566 



New Music mid Drama. 



[J"iyi, 



Mr. Wcstmacott to submit his bronze 

 Monto CavivUo fiffure, wbicli he is co- 

 pying for the ladies of England, to a 

 competitiou for estimates among tlie 

 l»riiss fouu<lcrs of the city ; or Mr. Rossi 

 to give up his proposed statue to Mv. 

 West, to a co!U[>eti(ion panong the boys 

 at the Acatleiuy, afier thcsubscription is 

 raised iox-lds figure: the only fair compe- 

 tition won hi be this, to open a subscrip- 



tion for a monument yet to ]>e designed^ 

 and to be decided by a committee of 

 taste, to be formed according to act 

 of parliament, and let us see how much 

 the public would subscribe, to such " an 

 airy fabric of a visiou," and how many 

 artists of real reputation and talent 

 would enter the lists under such a 

 legal arrangement, of act of parliament 

 arbiters of taste. J. E. 



NEW MUSIC AND THE DRAMA. 



Part the Second of the Oratorio ofJudah ; 

 the Millie selected from a Variety of the 

 best and most Classical Composers., hy 

 Mr. Gardiner, of Leicester. Price 

 11. Is. — To non-snbscribers 11. (>s. 

 nB'^lIR part, or division of tliis elegant 

 X and elaborate publication now 

 presented to the public, occupies 1-10 

 pages ; and without any unmerited eu- 

 <oniiuni of Mr. Gardiner's taste, Me 

 may say tliat they comprise some of 

 the most excellent compositions of the 

 first and ablest masters. The chorus 

 of •' Praise him in Judah" (from Mo- 

 zart) has for its subject a bold and 

 finely-conceived passage, which the 

 composer has worked with all his usual 

 skill, and from which he has produced 

 an uncommonly energetic and striking 

 effect. The recitative, " Now Samuel 

 anointed Saul as king over Israel," is 

 well modulated and accompanied, and 

 leads to a beautifully-constructed pas- 

 toral chorus, in which Haydn lias not 

 been sj)aringof his science and address. 

 " Now the Philistines gathered them- 

 selves together." is an appropriately- 

 expressive recitative ; and the chorus 

 to which it is introductory, is bold and 

 brilliant, thoiigh not of fliat laboured 

 and artful texture which Haydn was 

 always capable of bestowing, when 

 he deemed it necessary. In the recita- 

 tive " And Saul was very wroth," the 

 sense of the words has been success- 

 fully consulted, and the accompani- 

 ments ai-e spirited and judicious. The 

 chorus " mighty King," if not of a 

 very imposing effect, is ingeniously 

 modelled in respect of its parts, and 

 forms a pleasing composition. The next 

 article that challenges our notice, is 

 the melody of " But the Lord will 

 deliver all them that fear him," the 

 whole of which is smooth, easy and na- 

 tural ; and presents to our judgment 

 no other objection than that of its com- 

 pass, which extends to two octaves. In 



the air " The beauty of Israel," we 

 find some ple^ising and graceful pas- 

 sages ; but the accompaniments, we 

 think, would be more appropriate to 

 the sentiment, were they less busy. The 

 cliorus of " Hallelujah to the God of 

 Israel," is powerfully set, and every 

 way worthy the ])en of Haydn: and 

 that of '• O Lord, call to remembrance," 

 is elegant in its subject, and conducted 

 with neatness and skill. " O Absalom 

 my son," is an air of considerable pa- 

 thos, and will be heard with pleasure 

 by the lovers of soft and affecting me- 

 lody. If '" God is my song," by Beet- 

 hoven, is not an air of particular at- 

 traction, the succeeding chorus of 

 " Ilosauna to the God of Israel," is 

 infinitely honourable to the science and 

 contrivance of Mozart. The air •' Lord 

 thou hast been my refuge," is in a 

 chaste, flowing style, and expresses the 

 sense of the; words with taste and fide- 

 lity. In (he duett " He broke the 

 Irlois of Bcthshema," much of the 

 strong expression of Haydn is ex- 

 hibited, e-pecially in the accompani- 

 ment, and the general effect is true and 

 forcible. The chorus " Sons of Sion, 

 come before him," from Nauman, is a 

 light, pleasant composition ; flie air 

 " It is the Lord that giveth wisdom," 

 possesses some agreeable and well-con- 

 nected passages : and of the chorus 

 " Behold the Heav'n, and Heav'n 

 of Hcav'ns," it will be sufficient to 

 say, that its fabric and effect are wor- 

 thy of its illustrious composer, our own 

 admired Dr. Boyce. 



Regarding this second part, or act, of 

 Mr. Gardiner's Jxtdah, we feel our- . 

 selves justified in saying, that in 

 science, taste, imagination, contrivance, 

 and all the great requisites of oratorial 

 composition, it forms a worthy compa- 

 nion of the first, and well supports the 

 credit the ingenious composer and com- 

 piler had already obtained. 



. TTie 



