facts of history are one thing, the philosophy of history is another and a very different thing. In their historical investigations the Germans apply too much of this philosophy: their criticism is too curious; they raise a magnificent architecture out of mere internal probabilities, forgetful of the one outward well-attested fact, which however strange in its origin, and however barren in its consequences, is nevertheless a fact, and to the sound eye of a practical Englishman worth a whole world of speculations. But are we to regard the German as an ignorant interloper, a reckless confounder of plain things, a tumbler and posture-maker in things serious, merely because in the heat of his critical zeal he here and there shakes the authority of a few ancient oracles and mistakes the wavy boundary-lines that separate history from mythology? Is it not rather manifest that the errors of the Germans in historical matters are only the slight excess of something essentially good and excellent-the misapplied activity of a searching and scrutinizing intellect? Though Wolf's theory of Homer be wrong, is it small praise to that distinguished scholar to say that he set the whole of Europe a thinking about the character and origin of the two most extraordinary poems in the world? But this is not all. Who will venture to say that the most ultra-Wolfian has not a more legitimate idea of the nature of the Iliad, than Payne Knight had, and the body of the ancient ultra-orthodox English school? So it is in all other matters. The Germans seize on the spirit and soul of ancient life and literature. In essentials they are always right. Their stream of literary enthusiasm is pure and unpolluted, though it sometimes sweeps away a few ancient landmarks that right forbids, and reverence fears to violate. But wherein consists the beauty and excellence of that cold decency and propriety with which our British scholars make formal obeisance before the god-like forms of antiquity? Our scholarship is free from extravagances, too often, because it is free from enthusiasm; we publish no books full of foolish speculation, because we have no speculation at all; our vegetation is never rank, because it is always barren. A lusty and hearty vitality will sometimes caper madly; but dulness is always sober, and stagnant waters are not apt to overflow.

VOL. XXII. NO, XLIV.

H H

MUSIC ABROAD AND AT HOME.

It is our intention in this and succeeding numbers of this Review to give brief but comprehensive notices of Musical Compositions and Performances, Concerts, Operas, Oratorios, &c., occurring in England or on the continent. In the summary will be included all Classical Works, either published or in progress, which are seldom noticed in other journals.

PARIS.-The Italian Opera Company have been transferred to the Odeon, and are described as performing to empty benches, because the Parisian Dilettanti, complain of the distance from their favourite resorts in the Boulevards! Think of Grisi, Tamburini, Rubini, and Lablache singing to empty benches, truly our volatile neighbours are the most inconsistent people upon the face of the earth! A new tenor singer has appeared in Meyerbeer's "Robert le Diable," in the person of M. Candia, son of the late Governor of Nice. A real passion for music has induced him to attempt this department of the profession, and he is stated to have made a most successful debût. M. Berlioz the composer, who married Miss Smithson, has written and produced an opera, entitled "Benvenuto Cellini," full of highly wrought effects in the choruses, but it did not meet with the expected success, owing, as it is said, to the too frequent recurrence of large masses of harmony, and consequent want of effective solos to relieve them; but as M. Berlioz, like most enthusiastic artists of competent knowledge and skill, must be aware that the race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, he will most likely, as they say in nautical phrase, lay over to the other tack and stand for a fresh port. M. Kalkbrenner is promoted to the rank of officer of the Legion of Honour.

LEIPSIG.-In October last, shortly after Miss Clara Novello's engagement, Mrs. Alfred Shaw went over to sing at the concerts in this place, and was (like the former lady) successful. Mendelssohn the composer has just finished a new choral piece," As the Hari pants," which has been performed in London at the Academy Concerts, it possesses all his peculiar vigour and masterly treatment of the subjects employed. The solos appear rather to lack variety, being all for the treble voice; but there are some beautiful effects upon the junction of the tenors and basses in chorus, and the last chorus is admirably wrought up: indeed we think it the finest piece of vocal fugue composition that ever emanated from his pen. Slight curtailment in one or two places early in the Psalm would make it less fatiguing to the vocalists, and be of service to the popularity of the work. The "Allgemeiner Musikalischer Anzeiger" mentions some novel inventions, consisting of a steam organ, a gigantic violin played with pedals! and a flute that gives the

effect of wind and string. Should these rather startling combinations of power be really brought to any perfection they might lead to an entire revolution in the musical system.

VIENNA.-Liszt, the pianist, seems by his playing to have caused a sort of fanaticism, which one of his admiring friends and critics has celebrated in the following hyperbolical terms :-" He is a chameliona true musical Shakspeare-(Query, what upon earth is this?)—alike great and unapproachable in the tender and sorrowful, the grand and majestic, in graceful sweetness and awful mystery"—(this reminds us of John Cramer's joke about poor Signior Jacobiwicz and his awful voice)" in jest and earnest, in the sock or the buskin, in short, such is his overwhelming power, such the Promethean torch of his genius, that he has made proselytes to the piano out of its most declared enemies, the instrument has become his slave "-(pity he cannot take it with him just now to Demarara, where all the living slaves are so refractory)" he strikes it with irresistible power and it begins to sing as it never sang before ;" we cannot resist adding a pendant to the last part of this most unfriendly eulogy in an anecdote we met with the other day, which is likely to be of considerable importance to counter-tenor singers. "A mower of Parma swallowed by chance during sleep a snake which had crept into his mouth. By means of powerful remedies the dangerous guest was removed; and, by one of those sports in which nature loves to indulge, this man found himself, on recovering, in possession of a counter-tenor voice of the greatest beauty-he is now a singer at Bologna." These are curious facts that swallowing a snake, and hammering on an instrument should produce effects so identically similar.

OFFENBACH.-Mr. Andrè (Aulic councillor) has announced the pianoforte score of a posthumous opera by Mozart, entitled Zaidi ;" a sketch only of this work was left by the composer, and after so long an interval has been completed from other papers purchased of Mozart's widow. For more reasons than one, this production will be examined with curiosity and interest whenever it appears.

NEW YORK.-Rook's opera of "Amilie has been completely successful; Miss Sheriff, and Messrs. Wilson and Seguin are the principal vocalists, who have played in the same piece at Boston.

LONDON, Jan. 1839.-During the last three months few public concerts have been given, the season not commencing until January or February. Of Private Societies, whose concerts are open only to subscribers and their friends, there are the Choral Harmonists, held at the Loudon Tavern, where some of the best works of Haydn, Beethoven, Romberg, Sphor, are performed, and only require more adequate funds, to enable the committee constantly to engage the first principal singers in addition to their efficient band and chorus, to render it the first Amateur Society in the eastern part of the metropolis. The Classical Harmonists meet at the Crown and Anchor upon a smaller scale, but we

have heard Mozart's "Don Giovanni" well performed there. A series of Promenade Concerts, a la Musard, have commenced at the English Opera House, in which the elite of the Philharmonic Band perform some of the most favourite overtures, waltzes, &c. in a very masterly style the pit is boarded over-the house is nightly crowded, and we wish Mr. Arnold the success his spirited exertions deserve. Mr. Loder's opera of "Francis the First," at Drury Lane, although there is some pretty music in it, has speedily given place to Rossini's "Guillaume Tell," conducted by Bishop, and supported by nearly all the vocal strength of the establishment. The part of William Tell is taken by Braham, but it is too low for his voice; and that of Arnold by Mr. Allen; he is a pretty room singer, but his voice is too weak for a theatre. Of the opera itself there is but one opinion among competent musicians-it is the finest melodramatic composition we have, both for variety and effect. In the first movement of the overture we were pleased to notice the six violoncellos as in Rossini's original score. With the exceptions we have named, all the characters in this opera are well supported, the chorus is augmented, the incidental dances well arranged, and in the dearth of operatic compositions of the highest class must continue to afford a great treat to those who admire this Maestro's best music. Shakspeare's "Tempest Shakspeare's " Tempest" is performed with great splendour as to scenery, &c. at Covent Garden, with the vocal music by Purcell, Arne, Linley, and entre-acts from Corelli. Macready intends bringing out a new opera, in which Mr. and Mrs. Wood, with H. Phillips, are to appear. Bishop has been for some time engaged in the composition of an oratorio, the subject of which has not before been set to music. A sestett and some of the choruses are highly spoken of. There is also an oratorio from the pen of Mr. S. Elvey, Mus. Bac. of Windsor, that was tried a short time ago at Exeter Hall, in which considerable talent was displayed. John Barnett, Rook, Balfe, and Bishop have all new operas in progress; and, together with the phalanx of vocal and instrumental talent ready at hand to perform their works, we begin to entertain a hope that the assumed reproach of "The English having no music of their own will shortly fade away. All we want is a good school, a focus into which the rays of talent might converge, to convince the public they need not pay so extravagantly dear for inferior music imported from Italy. Mrs. Bishop and Miss F. Wyndham are both expected to make their debût on the English stage in the forthcoming season.

Among the musical publications are some "Ancient Scottish Melodies, from a MS. in the reign of James VI., now in the Advocate's Library, Edinburgh, with notices of the Ancient Music of Scotland, by W. Dauney, Esq., F. S. A.," a work replete with interest to those who in these giddypaced times are searching for genuine melodies, most of the modern ones having the strange and provoking quality of appearing much like the older airs, but diluted, altered, and, as the trading term is, rearranged to suit the present singers and audiences. A very pleasing collection of old and original melodies has been printed and edited by Mr. Horncastle (of the Chapel Royal), under the title of "Melodics of

many Nations," of which the poetry is very superior to the usual run of such publications; a second edition has just appeared, and a second book is nearly ready. "Musical History, Biography and Criticism," a very amusing book by Mr. G. Hogarth, has lately appeared, and we can recommend it to such as are foud of amusement and instruction combined. Mr. Gardiner, author of "The Music of Nature," has favoured us with another light volume of chit-chat and anecdote, entitled "Music and Friends," in which considerable powers of observation, some eccentricity, and great good humour are pleasingly combined. A work of more pretension, and important to all studious musicians, is in preparation by an eminent Professor, viz. "An Essay on Imaginative Music," or rules for composition attempted upon a novel plan, in which the defects of the old system of counterpoint are explained, and the minds of the students carried forward to rely upon their own mental powers under certain restrictions. Such a book has long been a desideratum to the young musician, and from the experienced mind of the party who has undertaken it, the appearance of this little treatise we predict will cause some sensation.