New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-12-23


where there is so much that IT, wo Should be thakfn
for the boon. Tho writing for hagarets music II
worry ludicious as TO pitch for uezlo-soprano voice
and 1t is TO NJ GOunods honor that he does not srain
his VOICES with high notes, 10 get transient effect
The Of great singers is rapidly dying out, from
several causes The strain put upon voices to tll OF
ernhouses twice too large for then the high pitch Of
writing so much mufic and the want of complete erl
ure She product Of years OF daily toll which las once
the rulo and is now the exception Where now The
Gareas the Donzehs tho Ruhiais. the Tarnburini',
tho DO Begnis and ~ forth Garcia was said to be
such tyrant with his daughter when in New'forf.
He made her. it is asserted. study twelve hours day
That n not 700 much to achieve greatness with IN ugh
Art II is a pity tteIe we're not more Garcias.
We como now TO soene and reeitatiye where
McDhktopheles is humbngging the old woman. to give
Faust opportunity for the grand and decisive at
tack Margaret the scene with its sequences
which Charles Lamb calls nauseour. cantin5 love
story This is introductory TO Quartet, No. ~.
Now the difference between quartet and solos, con-
sss In the union Of the voices for II they are pretty
much one after the other and only IN little bats. bearing
10 full station ent Of melody tho same relation that the
gravy ribets do to the entire body Of tho turkey
only q quartet in name, without even Me- sustained
merit Of solos. This IL Ito case with TIE socaled
quartet in question II may be said uat tho business
Of rhc is carried with II perfectly ard so s
but the musical requirements Of quartet are not; and
these be not considered OF paramount importance IN
GA opera why have OPERA why not be satisfied with
Tie speaking drama And moreover the great supe'
oriiy Of the musical over the spoken drama Is that In
concerted pieces by means OF harmony which is opy
known 10 music, duTeren. and extremely varied pas
,ions and emotions expressed absolutely at tie same
moment. In speaking simply this would be mere babel
or jargon like the disturbance Of a mob. 1t is COM
posar's duty to take advantage Of this power OF
music. and the composer Of gsniu, always does
But ~ Gounod In O quartet gives as little a.
possible to the voices In simultaneous combination
This may be difficult thing 10 effect but genius knows
bow 30 accomplish it, and ia Of the points that the
public is quick appreciate IL well managed In this
pecs NJ Gounod aoles out four bars Of absolutely torr
voiced music; then have number VI pages Of mar
rstiyc talk by the characters much piecemeal for
any interest and next tie voices come together for
about twenty short bars MEASURES The first four Of
these concerted bars bear perfectly phrascd melody
the first measure beginning on the tonic or key chord
and going the dominant chord that Of tie aSb. on
the second measures the third measure commences on
the dominant chord and goes in the fourth measure to
tie tonic chord. Tho words Js rOl' erois pa'
Now this is perfectly sqnarccut four bars Of
melody and 1t requires arespoDse tyro In tie arr %
constructing melody should not begin bar j. as bar
or on tie dominanti Che appogiatura which NJ Gou
nod introduces both In ts treble and tie bass in tie
commencement Of bar not altering tie chord OF tbs
dominant or fth OF the scae). This gayky repetition
Of tho chord Of bar is followed In bar by after
which not being seQuehtl consequently the genus Of
reodic propulsion. what should DO tho Inevitable
logic required Of single notes. IA lost and To remainder
Of the socaled quartet without further Interest e1
o.p. thu, which is merely dependent upon chords
After tie quArto, there "a haFsA ainp, uihou, war
rAriy In TIE change Of stage busnes. nom Ia Tat u
Re natural where there il so1e general UTILITY lr'
meas" upon orchestral Lggses.
This 70 followed by souo diaboliceJ u.,cTsuccs ~
Nepstophe.es In moasured recitation; and conducts u
the lovers Duet Tho drst ten measures Of this on tho
podel bass Of tho dominant are sLis and Efnce'iin
tho orchestra and H. the voice writings leading 10 tho
po.itive melody, commencing with the words Ln''si
roi These also commence the dominant. which Is
,an IL contrast with tho opening u tho introductory
matter ThoTo IT, IL IL true. droneb eis On tie Key
note, but this simply dispaTnges ard renders hurdy
rdyih what ought 10 b. tic very soul Of love and pas
sion Let Us however. this spsrt examine no melody
Of the duet It commences With the words Lafas
"A melody said 20 be Tie bct In the opera Tho no'os
IRE "a sol with riss TO a0foloved By re- DO with
rsc TO soloons,uug the Ore; md second bars 81 mo
phrase. Now q melody which socs from 90! up TO do
and then from do 20 col octave sounds Ike tuning
violin and has no moro inspiration or passion. The
ne IT bar oornmpl,, ton ri"(ss s) ismeiodcay good
but bad harmonicsiy; beosuse. the dronebase KEEP
throughout and tho chord on the last beat being 70
turn 10 tho chord of tie dominant (ss the two rst pess
OF this bar a. tie tonic chord Is doubling on tho
track instead Of being harmonic progrcss and LIS irees
ing cold beside being II music may bo compared u
manners snobbAh. The proper and the only iove-Pss
solatc chord under the notes DO o. the thId beat OF
this third bar, Is one on the sabdOminsn'. repro
sentod In the fgured.bass system by 90; and
would no correctly from the bass up, b. d. &.
This chord Of 81 ictches perfectly tho chord on the
dounan. whether fth. or preceded by tho Ga. as Is
the case with the Ga chord c. In the nett or fourth
bar Of this phrase tbs second syllable Of tho word
sage The noxt four bars being madc up Of TIC came
poetiea Line "a very feeble nas.coverbal proceeding.
even ought 70 balance procisey In their syAbes
and accentuations the first preceding four bars Bu!
thsy DO nothing OF the kind ard there Is total want OF
symmetry, and consequently Of melodio beauty. The
words Laissn-noi here are only given once. and not
twice a. in the first instanoe aad hence tho second
syllable Of visege sprawfd over awhols bar. Tho nc
cents Of the bars with Tho words 10 p5s esrfi
Don, roars De Ia nui symmetrical with the opening
bars and constitute meodc Phrase Of four bars more
Then comes closing which is not four bars. but five
hobbl.ng ones Tie frat bar Of these Eve is dorinu9
pnmgs Ohio seminal idea Of Which Is IN Won
Webel's Oberoa. and which composers have re-
peatedly copied s.nce); bu. tho delirilm
docs not noeessitatc disorder Ito Of m odd bar
VIC beg remark parrntlalicay here. tina. in nothing
ere the greet composers particular than in tho
symmetry Of their rhythms and eodic phraeings con
ning them to groups of two and fonr bars or their
ultlles and avoiding excepting under very curious
IL N va Lara uLinl TIE