G R A 



G R A 



and for the cliurch, a Te Dcum, and a P affione, befides mif- 

 C'-'llaneous prodiiitions of lefs importance, as odes and can- 

 tatas, with the overture and recitatives of the palloral opera 

 of Galatea, of which his raajefty, Quantz, and Nichehiian, 

 fet the fongs. 



On the deceafe of this excellent coniijofer, innumerable 

 poems and panegyrics were written to his memory. Among 

 the "Critical I^etters concerning Mufic, ' publilhed by M. 

 Marpnrg, there is an addrefs to M. Fried. W^ilhehn Zacha- 

 riii, the celebrated poet and niiifician of Bruufwick, recom- 

 mending the death of Graim to his mnfe. No great ftrefs 

 can be laid on panegyrics ; however, there are tew of 

 Oraun's admirers, who are not ready to burn with fire and 

 faggot all thofe who dare to doubt of this author's vera- 

 city. 



" Graun, the brighte!l ornament of the German mule, 

 the noble mailer of Iwcet melody, is now no more ! creator 

 of his own taile, he fpoke not, but to our hearts ; tender, 

 foft, companionate, elevated, pompous, and terrible, by 

 turns ; — he could force tears of admiration from us, at his 

 plealure ; an artill, who made no other ufe of art, than to 

 .imitate nature, in the moil pleafmg and expreflive manner; 

 each ftroke of his pencil was equally perfecl, full of inven- 

 tion, and ot new ideas, his genius was inexhaulliblc. Tiie 

 model ot iacred muiic, and in the theatre inimitable ! a man 

 . who commanded our affettions, not only by his talents, but 

 by his virtues, of friendihip, probity, and patriotilm ; no 

 man was ever fo univerfally lamented bv the wliole nation, 

 from the king, to the louell of his fubjcfts.'' 3!tittfcl;C 



dCricfc ubct Die Coiifuiifi. 1. 'BanD. li5ctlin 1760. 



Nov.-, to revei'fe the medal ; it is denied, by the other 

 p^rty, that Graun was the creator of iiis own tajle, which 

 is the tafle ot Vinci ; they deny, that he is ever pompous 

 or terrible, but lay, tliat an even tenor runs through all his 

 works, w'.iieh never reach tlie fublime, though the tender 

 and graceful are frequently found in them ; tliey are equally 

 unwilling to Inbfcribe to his great invention, or the origina- 

 lity of his ideas ; and think that Hill more perfecl models 

 of facred mufic may be found in the clioruifes of Handel, 

 and the airs and duos of Peigolefi and Jonitlli : nor can they 

 well comprehend, how that compofer can be called inlmilui/f, 

 who is hinifelf an imitator. 



We have recently examined the fcores of Graun's operas, 

 and fee no reafon for changing the opinion wlilch we formed 

 30 years ago. He was certainly a great mailer, elegant in 

 his melodies, and correCl and regular in his harmony ; but 

 if any one of his operas were now to be revived, it would be 

 thought in want ot variety and lire. 



During the life of his great and ilhillrious patron, he was 

 revered as much at Berlin as Handel in England ; both 

 great men, moll alfuredly ; but much difcriir.ination is ne- 

 celTary in drasving a parallel between thrm. Handel formed 

 his ilyle on the bell models of the old Ichool, at the time of 

 its grcatell perfection ; fuch as C.iriirimi, Colonna, AlelT, 

 ■Scarlatti, Steff.nii and Corelli ; Ciraun on that of the in- 

 ventor of the new Ilyle, Vinci ; who, though extremely and 

 juiUy admired for the grace and elegance of his n.elodies, 

 tiie fimplicity of his acconipaiiiir.ent, and the facility and 

 clearnefs of his Ilyle in gentral, has been f ; r furpafled by 

 Pergolell, JomclL, Piccini, Sacchini, and Paeficllo. Ger- 

 many is perha]is more obliged to Graun for fmootliing, 

 fimplifying, and polilhing the rough, laboured, and inelegant 

 Ilyle ot their old mailers, than to any Italians that have been 

 employed at the imperial coin-t or at Drefden, to fet the 

 dramas of Apollolu Zeno and Metallalio. Handel had 

 more Ijjirit and invention, and Graun more polilh and refinc- 

 idient. Handel was wholly uiirivulkd in the cot.ntry where 



he fpent the greated part of his life ; but Graun had a rivart 

 in the Roman Catholic courts, in the celebrated Hafie, his 

 countryman, whofe compolitions \\ere as much in circula- 

 tion and favour all over Europe, as thofe of Vinci and Per- 

 golefi. Thofe of Graun teem wholly confined to Germany, 

 and almofl to die couri of Berlin ; nor do we ever remember 

 to have heard Mara ling one of his airs in England, though 

 during many years fhe performed the principal female parts 

 in his operas at Berhn. His Te Dcum was firft appointed to 

 be performed at the concert of ancient niulic in 1786, by 

 the late duke of Leeds, then marquis of Caermarthen, and 

 it has continued a Hock piece everfince. Many of his duets, 

 and his ^OD jCcfU are admirable comjjofitions, and he cer- 

 tainly delerves to be ranked very high among the great 

 mailers of the lafl century. 



GuAl.:.s', John Gotti-IB, brother of the above compofer, 

 and concert-mailer to his late PnifTian majelly, Frederick II. 

 his admirers at Berlin, fay that " he was one of the greatell 

 performers on the violin of his time, and moll alfnixdly, a 

 compofer of the firll rank ; his overtures and lymphonies 

 are majellic, and his concertos are mailer-pieces, particularly 

 thofe ior two violins, in v.liich lie has united the moll agree- 

 able melody with all the learning that the art of counter- 

 point can boall ; he has likewife frequently fet the Sa!vt 

 Re[;iriti, and comjioled mafies, which are rendered grand 

 and noble by fimplicity and good melody, even in the moll> 

 laboured parts." 



But lels quarter is granted to this mailer, by the adniirer.<i 

 of more modern mulic, than to his brother ; tliLy olten find 

 his overtures and fvniphonics too like thole ot LuUi, and 

 too full ot notes to producs any other cfieft, when played 

 at Berlin, than that ot llunning the hearers : and in his con- 

 certos and church mulic, when that is not the cafe, the 

 length of each movement is more immoderate, than Chrillian 

 patience can endure. 



Perhaps the truth may lie between thefe two opinions ; 

 and with refpcci to the chapel-mailer Graun, it lliould be 

 remembered, that he was ftldom allowed to follow the bent 

 of his own genius. 



GRAl'NT, JoiiK, born April 24, 1620, was brought 

 up to the trade of a haberdalher, but by his good 

 fenfe and integrity in bullnefs lie acquired the eileem 

 of his fellow citizens, fo as to be elected into the common 

 council of the city of London. The bills of mortality, 

 which were annually laid before this bedv, led Mr. 

 Graunt to turn his attention to the fcience of political arith- 

 metic. From very fiiiall beginnings he ccUeihted a large 

 body of materials, from which he compoled a work enti led 

 " Natural and Political Obfervations made upon the Bills of 

 Mortality." This work was well received by the public, 

 and palfed through feveral editions ; it obtained likeuile for 

 the author an admifiion into the Royal Society, ujion the 

 particular recommendation of the king, who gave it in 

 particular charge to thofe concerned, that if they found 

 any more fuch tradefnicn, they fyould be fure to admit 

 them ail. It is generally fuppofed that Mr. Graunt 

 received valuable alhllance from lir W. Petty ; but the 

 Ilyle is fuch as might be cxpefted from a plain citiien, 

 and the tabular form, prefenting at one view tlie general 

 relults of a number of important fiiits, was a thought 

 efTentially leading to all the coneluliuns which have lliice 

 been cllabhlhed relative to thele fubjeCls. After he 

 retired from bulinefs, he was admitted a trufiee for lir Wil- 

 liam Backhoule, into the management of the New River 

 Company, which, with the unlucky circumllance of his 

 being a convert to popery, gave occalion to tlie groundlefs 

 calumny of his having had a hand in the great lire of London. 



The 



