VOCAL.
- TERZETTO, ‘Son finite omai le Pene,’ from the Operetta Amore e Psiche, composed by LIVERATI; the Poetry by Signor PETRONJ. (Lonsdale and Mills.)
- BALLAD, ‘The birken Bower,’ written by J. IMLAH, Esq. the Melody by Mrs. PHILIP MILLARD. (Chappell.)
- BALLAD, ‘Hark! the merry Bells,’ written and composed by Mrs. WILLIAM MARSHALL. (Gerock and Co.)
- BALLAD, ‘The Rose of Peace,’ by J. AUGUSTINE WADE, Esq. (Chappell.)
- SONG, ‘The Archery Meeting,’ the Poetry by T. H. BAYLY, Esq., the Music by G. LINLEY, Esq. (Chappell.)
- BALLAD, ‘The Hunter’s Bride,’ the Poetry by L. E. L., composed by G. HARGREAVES. (Hawes.)
- CANZONET, from Stanzas by PERCY B. SHELLEY, composed by F. W. HORNCASTLE. (Hawes.)
- BALLAD, ‘Maureen,’ the Poetry by BARRY CORNWALL, composed by JOHN GOSS. (Cramer and Co.)
- CANZONET, ‘When we two parted,’ written by LORD BYRON, composed by C. RUDOLPHUS. (Wessel and Co.)
- SONG of the Serenaders, ‘Oh! rove with me,’ written and composed by H. K. SAYERS, Esq. (Card.)
- BALLAD, ‘When this life is o’er,’ written and composed by HENRY FASE. (Eavestaff)
- CANZONET, ‘The Sicilian Girl to the Madonna,’ composed by J. M. HARRIS. (Aldridge.)
- CANZONET, ‘How sweet is Woman’s Love!’ the words by H. G. KNIGHT, Esq., composed by J. E. GOODSON. (Falkner.)
- SONG, ‘The white Cliffs of England,’ Written by G. LINLEY, Esq., composed by W. NEWLAND. (Chappell.)
- SONG, ‘What Hand is that?’ the Poetry by Mrs. CHARLES GREVILLE, composed by C. EULENSTEIN. (Chappell.)
No. 1 is a very graceful trio for three soprano voices; and for the convenience of those who prefer English to Italian words, the music is also set to a translation, which is remarkably well adapted to the notes.
No. 2 is a very pretty air, an imitation of Caledonian melody.
The whole of No. 3 may be said to be comprised in four bars, for the ballad is nothing but a repetition of these, which have not either novelty or beauty to recommend them.
No. 4 does not exhibit a single original feature.
No. 5, a humorous, clever song, is a pleasant laugh at that employment by which idle people contrive to kill time, ycleped archery. It is a matron who sings, and complains that one of her daughters is too fat to wear the prize bracelets, even should she win them, and the other so giddy that she once shot her arrow into Lady Flint’s eye, instead of the target. Neither attract the desired notice of the male toxophilites, who therefore are by the disappointed mother called cross-beaux.
No. 6 is far superior to the common run of modern ballads; the air is expressive, and the words are sensibly and pleasingly set.
No. 7 is the composition of a good musician, who knows how to read the words he sets; but it is rather the fruit of labour than of inspiration.
No. 8 is a gentle, appropriate melody, full of good taste, and ably accompanied.
No. 9 is a very charming composition, rich both in air and harmony. Such music is worthy of such poetry. At the eighth bar of the second page is an error in accentuation, which may be corrected thus:
The Words are difficult to set, certainly, but ‘kiss’ must be the emphatic word, not ‘thy.’
Much of the little we have said of No. 3 applies to No. 10; we have to add that it is a duet in F sharp.
Nos. 11 and 12 do not, by many degrees, reach mediocrity.
There are some good passages in No. 13, and the composer has well expressed the sentiment of the words, till he arrives at nearly the end, where he has fallen into the error of concluding with the boisterous vulgar close with which nine out of every ten Italian bravuras terminate.
The motivo of No. 14 is a pleasing air, and the accompaniment is easy and unaffected; there are, however, certain rests improperly placed, which break the connexion of the words, and almost lead to the conclusion that the music was adapted, not written, to the poetry.
No. 15 is not inelegant, though, like most of the songs which every month brings forth in such abundance, anything but new in phrase, in cadence, in melody, and in accompaniment.