consciously to himself, enters his mental perception during the performance. The human mind measures thousands of things without scales or compasses, without being aware of the application of any tests of comparison. Harmony, number, and proportion are the principal sources of mental gratification of every kind. Plato and Pythagoras fully felt this truth, and taught it more than two thousand years back. take of the style of Hungarian dances.. Rondo alla Polacca, on the favour- In indulging in the above philosophical speculations, instead of commenting upon Weber's rondo, we Although Mr. C. Pleyel has not. hope the reader will require no apo- reached the degree of celebrity which logy. It is not foreign to our task, if his father, Mr. Ignace Pleyel, enwe occasionally avail ourselves of op-joyed during a considerable portion portunities to express the opinions of his best years, he ranks high as we have formed upon particular to- | a piano-forte player; and his compopics of musical science. That We- sitions for that instrument are deber's labour, with all its great merits, servedly numbered among the supeshould have led to the digression, rior productions of the present day. may perhaps be deemed a more The rondo before us, although not weighty charge; and we candidly of primary importance, and evidently own, the present rondo would pro- not intended as such, proclaims, nebably have failed in prompting our vertheless, the pen of a master in pen to give utterance to these obser- his art, and unquestionably belongs, vations, had other works of his not to the above class. It abounds with. previously created similar, and indeed traits of inventive freedom, cultivated, stronger, impressions of a want of taste, and matured skill. Some of keeping and symmetry. The Frey- the digressive portions and passages, schütz, beautiful as the music is in possess a considerable cast of oriother respects, presents many in- ginality, and require an experiencstances of this defect; a defect more ed hand. The modulations in the or less attaching to the Beethoven seventh page in particular distinguish, school, but which is seldom met themselves strongly by their good, with in the works of Haydn and harmonic structure. Mozart, and scarcely ever in the compositions of the good Italian masters. Dance from the Opera of Silvana for the Piano-forte, composed by C. M. de Weber. Pr. 1s.-(Banister, Goswell-street.) There is some little originality in the rhythm and melody, which par Three French Airs arranged as The rondo in this number is founded on the French tune, " Ainsi jadis un grand Prophete," and written altogether in a very agreeable style, of easy and varied diction. A ma derate performer may master the piece quite satisfactorily, although it is by no means of a commonplace stamp. Euterpe, or a choice Collection of Polonaises and Waltzes for the Piano-forte, by Foreign Composers. Nos. I. and II. Pr. 2s. each. (Cocks and Co.) No. 1. contains the fine polonaise of Oginsky, which appeared in an early number of the Repository of Arts; two very good Polonaises by Himmel and Hummel respectively; the popular waltz from the Freyschütz, and a waltz from Paer. No. 2. consists of made dishes; i. e. waltzified melodies from Rossini's Mosé, La Gazza Ladra, and Weber's Freyschütz. Allowing for the liberties necessarily taken with the measure to bring them into triple time, these waltzes are pretty, and they derive some interest from their reminding us, although in a disguised form, of several operatic airs which are universal favourites, thus allowing the toes to partake of the treat upon which the ears only had selfishly feasted before. The celebrated Overture (to) " Der Freyschütz," composed by C. M. de Weber, arranged for the Harp and Piano-forte, with a Flute and Violoncello Accompaniments (ad lib.), and most respectfully dedicated to H. R. H. the Duchess of Kent, by Gustavus Holst. Pr. 6s. (Cocks and Co.) As far as mere perusal and a comparison of the constituent parts enable us to judge, this arrangement of an overture, which has already appeared before us in a variety of shapes, is very meritorious, and as complete and effective as the increased number of instruments employed might warrant us to anticipate. Both the piano-forte and harp are obbli gati and concertanti; with some indulgence, however, towards the latter instrument, which is less actively engaged than the former. Green's Domestic Concert, consist ing of original and selected Pieces by the most eminent Masters, arranged for Performers of differ ent Degrees of Advancement, to be played as Solos, Duets, Trios, Quartets, or by a full Band of Flutes, Violins, Tenors, Violoncellos, and Piano-forte, by J. Green. No. I. Pr. 6s. 6d.-J. Green, Soho-square.) Mr. Green, the most staunch and zealous abettor of the Logierian me thod of instruction, has for some years devoted himself indefatigably, and successfully, we may add, to the teaching of the piano-forte accordingly: for we have recently had an opportunity of hearing a pupil of his, whose execution and taste afforded us real pleasure. Not long ago Mr. G. pro ceeded to apply the Logierian method to vocal tuition also; and his publication for the advancement of singing pupils has been introduced to the readers of our miscellany with the commendation it appeared to be justly entitled to. This gentleman has now advanced a further step in the application of the Logierian system, by the esta blishment of a Concert Academy for instructing pupils on a variety of dif ferent instruments, and giving them frequent opportunities of playing conjointly. It appears from the prospectus, which contains many just and sensible remarks, that persons may be instructed in this establishment on the violin, the flute, tenor, and violoncello, by various masters, at the charge of five guineas per quarter. In fact, No. 33, Soho-square, appears to be a perfect little conservatorio; and as concert-playing is made an essential feature of the plan, Mr. Green has begun to arrange music in such a way, that parts may be added or taken away, ad libitum, according to the number of players present; and some of these parts are contrived in so plain a manner, that even beginners may be enabled to take a hand. The former expedient certainly has its convenience, and requires all the care and ingenuity on the part of the adapter which Mr. Green devotes to his object; but it is obvious that these ad libitum parts must contain, in a great degree, duplicate and triplicate melody and harmonies; and as to the latter advantage, if it be one, we make no doubt Mr. Green has the good sense to use it with discretion; that is, now and then only. It tends, of course, to impress the pupil practically and strongly with correct ideas of the observance of time. But a mixed assemblage of beginners and more advanced students produces but a rough tout-ensemble, any thing but edifying to the latter, and not very beneficial to the former. Good sound individual training and practice is an essential preliminary to combined manœuvres, in music as in most things; and a frequency of orchestral performance on the part of incipient players is apt to make crude scrapers, conceited in the noise they give out, and little inclined to undergo the course of intense practice, which alone can make a finished and tasteful player. With regard to the book itself, which forms the subject of the present article, the choice of the pieces (a chorus from Paer's Didone, a ca vatina from Weber's Freyschütz, and a duet from Rossini's Tancredi,) is so unexceptionable, that we can on ly wish for a continuation selected with the same taste and judgment. The piano-forte part, contrived for three hands, is arranged in a very superior manner; indeed, three hands upon a piano-forte are as many as need be: four prove often inconvenient, and frequently carry the two extremes into the unintelligible ranges of the highest and lowest octaves. In some cases, however, Mr. Green appears to us to have travelled unnecessarily out of his record. Why, for instance, substitute in the Freyschütz cavatina the passage, bars 20 and seq. for the authentic melody, which is quite another thing, and better too? Besides the piano-forte parts, there are parts for two violins, two tenors, two violoncellos, two flutes, and even a third flute ad libitum. With these, Mr. Green points out a matter of twenty different practicable combinations, according to the number of parts brought into play, so los, duets, trios, quartetts, and fullband performances. The solos, at best, are but makeshifts; the combination of the first and third lines of the piano-forte part, for instance, being but meagre fare; and the solo, as recommended for the flute, equally spare and diluted. But the more gregarious combinations, allowing for the unavoidable duplicate employments above adverted to, appear to be carefully arranged, and likely to produce proper effect. Indeed the great pains Mr. G. must have taken in the formation of the constituent parts of the score, so as to become partially optional, are very obvious: it is evident he has united good judg ment with an ardent zeal to attain the laudable object in his view; and whatever may be our opinion of the the popular Guaracha dance, The variations are in a good style, and not intricate. Bars 3 and 7, however, in the first variation, we must except from our general approbation; not that there is any thing incorrect in them, but terminations of this kind are of the most common and homespun kind. Why not disguise the first three dry quavers (d, bb, bb; bb) under some figurative diction analogous to the general spirit of the va riation? The corresponding bar in the theme itself is more select, owing to the bar's commencing with the unharmonic note e b, which in fact is an appogiatura note. It is these notes at the commencement of the first three bars of the theme from which it mainly derives its attractive peculiarity of character, and this character it was worth while to preserve in the variation, The first of these melodies serves as a short introduction to the last, which is treated with more extent; and the duet which both form is likely to please a large circle of performers, if they are but a little familiar with the key of E four sharps; for there is nothing else which could" prevent pupils of limited proficiency from executing the whole at first sight. The arrangement, notwithstanding its general facility, is very satisfactory and effective. The plain gold ring," the Words by Wm. Thomas Moncrieff, Esq.; the Music partly adapted from a Subject in the Overture to the Freyschütz, by Carl. M. von Weber. Pr. 1s. Gd.-(T. Williams, Strand.) The passage from the above over Rossini's grand March, performed at the King's Theatre in the Opera" La Donna del Lago," arrang-ture, upon which this song is prined for the Harp by S. Lillycrop. cipally founded, does not adapt it(Preston, Dean - street, self kindly to the metre of the text; nor was it eligible for the commencement of a song, on account of its setting out with the fifth of the key. Pr. 2s. Soho.) "The Castilian Maid," a Spanish Air, arranged as Variations for the Harp, by the same. Pr. 2s.-The period at "Nay, as your mis(Preston.) tress," &c. which is not Weber's, possesses but little melodic attraction, and is faulty as to harmony in the last bar of 1. 3, p. 2. The march is correctly and effectively arranged: but the third page, if our memory do not fail, is foreign to the subject; nor can it be altoge-" ther considered as the work of the adapter, as there is a portion from another opera of Rossini introduced. The Spanish air is nothing else but The voice of a stranger," sung by Mr. Pearman in the Musical Entertainment called" A Reign of twelve Hours," at the Theatre Royal English Opera-House; com "posed by G. B. Herbert. Price ment, without offering any feature of novelty or striking effect. The instrumental introduction is a little out 1s. 6d.-(Goulding and Co.) Agreeable as to melody, and satisfactory in point of harmonic arrange- || of rhythmical keeping. མི། FINE ARTS. BRITISH INSTITUTION. Hobbima's Landscape has a number of copyists: of the number were Miss Beaumont and Miss Gouldsmith, who have successfully imitated the light, free, and firm touch of the Flemish artist, and the true and picturesque effect of his perspective. Mr. Watts and Mr. Clint have also copied with advantage the same picture; the former has been particularly happy in his copy. The same artists, together with Mr. Reinagle, have made remarkably good copies from Ruysdael, whose delicate hand-" THE copies by our students from the pictures of the old masters of the Italian, Spanish, Flemish, Dutch, and English schools, lately exhibited in the Gallery of the British Institution, were arranged for private view in the early part of last month. The pictures left for study were, from some unfavourable cause or other, too few to give fair scope to the varied talents of our young artists: however, these few were by them multiplied into a variety of copies, several of which convey a favourable idea of the general proficiency of the students, andling, and natural and agreeable cothe just conceptions they had formed louring, they have imitated with the of the original objects of their study. best effect. Tintoretto's fine picture of Esther before Ahasuerus, from his Majesty's collection, has been beautifully copied by Mr. Etty, who has been lately elected an associate of the Royal Academy. The original, which, if we mistake not, once adorned the Escurial in Spain, is remarkable for the lively and spirited touch, as well as brilliant colouring, of the Venetian artist. Mr. Etty has imparted to his copy much of Tintoretto's truth and brilliancy; the fine tone of the draperies he has spiritedly imitated; and the whole picture is creditable to the talents of the artist. Mrs. Carpenter and Miss Beaumont have also copied from the same picture, and the ladies are always successful in the fine arts. Vol. IV. No. XXIV. Mr. Angerstein's beautiful picture of the Nymph and Boy, by Sir Jo-" shua Reynolds, has had its full as well as fair share of copyists: the best is by Mr. Faulkner, whose colouring and natural expression of simple and graceful character do justice to these merits in the original. Mr. Inskipp and Mr. Child have also made copies, which are in good style. Canaletti's View of Venice, from the Earl of Carlisle's collection, has been copied by Mr. J. J. Chalon: there is a peculiar vigour, picturesque effect, and management of airtints in the original, which the artist has been happy in feeling and conveying into his copy. There are other copies from the same picture, 3 B |