The Sun.
London, England, 1842-01-18 00:00:00

MUSIC

MUSICAL EDUCATION; OR, THE ART OF
PIANO-FORTE PLAYING.
Cramer, Regefit-street.
The above brochure emanates from the pen of
Miss Geary, well known in the musical circles as
a very brilliant and powerful pianiste, and whose
superior execution of dashing fantasias from
Thalberg and Dobler at Willis's and the English
Opera, last season, drew down on her the combined
praises of the press: An accomplished professnr of
her art, this lady now advances, for the general
guidance of instructresses and learners, such
musical advice as her own experience and skill
have convinced her to prove of benefit to initia-
tors • and their noviciates. Though the mind
must be the ultimate perfecter of musical pur-
suits, yet the mechanical branch of the art, as
averred by our authoress, is that which at first
must wholly engross attention, leaving mentali
activity to grow with the growth of the be-
ginner. In pursuance of this principle, a
synopsis of a gradual train of teaching
is exhibited, recommendatory of a progressive
scale of practice, which, if followed out from
the juvenile age of seven to that of sixteen, and
acted upon for the specific times laid down, is
calculated to form a fine instrumental performer.
The excellence of the method laid down calls
for hearty concurrence and adoption, and testifies
Miss Geary to be asjudiciously-minded as finished
at her profession. The over-confinement and
application, arising, in a great measure, from
irregularity of plan, to which many masters of
the day subject their pupils, and which have
been known .in more cases than one to be the
cause of premature departure, is hereby avoided
and counteracted. The " many-toned science"
is attained by smooth and pleasant initiation,
and as the fingers improve in their •dexterity,
the mind unfolds itself as gradatively. towards
the comprehension of genuine harmony.
Among other little note-worthy observations
scattered through her page, our authoress re-
marks that briefness is a great virtue in perform-
ances on the instrument, and instead of loading
the piano-keys with heavy half-hour sonatos and
interminable rondos, it is judiciously recom-
mended by her that—
A piece destined to please should never exceed seven
or ten minutes ; it is 'rarely done by the finest masters,
unless it be.in concertos, which, with the relief of a full
orchestra, are offered exclusively to a musical audience.
The following is a gift to the player of one of
the little available mysteries in the music-art :
In cadences of extreme delicacy and refinement of
style, the una cords, or soft pedal, used in conjunction
with the open pedal, creates an effect that is singular;
beautiful,

Miss Geary relates a pleasing instance of the
power of the piano-tones in correcting perversity
and unamiability of temper in a young lady :
At seasons of temporary misbehaviour, her gover-
ness would request the favour of her playing " Tutto e
sciolto " or some similarly pathetic composition, and by
the time this had been once or twice repeated, serenity
again shone on her countenance, and to the soothing tones
of her piano-forte she constantly had recourse, as Milton
expresses it, to put her soul in tune.
Another appreciative feature in this lady's
" model of practice," lies in the fact that the
lesson-books recommended by her for commence-
ment, are those of the same masters whose stu-
dies are still kept before her pupils in maturer
years; so that while Cramer, Kalkbrenner, and
Moscheles are made conducible to the teach-
ing of the pupil's earliest key-notes, these are
but introductory at an advanced stage of
progress, to the more involved brilliancy, or
display of instrumentation demanded by the un-
interpolated compositions of each of those maestri
individually. The instructions in Miss Geary's
book ought inseparably to accompany the
teacher at the piano : her lucid system will be
found of most effectual avail, and evinces her to
be no less a mistress of her art than the best
practical musical teacher we could recommend.

NOVEL ROWING MATCH.—On Thursday next
a grand oars match will take place on the river, for 251.
a side, which is likely to excite considerable interest.
The competitors will be Mr. Wm. Judge, a Thames po-
lice inspector, and Mr. George Smith, landlord of the
George, in Broad-street, St. George's East, who are to
be oppo;ed to Mr. Wm. Hampshire, master-builder, of
Old Gravel-lane, and Mr. R. Gibson, foreman of the
Baltic Wharf, Wapping. The parties are to start pre-
cisely at two o'clock, from the Shears at Woolwich, and
proceed to London-bridge, against tide. Judge was
tbrmerly a waterman, and is one of the four Judges, all
inspectors belonging to the river police, and is a remark-
ably strong muscular man. His partner is a skilful
rower. Messrs. Hampshire and Gibson are well known
amateurs, who have rowed several matches on the river,
and whose prowess is notorious. Betting at present is in
favour of Judge and Smith.
LONDON COFFEE AND EATING-HOUSE
KEEP Eas.—Last evening the tenth general half-yearly
meeting of this Society took place at Anderton's Hotel,
Fleet-street, for the purpose of receiving the report of
the Committee, and to elect officers for the year ensuing.
Mr. Marshall, the President, was in the chair, and con-
gratulated the meeting on the increased prosperity of the
institution. The Secretary then read the Report, which
set forth that the receipts, including the last year's ba-
lance, amounted to 230/. 14s. 4id., and the disburse-
ments to 200/. Os. 4d., leaving a balance of 30/. 14s. Oid., in
addition to 1,300/. invested in Government securities.
They were now ready to receive applications from mem-
bers who were in distress, and desirous to be placed on
the pension list. The Report having been received and
adopted thanks were given to the public press generally
for their assistance, and after a vote of thanks had
passed to the Chairman the meeting separated.
PROVIDENT CLERK'S MUTUAL BENEFIT AS.
soClATlON.—Yesterday evening the first annual meeting
of the benevolent department of this Association, which
is patronised by most of the bankers and leading mer-
chants of the metropolis, was held at the offices of the
Association, No. 60, King William-street, City. The
chair was taken by George Thomas, Esq., Secretary to
the Imperial Brazilian Mining Association, who read a
Report for the year elapsed, from which it appeared that
although only established at the close of 1840, it has a be-
nevolent fund for affording relief to distressed clerks, their
widows and families, of 9,400/. Three per Cents., and
that the assurances had been equal to the expectation of
the Board of Management, considering the short time
since the establishment of the Association. Mr. Rice
moved the adoption of the Report, which was seconded by
Mr. Chambers, and carried unanimously. Mr. Richard
Price (of Davidson, Barclay, and Co.) moved the second
resolution, that being sensible of the advantages of mu-
tual life assurances, the meeting pledged its best exer-
tions to make known amongst clerks the objects of the
Association, which was seconded by Mr. Clarke (of
Hankeys and Co.). Mr. C. Lloyd (of Fletcher, Alex-
ander, and CO.) proposed a vote of thanks to the trus-
tees, Thomas Baring, Esq., Jeremiah Harman, Esq.,
W. G. Prescott, Esq., and to the treasurer, John Abel
Smith, Esq., M.P., which was carried amidst much ap-
plause. A vote of thanks was also passed to the Chair-
man (Mr. Thomas), and Deputy Chairman (Mr. it. H.
Jones, of Thomson, Hankey, and Co.). and, the Board of
i!flanagement, for their gratuitous services.. Mr. Hooper,
erf. the Bank of England, Mr. Stacey, Mr. Woodward,
aind several other clerks in eminent Merdantile and banks
ing establishments, spoke in favour of the objects of the
Association, after which a vote of thanks wait passed to?
the Chairman, and the meeting adjourned.
Colonel Blacker, who was put out of the com-
mission of the peace because his lady thought proper to
decorate her person with an orange scarf, is to be
restored without delay.—Dublin paper.

mail steam-packet
- --
The- lio -
and Halifax
Colombia carried out 15,000 letters on her last trip to
the United States.
The returns of wine exported from Oporto last
year give 26,355 pipes, out of which 21,505, pipes were
sent to Great Britain and the British possessions.
SIR ALEXANDER BURNESO--A very painful
feeling was excited here on the arrival of the India mail
on Sunday last, by the appearance of a paragraph in se-
veral papers, stating, on the authority of a letter from
Meerut, that an insurrection of Affghans had taken place
in Cabul, and that Sir Alexander Burnes was killed or
severely wounded. We are happy to learn, on inquiry,
that no confirmation of this melancholy intelligence has
been received by Sir Alexander's
family; but that, on
the contrary, the accounts they have received afford the
strongest presumption of its being untrue. 7tron. .
---......r05e
Standard. . _

Viscointe de Rohasi Chabot, Aide.de.camp to
the French King, and brother-in-law of the Duke of
Leinster, by the death of Lady Elizabeth Mathew, comes
into a fortune of 9,000/, per annum. The Viscomte was
Major in the late 18th Hussars, and stationed with that
splendid corps in this garrison.—Limerick Chronicle.
The election of Coroner for the county of West-
moreland took place on the eth instant, when George
Thompson, Esq., solicitor, Appleby, was appointed to
that oflice.—Carlisle Journal.
The Gazette of Aix la Chapelle announces that
the King of Prussia will Arrive tnere on the 19th, and
stop there for the night,
CHELTINHAZ4,--On Saturday a man, who
went by the name of Edward Keerser, and represented
himself to be a butler in the service of Captain Oakland,
came into this town and hired Gloucester lodge, in the
PrPMengde, in the name of his master, who, he said, was
a gentleman possessed of 35,0001 a-year. His next step
was to dispense his orders on his master's account very
liberally among the various tradesmen, but the suspicions
of Mr. French, grocer, being excited, the scoundrel was
defeated in his designs, and made a precipitate retreat
from the town,