ON THE PRESENT STATE OP THE OPERA IN LONDON. 201 



prevails throughout his works, is commonly ascribed to the circum- 

 stance of his having heard one of his own airs so metamorphosed by 

 the ornaments of Veluti, that he did not recognize it as his compo- 

 sition. It is, however, sufficiently obvious that every attempt to 

 render vocal music so florid as not to admit of further embellish- 

 ment must necessarily prove futile. No better illustration of this 

 fact can be offered than Rossini's two songs, Di tanti palpiti and 

 Una voce pocafa, which have frequently, as performed by first-rate 

 Italian singers, no' further resemblance to the original airs than that 

 which the rhythm and the harmony affi)rd. On the whole, although 

 some of Rossini's melodies are charming, and his acquaintance with 

 the powers of the human voice undeniable, I freely confess that I 

 think he is indebted for no small portion of his reputation to the 

 prevailing ignorance respecting the works of his predecessors. From 

 these he has borrowed, to use no harsher term, largely, without 

 being able, in many cases, to put in the plea of having improved or 

 followed out an idea casually dropped by an inferior author who 

 might himself be incapable of doing justice to it. Cimarosa and 

 Paer have suffered more than almost any other authors, with whom 

 I am acquainted, from the depredations of the popular maestro. 

 Indeed, on hearing an opera by Paer performed in Germany, I 

 could scarcely succeed in convincing myself that part of the music 

 was not to be ascribed to Rossini. It is, however, only rendering 

 justice to Paer, to affirm — which I am enabled to do from an intimate 

 acquaintance with his principal works — that, while in beauty of me- 

 lody and pathos he is fully equal to his imitator, Rossini, he far sur- 

 passes him in correctness of modulation, propriety of instrumenta- 

 tion, and in the power of imparting a distinct character to his diffe- 

 rent personages. In comic writing he is, undoubtedly, inferior : in- 

 deed, in this style of composition, Rossini is unrivalled, even by his 

 great predecessor, Cimarosa. 



If, with Dr. Crotch, we maintain that success in every style 



sic has to depict the passions and feelings of the persons in the action, an ex- 

 act delineation of character becomes one of its essential requisites. There 

 are, indeed, operas which, with regard to melodic and even harmonic treat- 

 ment, and consequently in a musical point of view in general, are entitled to 

 high praise, yet which nevertheless cannot be called genuine dramatic com- 

 positions, because they are wanting in the musical delineation of character 

 just spoken of. The most glaring transgressions against this requisite, 

 amidst others of a different nature, are to be found in the works of Rossini. 

 With him every person in the piece sings aUke, let the situation be as diflt'e- 

 rent as it may." 



VOL. VI. NO. XX. CO 



