German as an ignorant interloper, a reckless, lish school? So it is in all other matters. 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 an. cient oracles, and mistakes the wavy bound. ary 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 Eng.

The Germans seize on the spirit and sou! 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 con. sists the beauty and excellence of that cold decency and propriety with which our Bri. tish scholars make formal obeisance before the god-like forms of antiquity? Our scho. larship is free from extravagances, too often, because it is free from enthusiasm; we pub. lish no books full of foolish speculation, be cause we have no speculation at all; our vegetation is never rank, because it is al ways barren. A lusty and hearty vitality will sometimes caper madly; but dulness is always sober, and stagnant waters are not apt to overflow.

MUSIC ABROAD AND AT HOME.

It is our intention in this and succeed. ( most likely, as they say in nautical phrase, ing numbers of this Review to give brief lay over to the other tack and stand for but comprehensive notices of Musical a fresh port. M. Kalkbrenner is proCompositions and Performances, Con- moted to the rank of officer of the Legion certs, Operas, Oratorios, &c., occurring of Honour. 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.

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 Hurt pants," which has been performed in London at the Academy Concerts; it possesses all his peculiar vigour and masterly treatment of the sub

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|jects employed. The solos appear rather 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 debut. 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 ant 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 wift, nor the battle to the strong, he will

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 popu larity 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 fanati cism, which one of his admiring friends and

critics has celebrated in the following hy-1 only require more adequate funds, to enperbolical terms; "He is a chameleon-a able the committee constantly to engage the true musica! Shakspeare-(Query, what first principal singers in addition to their upon earth is this?)-alike great and unap- efficient band and chorus, to render it the proachable in the tender and sorrowful, the first Amateur Society in the eastern part grand and majestic, in graceful sweetness of the metropolis. The Classical Harmo. and awful mystery"-(this reminds us of nists meet at the Crown and Anchor upon John Cramer's joke about poor Signior Ja- a smaller scale, but we have heard Mozart's cobiwicz and his awful voice)-" in jest and" Don Giovanni" well performed there. A earnest, in the sock or the buskin, in short, series of Promenade Concerts, à la Musard, such is his overwhelming power, such the have commenced at the English Opera Promethean torch of his genius, that he has House, in which the elite of the Philhar. made proselytes to the piano out of its most monic Band perform some of the most favorite declared enemies, the instrument has become overtures, waltzes, &c. in a very masterly his slave"-(pity he cannot take it with him style--the pit is boarded over-the house is just now to Demarara, where all the living nightly crowded, and we wish Mr. Arnold slaves are so refractory)-" he strikes it with the success his spirited exertions deserve. irresistible power and it begins to sing as it Mr. Loder's opera of " Francis the First," never sang before ;"we cannot resist adding at Drury Lane, although there is some a pendant to the last part of this most unfriendly enlogy in an anecdote we met with the other day, which is likely to be of considerable importance to counter-tenor singers. "A mower of Pama 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.

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 Bra ham, 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" is per formed with great splendour as to scenery, &c. at Covent Garden, with the vocal mu sic 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 spoke of. There is also an oratorio from the pen of Mr S. Elvey, Mus. Bac. LONDON, Jan 1839.--During the last of Windsor, that was tried a short time ago three months few public concerts have been at Exeter Hall, in which considerable talent given, the season not commencing until was displayed. John Barnett, Rook, Balfe, January or February. Of Private Societies, and Bishop have all new operas in progress whose concerts are open only to subscribers and, together with the phalanx of vocal and their friends, there are the Choral Har. and instrumental talent ready at hand to per monists, held at the London Tavern, where some of the best works of Haydn, Becthoven, Romberg, Spohr, are performed, and

OFFENBACH.-Mr. Andrè (Aulic concillor) has announced the piano score of a pos. thumous 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 pur. chased of Mozart's widow. For more rea. sons 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 Shirreff, and Messrs. Wilson and Seguin are the principal vocalists, who have played in the same piece at Boston.

form their works, we begin to entertain a hope that the assumed reproach of "The English having no music of their own" will

recom

shortly fade away. All we want is a good, appeared, and a second book is nearly ready. school, a focus into which the rays of talent" Musical History, Biography and Criticism," might converge, to convince the public they a very amusing book by Mr. G. Hogarth, need not pay so extravagantly dear for in- has lately appeared, and we can ferior music imported from Italy. Mrs. Bishop and Miss F. Wyndham are both expect ed to make their debût on the English stage in the forthcoming season.

mend it to such as are fond of amusement and instruction combined. Mr. Gardiner, author of "The Music of Nature," has favoured us with another light volume of chitAmong the musical publications are some chat and anecdote, entitled "Music and "Ancient Scottish Melodies, from a MS. in Friends," in which considerable powers of the reign of James VI., now in the Advocates' observation, some eccentricity, and great Library, Edinburgh, with notices of the An- good humour are pleasingly combined. A cient Music of Scotland, by W. Dauney, work of more pretension, and important to Esq. F. S. A.," a work replete with in- all studious musicians, is in preparation by terest to those who in these giddypaced times an eminent Professor, viz. "Essay on Imagare searching for genuine melodies, most inative Music," or rules for composition atof the modern ones having the strange and tempted upon a novel plan, in which the provoking quality of appearing much like defects of the old system of counterpoint are the older airs, but diluted, altered, and, as explained, and the minds of the students the trading term is, re-arranged to suit the carried forward to rely upon their own present singers and audiences. A very pleas- mental powers under certain restrictions. ing collection of old and original melodies has Such a book has long been a desideratum been printed and edited by Mr. Horncastle to the young musician, and from the experi(of the Chapel Royal,) under the title of enced mind of the party who has undertaken "Melodies of many Nations," of which the it, the appearance of this little treatise we poetry is very superior to the usual run of predict will cause some sensation. such publications; a second edition has just

MISCELLANEOUS LITERARY NOTICES.