Vol. II.] Comparison of Ancient and Modern Mufic. Stamitz is univerfally allowed to be a great improvement, is evident from the fact of almost all his fucceffors availing themselves of it in their compofitions, and particularly in the Italian opera. It has alfo been introduced, and with very great effect, in the last movement but one of Handel's fifth grand concerto, where, immediately after a full clofe, the violins and baffes fet off pianiffimo, and gradually increafe to the extreme fortiffimo. The improvement of this paffage by thefe means is fo ftriking and obvious, that there can be no doubt but Handel would himfelf have adapted it, had it occurred to him. Some of the first mufical compofers that wrote in this new ftyle in England, were Bach and Abel, moft of whofe compofitions were fo generally admired. Of these authors, if the works of the former may be faid to abound with fire, rafte, and brilliancy, thofe of the latter no lefs abound with expreffion, with fine and pleafing (though fometimes abftrufe) modulation, and with accuracy of compofition. There is however in general To great an uniformity in the ftyle and plan of their fymphonies, and fo great a fameness in them, that it has been faid of them, particularly of Bach's (confidering them as opera overtures, or theatrical pieces), that the firft or principal movements feem to be calculated for the meridian of the pit, (where the critics generally affemble), the middle ftrain for that of the boxes (where people of a more refined taste ufually fit), and the laft ftrain for that of the galleries. What has been faid of the uniformity of the ftyle of Bach and Abel will perhaps equally apply to the works of moft of their contemporaries. It feems therefore probable that, on account of this famenefs, the modern ftyle (not having in general that body of harmony and laboured contrivance to fupport it that the ancient mufic had) would have degenerated and confiderably loft ground had not the great Haydn appeared. The works of this illuftrious compofer in general abound with fo much eccentricity, ingenious modulation, and contrivance, that it is impoffible to be prepared for what is to come next, though at the fame time he manages to keep to the fubject or theme as ftrictly as any author either ancient or modern. Were the fymphonies of HAYDN and his disciple PLEVEL to be published in fcore, as the works of Corelli and Handel are, perhaps quite as much ingenuity would 985 be evinced, though in a ftyle totally different. It would appear that the first ten or twelve bars generally contained the ground work or foundation, upon which, by means of ingenious modulation, invertion of harmony, and the addition of fuch paffages as in the progrefs of the ftrain naturally arife, the whole of the remainder of the ftrain (or fuperftructure) is raifed.-It is true that canons, fugues, &c. very rarely occur in their works, but the reafon is evident; for fince the new effects produced by the modern ftyle of mufic, they are not fo much attended to as they were when air was generally made fubfervient to figurative counterpoint. It is by no means to be fuppofed that Haydn is incapable of fucceeding in fugues, &c.; on the contrary many of his maffes and choral compofitions for the church, as well as fome of his later fets of quartettos, contain as well contrived fugues, with fingle, double, and quadruple fubjects, both plain and inverted, as are to be met with in the works of any other author. It must however be confeffed, that fince thefe two great masters have been in England, they have, in their symphonies and concertantes written exprefsly for the concerts at Hanover-fquare, in a great measure departed from that fimplicity which alone is capable of giving general pleafure. It is impoffible for any ear to receive and clearly diftinguish the effect of many parts together, unless affifted by the eye in looking over the score, at least not till after feveral hearings. For though fingle airs, folos, and mufic of few parts, are apt to lose their effect and become infipid from too frequent repetition, yet mufic of a complicated kind has quite the contrary effect, as is evinced by thofe who are much in the habit of attending oratorios, becoming, after a time, tired of the airs, whilft they continued to enjoy the choruffes even more and more.-As therefore the *Such alfo doubtless is the reason why the grand choruffes in Handel's oratorios are apt to please lefs at firft than after a few hearings; and they constantly improve in their effects on repetition, as the ear then frequently difcovers new beauties or excel lences that had before escaped it. It is there fore probable that the principal reason why the choruffes in the Meffiah are fo much more generally pleasing than thofe of his other oratorios, arifes from the frequency of its performance, in confequence of which its choruffes have become familiar to almost every audience. complexity complexity of choral mufic is juftified by the number of parts neceffarily occafioned by a mixture of voices and inftruments, which is not the cafe with mere inftrumental mufic, it feems that a great excellence of the latter fhould confift in its preferving a due medium between the two extremes; namely, in being nei ther fo very fimply and plainly as to be likely foon to pall and grow infipid, nor yer fo, intricately and complicatedly as to require hearing a number of times before all its excellences can be difcovered, or its full effects perceived. It would therefore be well for the ftate of mufic in general, if fubfequent compofers would adhere at all times to fimplicity, and not attempt to imitate thofe very elaborate and extravagant compofitions, which were merely defigned to exhibit the powers of a modern orchestra, and fhew with what wonderful precifion fuch intricate pieces can be performed by a band of all kinds of inftruments, of which in their turn the principal of each have fome obligato paffages to perform. Having thus confidered the different ftyles of ancient and modern inftrumental mufic, it remains for me to obferve, that the foregoing remarks will equally apply to vocal mufic, which has alfo undergone the fame kind of revolution as the inftrumental. There is full as much difference between a modern opera fong (whether English or Italian) and a fong of Handel, or of any of his early contemporaries, as between the ancient and modern ftyles of inftrumental mufic. Each of them alfo has its peculiar merits and demerits, as if the ancients depended almoft wholly upon the voice for the effect, leaving little for the accompaniments befides the bafs and the introductory, intermediate and concluding fymphonies; the moderns may be faid frequently to fall into the oppofite extreme, by making the inftrumental frequently the principal part of the compofition, and the voice part little more than an accompaniment. Long accompanied recitatives alfo are much in fashion at prefent; this is certainly a fine and expreffive fpecies of compofition, if in a language that is intelligible to the audience; but if unintelligible, the whole effect of the compofition will be loft. As therefore this kind of recitative is almost entirely confined to Italian words, its complete effects must be likewife confined to a fmall part only of an English audience. Many of the Italian airs however it muft be confeffed, from their beautiful melody or fimplicity, or from the brilliancy of their accompaniments, are well calculated to please, independent of the words (which, by the bye, are frequently trifling, infipid, or ridiculous) and are there. fore undoubtedly a great addition and improvement to the modern concerts. Here then our former question again forcibly recurs; why should the vocal parts of a concert confift entirely of Italian, or entirely of English? From their difference of ftyle they might, with propriety and effect, be contrafted to each other, as I have proved in the preceding remarks upon ancient and modern inftrumental mufic. Therefore in conclufion I shall observe, that were people in general, instead of bigotedly attaching themselves wholly, either to the ancient or the modern style of inftrumental mufic, or either to the Italian or the English ftyle of vocal mufic, to introduce and encourage each in its turn; and were the managers of all public fubfcription concerts to follow the examples of thofe who have benefits, and availing themselves of every different ftyle of inftrumental and vocal mufic, (arranging the pieces and airs fo as to contraft them well to each other) the following good effects would arise. Firft, the general complaint of the length of our concerts would in a great meafure be done away by the variety and contraft arifing from the mixture of the two ftyles, and people in general would be infinitely more pleased than when they are confined to a particular ftyle for the whole evening. Secondly, the favourite or most pleasing pieces of each author would pleafe much longer, or not become fo foon hackneyed, as they neceffarily muft where only one ftyle is attended to. And Thirdly, people who have been hitherto bigoted to one ftyle, and confequently have avoided hearing the other, will have an opportunity of hearing fome of the felect pieces of that ftyle again ft which they have been prejudiced; which, from their contraft with the others (if not from their own intrinfic merit) will perhaps afford them greater pleasure than they expected. ORIGINAL' ( 987 ) ORIGINAL POETRY. And Sarra's towers in glittering pomp afcend, A monarch reign'd, who made proud Ruffia yield Beneath his arm, in many a bloody field: Around his court fuch wealth and fplendor fhone, As fortune pour'd her gifts on him alone. This monarch by fair Elfeta his wife Boafted two valiant fons; ftout Algarfife, His eldest hope; next valiant Cambal came; A beauteous daughter, Canace by name, Was youngest of the three; her praise to speak, To paint her charms, my language is too weak; Those charms which eloquence itself might move To ftudy beauty, and to fing of love. When twenty lingering winters now were flown Since great Cambuscan wore the regal crown, With feasts and tournaments, and revels gay, He hail'd, as he was wont, his natal day. Now Phoebus had renew'd his bright career, And waning March confirm'd the infantyear, Calm was the fky, and through the chequer'd grove The merry birds renew'd their fongs of love, With wild delight they view'd the tender fpray Cloth'd in fresh green, and felt the funny Of flesh or fowl, in foreign lands esteem'd, Yet here I guefs no dainties would be deem'd. No longer to delay, I haste to tell Sudden before the hall an armed knight, Attention now in every eye appear'd, Without a helmet was the knight, his breaft So high refpect the royal pair he paid, More faultless action,or more pleafing speech: The purport of his message.---" He who reigns "In fovereign grandeur o'er the boundless plains "Of Indus and Arabia, to display "His facred friendship, on this folemn day, "Commanded me, your humblest flave, to "bring "Thefe matchlefs prefents, worthy of a "king: "And first this brazen horse, whose speed "can trace, "Safe and with eafe, within a day's fhort "space, "The outstretch'd earth; o'er barren de"farts fly, "Or through the pathlefs regions of the sky; "Unhurt mid' ftorms and tempeft, you shall "gain "The eagle's tow'ring height, or fmoothly "kim the plain. "Turn but a pin, where'er you lift to go, "The confcious fteed his deftin'd courfe "fhall know; "And whether on his back you wake or 66 fleep, "Unalter'd till his firft pofition keep. "The artist vers'd in magic long furvey'd "Each heav'nly constellation ere he made "The wond'rous fabric, though he knew "each art "Great Nature's hidden mysteries impart. "Within "Within this polifh'd mirror you may fee "Events yet veil'd in dark futurity; "When gathering evils threaten to o'er"whelm "Your private peace, or difcord shake your "realm; "Here, undifguis'd by art, you may difcern "Your friends and foes: or ladies fair may "learn, If ftill the favour'd lover's faith be true, "If falfe, his wiles, and fecret treafon view; "Behold to whom his flattering vows are "made, "By magic here in lively tints display'd. "This matchlefs mirror, with this golden' ring, "A prefent for the merry months of "Spring, "To your fair daughter Canace I bring. Such knowledge does this magic ring ❝ convey, "That the who owns it, whether the difplay "Or bear it in her purfe, fhall read aright "The voice of every bird that wings its ❝ flight "Beneath the expanse of heav'n; his notes "explain, "And in his language answer him again. "Inftinctively fhall learn the name and "worth "Of every plant that clothes the fruitful "earth; "And know to cull from Nature's fecret "ftore "The choiceft herbs, whofe medicinal 66 power "Can cure the deepest wounds, at once "fubdue "The force of fell difeafe, and life and "health renew. "This naked fword which glitters at my fide "Such fecret virtue boafts, it can divide "The strongest armour with a fingle. "ftroke, "Though forg'd far thicker than the ftouteft oak, "Nor ftrength, nor fkill, escape the dire"ful fhock; "And those who chance it's fatal edge to "feel "No drugs can eafe, no magic art can heal, "Till o'er the wound (though ne'er fo deep " and wide) "The flat smooth-blade, with foothing hand "apply'd, "You deign to draw; at once thro' every vein "The blood fhall ftaunch, and not a fcar "remain." When thus the stranger knight his tale had told, He turn'd his feed that fhone like burnish'd gold Bright glistening in the fun, his way retrac'd Along the fplendid hall, and came at last Into a fpacious court; there lighting down For fplendor worthy of a princely gueft: Some prais'd his height and ftrength, and fwore the fteed Refembled much the ftately Lombard breed; Through the vaft regions of the vaulted sky. Vol. II.] Original Poetry.......The Squire's Tale. "To entertain the court:" thus none agreed, Though most concluded, as the vulgar will, meant, Another fet with equal skill explor'd Achilles' fpear-which like the enchanted blade Could cure the mischief that itself had made: wore. Thus faying they withdrew; though as they went, The vulgar feeking still new argument, Wonder'd how glass from afhes could be made, For glafs and afhes were unlike they faid; But yet they faw it, therefore thought it true; Thus ideot-wonder ftill finds matter new: The cause of mift, why ocean ebbs and flows, And doubts and puzzles, till it thinks it knows. But now the fun's meridian height was paft, And his clear orb a milder rad ance caft O'er all the scene; the fplendid feast is done, And great Cambuscan rises from his throne: At once the minstrels fwell a folemn Arain, And through the hall proceeds the princely train, In ftately march; their monarch they attend Through richly furnish'd rooms, and now afcend The facred chamber; ftill the minstrels' notes In folemn concert through the palace floats; A thousand inftrument their efforts join, Now paufe, then mingling in one ftrain combine; SUP, to MONTHLY MAC, Vol. II. 989 At length loud pealing fwell the choral fong, The tongue denying what that figh reveal'd: With coftly fare, and pleasure hov'ring round The virtues of his courfer to recite, "This wondrous fteed, these fecret hints " attend; "First name whatever courfe you wish to ❝fteer, "Then turn a pin conceal'd within his ear; "And when you near approach the destin'd "land, "Bid him defcend, and with a fkilful hand "Screw round this other pin-his rapid "Alight "At once he'll stay-and on the ground "alight, "And there immovable he'll ftill re |