No. 2 is a tender address from Brahma (the unknown) to the Bayadère, a delicate, pleasing air, though without stage action it will be thought somewhat long.
No. 3, a short trio for soprano, tenor, and base, in A flat, an andante, is one of those morceaux d’ensemble (all of them imitated from ‘Protegga, il giusto cielo,’ in Don Giovanni) which rarely fail of success; and this will be as welcome in the drawing-room, in a domestic party, as on the stage, where it always meets with the warmest applause.
- DUETTO, ‘Non ridir non potro mai,’ composed by the HON. EMMA and CATHERINE MAYNARD. (Willis.)
- BALLAD, ‘Thy form was fair,’ the words by MISS COSTELLO; the Music by LADY AUGUSTA KENNEDY ERSKINE. (Willis.)
- BALLAD, ‘The sally of the students,’ by theHON. MRS. BERTIE PERCY. (Willis.)
- ARIETTA, ‘Se più felice oggetto,’ the words by METASTASIO; the Music composed by MISS BLAYDES. (Willis.)
- Hajji Baba’s song in the Harem, the words by J. MORIER, Esq.; composed by the BARON SEYMOUR DE CONSTANT. (Willis.)
- DUET, ‘Never forget me!’ (the words from the Spanish, by Mrs. Lawrence) composed by JOHN LODGE, Esq. (Lonsdale and Mills.)
- BALLAD, ‘Good-nature,’ written and composed by J. AUGUSTINE WADE, Esq. (Hawes.)
MANY a professional composer would be too happy to call himself author of so pleasing and clever a duet as No. 1, which, in whatever way it is considered, proves the musical knowledge and elegant taste of the joint composers. Its style is Italian, but there are notes in the accompaniment which show that the writers are well read in the German school. Young as the ladies are who have produced this, yet there is a method and consistency in it that indicate considerable experience. They must have entered on the study of music with hearty good will, and pursued it with an earnestness which is rarely found in those who have no other object in view but amusement. We regret, however, to inform these very ingenious dilettanti, that the engraver has left so many errors—for his errors they clearly are—that it was with some difficulty we ascertained the intention of the composers in numerous instances; insomuch that we strongly recommend them to make a sacrifice of all the copies printed off, to have the plates corrected, and then publish another edition. They may rest assured that the duet is well worth the trouble and expense. This is dedicated to one of the wonders of the present age, certainly the greatest musical phenomenon that ever existed[80], and is a well-timed tribute to such genius.
No. 2 is very simple, but set with great feeling and taste to well-chosen words. It is now in G, and was, it seems, originally in A flat. Why not have remained in that key? It would not have been at all too high for any soprano voice; and as it is, the B below the clef, to which it extends, may be too low for many singers.