recollection, the filial aspirations of Agnese for her father's recovery, and the observations of the chorus. The situations and the music of this scene are alike finely imagined. The introduction of beautiful morceaux of simple melody, concentrating the most pathetic points of the story, excite the feelings far more powerfully than could the most elaborate productions of artful science.

The crisis of Uberto's disease is now near at hand. He is asleep, and a light and elegant chorus is introduced to make these circumstances intelligible, and to relieve the principal action. For the air of the Physician Don Girolamo, which comes next, there is little place and less comment.

The prayer of Agnese for her father's restoration, is a beautiful composition. It is even more than the air given to Ernesto remarkable for passages, which are, in point of fact, the ornaments that singers have been accustomed to introduce. These are substituted for the plainer notes, we suppose, as absolute limitations to the fancy of the performer. SIGNOR PAER* has, in truth, set down the

* FERDINANDO PAER was born at Parma, in July, 1774. After having studied in the academy of that city, he devoted himself to composition under GHIRETTI, a Neapolitan, and a fellow member with the celebrated SALA, at the conservatory of La Pièta. At ten years old he was called to Venice, where he gave his first opera, (Circe) which had great success. He then went to Padua, Milan, Florence, Naples, Rome, Bologna, &c. The Duke of Parma, his godfather, gave him a pension, and permitted him to go to Vienna, that he might there compose several works.

At the death of NAUMANN, (in 1806,) he was invited to become master of the chapel at Dresdon. The death of the Duke of Parma permitted him to accept this engagement, which the elector offered him for life. M. PAER went to Dresden, and composed there several operas, which have been crowned with the most brilliant success.

After the battle of Jena, Napoleon ordered M. PAER and his wife, an excellent singer, to attend him. They followed him to Posen and to Warsaw, where they gave him concerts. Napoleon disengaged them from the service of the court of Saxony, to pass into that of France, and M. PAER was fixed at Paris, with the title of Director and Composer of the private Music of his Majesty the Emperor.

M. PAER is member of the Academy of the Fine Arts at Naples, and of those of Bologna and of Venice. When in his 37th year, he had already composed thirty operas, besides overtures, ariettes, cantatas, sonatas, and other light compositions.

The operas which he gave in Italy, and which attained the greatest reputation, are Circe; La Locanda de Vagabondi; Ora fa tutto; Laodicea ; Cinna; Agnese; l'Intrigo amoroso; Il Principe di Taranto; Idomeneo; I Due sordi; la Testa riscaldata; la Griselda, &c. Those composed at Vienna, are Camilla; Il Morto vivo; il Calroralo; Gineora d'Amieri; Achille. The works for the Court consist of cantatas for the late Empress Theresa, daughter

graces which are, most appropriate. We think the strain is made by this means a little too ornate for the sincerity of prayer. A duet, expressive of the delightful calm that comes over the mind of Agnese, and the joy of her friend Pasquale, terminates this light, yet interesting scene.

If the composer has not exhausted the perfection of his art upon the character of Uberto, he appears at least to have been so highly wrought up by the difficulties attending the task of giving a corresponding musical expressiveness to words of such concentrated feeling, and such changeful import as the character contains, that he has exalted his real hero above his nominal heroine. The recitative and air, "Oh come è buono," which Uberto next sings, is in our minds the finest specimen of SIGNOR PAER's talents of any in the opera. This composition has almost as much force as the mad songs of even our own PURCELL. It cannot per haps be compared with "Let the dreadful engines," for the rough and strong originality of that early English musician; yet as a whole, it unites much of the fire of the antient's fancy with the sweetness and flow of modern art. There is, however, a delicacy of conception, which though inconsistent with the age and style of PURCELL, is well adapted to the present time and manners. We know of no song requiring such powers in the singer as this; nor do we think that a more complete test of vocal science can be proposed. No person of the least sensibility, particularly if a parent, can go through the recitative without experiencing the most poignant sensa tions. The transitions are from hope to apprehension, from tranquillity to joy. It expresses the partial recovery of sense Uberto has experienced, and his desire, that if it be an illusion, the illusion may be eternal. The passage, "Sol chio ceda la mia figlia che la stringa a questo sen! e allor di guibilo," is as original and full of tenderness and sudden illumination as fancy can form. Taken as a of Queen Caroline, with whom he had the honour to sing them. The following are the names of the cantatas: Bacco ed Arianna; la Conversazione armonica; il Trionfo della chiesa cattolica; il S. Sepolcro.

He composed at Dresden the following operas: I fuor' usciti ; Leonora, and at Prague, Sargino; the success of which must have been still more flattering to M. PAER, as it was at Prague that MOZART composed the chief d'œuvres, Il Don Giovanni, Figaro, and La Clemenza di Tito.

In 1809, M. PAER composed for the Theatre of the Court of France, Numa Pompilio and I Baccanti.-Dictionnaire historique des Musiciens, vol. 2, page

110.

whole, it is so replete with beautiful melody, so simple, yet so varied in expression, and so rich in its diversified modulation, that we consider it as by far the finest song in the piece, and amongst the highest specimens of modern Italian composition. The accompaniments are not less praise-worthy.

From this point the character of the piece begins to undergo a change from pathos to joy. The Polacca by Vespina, intended merely to convey the beginning of this alternation, is sprightly and agreeable. The duet between Ernesto and Pasquale combines the contrition, remorse and penitence of the former, with the peculiar humour of the latter. It is in the same style as that between Agnese and Pasquale before noticed. No portion of the opera is destitute of sweet and expressive passages, but the effect of them is here, as in the former instance, broken and diminished by the contrast.

The lively spirit thus awakened is kept up by a chorus, after which Ernesto comes to solicit forgiveness at the feet of Agnese. The reconciliation is the subject of a duet, which though made up of agreeable and elegant parts, yet lacks the intensity and finish of those between the father and daughter. An animated quintett concludes the scene.

A cavatina, one of those beautifully plaintive melodies in the composition of which SIGNOR PAER's forte is chiefly to be found, bespeaks a tranquil interval in the madness of Uberto. The finale in which his restoration to reason is completed, and his daughter given to his embrace, immediately succeeds. It is made up of many parts, for of course the whole catastrophe is developed; the attachment of Ernesto and Agnese, with the introduction of the child is interwoven. The means are these; Agnese plays on the harp behind the scenes. Uberto remembers the sound, she is summoned, and the conclusion is perfected in the happiness of all.

The million of our readers, who are at a distance from the metropolis, and who have not enjoyed the high gratification this affecting drama affords in representation, will thus be enabled to follow the interest, and to form some general judgment of the way in which the story is brought within the forces of the stage. But they will be Tittle able to appreciate its high order of merit as a musical work, for the score is but in few hands, though many of the principat parts are published. Its leading characteristic is intensity of feeling, displayed in melodics breathing elegance, taste, and sensibility.

The part of Uberto is written with extraordinary force, and with a tact that in musical expression is analogous and not inferior to the finest personification of mental aberration that we have ever seen. The transitions from one state of insanity to another are managed with infinite effect; and the short and never to be forgotten strains of simple melody that return upon us, and are employed to pourtray the leading ideas and associations of the madman, are inimitable. "La figlia mia spiro," and "Come la nebbia al vento,” are those to which we more especially allude, as well as others which we have particularized in the progress of our analysis of the opera.t

There is one circumstance we have mentioned which strikes us as very singular in itself and peculiar to the composer-that is, the introduction of passages of mere ornament in the place of divisions or of plain notes. All these ornamental parts are familiar to us as the graces interpolated by singers; but we do not recollect to have seen them before so generally set down by the composer. The notations of divisions are perhaps fairly exhausted, and perhaps also SIGNOR PAER may not without reason be apprehensive of leaving a plain canvas for the artist to paint upon. The change forces itself upon our observation more strongly, because it falls in very much with notions we entertain in regard to the possibility of giving to ornament a settled and regular gradation in expression. SIGNOR PABR has done this in regard to all the pieces he has adopted into his melodies.

*One of the Daily Journals (the Times) had the following excellent observation in a criticisim upon the opera when it first appeared in this country. "PAER is remarkable too for his great judgment: he understands perfectly what we may call the modelling of an opera: he knows where to employ the recitativo parlante, or speaking recitative, where an increased interest requires the recitative accompanied, and where the subject should rise to full melody, into regular rythm and movement. These circumstances, by the way, if properly considered, constitute the true attraction of the opera itself. Once allow for the elevation of recitative above ordinary dialogue, and we obtain à natural gradation of sentiment and passion without that abruptness which attends the transition from speaking to singing. There is then a certain con gruity between the parts and the whole, without which no production will bear the scrutiny of taste. We particularly impress this remark, because it is the clue to the knowledge of the true merits of an entertainment which deserves to be held in general estimation."

+ In the chamber we should be apt to complain of the length of the several airs, &c. but this is a fault incident to the great bulk of opera pieces, which are necessarily protracted in consequence of the paucity of character and incidents to which the Italian drama is usually limited.

In its general bearing Agnese reminds us of PAESIELLO's Nina. Intensity of feeling, expressed with simplicity, elegance, and sweetness, are the grand characteristics of both. The celebrity this opera has justly given to PAER's name in England may probably lead to a better knowledge of his very numerous works. MR. BISHOP has already put into circulation another of them in his harpsichord score of Numa Pompilius. The selection however of Agnese for representation is a just tribute to English genius, from whence the story is derived, and English taste has paid a liberal tribute to the talents of the dramatist and the musician, in the applauses which the most critical audience of the metropolis of the country has be stowed upon AGNESE.