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The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Harmonicon, by Various This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license Title: The Harmonicon Part the First Author: Various Release Date: April 23, 2018 [EBook #57033] Language: English Character set encoding: UTF-8 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE HARMONICON *** Produced by Jane Robins, Reiner Ruf, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from images made available by the HathiTrust Digital Library.) Transcriber’s Notes This e-text is based on ‘The Harmonicon, Part the First,’ from 1833. Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation have been retained, but punctuation and typographical errors have been corrected. Uncommon and outdated spelling has not been altered. In the table of contents, the ‘Foreign Musical Reports’ for the towns of Marienburg and Nurenberg have no correlation to any passages in the text. In some tables, the numbering of items seems to be incorrect. Since the source of error cannot be determined, the numbering scheme has been retained. ‘Months’ have been printed at the bottom of the pages in the original. These references have been changed into side notes at the top of the corresponding page for each new month. THE HARMONICON. 1833. PART THE FIRST, CONTAINING ESSAYS, CRITICISMS, BIOGRAPHY, FOREIGN REPORTS, AND MISCELLANEOUS CORRESPONDENCE. LONDON: PRINTED FOR LONGMAN, REES, ORME, BROWN, GREEN, AND LONGMAN, PATERNOSTER-ROW. LONDON: PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES. Duke Street, Lambeth. PART THE FIRST. ESSAYS, CRITICISMS, AND MISCELLANIES. CONTENTS. I. BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS. Page Ayrton, Edmund, Mus. D. 142 Batten, Adrian 117 Blake, William, D.D. 118 Danby, John 186 Dupuis, Thomas S., Mus. D. 142 Garcia, Manuel del P. V. 21 Hayes, William. Mus. D. 141 Herold, Louis J. F. 69 King, Charles, M.B. 118 Kircher, Anastasius 162 Mersenne, Marin 161 Metastasio, (Pietro Trapassi) 93 Paxton, Stephen 186 Righini, Vincenzo 1 Rubini, Gian B. 23 Smith, John Stafford 186 Spofforth, Reginald 186 Stevens, Richard James Samuel 186 Tamburini, Antonio 125 Travers, John 141 Tudway, Thomas 117 Webbe, Samuel 185 Weldon, John 117 Zelter, Carl Friedrich 45 II. MISCELLANEOUS ESSAYS, CORRESPONDENCE, NOTICES, &c. Amateur’s Musical Party, at the Freemasons’ Tavern 97 Ancient Concerts, the Leader of the 172 Anders, M., historical notices relative to the Violin, by 169 Barnett, (Mr.) and the Philharmonic Society 120 Base Voice, on the 100 Beethoven, a theoretical work, by 6 Beethoven’s Opinion of Contemporary Composers 46 Beethoven on Canon 47 Beethoven, Characteristic Traits and Anecdotes of 25 Belgium, on the actual state of music in 191 Bellini’s last Opera 193 Birmingham Musical Festival 63 Burney, (Dr.) Memoirs of, by Mad. D’Arblay 51, 75, 99, 121 Cambridge Commencement 167 Canon, on, by Beethoven 47 Castel-Blaze, (M.) notice of Tamburini, by 125 Cathedral Service and Lord Henley 56 Characteristic Anecdotes and Traits of Beethoven 25 [Pg iii] Choirs, Ecclesiastical, of Great Britain and Ireland—Armagh— Canterbury 50 Commemoration of Sir Thomas Gresham 180 Concerts, Memoirs of the Metropolitan 4 Concerts at Oxford, and on the State of Music at both Universities 73 Composers, contemporary, Beethoven’s opinion of 46 Compositions of Handel, on some 29 Critique, a German 146 D’Arblay, (Mad.) Memoirs of Dr. Burney, by 51, 75, 99, 121 Ecclesiastical Choirs of Great Britain and Ireland—Armagh— Canterbury 50 Fallacies of some Writers on Music 2 Fashionable Music, rules for composing 187 Fétis, (M.) an Official Note to 109 Fortunatus, the new German Opera of 7 German Opera, Fortunatus, a new 7 Glasgow Amateur Society 188 Glee Club, the Manchester Gentlemen’s 30 Glees, on Prizes for 126 Gresham Prize Medal for 1832 29 Gresham, Sir Thomas, Commemoration of 180 Handel, on some compositions of 29 Harmonics of the Violin 143 Hints to Leaders and Conductors 95 Leader of the Ancient Concerts 172 Leaders and Conductors, hints to 95 Lindley’s (Mr. G.) Answer to Mr. Gödbé 4 Liverpool Amateur Society 168 Lord Henley and the Cathedral Service 56 Lyre, on the re-introduction of 124 ‘Mad Tom of Bedlam,’ the Song of 58, 74 Maelzel’s new Metronome 96 Manchester Gentlemen’s Glee Club 30 Melody, a treatise on 118 Melody and Harmony, Mr. D. Walker on 145 Memoirs of Dr. Burney, by Mad. D’Arblay 51, 75, 99, 121 Metropolitan Concerts, Memoirs of the 4 Millard, (Mrs.) letter from 72 Millard’s, (Mrs.) Letter, reply of Mr. Purday to 98 Moscheles, (M.) at Leipzig 9 Music, fallacies of some Writers on 2 Music, actual state of, in Belgium 191 Music, state of, in the Provinces 71 Music, state of, at both Universities 73 Music, on Thoughts or Ideas in 188 Music, utility of to Sailors 171 Musical Festival, Worcester 170 Musical Metronomes 192 Musical Party, Amateur’s, at the Freemason’s Tavern 97 Norwich Festival 191 Note, an official, to M. Fétis 109 Obituary—Herold—Nozzari—Deville 30 ‘Old English Gentleman,’ song of the 172, 190 Opera Department, state of our Theatres chiefly as relates to the 27 Otto. M., on the Violin 162 Oxford, Concerts at 73, 165 —— Commemoration Concerts 165 [Pg iv] Philharmonic Society and Mr. Barnett 120 Prize Medal for 1832, the Gresham 29 Prizes for Glees, on 126 Provinces, state of Music in the 71 Purday’s (Mr.) Reply to Mrs. Millard’s Letter 98 —— reply to Mr. H. Phillips 190 Rules for composing Fashionable Music 187 Sailors, utility of Music to 171 State of our Theatres, on the, chiefly as relates to the Opera Department 27 Swan, song of the 26 Thoughts or Ideas in Music 188 Treatise on Melody, a 118 Voice, on the base 100 Violin, Harmonics of 143 —— M. Otto, on the 162 —— M. Anders’, historical notice of the 169 Walker, (Mr. Donald) on the re-introduction of the lyre 124 —— on Melody and Harmony 145 Worcester Musical Festival 170 Work, a theoretical, by Beethoven 6 III. REVIEW of NEW MUSIC, with Extracts and Illustrations—New Operas—Sacred Works— Arrangements for various Instruments—Vocal— Elementary Books, &c. 10, 31, 59, 85, 101, 127, 148, 173, 194 IV. EXTRACTS from the DIARY of a DILETTANTE, (in which the prevailing Topics connected with Music are noticed) 16, 36, 64, 89, 109, 135, 178, 199 V. LONDON CONCERTS. Ancient, the 79, 106, 131, 152 Benefit, of the Season 155 Madrigal Society 88 Metropolitan, Memoirs of the 4 Philharmonic, the 81, 107, 134, 154 Royal Academy of Music 108 Società Armonica 108 Vocal Society 35, 55, 83 VI. THE DRAMA. Covent Garden Theatre 20, 43, 67, 92, 115, 160, 183 Drury Lane Theatre 19, 43, 66, 91, 115, 139, 160 English Opera House 43, 115, 184 German Opera 91 King’s Theatre 43, 66, 91, 139, 159, 183, 205 VII. FOREIGN MUSICAL REPORT. Attenburg 138 Bergamo 42, 65 Berlin 18, 40, 90, 111, 137, 158, 181, 203 Bernburg 138 Bologna 41, 182 Breslau 19, 204 Bremen 158, 204 Brunswick 138 Brussels 182 Carlsruhe 65, 204 Cassel 138 Constantinople 41 Copenhagen 159 Dessau 158 Douay 42 Dresden 40, 112, 158, 181 Dusseldorf 112, 158 Frankfort 112, 138, 158, 182 Greifswald 113 Hamburg 112 Jena 158 Königsberg 19, 182 Leghorn 19 Leipzig 18, 112, 137, 182 Madrid 159 Manheim 112 Meiningen 138 Merseburg 112 Milan 40, 65, 182 Munich 40, 90, 111, 137, 181 Naples 41, 182 New York 113 Novara 41 Paris 19, 42, 65, 90, 183 Pesth 40, 112 Prague 90, 138, 181, 203 Rome 41, 65 Schwaz 113 Strasburg 137, 182 Stuttgart 40 St. Petersburg 159, 182 Toulouse 183 Trieste 113 Turin 41 Utrecht 159 Venice 65, 90 Vienna 18, 39, 90, 111, 136, 158, 180, 202 Warsaw 19 Würtzburg 112 Weimar 112, 138, 182 VIII. OBSERVATIONS on the MUSIC given in each Number 20, 43, 68, 92, 116, 140, 160, 184, 206 JANUARY, 1833. THE HARMONICON. 1833. MEMOIR OF VINCENZO RIGHINI [1]. IT has not unfrequently happened that the works of very superior composers have remained a long time unknown, except in the country where they were produced. We hardly need say that Mozart’s operas never reached London or Paris till twenty and more years after his death. His chef-d’œuvre, Don Giovanni, was performed for the first time in England in 1817, no less than thirty years after it was first produced! Handel is now only beginning to be known on the continent! We do not mean to place the subject of this brief memoir on anything like a footing with either of those great masters, but he wrote many operas that deserve notice, some of which will, we are persuaded, ere long be thought worthy of being heard at the King’s Theatre, if being far superior in all respects to five out of every six lately brought out there, entitles them to be made known to a British audience. VINCENZO RIGHINI was born at Bologna about the year 1758, where also he laid the foundation of his musical acquirements, under the direction of the very celebrated, and at that time still vigorous, Padre Martini. After having completed his vocal studies, he left Bologna about the year 1776 for Prague, where he contracted an engagement as a singer for the Italian Opera-buffa, under the management of M. Bustelli, which enabled him not only to cultivate his talents for vocal composition, but also to bring on the stage several operas and scenas, which were performed with success. And this is one of the many instances on record of Italian Maestri di Capella, previously mere virtuosi, becoming profound and distinguished musicians and composers, through their connexion with German musical chapels and orchestras. After he had passed three years in Prague in so profitable and creditable a manner, he repaired to Vienna, where he had the good fortune to be chosen, by the Emperor Joseph II., singing-master to the beautiful Princess Elizabeth, of Würtemberg, and was appointed, at the same time, kapellmeister and composer to the Italian opera. About the year 1788 he went to Mentz, whither he had been invited by the archbishop and elector, whose service he entered as kapellmeister. Here again he wrote much for the theatre, and a grand mass for the church. During his stay in that city the fame of his delicate and pleasing music procured for him the honourable commission from the elector of Treves, one of the most distinguished musical connoisseurs among the German princes of his time, to set to music the drama Alcide al Bivio, which was subsequently performed at Coblentz with the success it merited, under his own direction, in the presence of the court. Lastly, he was called to Berlin by Frederich Wilhelm II., to write the opera seria, Enea nel Lazio, for the great opera-house there, which being favourably received by the king, he was appointed, in April, 1793, Master of the Royal Chapel, in the room of Alessandri, with a salary of 4000 thalers. Here, enjoying the favour of the sovereign, and the esteem of the public, and proud of his excellent orchestra, he married, in the year 1794, the young and handsome Madlle. Kneisel, with whom he had become acquainted as the favourite singer of the Frankfort Theatre, at Mentz. As, at the decease of the king (which took place in 1798) Righini was in the most honourable manner confirmed in his dignities by the new monarch, and remained, after his return from Hamburg—whither he, during that year, accompanied Mad. Righini for a short time—permanently fixed at Berlin until the year 1804, when, with the sanction of his court, he visited Italy in company with the youthful Madlle. Fischer, his pupil. He died at Bologna on the 19th of August, 1812, [Pg 1] where he had arrived in the spring, in the hope of being relieved from a disease that had before afflicted him, and of which he had been once cured by an operation performed by an eminent professor in that place. The second attempt, however, of the same surgeon, proved fatal. In his manner of composing Righini was entirely devoid of pretension, and remarkably pleasing; and with regard to his vocal abilities, every ear was charmed when he sang, with his soft and subdued voice, scenas from his own scores, accompanied by himself on the piano-forte. His compositions are, 1. La Vedora Scaltra; Op. Buffa, (his first opera,) at Prague. 2. La Bottega del Caffé; Op. Buffa, ditto. 3. Don Giovanni, o sia il Convitato di Pietra; Op. Buffa, ditto. 4. Several scenes, duets, &c. for introduction in serious operas performed there. 5. La Sorpresa amorosa, Cantata à tre voci, with full orchestra, written at Vienna for three of his pupils. 6. Il natale d’Apollo, a grand Cantata, with full orchestra, ditto. 7. Grand Serenade, with full orchestra, ditto. 8. L’Incontro inaspettato; Op. Buffa, 1785. 9. Le Demogorgone, o sia il Filosofo confuso; Op. Buffa, ditto. 10. Several scenas and rondeaus, introduced in various operas produced at the Vienna theatre. 11. The scena Berenice, Che fai? from Metastasio’s opera, Antigono. 12. The scena Se cerca, se dice, from Metastasio’s Olimpiade. 13. Armida; Op. Seria; first performed at Aschaffenburg. 14. Alcide al Bivio; Op. Seria; produced at Coblentz, 1789. 15. A grand solemn mass, performed at the election of the Emperor Joseph II. 16. Enea nel Lazio; Op. Seria; composed for the theatre at Berlin. In this Righini himself sang, and made his first appearance on the stage of the great Opera-house in January, 1793. 17. Il Trionfo d’Arianne; Op. Seria, 1793. 18. Atalanta e Meleagro, Festa teatrale che introduce ad un ballo allegorico, performed at the Opera-house at Berlin, on 15th February, 1797, on the occasion of the marriage of the princess. 19. Armida; Op. Seria; the text remodelled by Filistri; the music almost entirely re-composed, 1799; published at Leipzig in 1805. 20. Tigrane; Op. Seria; Berlin, for the Carnival, 1799, 1800; score published 1810. 21. Gierusalemme Liberata; Op. Seria. 1802. 22. Various detached compositions for the church. 23. Der Zauberwald (La Selva incantata), an opera published at Leipzig. Besides the above works, Righini’s minor productions, vocal and instrumental, but chiefly the former, are very numerous. He was a ready man, of most industrious habits, and his taste and judgment, the result of great experience, could be relied on. Hence he was resorted to when occasion demanded the prompt exertion of a composer’s talent. But it follows as almost a necessary consequence, that most of what was thus suddenly called for and brought forth, was calculated for an immediate purpose—not written with any hope that it would add much to his reputation. His fame he well knew would rest on his operas[2]. [Pg 2] FALLACIES OF SOME WRITERS ON MUSIC. To the EDITOR of the HARMONICON. SIR, As you have considered my first paper admissible, I beg leave to continue my remarks on what I conceive to be the fallacies of some writers on music, and proceed with those of Dr. Browne, whose fifth charge against Handel is contained in the following words:— ‘Choirs (or choruses) sometimes (though seldom) calculated more for the display of the composer’s art, in the construction of figures and canons, than for a natural expression of the subject.’ The writer, then, is evidently no admirer of the fugue style; and such choruses as the “Amen” (Messiah), “He led them through the deep” (Israel in Egypt), and many others, were, to his ears, nothing more than musical exercises! On the subject of fugue, which obliges the various voices to sing different words at the same time, thereby producing confusion in the sense, argument for and against has been nearly exhausted by some of the first literary and musical writers of the present and past age. In the Harmonicon, a few months back, some excellent remarks, I think, appeared on both sides. Vocal composers, from the time of Palestrina, have all augmented their fame by their fugues, the variety which such style of writing imparts to the subject often rendering a simple, nay, even a meagre one, interesting. But it must be allowed that it is highly necessary that he who would enjoy such composition should be somewhat of an educated musician, or he will never enter into the true meaning and spirit of it. This, perhaps it may be said, only proves a prejudice, engendered by education and habit. But if so, every subject on which men have dissented is liable to the same objection. Different advances in civilized life and education are attended by more or less of such prejudices; and in search of truth a man must be endowed with almost superhuman powers who can divest himself wholly of the influence of early impressions. As a striking proof of this, it is enough to state that, up to the present hour, our two universities cannot agree concerning the pronunciation of the Latin A; it is, therefore, clear that one of these great emporiums of learning must be labouring under a prejudice. But, to return to the subject immediately before us:—if the objection which obtains so much among literary men (who are not musicians by education) against fugue writing, viz. “the confusion of words” produced by it, is valid, then to the same objection many other high classes of composition become equally obnoxious. Madrigals teem with this alleged error, and superadded to it are the most barbarous faults in accent. All, or nearly all, glees have similar failings to atone for. If we look at the works of the great continental writers, in their masses and motetts, the same confusion of words is conspicuous; and what is more to my purpose here, even the duetts of Steffani, Handel, Clari, and Travers,— and, in our time, of Jackson, Bishop, Neukomm, &c. &c. are equally guilty in this respect. If the authority of names is of any weight, we have on our side the opinion of the greatest poet England ever produced, Milton, who, in his Paradise Lost, book 11, speaks not in a very contemptuous manner of the fugue. The sound Of instruments that made melodious chime Was heard, of harp and organ; and who moved Their stops and chords was seen; his volant touch Instinct through all proportions, low and high, Fled and pursued transverse the resonant fugue. But the truth is—and here I must confess the fact—that composers must be allowed to mix the words, under certain limitations, in chamber and oratorio music; it is a licence absolutely necessary to musical effect, and equally allowable in the dramatic composer when he has five or six characters on the stage, all influenced by different feelings, to make them utter not only various words, but each, at the same moment, his own sentiment of rage, joy, despair, triumph, love, and revenge. I am no advocate for the mixture of words when it can be avoided, which might often be done, did composers bestow proper attention on the subject. I now pass on to the sixth charge against Handel. ‘The choir, in many instances (and the single song in some) not sudden enough in its intervention, being generally prepared by a correspondent symphony of instrumental music, which creates expectation and presentiment, destroys surprise, and thus lessens the impression and effect.’ Dr. B. allows that Handel’s defects proceeded ‘not so much from himself, as from the period in which he lived.’ This sixth charge is a remarkable proof of it; for, by observing the compositions of Handel’s contemporaries, we constantly find the symphony; let the sentiment be ever so sudden or violent, still the everlasting symphony is present, to ‘destroy surprise and lessen effect.’ Haydn’s genius, at a more advanced stage in the practice of music, enabled him to break through the trammels of these chaperoning symphonies, and, had he been only a vocal writer, would, no doubt, have done more. Beethoven, too, whose mighty powers of mind were not so fully appreciated in his own time as now, sets another example—in his [Pg 3] trio ‘Tremati,’ for instance—of the non-intervention of symphonies. And in the dramatic music of many other modern writers, a custom so injurious to both stage and musical effect, is generally laid aside. Even instrumental writers are beginning to feel the tediousness of introductory symphonies. In the beautiful concerto of Mendelssohn, which he played last season at the Philharmonic, how did he delight his audience by the bold spirit with which he rushed at once into the principal solo subject, instead of following the old daudling practice of tiring expectation by four or five pages of tedious, and often irrelevant, symphony![3] I therefore agree with Dr. Brown on this point, so far as his principle goes. At page 189 is a striking fallacy and extraordinary contradiction of himself by this critical writer. Speaking of Sternhold’s version of the Psalms, he says, ‘There are few stanzas which do not present expressions to excite the ridicule of some part of every congregation. This version might well be abolished, as it exposeth one of the noblest parts of divine service to contempt; especially as there is another version already privileged, which, though not excellent, is, however, not intolerable. The parochial music seems to need no reform.’ The opinion, that what is only not intolerable needs no reform, will find but few abettors in the present times. I have thought, ever since my attention was turned to the subject, that nothing in the whole range of musical performance requires so much reform and improvement as our parochial Psalmody. There are in London, certainly, instances of its being in a very respectable state, but in the majority of churches and chapels, no one with a tolerable ear and the slightest devotional feeling can say, that the squalling of dozens of children, untaught (at least not properly taught), all straining their voices to the utmost, produces anything but unmodified disgust. While I am on this subject, I must notice a proceeding which some parishes have adopted—namely, that of greatly reducing the salaries of their organists,—in some cases within my own knowledge—from 70l. to 40l. per annum! Now this is Church reform with a vengeance! but the vengeance falls on the already ill-rewarded organist. And here is a striking proof of the injudicious manner in which we Englishmen set about retrenchment. This is to degrade those who hold important situations in the church to about the rank of beadles or vergers, and, in the end, will only more effectually injure the establishment: for so soon as a man of talent feels himself in danger of losing his just remuneration, it is not likely that he will perform his duties with much zeal. In Lord Henley’s much-read pamphlet on Church Reform (p. 35, 4th edition) is a passage recommending the entire abolition of what his lordship is pleased to call ‘such relics of popery as chanting anthems, solos, duets, voluntaries, &c.’ in our cathedral service, and advising the introduction of a simple mode of Psalmody. Is it not amazing that a man who is so learned in ecclesiastical law should forget that the Deans and Chapters of all the cathedrals throughout the United Kingdom hold their appointments on the express condition of performing divine service in the manner now practiced? Does he mean by a side-wind, by a little law-cunning, to get rid of all deans and chapters? I could accumulate the fallacious opinions of many writers till I had half filled your Journal, Sir; but for the present will only add one more, and an extraordinary one it is. In a copy of Sir John Hawkins’ History of Music, in the British Museum, containing MS. notes in his own hand-writing (vol. v. p. 16), is the following remark:—‘Singing follows so naturally the smallest degree of proficiency on any instrument, that the learning of both is unnecessary!’ I am, Sir, &c. &c. HONORIUS. MR. G. LINLEY’S ANSWER TO MR. GÖDBÉ. To the EDITOR of the HARMONICON. Bolton Cottage, Chelsea. SIR, Mr. GÖDBÉ, with all the adroitness of a posture-master, pirouettes from point to point, and assumes names and positions, as though he were accountable neither for words nor actions. I will, as briefly as possible, reply to those parts of his letter which seem worth my notice. He asserts. I answer. 1st. That ‘Under the Walnut-tree’ was originally written for Mr. M’Keller, of Glasgow. It was not. 2nd. That the subject (his Title states Melody) of my Song is only a slight modification of his Quartett. He does not, by his own notation, show one entire Bar of my composition to be like his. My Song has a totally different Emphasis; and this is a fact not to be overlooked, Emphasis being, I conceive, in Music, what punctuation is in parts of speech. 3rd. That Mr. Pelzer positively declared that there could be no doubt of my composition having been taken from his. Mr. Pelzer denies that ever he made such a statement. When accidentally appealed to, he admitted there was a slight resemblance, but expressed his conviction that this was the effect of accident, not design. Mr. J. Addison and Mr. G. Herbert Rodwell were similarly appealed to by Mr. Gödbé’s publisher. The former gentleman allowed that parts of the 1st and 4th Bar had some affinity, while the latter frankly confessed that he saw no resemblance at all between the two compositions. The passages that do assimilate are common phrases used by everybody; and I am aware of no patent which secures the right of such passages exclusively to Mr. Gödbé. 4th. That I proposed stating on my Song, that his Quartett had been composed first. I could not acknowledge a composition that I had never seen—a thing unborn, that, for aught I knew, had no existence beyond the author’s brain. 5th. That Mr. Duff mentioned to me the name of a Song written by him, but never published, called ‘Ladye Jane,’ before I wrote one bearing the same title; and inclines to the opinion, that he also read to me another Song, entitled ‘The First Green Leaf.’ Mr. Duff never made mention to me of having written any such Song as ‘Ladye Jane’ until after the publication of mine; and declares that he never read to me ‘The First Green Leaf;’ moreover, that Mr. Gödbé has used Mr. Duff’s name without his consent or authority, and that, too, after having been assured by Mr. Duff that no such reading ever took place. So much for Mr. Samuel Gödbé’s veracity. Touching the ‘Isle of Beauty,’ and his friends Messrs. Prowse and Purday, Mr. Gödbé does not condescend to name the ‘identical Song,’ or the ‘Country Music Seller,’ whose coffers were thus likely to overflow from so scrupulous a regard to the laws of copyright. I leave him, therefore, to the full enjoyment of his two City friends, whose testimony and opinion might have some weight, did the question hinge on a tureen of turtle, or pitcher of punch. I beseech him to cultivate the acquaintance of all such good fellows; he might do worse than press their vocal powers in behalf of his Quartett, where, with a ‘merry Christmas, and a happy new year,’ they might stand a chance of obtaining some praise, and a few pence. He never will, nor shall I, get fat by controversy; and taking your hint to be brief, I dismiss Mr. Gödbé and his ‘tangible elements of disputation,’ with a full conviction that he is ever more likely to succeed in finding fault with the works of others than in improving his own. As was said of the critic may be said of him,—He has sifted a dunghill to find two cinders that tally, and bestowed a great deal of pains upon a dirty business. I am, Sir, Your obedient servant, GEORGE LINLEY. [Pg 4] MEMOIRS OF THE METROPOLITAN CONCERTS. [Continued from last Volume.] ALTHOUGH the failure of public support occasioned the abandonment first of the professional concerts, and eventually rendered it matter of prudence even in Salomon to withdraw from the field, yet the impulse which these establishments had given to musical taste, both in the profession and amongst amateurs, continued to be felt long after the immediate cause was no more. The tone of concerts, both public and private, was materially improved, and some of the best pieces of modern instrumental music were performed in orchestras where nothing beyond the overtures and concerts of Handel or Corelli had been heard before. The music, which was found on the desk, and formed the amusement of amateurs, was much superior to any thing which a few years previous had been thought within their reach; they were no longer contented with the faded productions of a past age, but excited to keep pace with the discoveries and improvements of the times in which they lived. The City Amateur Concert, called the Harmonic (mentioned in the last of these articles), arose out of and continued to keep alive this feeling, but it required a more energetic effort and more comprehensive arrangements to give it full effect. This effort was at length made by the musical profession in London. In the early part of the year 1813, Messrs. Corri, J. B. Cramer, and Dance, met at the house of the last-named gentleman, and may be said to have laid at that meeting the foundation-stone of the PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY. To a subsequent meeting they invited twelve other professional gentlemen, and it was then determined forthwith to institute a concert for the performance, if not exclusively, chiefly, of instrumental music, in support of which the parties assembled, not only agreed to give the gratuitous aid of their united talents, but entered into a subscription to meet incidental expenses. They assumed the appellation of THE PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY, and associated to themselves fifteen more of their professional brethren, thus augmenting their number to thirty, who were to be denominated MEMBERS of the society, and in whom alone the management of its funds, and the direction of its proceedings and concerns, were to be vested. The thirty original members of the society were— MESSRS. ATTWOOD. MESSRS. GRIFFIN. AYRTON. HILL. C. ASHLEY. HORSLEY. ASHE. W. KNYVETT. BARTLEMAN. MORALT. BERGER. NEATE. BISHOP. NOVELLO. BLAKE. POTTER. CLEMENTI. SALOMON. COOKE, ROBERT. SHERRINGTON. CORRI. SHIELD. J. B. CRAMER. SIR GEO. SMART. F. CRAMER. VIOTTI. DANCE. S. WEBBE. GRAEFF. YANIEWICZ. Members of the musical profession were invited to join the society under the title of ASSOCIATES, but without having a vote, or any other participation, in the affairs or constitution of the establishment, or any privilege or advantage, except that their subscription was fixed at a lower sum than that of the public in general, and that, when any vacancies might occur in the list of MEMBERS, they were to be filled up from the ASSOCIATES by ballot. Of this class sixty-one inscribed their names in the first season. The subscription-list was filled up from the public at large; but in order to be admitted as a subscriber, it was necessary to be nominated by some member of the society, and as vacancies in the subscription-list took place, they were filled up in the same way; the number of vacancies being divided among the members, and each having an equal number of nominations to divide amongst such of his friends as were desirous of attending the performances of the society. Notwithstanding this restriction, so anxious were the amateurs to avail themselves of this opportunity of enjoying instrumental music of the first class, that the whole number the room could accommodate was nearly filled up before the first concert, and previous to the second performance many applications for subscriptions had been of necessity rejected. The object and principle of the Philharmonic Society is thus set forth in its second fundamental law. The chief object ‘of the society is the performance, in the best style possible, of the most approved instrumental music, consisting of full pieces; concertantes for not less than three principal instruments; sestettos, quintettos, quartetts, and trios. No concerto solo or duet shall ever be performed at any of the society’s concerts; and if the directors shall think it expedient at any time to introduce vocal music with full orchestral accompaniments, it must be under the above limitations.’ Thus it appears that the performance of vocal music only entered conditionally into the original plan of the founders of the Philharmonic; nevertheless, they found it eventually advantageous, if not necessary, to admit some singing; but for [Pg 5] several seasons it was strictly confined to the limits laid down by the above quoted law, and the performance of the singers was for the first two or three seasons gratuitous. The direction of the concert for the first season was confided to Messrs. AYRTON, BISHOP, CLEMENTI, CORRI, J. B. CRAMER, F. CRAMER, and DANCE, and its performances commenced on Monday the 13th March, 1813; a day that will be held memorable in the history of the art. So much talent of the very highest order had never before been assembled in the same orchestra; virtuosi who could appear elsewhere only as leaders, here took in their turns the subordinate stations of ripieni violins or tenors; and such masters of their art as F. CRAMER, SALOMON, SHIELD, SPAGNOLETTI, VACCARI, VIOTTI, YANIEWICZ, &c., were to be seen vying with each other which should contribute most to the general effect of the performances. The result was such as might have been expected from the combination of such elements: yet when the orchestra was heard, its power, unity and force seemed to surprise even its projectors themselves; and if in the course of twenty years the Philharmonic Society has not appeared to improve, it is perhaps because its very first efforts were in themselves as near perfection as possible. Every thing connected with this society is so interesting, and so united with the history of the art in England, that we feel certain it will be gratifying to our readers to peruse the bills of its performances. Those who were present at them will thank us for reviving the recollection of past pleasures, and those who were not must be interested in seeing from what sources the directors drew, and what description of music they naturalized, if they did not first introduce, in this country. FIRST CONCERT, Monday, March 8th, 1813. PART I. Overture, Anacreon CHERUBINI. Quartetto, Two Violins, Viola, and Violoncello, Messrs. F. Cramer, Moralt, Sherrington, and Lindley MOZART. Quartetto and Chorus, ‘Nell’ orror,’ Mrs. Moralt, Messrs. Hawes, P. A. Corri, and Kellner SACCHINI. Serenade, Wind Instruments, Messrs. Mahon, Oliver, Holmes, Tully, and the Petrides MOZART. Symphony BEETHOVEN. PART II. Symphony HAYDN. Chorus, Mrs. Moralt, Miss Hughes, Messrs. P. A. Corri, C. Smith, &c. ‘Placido è il mar’ MOZART. Quintetto, Two Violins, Viola, and Two Violoncellos, Messrs. Salomon, Cudmore, Sherrington, Lindley, and C. Ashley BOCCHERINI. Chaconne, Jomelli; and March HAYDN. Leader, Mr. SALOMON.—Piano-forte, Mr. CLEMENTI. SECOND CONCERT, Monday, March 15th, 1813. PART I. Overture, Zauberflöte MOZART. Trio, Miss Hughes, Mrs. Moralt, and Mr. Kellner SALIERI. Quartetto, Two Violins, Tenor, and Violoncello, Messrs. Salomon, Mori, H. Gattie, and Lindley HAYDN. Notturno, Wind Instruments, Messrs. Mahon, Oliver, Griesbach, M. Sharp, Petrides, Holmes, and Tully MOZART. Symphony HAYDN. PART II. Symphony BEETHOVEN. Sestetto, Miss Hughes, Mrs. Moralt, Miss Bolton, Messrs. P. A. Corri, C. Smith, and Naldi, ‘Sola, sola’ MOZART. Concertante, Violin, Tenor, Oboe, and Violoncello Obligati, Messrs. F. Cramer, Sherrington, Griesbach, and Lindley BACH. Finale, Zaira WINTER. Leader, Mr. F. CRAMER.—Piano-forte, Mr. CRAMER. THIRD CONCERT, Monday, April 19th, 1813. PART I. Overture, Les Deux Journées CHERUBINI. Septuor, Violin, Tenor, Violoncello, Double Bass, Horn, Clarinet, and Bassoon, Messrs. Spagnoletti, Vaccari, Lindley, Hill, Petrides, Cramer, Holmes BEETHOVEN. Quartett, Miss Hughes, Messrs. Hawes, Hobbes, and Kellner, ‘Benedictus’ HAYDN. Symphony PLEYEL. PART II. Symphony, Jupiter MOZART. Quartett, Mrs. Moralt, Messrs. P. A. Corri, Hobbes, and C. Smith, ‘Dorina mia carina’ SARTI. Quintett, Two Violins, Two Tenors, and Bass, Messrs. Vaccari, Watts, Spagnoletti, Mountain, and Lindley ROMBERG. Finale, Tamerlane WINTER. Leader, Mr. SPAGNOLETTI.—Piano-forte, Mr. CLEMENTI. FOURTH CONCERT, Monday, May 3d, 1813. PART I. Overture, Numa Pompilius PAER. Quintett, Two Violins, Two Tenors, and Violoncello, Messrs. Bridgtower, F. Cramer, Moralt, H. Gattie, and Lindley BEETHOVEN. Terzetto, Mrs. Moralt, Messrs. Braham and Naldi, ‘Che ascoltai’ CHERUBINI. Quintett, Piano-forte, Violin, Tenor, Violoncello, and Double Bass, Messrs. Neate, Salomon, Watts, Lindley, and Hill DUSSEK. Symphony MOZART. PART II. Symphony CLEMENTI. Terzetto, Mrs. Moralt, Miss Rovedino, and Mr. Ledesma, ‘Tu mi dividi’ BACH. Concertante, Violin, Violoncello, Oboe, and Bassoon Obligati, Messrs. Salomon, Lindley, Griesbach, and Holmes HAYDN. Finale, Anacreon CHERUBINI. Leader, Mr. SALOMON.—Piano-forte, Mr. CRAMER. FIFTH CONCERT, Monday, May 17th, 1813. PART I. Overture, Demophoon CHERUBINI. Quartett, Mrs. Moralt, Messrs. C. Evans, Ledesma, and C. Smith, ‘Benedictus’ MOZART. Quartetto, Two Violins, Tenor, and Violoncello, Messrs. Viotti, Vaccari, Spagnoletti, and Crouch VIOTTI. Overture, Double Orchestra BACH. PART II. Symphony HAYDN. Quartett, Mrs. Moralt, Messrs. Ledesma, C. Smith, and Naldi, ‘Cara da voi’ CHERUBINI. Quartetto, Two Violins, Tenor, and Violoncello, Messrs. Spagnoletti, Mori, Vaccari, and Neate BEETHOVEN. [Pg 6]

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