222 ON THE PRESENT STATE OP THE OPERA IN LONDON. 



their readers should employ equal caution in subjecting both facts 

 and arguments to a deliberate scrutiny before admitting the truth of 

 assertions, sanctioned even by the " magic of a name." 



In concluding this notice of Bellini, let me again repeat that, far 

 from entertaining a desire to force the individual views contained in 

 this article on the public, it is my earnest wish that they may, by 

 gaining a thorough acquaintance with the subject, become qualified 

 for testing, in the most rigorous manner, the correctness of these con- 

 clusions. If they can be proved to be erroneous, the error will be 

 candidly acknowledged, under the conviction that, of all mental 

 problems, the most difficult to solve is that of forming a just esti- 

 mate of our cotemporaries. 



Of Donizetti, it will not, after so ample a notice of Bellini, be 

 requisite to say much. He belongs to the same school, and writes 

 on the same erroneous principles. In a comparison of the two com- 

 posers, Donizetti may be considered as the more correct, Bellini as 

 possessing the greater share of genius: the former draws more 

 largely on Rossini, although he is far from attaining the spirit and 

 fire of his model ; while the latter presents us with more original 

 ideas. Pretty melodies are not unfrequent throughout Donizetti's 

 operas ; but they are like particles of gold scattered amongst count- 

 less grains of sand — the amount of the precious material will not 

 repay the labour of separation from the dross. His instrumentation 

 is as faulty as that of the other writers of the same school. Al- 

 though destitute of the slightest claim to the title of a scientific 

 musician, he has been appointed Professor of Counterpoint in one 

 of the first conservatorios of Italy : Donizetti occupies the chair 

 rendered illustrious by Durante, Leo, and Jomelli. Alas ! for the 

 scholars of Donizetti ! — the art has yet to fall. 



Vaccai, Pacini, Ricci, Mercandante, &c., are still less worthy of 

 detailed notice : their melodies, when pretty, are plagiarisms, and 

 when original they are dull. 



These are the composers who monopolize an establishment sup- 

 ported at greater cost than any other in Europe ;* these are the 

 men who are deemed worthy to supersede the masters of every other 

 school. It has been already demonstrated that these disgraceful 

 proceedings may be, in great measure, attributed to the ignorance 

 of the publicj and the indifference with which they receive what- 

 ever the manager or the singers think proper to provide for their 

 entertainment. The removal of existing ignorance, and the forma- 



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