204 ON THE PRESENT STATE OF THE OPERA IN LONDON. 



totally devoid of life and power. The existence of this discrepancy 

 concerning a composition whose merits and defects are equally pal- 

 pable, clearly demonstrates how little the philosophy of music is yet 

 understood. Neither can any great weight attach to the opinions 

 of the majority of professional persons. Dr. Crotch justly observes 

 that the education which they usually receive is calculated to give 

 an undue bias in favour of the particular school in which they have 

 been trained, rather than to impart a correct, comprehensive, and 

 impartial judgment of music in general. In fact, the })hilosophy of 

 music receives so little attention in a mere professional education 

 that, in many cases, it may be fairly questioned whether the verdict 

 of the public may not be preferable to the more prejudiced decision 

 of the musician. 



Musical criticisms have not been hitherto conducted on the prin- 

 ciples universally applied to the other arts. Individual taste is here 

 permitted most unaccountably to usurp the place of rules based on 

 the broad foundation of the natural laws, in accordance with which 

 music holds dominion over the feelings. An opera containing a 

 pretty cavatina, a showy chorus, and an aria di bravura well calcu- 

 lated to display the powers of the prima donna, will certainly be- 

 come popular, although the rest of the music be worthless, and the 

 whole unconnected and ill adapted to the subject. Were an opera 

 considered in its true light, as a work of art, it would be at once 

 evident that beauties so trifling should hold no more sway over the 

 decision of the critic than a well-drawn ornament or gorgeously- 

 coloured robe would influence his judgment respecting the merits of 

 an historical painting. In the higher branches of the pictorial art, 

 neither excellence of execution, nor skill in detail, nor the union of 

 Dutch minuteness and exquisite finish with the splendour of Italian 

 colouring, can compensate for poverty of invention, or atone for the 

 violation of historical or natural truth. Now, the aim of an opera 

 and that of a painting of the higher rank being identical — in the 

 one sound constituting the illustrating medium, while in the other 

 it is form and colour, the end of both being to pourtray the work- 

 ings of human affections, passions, and sufferings, whether the ex- 

 ample be drawn from history, or whether it be presented in the 

 guise of an allegory or of an imaginary plot — it follows that, how- 

 ever beautiful and attractive detached portions of an opera may 

 prove in themselves, yet if the whole excites emotions inconsistent 

 with the object of the poem, or is calculated to neutralize the legi- 

 timate feelings which the passing scene ought to inspire, although 

 these parts may be successful in affording amusement, yet the work 



