VOCAL.

‘Tantum ergo,’ a SOPRANO SOLO, with chorus, and violin, or flute, obligato, composed by C. GUYNEMER. (J. A. Novello.)

THIS is more to be praised for smoothness of melody, and elegance in style, than for invention; we meet with nothing in it that can be called new, but, at the same time, nothing but what is rather agreeable. The air is in two movements, the first slow in three-four time, the last quicker, in common time. We prefer the former. The chorus, with a principal soprano added, to which a few florid passages are given, is simple, therefore—according to our notion of choral church music—appropriate; but it is also graceful. The flute accompaniment (by Mr. Nicholson) is good, as such, but not of that grave character which the words so imperatively demand.

  1. TERZETTO, ‘Soccorso, sostegno,’ for soprano, contr’alto, and basso, composed by JOHN LODGE, Esq. (Lonsdale and Mills.)
  2. GLEE, ‘The Butterfly,’ for four voices, the words by S. ROGERS [Esq.] the music by JAMES BATTYE. (Goulding and D’Almaine.)
  3. DUET, ‘Wandering Zephyr,’ (the words from the Spanish, by Mrs. Lawrence,) composed by JOHN LODGE, Esq. (Lonsdale and Mills.)
  4. DUET, ‘We must part, love!’ written by W. BALL, the melody by MOZART, with symphonies, &c. by WILLIAM FORDE. (Cocks and Co.)

No. 1 begins with a single voice, the contr’alto following, on the same subject a fourth below; but the most pleasing part of this is where the three voices come together. The whole is quite in the Italian style,—the best, though; and not unworthy the acceptance of the talented and lovely young dilettante to whom it is dedicated,—the Hon. Mary Anne Jervis.

No. 2 is not a glee, we beg to hint to the composer: having an accompaniment, and a free one too, it should have been called a quartet. The name, however, may not much signify; but as Mr. Brown is better known by that appellation than if he were called Mr. White, so the term quartet more correctly explains the nature of the present composition than that now bestowed on it. But whatever the name of this, it will not give one to its author: he must not build his hopes of immortality on The Butterfly.

No. 3 is simple, easy in every respect, and exactly calculated to please those who either do not understand or have no taste for elaborately written music. In whatever Mr. Lodge publishes, however unpretending, a trait of originality is always to be found, and this duettino is no exception to the rule.

We cannot say from which of Mozart’s works Mr. Forde has taken the melody of No. 4; it does not bear any of the very distinguishing marks of the author, though agreeable. The words, which are not quite intelligible to us, are not all adapted with the proper regard to emphasis, and the accompaniment needs much thinning. With a little alteration, this duet may be made useful to such amateur singers as are not disposed to examine too critically the poetry to which they give utterance.

  1. ARIETTA, ‘Torna in quell’ onda chiara,’ the words by METASTASIO, the Music composed by LORD BURGHERSH. (Lonsdale and Mills.)
  2. BALLAD, ‘Crabbed Age and Youth,’ composed and published as the preceding.
  3. BALLAD, ‘Unmindful of my sorrow,’ written by MRS. BUTTERWORTH, composed by Mrs. PHILIP MILLARD. (Monro and May.)
  4. BALLAD, ‘I know our dream of love is o’er,’ the melody by BEETHOVEN, the Poetry, Symphonies, and Accompaniments by J. A. WADE, Esq. (Hawes.)
  5. SONG, ‘The World of Change,’ the poetry by MRS. ABDY, adapted to a melody of Spohr’s, by EDWIN J. NEILSON. (Hawes.)
  6. SONG, ‘When the moon sheds her lustre,’ written by S. P. QUIN, ESQ., composed by ALEXANDER D. ROCHE. (Cocks and Co.)
  7. SONG, ‘I saw thee crop that beauteous flower,’ composed by CHARLES M’KORKELL. (Chappell.)
  8. CANZONET, ‘Farewell, ye green hills,’ composed by J. W. DAVISON. (Purday.)

No. 1, short and simple as it is, possesses much of that quality for which we so often sigh,—originality. Nothing can be more easy than this, for both singer and accompanyist, and it cannot fail of a circulation among those who do not take fright at a foreign language.

No. 2, we are told in a note, ‘is founded on the ancient Greek enharmonic mode, in which the 4th and 7th of the scale are omitted, as in the scale used in the Scotch melodies.’ In old Scottish airs, and, what is rather remarkable, in Chinese melodies, these intervals are rejected, but we do not wish to see the practice imitated, except, perhaps, now and then, to give—as in the present case—a tinge of antiquity to music set to ancient poetry.

No. 3 is very expressively set; but the time being marked 2/4, it appears to us that larghetto would have met the composer’s intentions better than andante, which, in four-quaver time, is quicker than the character of both words and music seems to justify.

No. 4 is the andante in B flat from Beethoven’s septet, which Mr. Wade apparently intends now to be sung much slower than it is played in its original form. He has not been very fortunate in adapting words to this; ‘one’ is not emphatic, nor is the last syllable of ‘memory,’ of ‘melody,’ and of ‘minstrelsy,’ long. Me-mo-ry, &c., will not do.

No. 5 also exhibits numerous errors in emphasis, beautiful as is the air. In fact, as the words are now adapted, a singer would stand a fair chance of being laughed at who should perform this air.

The sixth and seventh of these call for no remark.

No. 8 sets off with some promise of novelty, but the composer, in modulating from F to E minor, gets quite out of his depth, and is engulphed in fifths of so abominable a kind, that we cannot allow them to pass without a remark.