The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-02-14

THEIR HISTORY AND PRAcrrcE-As or.n x,,,,,
FASHION REVIVED.
From the N. Y. Evening Po..,

/. FASHION REVIVED.
& From the N Y. Evening POSI-
s. The era of negro minstrelsv. so.csIIaa 49,,
over, ana the programmes at the minst,s, III
now possess few Of the features vhich n aalu
characterized them. One prominsn, t.o ono y
'nis cry containing probably a. much n not
pnbc ;Sd SHs .nan any other, has succumbed :,
ion travelling tour. Opera bouffe. even ~ \,
ssnrewdiy suspected to be on the vans pni,;,
s;nuscai taste is apparently seeking scma na !"
4nase OF entertainment. Just ct this critios
H. oIss. company OF amateurs give . concert o,
yesrs ago, and unexpectedly to the performsr =.
enemseives their performance suddenlv hsna.s.s
Ioe town talk. Everybody in New York A. nj ,.'
Eres'eo 10 musical matters, is talking sbout than
Vie obsolete word "madrigal'' becomss = ss,a,1;n
household word and Dictionaries and snon n,,,sr
gas are IN sudden demand. A madriralCsnsst.
~ OF the words q short, terse. amaforv No.,
Tour or more lines. There is no rule AZ ta ~
nm OF rhyme. or, In some cases, even 10 The
tbsss i;s. Cider English poets delighted to strike
nese n.ne love strsins, and their originals ma
lound IN some of the Greek writsrs A
fneIal tnlng. the names Of the writer's ara for-
puen' ana those OF the composers alone remem.
sleu; For these amstory lines speedily sug.
s,s,aa eos. 70 musicians, and were set 70 music
Stnree, Jour, hye or even six and seven para
20 olo fugue and scsnon styles were preserved
these compositions, which first saw light In
Ny, enlisting the services Of many composers
most Industrious Of whom were Pslestrins and
essanoro scsristti. These COMPOSERS yoften
ed the sonnets OF Petrarch on which 70 base
| Dir musical thoughts.
Ihe earliest madrgals were written abont l6Io
II was nearly half 8 century later that they
feared 10 England. From the fifteenth to the
enteenth century they were In great vogue. and
uing the Elizabe'hsn era ability to take part in
Il1rigals was necessary feature of polite educa-
w. Inc music was printed In an oblong quarto
:. eno without bars. In quaint, old volume
lhley's" Introduction to Practical N usicD-writ
teln dialogue form, one of the chsracters savs.
supper being ended, and musicke books, &C.
sving 70 the custome. being brought 10 the
.an, the mistress Of the house presented me with
tpt earnestly requesting me to sing bat when,
ftmany excuses, protested unfainedly that
fIu not, everie one began to wonder: yea. some
Fhhered to others. demanding how was brought
Ilp. so that, upon shame of mine ignorance. I
Roe ow to seek out mine old friende Master Ono.
rtInu TO make himself bis schollern
Mstgsls were the precursors of the modern
open AT first they were sung without accom-.
pfnlnnt, then one instrument was introduced.
apo tosequently others, and then longer poems
useq III sort OF dramatic form followed, and out
OF tnigrew the opera. or course in the ror.
geonsisplsy and intricate hsrmonies of the .. Hu.
Sue19 or the Prophetic" the opera goer
woul6ever suspect that to the unpretentious ma.
c'lgaiare traced the magnificent combinations
musict art.
SPECIMEN BRICKS
pr curse, there must have been myrjads of
mapriats that have been popular In their dsy.
puS are ow forgotten. Among the most admired
OF Enosehat have survived In " Down in a Flow.
cry vale composed in 154l, by G. FIESTA, to these
words:
Down I'M now'ry vale, all on a summer morning.
Z MUS Died, fair Natures self adjoining.
o"uty the wings OF love few to meet her:
Coloiy SD welcomed me when did greet her.
Ivarbled thus my ditty:
D." Sheperdess, have pity!
AID hear faithful lover
Ids passion true discover.
Al! why art thou to me 90 cruel!n
Tim straight replied my jewel:
sueig;
But II thy nrse be empty, come not to me awoo-
ing"
!" The silwr Swan" was composed by Orlando
'iebons In los. 1t reads thus
he silver swan. who living had no note,
'nep desth approached, unlocked her silent
Gaming her ireast against the reedy shoar,
bus sung hei first ard last. and sung no more
Farewell al joys! o Death. come close my
ore Geese than swans now live, more fools than
wise" ~
Before this-in l595-Morley had written the fol.
wing, which attained wide celebrity:
Now isthe month of Msying,
When merry lads are playing,
Each with his bonny lass,
dancing on the grass,
Fa 10 la.
The Spring, clad In all gladness,
Doth laugh at Winters sadness
Fs Ia Ia.
And to the bsgpipes' sound
The Dymphs tread out their ground.
Fa Ia la.
Fie. then why sit We musing,
Youths sweet delights refusing, |
Fs Ia ls.
Say, dainty nymphs. and speak
Shall We play barley. breski
Fa ls IL.
NLDRIGALs VERSUS aLEEs.
Strictly speaking, the difference between madri.
ls and glees is this: A msdrigal is sung by
ofus. that is. by number of voices in each
y. This IL, however, purely arbitrary rule, I
there Is no earthly reason Why the parts 10
e should not be sung by number OF voices as |
II as by one. Besides this, the words of glees
not strictly smstory, but of more boisterous '
iracter. Hunting themes are well adapted for | .
es. Perhaps the most popular glee ever writ. /
was The Chough and Grow, from "Guy Man. !
iog," which reads as follows:
Soprano Solo. 7
The enough and crow TO roost are gone.
The owl sits on the tree; \
The hush'd wind walls with feeble moan !
Like infant charity; =
The Wild fra dances on the fen, \
The red star sheds its ray, 4
Upronse yes then, my merry, merry men, !
1t ia our opening day. e
Chorus. u
Uprouse ye, then, my merry, merry men,
II is our opening Gay.
Alto Solo. G
Both child and nurse are fast asleep, e
And closed il every flower,
And wipkng tspers family peep
High from my lsdy's bower
Bewildered binds with shorten'd ken, p
Shrink on their murky way.
Duet. h
Uprouse ye, then, my merry, merry men,
II is our op'niDg day.
Chorus. q
Uprouse ye, then, my merry, merry men, no
It is our op,. ming day. CT
Base SOLO. re
Nor board nor garner own we now, n,
For roof, nor lstched door, r
Nor kind mate bound BY holy vow 70
To bless Q good mans store q,
Noon lus us IN a gloomy den, n