VOCAL.

THE ART of SINGING, a Method, in Three Parts, on an entirely new plan of vocalization, &c., by J. P. LE CAMUS. (Published by the Author.)

THIS is a ponderous tome indeed! Two hundred and twelve large folio pages! But considering what it is to achieve—or rather, what the author most courageously asserts it will effect—such vastness of extent is by no means unnecessary. But let the author himself be heard.

‘The Method,’ he says, ‘I now publish has more novelty, and (I may say) more importance than the public usually attribute to works of this nature. It is the fruit of a singular but fertile idea, developed with conscientious care, and with the intention of superseding all the treatises on singing that have hitherto appeared.’—(Preface.)

There is no bashfulness in this, but much candour. Whenever a work is published the author wishes it to be thought the best that ever appeared, and hopes that it may cast into utter oblivion all others of the kind; but he seldom has honesty enough to declare this. M. Le Camus has no disguise.

‘Do we,’ he continues, ‘look for a proof of the insufficiency of all these treatises? Let us examine the actual state of the art. Vocal music was never so generally cultivated, and yet nothing is more uncommon than to meet with a singer whose principles are invariable, and whose execution is always perfect.’—(Preface.)

Very true, indeed, M. Le Camus; and, let us add, we should think the millennium actually arrived were we to meet with a singer, or any other description of human being, ‘always perfect.’

The Method herein proposed and followed, is to accompany the voice of the student, whether he be singing the diatonic or chromatic scales, the different intervals, or melodies of any kind, with a full harmony, in which as many ‘varied modulations are introduced as possible, in order to familiarize his ear with every harmonical combination, so that no transition, however abrupt, may take him by surprise.’—(Preface.)

There is no novelty in all this, we can assure the author; every good master has pursued the same plan. We grant that the number of such masters is not very great; we know that singing is taught,—aye in most instances,—by persons who possess very little, if any, knowledge of principles, or the power of communicating them to others, even if themselves are acquainted with them. But does it follow that, because there are many incapable teachers, a good system has never been followed by those who have studied and know their art? M. Le Camus can have inquired very little into the subject, can have consulted very few works, if he supposes that he now promulgates a system entirely new. We could at once show him three or four treatises in which the same principles are much more fully developed.

In a work of such magnitude it was to be expected that nothing relating to the vocal art would be left unsaid; but the author of this has omitted the mention of much that is essential: he gives no directions for the formation of the voice, touches very briefly on the management of the breath, is wholly silent on the subject of pronunciation, and equally reserved on a point of vital importance—expression [15]. In short, though the author of the Method, which he seems to consider so perfect of its kind, has done something in furtherance of his plan, he has left much more undone; and if, instead of examples of his own (which fill about nineteen-twentieths of the volume), he had chosen fit compositions, in various styles, of the great masters, and treated on the best manner of executing them, he would have rendered a much greater service to the musical world, and made his book far more worth the high price he has fixed on it.

SERIOUS GLEE, ‘The parted Spirit,’ for four voices, which gained the prize at the Gentlemen’s Glee Club, Manchester, in 1831; the words by JOHN MALCOLM, Esq.; the music by FINLAY DUN, of Edinburgh. (Mori and Lavenu.)
SERENADE, ‘Lady of Beauty,’ for three voices, by H. GIFFIN. (Brown.)

MR. FINLAY DUN’s glee is rather a successful study than work of genius;—it exhibits more signs of persevering labour than of flights of imagination. And such is the character of some of the best compositions of this kind to which the last quarter of a century has given birth. Many, indeed, brought forth during the same period have nothing to distinguish them but the smell of the lamp,—their only merit consisting in the avoidance of grammatical errors. To write these is exceedingly easy; but it requires talent to compose an effective glee,—genius to produce such as is great or beautiful.

This fortunate work opens with a Largo in F minor, common time, which changes into an andante, and ends with a movement in the major key, three-four time. The poet’s sentiments are, upon the whole, well expressed, though the accentuation is frequently incorrect. At the seventh bar a crescendo on the word ‘blast’ is, indeed, an abortive attempt to make the sound an echo to the sense; and after ‘I call upon the heavens to show,’ there ought to be a rest, or pause of some kind. There is melody in this, but the harmony is most deserving of praise. The gracefulness, though not of a very original kind, of the last movement, most probably carried the votes of the judges; but we speak on this subject with reserve, not knowing the quality of the rivals with which the work had to contend.

The piano-forte accompaniment we cannot approve: with it the composition is no longer a glee. Moreover, by often running in octaves with the alto and other parts, the worst possible effect is produced. If uncertain singers require aid, the only allowable accompaniment to a glee is confined to the very notes given to the voices.

The second of these must surely claim as its parent either a very youthful or an extremely inexperienced composer.

The Maid of Abbotsford, written and composed by MRS. J. F. TURNER. (Collard and Collard.)
BALLAD, ‘Mary, meet me there,’ composed by MISS MOUNSEY. (Collard and Co.)
ROMANCE, The Bridal Death, written and composed by J. AUGUSTINE WADE, Esq. (Chappell.)
BALLAD, ‘Here do we meet again,’ Ditto ditto ditto.
BALLAD, ‘I saw her at the Fancy Fair,’ the poetry by EDM. SMITH, Esq., composed by JOHN BARNETT. (Goulding and D’Almaine.)
BALLAD. ‘That lovely girl,’ the poetry by E. SMITH, Esq., composed by J. A. BARNETT. (Goulding and Co.)
SONG, ‘’Tis the season of friendship,’ the words by W. F. COLLARD, the music by C. M. SOLA. (Collard and Collard.)
SWISS AIR, ‘The Emmethaler Shepherd,’ written by J. A. WADE, Esq., and arranged by F. STOCKHAUSEN. (Chappell.)
CANZONET, ‘Sweet pensive woodland nightingale,’ the poetry by LILY GODWIN, composed by THOMAS GRAHAM. (Chappell.)
CAVATINA, ‘The Flowers,’ the poetry by MRS. CHARLES GREVILLE, the music composed by BIANCHI TAYLOR. (Collard and Collard.)

THOUGH we may be charged with a want of gallantry, yet we cannot say much in commendation of either Nos. 1 or 2.

The music of No. 3 is far better than the verses, which are very inferior to most of Mr. Wade’s lyrical productions.

No. 4 has appeared in a musical annual reviewed by us long ago.

If the success of No. 5 is as great as many very bold advertisements might lead us to believe, popularity is not invariably a test of merit in a song. The air is rather pleasing, but such an utter disregard of poetical accent we have rarely ever witnessed, e. g.

Heav’n was in her diamond eye,

And roses crimson’d o’er her cheek.

Then we have—

[ LISTEN]

No. 6 is a worthy companion to the preceding. The poet and musician rival each other in good sense: Par nobile fratrum.—The one sings,—

That lovely girl enchants me still,

Through each changing scene of pleasure;

Her brilliant charms with rapture fill

My soul for such a treasure—

which the other sets thus:—

Her brilliant charms with rapture fill,

With rapture fill—

My soul for such a treasure.

At the second page things get worse—but we have shown up enough.

No. 7 is a good Christmas song, with chorus for soprano and base. The words and music are both exhilarating, and the whole is easy.

No. 8 is one of the numerous class of Swiss airs which so much resemble each other. The few bars, however, of opening, slow and in the minor key, give some variety and character to this, and rather distinguish it from the many. We cannot say much in favour of the words, which savour of nonsense verses.

No. 9 is well designed, but in the execution the composer seems to have been at a loss; there are in this many proofs of inexperience as a writer,—not exactly errors, but want of habit. We, however, recommend him to persevere, practice will remedy defects of the kind to which we allude.

No. 10 evinces talent that we hope will be often called forth. The melody is exceedingly pleasing, and far from common; some of the phrases remind us of the classical schools, and are as unexpected as charming, particularly that in the second page, beginning at the fifth bar. The accompaniment, too, is not less to be approved.