THE MUSICIAN ABOUT TOWN. 297 
worthless gewgaws, produced elsewhere, that no puff (preliminary 
or immediate) could keep alive for a fortnight, were lauded and re- 
lauded through persevering columns of small type. Setting aside 
the injustice of all this, the reporters have not been “ wise in their 
day and generation ;” for they have distinctly shown to other ca- 
terer’s for the people’s amusement, how much they must depend 
upon themselves, and how little upon puff paragraphs, for support. 
No flourish of trumpets, for example, was made, and none was re- 
quired, to introduce “‘ The Tempest, according to the text of Shaks- 
pere.” When the time came, the thing spoke for itself; and one 
benefit, if no other, will accrue from the excellent judgment and 
superb style in which it has been brought out, viz. that this divine 
play can never more be profaned by the gross, the monstrous alli- 
ance forced upon it by the ribaldry of Dryden and Davenant. No 
future revival of the Tempest must be contemplated in a relaxed 
spirit ; and none surely can well surpass the present one for carry- 
ing out the sweet imagination of its author. One omission only in 
the original arrangement of the play is to be regretted, and that is, 
the admirable opening scene of the storm on board the king’s ship. 
Brisk and stirring as this is, however, in the text, it is, perhaps, 
questionable whether the machinist could have succeeded in present- 
ing to the audience an illusion so complete as to have warranted the 
attempt. Even in the most perfect of theatrical machinery the senses 
are never wholly hoodwinked ; and so unreasonable are the public 
in matters of this nature that the greater the attempt, the less ap- 
pears to be their consideration for a failure in it. The musical de- 
partment of the Tempest was filled in a more than creditable style 
—it was excellent. Mr. T. Cooke, to whom the praise is due of 
selecting the inter-act music, evinces both taste and judgment in 
choosing those charming movement’ from Corelli, who was contem- 
porary with Purcell ; and the manner in which he arranged them 
for the full orchestra has received general commendation from the 
musical professor and amateur. So complete, indeed, has been the 
satisfaction expressed and felt by the musical public with this por- 
tion of the entertainment—the simply beautiful harmonies of the 
old Italian composer, accompanied with the exquisite melodies of the 
illustrious Henry Purcell—that we happen to know the fact of one 
of our most eminent professors having three times paid his admis- 
sion to the boxes for the pure enjoyment of the music. The memo- 
ry of Purcell’s music never can wholly pass away, although the 
manner of performing it has unfortunately become traditional : but 
VOL. IX., NO. XXVI, 38 
