knowledge of the art of accompaniment. He has combined the parts with a fullness, a richness, and an elegance that cannot be too highly esteemed. When MR. CLEMENTI's harpsichord score of the Creation appeared, it was universally recommended by scientific men as a model for accompanists. MR. NOVELLO's arrangements. are by no means second to this reputed score. They afford admirable lessons for the mind of the student as well as a copious variety of practice for the hand, rising through several degrees from simple and easy instructions to some of complicated execution.

It is no slight honour to the musicians of our own age and country that MR. NOVELLO's nice and instructed eye should have delighted to dwell upon and to select more than a fourth part (including MR. N.'s own works) of the six books from the writings of Englishmen. The honour too is enhanced when we find that they possess natural strength enough to enable them to stand upon the same field with such men as SEBASTIAN BACH, MOZART, and HAYDN. The compositions of WEBBE and RUSSELL have each their proper and peculiar merits. The treble solo by RUSSELL, "Miserere me Deus," is exquisite both in its melody and accompaniment; and the “Ave verum" and "Gloria et honore," by WESLEY, are extremely fine, in however rather an organ stile. WEBBE's recitative, duet, and chorus, "Qui seminant," is exceedingly expressive, and in the latter part highly spirited and animating. His quartett "Tu eligisti," though grand and affecting, preserves throughout an elegance which is scarcely exceeded in this respect by any composition in parts in the book.

S. WEBBE, JUN.'s "Pater noster" is very singular, and appears to us to be very original; the expression is frequently admirably heightened, and in the last few musical phrases to the words "Regnum potentia et gloria," the bass is very effectively employed. We could not quite reconcile the accentuation to our ears, yet we are wholly unable to discover wherefore. There is, however, something very peculiar in the construction of the whole air. Perhaps a portion of the singularity belongs to the vocal sentences almost all commencing in the middle of the bar. "Voluntas tua sicut in cælo et terra," are scarcely good vocal passages, and more striking than pleasing. The solo by MR. EVA NS, one of the gentlemen of the King's chapel, is of great merit, considering the limits which nature has placed upon the composer for the circumscribed compass of a counter-tenor voice; it abounds in graceful passages, and does not weary the ear by repe

titions; this is one of the instances that prove how few notes are necessary to the structure of fine melody.

From HAYDN and PEREZ MR. NOVELLO has drawn the greatest quantity of what we may be permitted to call his foreign matter. The subjects he has chosen from the former are identified with the numberlesss works of the master already known, by the same rich and flowing melody, the same variety of modulation and fullness of harmony. In the hands of such a skilful anatomist and demonstrator as MR. N. has proved himself to be, HAYDN is safe. None but his beauties will be presented for the inspection of the world.— The quartett of which the music is from the Stabat maler—“ Te ergo quæsumus' equals, in the particular excellencies of IIAYDN, almost any thing of this kind from his pen; it is exceedingly elegant and pathetic, but often as we have seen these words set in different ways and by many composers, they never reach the heart so surely as through the exquisite duet of GRAUN. Indeed the recollection of this inestimable example of expression, always damps our hopes when we open a "Te ergo," and may perhaps detract from our impartiality. However so it is. "Tu ad liberandum" contains some delightful applications of melody and of harmony also to words. The transitions are in parts highly striking and impassioned. "Jesu deus pacis" is a powerful example of HAYDN's mannerism, inasmuch as relates to subject and modulation, but stopping short of that exuberant fertility, that overflow of the imagination which scarcely ever to be restrained or wearied when most felicitously employed, is one of the chief characteristics of his genius.

From HAYDN we pass to PEREZ, whose compositions, almost as little known to England as those of any ancient author, MR. NOVELLO has shewn to possess much that entitles them to ve neration. Indeed he draws more largely from PEREZ than any other. Our acquaintance with the works of the Spaniard is so slight, that we know not whether these adaptations are from his secular or Iris sacred writings, and we are free to confess, we are unable to form any judgment upon the point from internal evidence, for they appear to us so naturally fitted to the worls, that we are indifferent as to their real origin. Nothing can exceed parts of them. We are almost induced to prefer them to any other portion of the collection. From beginning to end there is a predominating character of superiority. The first "Tenebræ

ala sunt" is a sublime composition indeed. The opening movement is awfully grand, though full of the pathetic import of the last words of the Saviour upon the cross, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me," while the second, "Et inclinato capite emisit spiritum," is far above any commendation we can bestow; and its repetition after the "Exclamans Jesus," carries into the conclusion the sweet, calm, and touching conception which is the pervading spirit of the whole. We know not what to prefer to this.-Thefirst strain of "Media nocte" is also eminently grand and affecting from its air and harmonies, while the other parts are equally strong and exciting. The duet "Sentiant omnes," is pathetic; but we think it somewhat heavier and less interesting than his other pieces. The most magnificent of all we haye, is the "Regnum et civitatem circunda." Nothing can go beyond the contrasted simplicity and grandeur of the opening of the second movement, and the working of the parts, especially the bass, which comes in with a dignity and effect that reminds us of some of Handel's most successful uses of it in his chorusses. This is truly a noble composition. "Cum jucun ditate" is really jocund; it is in a new and lively style, essentially differing from those things we have noticed. Upon the whole, we greatly admire this author; and, if we think he has failed at all, it is in the subjects of his fugues, which do not seem to be happily chosen. But what occurs to our observation as most curious is, that after the years which have elapsed since he flourished, and the quantity of music written, we do not discover a single mean or common place passage. On the contrary, the music of PEREZ breathes a lofty, original, and a modern air, together with a sweetness and a smoothness equal to the best compositions, either of his own or later times.

LEAL MOREIRA, who stands next in the order of proportion, is of our own age, he being the composer to the patriarchal church at Lisbon. The selections from him are far below those we haye just reviewed, in melody; this necessarily leaves a dissatisfation in the comparison, which is unavoidable to those who shall look carefully into the book. But MOREIRA is not without the degree of merit that entitles a com poser to a niche in MR. NOVELLO's temple of taste. His pieces have more of the visible force of art than those of PEREZ, because they are less simple. Their characteristics are originality and power rather than grace and softness, and perhaps the contrast they ex

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hibit has been one of the inducements to their adoption. We put them nearly upon a level with the specimens of MR. S. WESLEY'S works in the volume, to which, by places, they bear some slight analogy, though we think they go a little beyond him. The passages have, to our ears, something of the same organ effect, something of the same instrumental rather than vocal structure, wearing however an air more polished and refined by study and acquaintance with the schools of Italy. WESLEY is something harder and more severe than MOREIRA. Certainly MOREIRA's manner is forcible and masterly. The parts are connected not without a show of contrivance and erudition, and the imitations are kept up with spirit and effect, particularly in the motett "Sint lumbi vestri præcinti," and if upon the whole he captivates us less than the former masters, it is from his melody being less smooth, flowing, and attractive. We prefer "Ostende faciem tuam" to the rest.

The specimens from MOZART are almost all known on account of the recent performance of the operas whence they are extracted. "Possenti Numi," from the Zauberflotte, set to the words "O Jesu potentissime," as a bass solo, and quartett is remarkable for its grave and pathetic cantabile air. It would, we think, have been improved in its effect, had it been transposed a note or two higher, for a singer must have uncommon powers of tone and expression who could convey the passion at the very bottom of his voice. In this respect it exhibits a variation from the received notions of modern eomposers, who have endeavoured to transmute the mechanical style of writing for basses into a more elegant and graceful flow of melody. Air is not wanting but it lies so low as to render its effect doubtful if not absolutely heavy among bass singers in general. With this brief chronicle we may dismiss the selections from this author for the airs of Cosi fan tutte, Il Don Giovanni, and La Clemenza di Tito, will probably be amongst those most readily and most generally recog, nized. We may place in the same class the extracts from the Il Rullo di Proserpina of WINTER. From the German opera of Fanchon, by HIMMEL, there is one short specimen of melody so delightful as to lead us to wish for more from the same spring. The seven motetts that conclude the volume are from HAYDN'S well known "Passione," and are ably arranged by MR. WEBBE, JUN. A terzetto from SARTI, (published by the way previously in La trobe,) with a few other things from MATTEI, BACH, GIORDANI,

and BEETHOVEN, complete the work, except the compositions of the selector himself, which we have reserved for the last place in our remarks.

The general characteristics of MR. NOVELLO's style appear to us to be suavity, elegance, and bold and various modulation. His melodies do not rise into extraordinary felicity or originality, yet they are ever flowing and agreeable, mixing much of the sober dignity of the church style with a lighter manner that gives relief, while it assorts well with the graver foundation and more solid materials of the work. We should be induced to hazard an opinion that HAYDN is a favourite with MR. NOVELLO, and that he often finds himself drawn by an irresistible impulse to the study and to an indirect imitation of HAYDN'S writings. Our notion is formed from that leading and general assimilation which attracts men of common feelings by a common sympathy, of which we not only imagine we perceive considerable traits in the compositions of MR. N. now before us, but that they prevail in other things we have seen from his hand. It would indeed be matter of surprize, if a composer of the present day had escaped the universal fascination. We must do MR. NOVELLO the justice to say, that we consider him to be of the school of HAYDN, for we do not find a single passage that leads us to think of HAYDN, otherwise than through the resemblance, which only by a large and broad acceptation impels us to the principles that they hold in common, namely, sweet, flowing and ornate melody, supported and diversified by frequent and often curious and unexpected changes in the harmony. MR. NOVELLO then is HAYDN's scholar not a plagiarist or direct imitator.

The first motett that presents itself, "Asperges me Domine," bas somewhat of both these distinctions though not in so prominent or so excellent a manner as some which follow. "O Gloriosa" is written in a lower, a plainer, and a graver style than is customary with MR. N. and has less to fix it in the mind. "Sancta Maria" is a sweet and graceful air abounding in such frequent modulation as to throw over it somewhat of the two decorative character of an ambitious style.The repetition of the words "Sancta Maria” in the last page is how ever highly expressive, and conveys the idea of imprecation with impassioned yet holy fervour. "Tu devicto" (the subject from PORTOGALLO,) has great merit as a counter-tenor song, both from the ele. gance of the passages and the pathetic effect of the changes in the