1822.) 
et 
NEW MUSIC AND THE DRAMA. 
—= 
Pari the Third of “ Judah,” an Oratorio, 
in Three Parts; selected and com- 
Boss by Wm. Gardiner, of Leicester. 
1/. 1s. 
HIS voluminous and elaborate 
undertaking has at length arrived 
atits close ; and we congratulate Mr. 
Gardiner on his successful perform- 
ance of a task that required no ordi- 
nary exertions of ability, science, and 
industry. Previous to entering on 
the consideration of the Part now 
before us, we will give our readers a 
general view of the origin, plan, and 
execution of the work; and then, by 
adding to the remarks we made on its 
two former portions, a summary dis- 
quisition on the contents of the present 
volume, enable them to judge how far 
the ingenious author, selector, and 
adapter, has realised his own ideas. 
In presenting this illustration, we 
shall avail ourselves of much of Mr. 
Gardiner’s own language, as we find 
it in the preface which he has sub- 
joined to this part of the publication ; 
because generally, and in this instance 
particularly, no expressions can better 
elucidate a writer’s meaning than 
those which he himself has employed. 
In presenting this oratorio to the pub- 
lic, (says Mr. Gardiner,) the author feels 
it necessary to give some explanation of 
its plan and origin. ‘The important part 
assigned to music in the services of the 
Roman Catholic Church is. well known; 
and a large portion of the compositions of 
the great masters of the art were design- 
ed for this specific purpose. ‘These com- 
positions, though distinguished by the 
same marks of genius as appear in their 
other works, have, for the most part, re- 
mained unknown in this country; and it 
was from a desire to rescue them from this 
unmerited neglect, that the author under- 
took the arrangement of the Sacred Melo- 
dies. While engaged on that work, most 
of tue pieces here spoken of came under 
his view; but, as many of them were. of 
too elaborate a kind for adinission there, 
it became a desideratum with him to find 
some mode in which they could be pre- 
sented to the British public, without in- 
jury to their original character. The 
Oratorio, from its elevated style and close 
alliance with this species of music, natu- 
rally suggested itself as the most eligible 
form; but, in adopting it, the author has 
found it necessary to deviate in some de- 
gree from the usual plan of these compo- 
sitions. Music of this description is con- 
sieved as a sort of sacred drama; and a 
‘eccptain limitation, as to subject at least, 
has in consequence been observed by com- 
posers. The slightest consideration will, 
however, be sufficient to show, that this 
dramatic character of ihe Oratorio is alto- 
‘gether ideal ; that its interest depends in 
no degree on the progress of the action, 
but on the expressive or imitative power 
of the music ; and that the subject is of no 
other importance than as an index of the 
sentiment or action intended to be express- 
ed. Instead, therefore, of confining himself 
to any single event of sacred history, which 
the great variety of his materials rendered 
nearly impossible, the author has selected, 
at pleasure, from all parts of the canon of 
the Old Testament, such passages as ap- 
peared to him most analogous insublimity, 
pathos, or beauty, to the character of the 
music to which they were to be applied, 
He has thus embraced most of the prin- 
cipal events recorded in the Jewish Serip- 
tures, commencing with the history of 
Abraham, and terminating in a proplietic 
view of the Millennium; and has designated 
his work by the comprehensive, though 
indefinite, title of “Judah.” 
From this view of the nature and 
extent of Mr. Gardiner’s work, our 
readers will perceive how arduous 
was the task he undertook. It is 
almost needless to observe, that, 
however great was his dependance 
on the merit of the masters to whose 
compositions his judgment directed 
his attention, the ingenious labour still 
devolved upon him, not only of ar- 
ranging the chorusses, supplying many 
of the accompaniments, and furnishing 
much and various connecting matter ; 
but of composing all the recitatives, 
and most of the songs; and that, by 
consequence, only considerable talent, 
and enlightened by science, stimulated 
to action by the most laudable ambi- 
tion, could accomplish an undertaking 
of such magnitude. In the pages now 
under review, we find eight chorusses, 
and nine airs, besides two quarteits, 
ten recitatives, and an overture in one 
moyement, the subject of which is 
taken from Haydn. For the music of 
these, we find the same great authors 
resorted to, the choicest. of whose 
works supplied the substance of the 
former portions of this Oratorio; and 
while equal judgment is displayed in 
the selection,—especially in the music 
given to the chorusses, ‘‘O happy, 
happy Solyma!” from Mozart ; “Glory 
to God,” from Beethoven; “ Glorily 
the great Jehovah,” from Haydn; and 
“Sound aloud Jehovah's name,” from 
