686 



Mr sir. 



sen, in this rapid sketch of the progress of music, 

 the long list of the names of those who, with vari- 

 ous success, have devoted themselves to its differ- 

 ent departments. Nor will it be possible to assign 

 to precise dates, or to particular individuals, the 

 improvements in instruments and methods of per- 

 formance, which have successively added to the 

 power of music and the means at the disposal <>t 

 the composer. We must remain satisfied with the 

 general fact that each following age has had 

 greater resources than its predecessor, and with 

 the probability that succeeding times will go on 

 improving, as long as man is endowed with ingen- 

 uity, and feels an interest in the illimitable, the 

 divine art. It is impossible, however, even to 

 think of music without instantly recollecting the 

 names of those illustrious men of the last century, 

 who are identified with its very existence, and 

 who, if no other composers bad ever written, 

 would have sufficed to make the era glorious, and 

 to furnish the highest pleasures of music to all 

 after time. We refer, of course, to George Fre- 

 derick Handel, Joseph Haydn, and John Chrysos- 

 toin Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. 



Although climate and scenery may affect the 

 rhaiacter of a national music, they can neither 

 cause nor prevent its growth. In a clear and 

 elastic atmosphere and a genial climate, the voice 

 is generally more flexible and clear than in a cold 

 and damp region. This would perhaps have an 

 effect upon the music of such a country during its 

 gradual formation. Italy is called the " land of 

 song ;" not probably because the Italians are a more 

 musical people than the Germans, for instance,but 

 because the voice is more generally good, and con- i 

 sequently there is more vocal music in Italy. No ! 

 traveller can fail to be impressed with the appro- ! 

 priateness of the appellation. This difference j 

 would lead us to expect, what we find to be the 

 case, on comparing the Italian with the German 

 music. The former is more simple, more dis- ; 

 tinguished by melody, more passionate. The lat- 

 ter is profound, complicated, metaphysical, often 

 more grand and sentimental. The former, from 

 its simplicity, indicates that it is the music of the 

 voice ; the latter, by its rich and compound har- 

 mony, appears to be the result of instruments com 

 bined. 



Natural scenery may also exert an influence on 

 the character of a nation's music. It is difficult to 

 imagine the same music to be the growth of the 

 sunny plains of Lombardy, and of the awful scen- 

 ery of the Alps, or the wild shores of the northern 

 seas. Whatever influences are exerted upon 

 national character by these differences, must 

 become apparent in music, if the nation has any. 

 And although we have no faith in the theory, that 

 music is merely the result of man's imitative pro- 

 pensities, we have at the same time no doubt, that 

 it is in a degree modified in every country by the 

 prevalent sounds. For instance ; in a land of 

 tempests, where the mournful sigh of the coming I 

 storm, or the roar of its fury, and the deep, angry, i 

 and incessant roll of the ocean are constantly 

 heard, we should expect to find corresponding j 

 tones in the music. But a milder region, where 

 the song of birds and the busy hum of insects is 

 continually heard, where the prevalent sounds of , 

 nature, the breeze, the purling stream, the cataract, : 

 are of a .cheerful character, and where, from the i 

 gentleness of the scenery, even the storm is robbed ; 

 of half its terrors, we should suppose that the i 



music would partake of this maracttT. And thfv 

 we believe will be acknowledged to be the case, 

 as far as experience goes. 



But such influences as these can never create a 

 national music. The climate of England is as 

 well fitted to make musicians as that of Scotland 

 1 or Germany, and the scenery is as lovely as that 

 ; of Italy. What, then, prevents England from 

 having her own music ? Many reasons may be 

 assigned. In the first place, England has been cut 

 j off from the inheritance of her earliest music. 

 ' Her earliest race, when they retired to the moun- 

 ' tains of Wales, carried with them their language 

 and song. Those strains, however wild and un- 

 couth, which their bards poured out, would, if 

 they had continued to be heard in England, to be 

 listened to, reverenced, cherished, and repeated 

 from age to age, have become gradually more and 

 more polished and harmonious, while at the same 

 time they would have been as strongly stamped 

 with individual character, as the music of any 

 nation now is. The outpouring of the heart in song, 

 the expression, in this form, of national character, 

 the strains which nerved the rude warriors' arm, or 

 which were thundered forth by victorious bands, 

 would never have been lost ; but, even at this day, 

 we should have heard strains, which perhaps struck 

 terror into the hearts of Julius Caesar's troops, or 

 whic-h resounded through the mysterious groves of 

 the Druids. 



It is thus that a national music is formed. The 

 strains which are poured forth from an enthusiastic 

 people, which really give utterance to populai 

 emotion, are its first origin, and give it an indeli. 

 ble stamp. This enthusiastic outpouring of song 

 generally happens only in the infancy and rudeness 

 of nations, while superstition blinds and mystifies, 

 while the passions are vehement and uncontrolled, 

 and the poetry of life is untamed. The same 

 causes which make a rude age poetical, would also 

 give birth to music. The progress of the national 

 music is afterwaids analogous to that of the lan- 

 guage. It is softened, improved, polished ; but it 

 remains essentially the same. The features which 

 were derived from the deep sources of national 

 character are never changed. The early airs are 

 repeated from age to age, and others are fashioned 

 from them, bearing the same distinctive character. 

 Thus it has been with Scotland, with Ireland, and 

 with Wales. 



The first race with which England was peopled 

 retired before the invader, and a new people, with 

 another language, other customs, and other char- 

 acteristics, took possession of the soil. These too 

 undoubtedly had their music, as well as their 

 language and their poetry. And, had the Saxons 

 continued to be the people of England, their music 

 might perhaps at this day have been prominent in 

 the fine arts. But the Saxons were invaded and 

 conquered ; and where did a conquered people ever 

 preserve their song? "They sat down by the 

 rivers of Babylon and wept ;" they hung their 

 harps upon the willows, and their sound was 

 heard no more. 



The Norman came with his romances and his 

 minstrels. But the song of the minstrel was of 

 earlier times, and of heroes long gone by. The 

 language he spoke was soon modified, varied, and 

 finally changed; and the two nations, the con- 

 queror and the vanquished, became blended like 

 their languages, till the original characteristics of 

 both were confused and almost lost. With the 



