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.

PIANO-FORTE AND HARP.

GRAND DUET for Piano-forte and Harp, or two Piano-fortes, by F. KALKBRENNER and F. DIZI. Op. 82. (Chappell.)

THIS, if we mistake not, was written for and performed at the Philharmonic Concerts some years ago. It is in four movements, the first an adagio in F minor, opening into an allegro maestoso in the major key; the third is Mozart’s air, ‘Deh! perdona,’ in A; and the last, an allegretto in F. We can here trace the scientific bias (we wish he would more often yield to its influence) of M. Kalkbrenner, and that delicacy of taste which is M. Dizi’s characteristic; each has had his share in producing a spirited, elegant, and effective work, in which there is no want of that grand essential in music, air, nor any deficiency of that without which melody soon becomes insipid, harmony. It is moderate in length, and displays none of those wanton, stupid difficulties of execution which the works of some of our modern German composers are bristled with, but should only be intrusted to good and experienced players.

HARP.

  1. The Quatuor du Turnois. ‘Sonnez Clairons,’ from Robert le Diable, arranged as a QUICK MARCH, by N. C. BOCHSA. (Mori and Lavenu.)
  2. The celebrated ALPINE AIR, arranged as a Divertimento, by THOMAS ERARD CRIPPS. (Longman.)

No. 1 is the animated, animating quartet, from Meyerbeer’s last work, arranged in an easy, but most effective manner.