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FOOTNOTES:
[1] All, except the first and last paragraphs, from Gerber’s Historisch-Biographisches Lexicon.
[2] In the tenth Number of this work (for October, 1823) we published a lovely quartet from Righini’s Enea nel Lazio. And the present Number contains his overture to Tigrane, which, if the score at all realizes the expectations excited by the piano-forte adaptation, ought to have been familiar to our orchestras long ago.—(Editor.)
[3] In a work entitled Historical Memoirs of Armagh, by J. Stuart, I find a charge against Handel that is stronger than any alleged by Dr. Brown, and which I should feel it improper not to notice before I quit the subject. Mr. Stuart says (p. 548)—‘Some objections may be made to the church music composed by that eminent master, inasmuch as it is sometimes discordant with the meaning of the passages for which it is written. Thus, exempli gratia, in an anthem which comprises the following sentences taken from the Psalmist, the sentiments of David and the music of Handel are both sublime; but the rhythmus of the latter does not correspond with the emphasis necessary for the true enunciation of the former:—“Who is the King of Glory? The Lord of Hosts, He is the King of Glory”—in singing this sublime interrogatory and response, the emphasis is unnaturally laid on the verb is; thus: Who is the King of Glory, the Lord of Hosts, He is the King of Glory. As the question and answer are often repeated, the impression made on the mind of the hearer is, that the respondents are warmly maintaining the claim of the Deity to pre-eminence in glory, which the querists seem obstinately to doubt. Thus the music and the sense of the passage are at variance, and the meaning is sacrificed to the sound.’
[4] See musical portion of the present number.
[5] This Air is given in the German work with the critical article, but, if we are entitled to judge from an arrangement, is much over-praised by the writer, in a paragraph which we have omitted.—Editor.
[6] It was no wonder at all that the cannon made a great noise, and broke the glass.
[7] The Chaconne is an ancient, slow dance. M. Ginguené thinks that the word originally was written ciecona, but gives rather a far-fetched reason for this supposition.
[8] The fact is, that his voice which had for years past been much impaired, had now almost entirely deserted him.—Editor.