wk, ene ot g8r 
A 
COMPARISON oo oc 
BETWEEN THE, Lg 
ANCIENT AND MODERN. STYLES OF MuSIe, 
IN: 
WHICH 
THE 
Merits and Demervis of each are refpectively pointed out. 
INCE the great revolution in inftru- 
mental music, it has been too much 
the cuftom in England for mufical ama- 
teurs to be prejudiced in favor of one of 
the two ftyles, cither the ancient or the 
modern, and to reprobate the othe: bi 
Aa hey do this as though the encou rage- 
ment of both ftyles mnt neceflarily in-. 
terfere, or that the one could not po thibly. 
flourith, without the extinction. cf the 
other. By the new ftyle or {pecies of 
compofition here alluded to, is meant 
that of the modern fymphony, in which 
-ftring and wind inftrumen rs are mived 
togcther, and that of the Solo-Concerto, 
Concertante, &c. as oppofed to the an-- 
f Overtures on Lutly’s plan, 
cient ftyle o 
and of full Contents: with repieno per ts 
for tring inftruments exch ufively. ‘This 
veqolutad in mufic feems to ee Deen 
chiefly occafioned by a more general 
knowledge of the powers and effects of 
wind inftruments. 
The partial attachment of amateurs 
to one fiyle, has, perhaps, been too 
much countenanced by the managers of 
the principal fubfeription _ concerts in 
London, who always adhere e: ntirely 
either to the ancient or the modern ifyie, 
and do not admit of a mixture of both. 
On fuch condu& I cannot but remark, 
that if the managers of che Concert of 
Ancient Mufic with to difcountenance 
the soderu ftyle of compofition, aid to 
encourage the ancien, bY faltering: nO 
piece of mufic to be performed that has 
not been compofed within a limitred 
number of years, they entirely fruftrate 
thelr own defign. What compofer, 
however, attached to, or capable of writ- 
ing in the ancient Ryle (ot which there 
are doubtlefs many in the metropolis} 
can have the leat eneouragerment to do 
fo, whil& his works muf “neceffarily be 
rejected at both the above-mentioned con- 
certs; at thofe of modern mufic, on ac- 
count of its antique ftyle, and at thofe 
of ancient mufic, becaufe recently com- 
pofed. Such mufic, : however excellent, 
can, therefore, only be perfor med at the 
inferior concerts, .or or ‘benefits. In 
thefe the profiting parties always. find it 
Sup.to MonrHiy Mas. Vol. IT. 
their intereft to blend the two fy les to- 
gether, with a view to accommodate alt 
taces.. “They wake efpecial care to pre- 
fent the votaries of each fiyle, With a 
few pieces adapted to their feveral taftes, 
without regard to the othér pieces, and,. 
in confequence, produce, by this variety 
and. pee, much greater en sfaction te 
nine-tenths of the ee 
With regard to the yotaries of the two, 
fivles, I have always oblerved that ¢ ideriy, 
people are generally the moft attached te 
the. ancient, and youxg people to the, 
modern mufic. Lhe reafon for which, 
the foemer will, perhaps, affert ta be. 
obvious, and that people. of experience 
and mature judgment will naturally pre= 
fer the good folid harmony of the’ an- 
clent {yftem, to the light and trifling 
mufic of the new. 
Per haps, however, there may, be other 
reafons for this preference, at -leat, 
equally. obvious. People who have beer 
long accuftomed or confined to a par ticus 
ler fy tem (as elderly pecple muft for- 
merly have been) efpecially if they are 
performers, find ‘the modern mufic more 
difficult » its execution from the mere 
novelty of the ftyle, and the rapidity with 
‘aes 4ts llless& and Preftos are re- 
quired to be shane. Thorough Bafs 
players, who have been, chiefly ued 
to the works of old Authors, object to 
the reiterated quayers on the fame notes 
frequently introduced in the. modern 
{ymphonics, it being more dificult to 
read them ea to diftineuith one bar 
from another. Tenor play ers alfo, who 
were barely qualified to amufe them- 
fel ves W schthe performance of the works 
of Corelli, Geminiani, . Handet,. &ce. in 
which that infirument has always the 
leaft to execute, find in modern mufie ’ 
that it is frequently made of equal, cous 
fequence with the other inftruments, and 
requires, therefore, . much the fame dey 
gree of execution and attention, 
Another difficulty to performers of 
moder ate abrliti res, Occurs in modern mus 
fic, in the want of Repieno parts, For- 
merly if a good leading firft and fecond 
violin, and” principal, bals . cubld } be pro= 
6 cures 
