MR. W. O. PERKINS, of Boston, Mass., will conduct a limited number of Musical Con ventions the present season, upon reasonable terms. Please address as early as con venient. age, M. Ingres, who introduced a portrait of him in the historical painting "Of all the titles to glory held by Cherubini," says Adolphe Adam, "there is one which cannot too frequently be blazoned forth; he was the master of Boieldieu, of Auber, of Carafa, and of Halévy."* * Of all the pupils of Cherubini, M. Halévy appears to me the one whose style approximates most nearly to the manner of Cherubini. Yet the composer of "La Juive" is more thoroughly imbued with dramatic feeling than his illustrious master. WE TE HAVE JUST PUBLISHED A SELECTION OF MUSIC, ARRANGED IN Containing the following:-Star-Spangled Banner, Hail Columbia, Firmly Stand My A HYMN AND TUNE BOOK FOR THE VOLUNTEERS. THE NORMAL MUSICAL INSTITUTE, North Reading, Mass. The Thirteenth Term of this Institution will commence on Wednesday, July 16, 1861, and continue EIGHT weeks, under direction and instruction of DR. LOWELL MASON, Messrs. WM. B. BRADBURY, and GEO. F. Roor, with the assistance of such other competent instructors as may be found desirable. The leading object of this School is, to afford aid to such persons, male or female, as desire to prepare themselves for teaching, or who wish to make higher attainments in the art of teaching Vocal Music. The instructions will be specially adapted to the wants of all such as wish to teach in seminaries and schools, or in classes, juvenile or adult, formed expressly to receive musical nstruction In carrying out the object of the Institute, the exercises will be divided into the following Departments: 1. THE ART OF TEACHING, especially as applied to the elementary principles of vocal music. 2-HARMONY AND MUSICAL COMPOSITION. 3-VOCAL TRAINING, OR CULTIVATION OF THE VOICE, and the application of the same, in training choirs and singing-classes generally. 4.-PRACTICE of Chorus, Class, Choir, and Congregational Musie. The Principals desire to do all in their power in aid of the great work, occupying so much thought and effort at the present day, of raising the standard of teaching from the mere mechanical and formal to that which is at once simple and natural, and which, when properly carried out, can not fail to be thorough and successful. TERMS -For all the class exercises (payable in advance), $25. For half the term, $15. For a less time, 35 a week. TON, NEW YORK" Fortnightly Bulletin of New Music. THEODOR HAGEN, NEW YORK. (5 & 7 MERCER STREET.) MY FIRST WALTZ. By Caroline Schneider. 35c. 8-6m BENNING FIRTH, POND & CO., NEW YORK I'D RATHER BE A VIOLET. F. Buckley. 25c.-SLUMBER SONG. A. II. Wood. 50C.-CHANT HORACE WATERS, NEW YORK. THE VOLUNTEER YANKEE DOODLE OF '61. Louis Lille. 25c. WHERE ARE ALL THE YOUNG MEN GONE? Song. J. M. Jollie. 25c.-, IF I HAD SOME OST GENERAL SCOTT'S GRAND REVIEW MARCH. Colored title. S. Glover. 50c.-HEART'S EASK TISCHE GLORY, HALLELUJAH, and HAIL TO THE CHIE Printed on Cards. CAWARDED TO The Best MELODEONS ((AND)) HAI TARMONIUMS THE & HAMLIN Burditt. $1.-PRISON MASON & HAMLIN, MANUFACTURERS OF Melodeons & Harmoniums HE Undersigned beg to inform their friends and the public that they have REMOVED to their new and enlarged manufactory, and that, with the aid of inproved machinery and increased facilities, they are now producing Instruments which they are confident will more than sustain the reputation already acquired. Their MELODEONS and HARMONIUMS have been awarded the first premium at EVEST FAIR where exhibited in competition with others, (TWENTY-SIX of which have been received during the past five years,) and they are highly commended by distinguished musicians in this country and in Europe. TAKE LESSONS ON THE HARP, and a very small salary. Best of references given. Address for two weeks MUSICAL REVIEW AND WORLD oflice to MISS LYMAN, or to Boston Post Office. J. SCHUBERTH & CO., PUBLISHERS AND DEALERS IN Foreign & American Music JUST ARRIVED. ana. Part I. 6 Sonatas, by Corelli. 75 ets JUST OUT. THEODOR HAGEN, Agent for Holle's Music. 5 & 7 Mercer street, (Care Mason Bros) THE STANDARD METHOD OF INSTRUCTION IN OCAL MUSIC. Bassini's Art of Singing: AN ANALYTICAL, PHYSIOLOGICAL, AND PRACTICAL SYSTEM FOR THE CULTIVATION OF THE VOICE. BY CARLO BASSINI. EDITED BY R. STORRS WILLIS. This work is one of the greatest excellence as a system of thorough and scientific instruction in the art of vocalization. To say that, as a book of this kind, it has no superior, would award to it but partial justice, since the best judges of the merits of such works readily admit that it has no equal. No better testimony in support of this statement can be desired than the book itself, but as those who have not access to it may wish to know the views of those who have examined it, the subjoined, few of many, expressions of opinions are submitted to their consideration. In the first nineteen pages of this method is embodied more sound sense on the nature and capabilities of the human voice than can be found in halfa dozen similar works by European masters. Those masters may have been good musicians and apt teachers, but they have failed, as a rule, to state the result of their studies in language which the ordinary reader may understand. And so, it came to be received, that their methods, and the teachers using them, must effect the development of the voice by processes intuitive and imitative, rather than by a combination of these with clear appeals to the intellect. So satisfactory is Mr. Bassini's work in both of these respects, that we do not hesitate to recommend it to teachers and vocalists of every grade of experience. The more advanced will find in it a confirmation of their best views of the subject, while newer laborers will discover the very information which they most need, and about which the vast mass of singers are most in doubt. What can be more necessary, for example, to both teacher and pupil, than the very names and location of the vocal organs, and in what positions and states of the body they can be most favorably used? How proceed to practice effectively without intimately knowing the exact registers and scope of voices? How produce that subtle and truly electric effect upon an audience which only a nice appreciation of the clear and sombre timbres will secure? What can be more simple than Bassini's mode of combining the registers and yet what thick darkness generally prevails upon this most necessary point. We welcome this as the most valuable work of its kind yet contributed to the advancement of American vocal art in its higher walks.— Musical World, New York. Carlo Bassini is well known to the musical public as the leading teacher of vocal music in New York, and when it was known that he intended publishing a work upon singing, it was expected that his production would be the best upon the subject yet given to the world. So far as we have learned it has not disappointed this expectation. Admirably clear and concise it im mediately wins attention. A pupil of Zingarelli and Crescentini, he says he has applied himself to the system of Garcia, to which he adds several years' experience as a teacher as credentials in attempting a work upon the voice. The work must commend itself to teachers as a most efficient aid, and for those who have not the be efit of instruction, we believe there is no book as suitable; there can certainly be none better.-Palladium, Worcester. A thorough and elaborate treatise on a subject by no means merely, or even mainly, of importance to professional singers. If such a manual could be introduced into our Theological Seminaries, and their pupils could be put through a thorough course of vocal training, such as is contemplated here, the preaching of the Gospel would forthwith assume a more natural, melodious, and persuasive aspect. This work is constructed on a rigidly scientific basis, considering the mechanism of the vocal organs, the different qualities of voice, the just methods of articulation, the true process of culture, &c., &c., with a connected series of exercises advancing from the simplest methods of uniting the chest and medium registers, to the most difficult trills, &c. The suggestions on the hygiene of the voice are very important to clergymen as well as singers.-Congregationalist, Boston. HOLLE'S CHEAP MUSIC JUST ARRIVED, Schubert's Songs. 4th vol. $2 50. Singly, from 10 to 25c. each. Dussek's Compositions for Piano (17 pieces for two and 2 pieces for four hands.) $350. Singly, from 10 to 50c. each. Mozart. 18 Duos for Piano and Violin. $3 €5. Singly, from 10 to 30c. each. Brunner. Operatis Potpourris. (New Selection.) 25c. each. THE WORKS FOR PIANO-FORTE BY Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn, Bach, Cle THE Musician's Guide (A NEW EDITION.) THIS WORK IS A DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE (257 pages,) Containing an analysis of nearly menti, Weber, Hummel, Czerny, Bertint, 5,000 MUSICAL WORKS Herz, Cramer, Kuhlau, Diabelli, Wollenhaupt and others, at about one third of their usual prices. Apply for catalogues. Beethoven's Trios for Piano, Violin, and Violoncello, $5. Singly, from 30 to 75c per Trio. Schubert's Songs. 3 vols, (large size and print French and German text.) Each vol. Wollenhaupt Sparkling Diamonds. 50c. Published by RUSSELL & TOLMAN. Prefixed to which are sketches of the lives of the following distinguished composers: JOHN SEBASTIAN BACH, It is a book of great value to all interested FOREIGN MUSIC 1104 Chestnut St., Philadelphia. A large assortment of AMERICAN MUSIC constantly on hand. Price, $3 00. B. C. BLODGETT, TEACHER OF THE 4 PIANO AND ORGAN, ALSO OF Harmony, Single and Double Counterpoint, Canon, and Fugue. Address, HALLET, DAVIS & CO. THE MUSICIAN'S GUIDE differs ma. terially from any other work of the kind ever published. To the title of every composition are appended a figure and a letter The figures, numbering from 1 to 7, inclusive, indicate, according to a scale which may be found in this work, the character of the piece, whether it is difficult or easy. The letters, which are the Musical Alphabet, and extend from A to G, inclusive, show the key in which it is written: i. e., the letter Ab signifies that the composition is in four flats; G, that it is written in one sharp, &c. EXAMPLE. Name of piece Key. Difficulty. Composer, Price Come to this heart so lonely, (C).....2......Sarii. 5 The above piece is in the key of C, and the figure 2 indicates Second Class It will be apparent to all that in this way every piece is as thoroughly described as if it was explained and commented upon by itself, while, by the adoption of this plan, the whole Catalogue is brought within the compass of a pamphlet, which can be mailed at a trifling expense to any part of the world; and enables parties at a distance who are unacquainted with the music to select pieces of any descrip tion, or for any particular purpose. THE MUSICIAN'S GUIDE also contains a Description and Price List of Musical Instruments of every description, such as PIANO-FORTES, MELODEONS, GUITARS, BRASS INSTRUMENTS, And a variety of valuable information not to be found in any other work of the kind now published. It may be had GRATIS, on application to the publishers, or will be forwarded to any address in the United States, post paid on receipt of six cents in postage stamps to defray postage expenses. RUSSELL & TOLMAN, Publishers, 291 Washington St., Boston. Composer of "The Haymakers," "The Flower Queen," "The Shining Shore," "Rosalie, the Prairie Flower," etc.; Author of "The Sabbath Bell," "The Shawm," "The Academy Vocalist," etc. The best evidence of the manner in which Mr. Root's new book is received by the public is afforded by the fact that we have already had occasion to send to press THIRTY-EIGHT THOUSAND COPIES, though it is yet in the beginning of its first season. It contains about half as much again more matter than any other of the new books, affording room for great variety and completeness in all its departments. It contains an ample and careful selection of the old, well-known tunes, which are so generally considered indispensable in Singing-Schools as well as Choirs. Mr. Root succeeded in making arrangements with the proprietors of the copyrights of these to use all that he desired. Yet its NEW TUNES are of course its main feature. These are from a variety of sources, including a large number from Mr. Root which have never before been published. There are also liberal contributions from Dr. Mason, Mr. Bradbury, and other eminent composers. NEARLY ONE HUNDRED Anthems and Set Pieces, most of which are new, are included in its pages, affording the most ample variety for special occasions and the ordinary church-services THE SINGING SCHOOL DEPARTMENT is very full, including over three hundred Exercises and Secular Pieces for Practice, more than two hundred of which are Songs, Part-Songs, Glees, Rounds, or other pieces set to words. This portion of the work includes also a brief Manual for Musical Instruction, prepared expressly for it by Dr. Lowell Mason. By a new arrangement, the music is nearly always printed with but one part on a staff, while two-thirds of the tunes are on large type, and all on very clear, distinct type. For sale by Booksellers generally. Single copies sent by us to teachers for examination, by mail, post-paid, on receipt of Seventy-Five Cents. Price in New York, $8 per dozen. THE PEOPLE'S TUNE BOOK: A CLASS-BOOK OF CHURCH MUSIC FOR CHOIRS, CONGREGATIONS, AND SINGING-SCHOOLS. BY LOWELL MASON, Dr. of Music. Besides containing many excellent new tunes, the PEOPLE'S TUNE BOOK forms especially one of the best collections of the most useful and popular eld tunes ever issued, and, with its large, clear type, with one part on a staff, and but two tunes on a page, cannot fail to be very popular as a Singing-School Book, as well as for Choirs and Congregations. Price in New York, $6 per dozen. HASTINGS' CHURCH MUSIC. BY THOMAS HASTINGS, Dr. of Music. The many friends of Dr. Hastings will welcome this work, which collects in one volume the choicest results of the labors for two score years, of this eminent composer of Church Song. It has, indeed, been prepared at the suggestion of friends, who desired to possess in one volume those pieces which have proved most popular and useful in all the author's previous works. Like the PEOPLE'S TUNE BOOK, it is printed from clear large type, two tunes on a page. Every Choir and Musical Association should have a set of this book. Price in New York, $6 per dozen. BRADBURY'S ANTHEM BOOK: A COLLECTION OF ANTHEMS, CHORUSES, OPENING AND CLOSING PIECES; ADAPTED TO THE WANTS OF CHOIRS, MUSICAL ASSOCIATIONS, CONVENTIONS, ETC., BY WILLIAM B. BRADBURY. The want of a new Anthem Book which should contain a greater variety of pieces for the various occasions of ordinary or special religious services than it is possible to include in an ordinary collection of Church Music, has led to the preparation of the present volume, which collects together the favorite old pieces, and presents many new ones, especially such as are suitable for opening and closing worship. Retail price. $1 25. Catalogues of our numerous Musical Publications sent to any address on application. MASON BROTHERS, 5 & 7 MERCER STREET, NEW YORK. 16 ADVERTISEMENTS. MONEY for subscriptions, in sums not exceeding five dollars, may be sent by mail, at our risk, provided it is inclosed in the presence of the post master, and he takes a memorandum of the number and description of the bills.-Subscriptions may commence with any number, but none will be received for less than a year.-Be sure to write the name very plainly, and give the name of the post office, county and State.-Subscribers desiring to have their post-office address changed, must always give the name of the town to which their paper has been hitherto sent. The postage on THE REVIEW AND WORLD is thirteen cents per annum, payable quarterly in advance at the office where it is received; if within the State, the postage is one half that amount. Subscribers in Canada will remit twenty-six cents in addition to their subscriptions, as we have to pre-pay to the line, at the New York office, one cent on each number. Agents are desired to extend the circulation of THE REVIEW AND WORLD in every town. THE MUSICAL REVIEW AND WORLD, as well as all our musical publications, may be obtained in Boston, Mass., of CROSBY, NICHOLS, LEE & Co., 117 Washington street, who are authorized to receive subscriptions for us. Mr. JOHN BOWER, 1514 George street, Philadelphia, is our agent for that city. } PUBLISHED BY 5 & 7 Mercer St., NEW YORK. MUSIC IN THIS NUMBER. Never Rail at the World. Quartet and Chorus. Words by Charles Swain. Music by Firth. Words by T. F. Winthrop. Music by J. R. Murray.. Erster Verlust. (First Loss.) By Goethe. The English Version by John A. Dorgan. CARL MARIA VON WEBER. FROM THE GERMAN, BY THEO. HAGEN. (Continued.) WEBER finished the "Freischütz" in the beginning of 1821, and received an invitation from Berlin to conduct his opera at the opening of the new theater. When he arrived in Berlin, he found great preparations going on for the opera "Olympia," by Spontini, which caused a very great delay in the performance of his own work. With regard to Spontini's opera, he wrote to Kind: "The performance of the opera 'Olympia' is the most beautiful spectacle one can see. It costs more than 20,000 dollars. Spontini was called out at the first performance, and presented with bouquets. The second performance was pretty void of all demonstrations. To-morrow it will be given for the third time. What kind of means are put in motion here, you may learn from the following: The President of the Censorship of the Press has given orders, which prohibit to cast, in the journals, any blame upon Spon tini's music. Praise, of course, is allowed. What do you say to this? Is it not heart-rending to an artist to see how a man like Spontini can lower himself so much, by allowing such means to be employed?" It was June 15th, in 1821, when the first performance of the "Freischütz" took place. Six days later, Weber wrote to Kind: "Victoria, my dear friend and collaborator, the 'Freischütz' has hit the mark. Last night was the second performance, and it went off just as well as the first, and the enthusiasm again was very great. All the tickets for to-morrow night's (the third) performance are sold. Nobody remembers ever having seen an opera so successful, and, considering that the 'Freischütz' comes immediately after the performance of 'Olympia,' for which was done so much, it is really the greatest triumph one can experience." Strange to say, this very triumph led to a rupture in the friendly relations between the composer and the author of the words. The latter thought himself neglected. As usual, everybody spoke of the composer, and very few of the librettist. Kind was quite aware of the naturally subordinate position of the poet to the composer, which, especially at that time, prevailed in Germany, but he justly thought, Weber might have occasionally mentioned the man, who helped him to achieve such glorious triumphs. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Weber, on public occasions, thanked managers, singers, orchestra, machinists, but never mentioned the poet. This caused, of course, irritation in Kind's mind, fostered by so-called friends, who whispered about large sums of money and precious presents which had been given to Weber; and thus it happened that two dear friends, and the joint authors of that popular work called the "Freischütz," became separated for ever. We think Weber had serious cause to mourn the loss of his friend, or, rather, of his collaborator, as the librettos of his other operas amply prove. It was also unfortunate for him, that the acquaintance with the well-known critic, Ludwig Rellstab, which he made in 1821, had no result, with regard to a libretto Rellstab intended to write for him, for the latter would, under any circumstances, have done better than Madame Helmina de Chezy did, the authoress of the book of the next opera, "Euryanthe," which Weber undertook to compose. The subject was taken from an old French novel, and treated in a manner, by the authoress, which met with constant remonstrations on the part of the composer. "We can not make use of so many persons," he wrote to her on one occasion; 66 we can not have more than five acting performers; for "Euryanthe" must go over all the stages. There are so many of these, where, at the utmost, only one soprano, a second soprano, a basso, a tenor, and a baritone, can be brought together. As to the luxuries of the mise en scene, we must do it in this way, that we can resort to them, but, also, that we can omit them altogether. On a small stage, the whole spectacle must be thrown overboard. "You must try to find another name. I can not compose that of Gerhard, (the authoress proposed first this one ;) only get a very musical one, which ends in a, if possible. Euryanthe is also a very musical name, but here and there a little long for composing. I think it might be occasionally changed into Eiriant. And now, with regard to the poem; do not make the verses as they generally do in operas; use all your imagination, all your cleverness; do not spare me. Pile difficulties upon difficulties; think of meters which might bring a man to despair. "That will inspire ine. Euryanthe' must be something entirely new; must stand for itself in its high region. There are verses which are so entirely musical, that the composer can add nothing to them. trust to God and my Euryanthe.' This will go like an enlivening breeze through the whole composition, and be felt even in the overture." 'I Nevertheless, there were moments when he was afraid the new opera would not succeed. This was chiefly caused by the news he received about the constantly-increasing popularity of his "Freischütz.” "To go beyond all this," he writes, "is now the task; and what a hard one!" "Oh, the labor!" he exclaimed at another time; "the labors! Nobody knows how life is consumed by them, nobody thanks us for it." On New Year's day, 1822, Helmina von Chezy had finished the first version of "Euryanthe." "I must be able to look at once over much matter," Weber said; "I will write the whole poem on one sheet." The authoress, however, anticipated this by presenting him with a neat copy, which he took to Vienna, where he had to conduct the "Freischütz," and where the libretto of "Euryanthe" had to be presented to the censor. The "Freischütz" met there with an immense applause, and was performned five times before a crowded house. Weber was, of course, in the best humor, so much more so, as the libretto of the new opera had been admitted by the censorship. "After all what he told about Vienna," writes Madame de Chezy, "I could not help expressing my desire to see the place myself." "You would go mad!" exclaimed Weber with vivacity; "the censorship is ominous. Believe me, if you were there, and put in the paper that you wanted to buy three turkeys, the censor would scratch ont two, and say: What does the lady want three turkeys for, in a small household!'" Weber wrote, while he was journeying to Vienna, at the score of Euryanthe." This caused him to wish for an entire alteration of the opera. Such alterations and changes have taken place a great many times before the work was finished, and if any thing can give an idea of the knowledge and intelligence of Weber, the care he bestowed upon the new opera, the hopes he attached to it, it is the history of those constant alterations. At last, the first performance took place in Vienna, October 10th, 1823, under Weber's own direction. The 15th of December, he wrote to his friend, Gottfried Weber: "The effect of this opera was just as I always expected it would be. My over-anxions friends shook hands with my enemies, both inost ridiculously expecting that Euryanthe' should attract the masses in the same way as the Freischütz' does. How foolish! as if, sans comparaison, an 'Iphygenie,' a 'Don Carlos,' (tragedies by Goethe and Schiller,) have been popular pieces any where. The first three performances at Vienna, which I conducted, were really received with an immense enthusiasın; the fourth, which I heard from the corner of one of the boxes, met the same fate. I was again called out three times-in all fourteen times. Until the twelfth performance, the applause was the same; the attendance, however, moderate." So much about Weber's best opera, "Euryanthe," which, in spite of the immense efforts he had bestowed upon it, never found that decided success (least at the revival in Paris, a few years ago) which even works not intended for popular sympathy have occasionally obtained. No doubt the unfortunate libretto has its prominent share in this, but the principal cause of the non-success lies, in our opinion, in the fact that Weber, like a great many other men in all branches of science and art, sought for gratification in those regions of art for which his natural gifts did not entirely qualify him. Yet, in his "Euryanthe," we find the germs of some of those principles which Richard Wagner, in his "Tannhauser" and "Lohengrin," has so strongly advocated, and a revival of that work on the Gerinan stage would considerably alter the opinion of the public and the crities, not only upon Wagner, but also upon Weber himself. (To be continued.) WHAT artist ever cared for the political events of the day? He lived only in his art, and in IT only he passed through life; but an eventful time has seized man with iron grasp, and the pain extorts from him sounds “unknown to him before.”—E. T. A. Hoffmann. THERE are moments-particularly when I have read much in the works of the great Sebastian Bach-in which the musical numerical relations, nay, the mystic rules of counterpoint, awake an inward shudder in me. Music-with mysterious awe, aye, with trembling, do I pronounce thy name! Thou! the sanscrit of nature, expressed in tones! The uninitiated repeat it in infantine accents-the aping blasphemist perishes in his own mockery!—Ibid. GREAT poets and artists are not uninfluenced by the disapprobation of subordinate natures. They love to be praised, to be petted and fondled.-Ibid. THE theoretician and composer, Tomaschek, in Prague, used to say of Spohr: "He is the disguise and blushing Mozart." |