تا

THE

armonicon,

A JOURNAL OF

Music.

VOL. I.

PART I.-CONTAINING

Essays, Criticisms, Biography, and Miscellanies.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR THE PROPRIETORS, AND PUBLISHED BY

WILLIAM. PINNOCK, MUSIC WAREHOUSE, No. 267, STRAND;

SIMPKIN & MARSHALL, STATIONERS' COURT; SAMS, ST. JAMES STREET; LLOYD, HARLEY STREET; BLACKWOOD,
EDINBURGH; MILLIKIN, DUBLIN ;

MDCCCXXIII.

ADVERTISEMENT.

ON completing the First Volume of a work far surpassing in extent of plan any undertaking of a similar kind attempted in this, or any other, country, the Conductors of it are willing to indulge a belief, that they have in part, redeemed the pledge given to the Public at the commencement of their labours; for, if they may be allowed to judge by the testimonies which they have received, from all quarters, in favour of their publication, and by its circulation, very few periodical works ever rose so rapidly in general estimation, or gained the confidence of their readers in so short a period. In venturing, however, to take some little credit to themselves for the manner in which the HARMONICON has been conducted, they are not unapprized that in two, perhaps three, of its departments, some imperfections appear in the earlier Numbers, arising from the novelty of the project, and the suddenness with which it was carried into execution. These imperfections have gradually disappeared, and it is not hazarding too much to say, that, as the best parts of the original plan are daily getting into more active operation, and as no pecuniary considerations are suffered to thwart the design of the work, every succeeding Number will be found to be at least equal to those which preceded it, and, in general, superior; such cases excepted, as no human foresight can provide against.

Much good has already resulted from the publication of this work, by extending the number of readers on musical subjects. If the Public once turn their thoughts to the art, and consider it a little abstractedly, they will not only heighten the pleasure which they derive from its productions, but become qualified to exercise a direct and beneficial influence over all that it shall in future produce. To afford some materials for thinking, is one of the objects of those pages in the HARMONICON that are dedicated to the Review of Music; a portion of the work which has escaped all animadversion, while at the same time it has received praise, that alone would encourage its writers to pursue the same path in which they set out.

The foreign musical news is already a marked feature in the present publication; this will every month become more interesting and entertaining, in proportion as the foreign correspondents of the work acquire regular habits of communication, and the German, Italian, and French journals are transmitted punctually.