156 



TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 



political edifice by art, must be preceded by the 

 consolidation of its foundations. 



There is scarcely any taste here for painting and 

 sculpture, and hence we see even in the churches, 

 instead of real works of art, only ornaments over- 

 loaded with gold. Music, on the contrary, is cul- 

 tivated with more partiality by the Brazilians, and 

 particularly in Rio de Janeiro ; and in this art 

 they may perhaps the soonest attain a certain de- 

 gree of perfection. The Brazilian, like the Por- 

 tuguese, has a refined ear for agreeable modulation 

 and regular melody, and is confirmed in it by the 

 simple accompaniment of the voice with the 

 guitar. The guitar (viola), here, as in the south 

 of Europe, is the favourite instrument ; a piano- 

 forte, on the contrary, is a very rare article of fur- 

 niture, met with only in the richest houses. The 

 national songs, which are sung with the accom- 

 paniment of the guitar, are partly of Portuguese 

 origin, and partly written in the country. By 

 singing, and the sound of the instrument, the 

 Brazilian is easily excited to dancing, and expresses 

 his cheerfulness in polished society, by graceful 

 cotillons, and in inferior company by expressive 

 pantomimic motions, and attitudes like those of 

 the negroes. The Italian opera is hitherto very 

 imperfect, both as regards the singers and the 

 orchestra. A private band of vocal and instru- 

 mental music, which the crown prince has formed 

 for himselfi of native mulattoes and negroes, speaks 



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