsemely ballades."

LATILLA.
When this master of counterpoint, who was chief of
the Conservatorio della Musics di Napoli, was asked the
question, " How is it that Jomelli, Sacchini, Guglielmi,
Piccini, Cimarosa, and Paesiello, all pupils of one
common master, Durante, have not each acquired his
style, hut all of them present diff rent features in their
works?" he replied, and his reply is well worthy of note
—" The master of counterpoint cannot form the school
or style of a dramatic pupil—all the composers named
possessed a natural taste, or form of imagination, which,
despite the particular and similar form of study, would
guide them to a style adapted to the different bents of
their genius; and Durante, though the greatest Master
of the Neapolitan School, could not possibly boast of
having formed, but only of haring instructed them, and
shown them the path which they should pursue!"

GASPARINI.
Francesco Gasparini was born in the Duchy of Lucca
early in the seventeenth century, and after pursuing his
studies for some years, went to Rome, where he soon
became celebrated as a composer and harpsichord
master. So high was the opinion which the elder Scar-
latti entertained of his abilities that he confided to his
tuition his son Domenico, then quite a youth. This
testimony of respect for, and confidence in, his worth and
tatents gave rise to a singular species of correspondence
between the two musicians. Gasparani, in the first in-
stance, wrote a cantata in a very learned and scientific
style, worthy of the notice and attention of so great a
master, and sent it as a present to Scarlatti in these
words:" Cantata inviata dal Sir,nor Francesco Gasparini
al Signor Alessandro Scarlatti." To this musical billet-
doux Scarlatti replied by another cantata of, if possible,
still more learned and difficult character, reversing the
dedication, however, thus: " Cantata in rispOsta. al Signor
Gasparini dal Signor Ales. Scarlatti." This reply pro-
duced in a very little time a rejoinder by Gasparini,
who sent to Scarlatti another cantata, in which he dis-
played the most abstruse modulation and harmony.
Searlatti, determined not to be outdone in this novel
kind of correspondence, exhausted every effort in order
to produce a composition that should prove a climax to
everything, and forwarded to Gasparini a cantata to the
same words, in which the combinations are the most ex-
traneous it is possible to conceive, and the notation the
most perplexing—and equivocal to say sooth--that was
ever, perhaps, jotted down on paper. This was ad-
dressed, " Seconds cantata al Signor Gasparini dal
Signor Ales. Scarlatti in idea umani, ma in regolo
cromatico, ed a per ogni professore." Thus ended their
correspondence, for " the force of composition could no
further go." It has been related that Sacchini on
beholding this last cantata appeared much struck with its
intrinsic merit, and was able to discern its manifold
beauties despite its affectation and pedantry. It was
this same composition, too, that called forth his well-
remembered remark, that it was sometimes necessary
to look at such music "per non essere sorprJso." What
a volume of hidden meaning does this quaint and sar-
castic observation display—it was well that the fiery
old Scarlatti heard it not.