PIANO-FORTE.

GRAND EXERCICE D’OCTAVES dans tous les tons, majeur et mineur composée par CHARLES CZERNY, Op. 152. (Wessel and Co.)

WERE an inhabitant of another sphere—of one of those worlds which many folks think made only for our amusement, for us to spy at through a telescope—to be shown this grand exercise, he would straightway and naturally conclude that all those belonging to the planet Earth, who ‘handle’ the piano-forte, must be under the immediate influence of their own satellite:—‘For who,’ he would ask, ‘but moon-struck people would submit to a piece sixteen pages long, consisting of nought else, from beginning to end, but semiquavers running in octaves without the slightest break or intermission, without air, or rhythm, or any reasonable object, till one solitary chord ends the mad ramble?’ And this is no exaggerated account of the ‘grand’ composition on our desk, strange and almost incredible as it may appear.

It is to be presumed that a nondescript of the present kind would not have been published unless there had been a chance, amounting almost to a certainty, of finding purchasers for it; and we can only say, that if there are many to waste their money, and what is worse their time, upon such a matchless piece of absurdity, good taste in music, and the common sense of its votaries, are in a more declining state than even the former productions of this composer, and others of the same school, have led us to suppose.

  1. RONDEAU, de l’Opéra de BOIELDIEU, la Dame Blanche, composé par FRED. KUHLAU. (Wessel and Co.)
  2. Ditto, do. do.
  3. PRECIOSA LIED, from WEBER’s PRECIOSA, varied by FRED. KUHLAU. (Wessel and Co.)

KUHLAU should ‘have died hereafter.’ Suddenly his sun set before its expected time. Nearly the same packet that brought us the first proofs we ever saw of his talents, bore the news of his death; and since then, every production of his that has reached us has furnished an additional proof of the loss music sustained by his premature decease. Two out of the three pieces conjoined is this article are further evidences of his ability, the subjects of which have been treated by many, by few so well, and by none better.

The first is on the airs ‘Chantez, joyeux Ménestrel,’ and ‘Robin Adair,’ the latter, since Boieldieu introduced it in his opera, having become as popular on the continent as it was here some years ago. The second is on ‘Pauvre Dame Marguerite;’ and the third is the ballad, or Lied, ‘Einsam bin ich nicht alleine,’ with variations.

In Nos. 1 and 2, the melodies, though fully accompanied, are distinctly heard; the harmony, abundant as it is, does not obscure the subject, and the arpeggioed passages, in all shapes, are in due relation to it. Both are well calculated for the instrument, and the manner in which they are written would alone be sufficient to prove the composer a real master of the piano-forte. They are not difficult for good players, but far from easy for the generality, and will excite more pleasure than astonishment. We must, however, express our regret that a wish to comply with custom—for M. K.’s own taste surely must have revolted against it—should have betrayed him into the commission of semitonic passages of the worst kind. His introduction to No. 1, in which are some fine effects, is spoiled at the end by an up-and-down run of half notes which seems to have no end, and almost prejudices the ear against the melody that immediately succeeds.

The ten variations, including the finale, on the German air, No. 3, possess all the vivacity which, arises from the active motion of the hand on the instrument, sweeping in arpeggios from low to high and back again, but this is the whole amount of the praise due to them, except that they are not carried on to any immoderate length.

  1. La Noce, second RONDO sur des Thêmes de la Tentation (musique de HALEVY) arrangée par ADOLPHE ADAM. (Chappell).
  2. Les Dons à Céline, Trois Pièces agréables, en forme de Sonatines, composées par ALOYS SCHMIDT, de Francfort. (Wessel and Co.)

THE airs incorporated in No. 1 are pretty, and free from that kind of commonness, which is almost another word for vulgarity, but the same paucity of new ideas is visible here, as in too many of the publications of the day. It is evident that we must go back to old favourites, most of which are forgotten, and would be novelties to the present generation.

No. 2 are easy enough, certainly, as the word Sonatine announces, but are trite and childish as well as easy, with old-fashioned bases, cantering either in triplets of quavers, or moving à l’Alberti, in chords broken into semiquavers. We certainly should have expected from a man of M. Aloys Schmidt’s talent, trifles of a less trifling kind.

Both the above publications are calculated for very juvenile learners only.

  1. DIVERTIMENTO, from ROSSINI’s Barbiere di Siviglia, arranged by W. ETHERINGTON. (Metzler and Sons.)
  2. THE ALPINE MARCH, arranged as an easy RONDO, by THOMAS VALENTINE. (Chappell.)

MR. ETHERINGTON’s Divertimento is compounded of ‘Una voce poco fà’ with its second movement: ‘Zitti! Zitti!’ and ‘Largo al Factotum,’ all of which, it is true, have been so often arranged, and are so perfectly known by heart by every one with a musical ear—nay, they are actually played about the streets of Constantinople; the very Moslems hum them—that we should have thought the present arranger too late for the market; but of this he is the fittest judge; we have only to speak of the manner of working up the airs into their present form, which is very creditable to Mr. Etherington’s taste. Indeed he has done little more than arrange from the score, his additions are just enough to blend the three, and these are modestly and judiciously made. He has retained the key E, kept within very moderate bounds as regards length, and consulted both the character of the instrument and convenience of the performer.

No. 2 is a very brief and easy version of this popular march, in two pages and a half. It is suited to very youthful practitioners, whom it will please, without in any degree vitiating their taste.