THE annual performance of this overture in St. Paul's Cathedral, at the feast of the Sons of the Clergy, and at the various musicmeetings in the country, has made it more generally known than most of Handel's instrumental works. This circumstance, together with its intrinsic merits, induced us to re-arrange it, with a view to diminish the formidable and unnecessary difficulties presented in one well-known adaptation, and to rescue it from the injuries it has received at the hands of those who, to render it easy, have stript it to bareness.

Esther, composed in 1720, for the Duke of Chandos's chapel, was the first oratorio set to music by HANDEL. In 1732 it was represented in action, by the children of his Majesty's chapel, at the house of Mr. Bernard Gates, master of the children, in James-street, Buckingham-gate.'

ANDANTE, and VARIATIONS-(Page 6),

from HAYDN'S Symphony in D, the eighteenth of Cianchettini's edition in score. The adagio prefixed to this is from a favourite symphony in G, by the same, the third of the above-mentioned edition.

SONATA, CLEMENTI-(Page 10).

This is the author's Opera xi., and with it generally is printed his celebrated Toccata, though in fact forming no part of that work. But the effect of the union has been, that the Toccata, which is one of the best exercises known, has got into general use, while the Sonata, though full of beauties, has been neglected; for the two together make a piece too long for the patience of most performers, and of all hearers.

MARCH-(Page 18).

Composed for the Harmonicon, in 1824.

FERDINAND RIES

was born in 1785, at Bonn. His father was director of the orchestra to the Elector of Cologne, and his grandfather had been leader of the same. The French invasion having broken up most of the establishments of the German princes, the education of the young Ries was unavoidably much neglected, and he was indebted for his early knowledge in music to books and his own industry. However, in 1801 he had the good fortune to attract the notice of Beethoven, once the intimate friend of his father, to whose advice and example he owes much of that skill in his art which has secured to him an ample independence. Mr. Ries arrived in London in 1813, and through the influence of his countryman, the clever and excellent Mr. Salomon, was soon elected a member of the Philharmonic Society, and well introduced in the best musical circles of this metropolis. In 1824 he took leave of England, and with a handsome competency, as well as a handsome English wife, returned to his native country, where he_still_actively employs himself in his professional pursuits.

VOL. II.

His works, for the piano-forte chiefly, are very numerous; but most of them are rather of the difficult kind, and few possess any of those qualities which are inviting to amateurs in general. His symphonies, two of which were composed for the Philharmonic Society, show great knowledge of music, and of the characters of different instruments; nevertheless, to most hearers, there is a dryness in them that will always operate against their becoming popular.

son of a well-known German physician, was born at Seesen, in the duchy of Brunswick, in 1783. Contrary to what we generally have to record of musical geniuses, Spohr in his childhood showed no predilection for the art, and, it is said, was a dull youth. At what period of his life his musical education began does not appear, but Maucourt was his first, and the famous Eik his second, master for the violin. With the latter he made a journey into Russia, at the expense of the Duke of Brunswick, whose chamber-musician he had become. In 1804 he travelled through various parts of Germany, giving public concerts, at which his performances on the violin excited the wonder and

B

drew forth the warmest panegyrics of the best critics. In 1805 the Duke of Saxe Gotha took M. Spohr into his service, as Kapellmeister, and from that time he began to compose, or, at least, became known as a composer. During his engagement at Gotha, he made several professional tours in Germany,―was at the Musical Festival at Frankenhausen, and at the Congress of Vienna, in 1814, at both of which he gained additional renown. He afterwards visited most of the principal cities of Italy, and on his return to Germany was appointed director of the music to the theatre of Frankfort on the Maine. In 1819 he arrived in London, at the invitation of the Philharmonic Society, for which body he composed two symphonies and an overture, which gave him an undoubted right to be classed among the great composers of the age. He has since produced many fine operas. Of these Faust, Jessonda, Zemire et Azor, &c., bear ample testimony to the superiority of his genius; and a later work, The Last Judgment, an oratorio, has furnished still stronger evidence of his powers. This, which has been so ably put into an English form by Mr. Edward Taylor, is now known in almost every part of Great Britain. M. Spohr has for some time past been fixed at Cassel, as Kapellmeister, where he enjoys a very handsome income, together with the consciousness that his well-earned fame is daily spreading wider and wider.

Two kisses from my mother dear,
Thyrsis, thy due reward shall be ;
None, none like beauty's queen is fair,
Paris has vouch'd this truth for me.'

I straight replied,- Thou know'st alone
That brightest Chloe rules my breast:
I'll sing thee two instead of one,

If thou 'It be kind and make ine blest.

'One kiss from Chloe's lips, no more
I crave.' He promised me success:
I play'd with all my skill and power,
My glowing passion to express.

But oh, my Chloe! beauteous maid!
Wilt thou the wish'd reward bestow?
Wilt thou make good what Love has said,
And by thy grant his power show?

A paraphrase of a French song, by PRIOR, Set to music by Travers, and published in his set of Eighteen Canzonets. It is usual, at the Ancient Concerts, to repeat the movement, I play'd with all my skill,' and to conclude with it, a practice never intended by the composer, and equally injurious to both poet and musician.

JOHN TRAVERS,

was educated in music in St. George's Chapel, Windsor, and afterwards articled to Dr. Greene. About the year 1725 he was chosen organist of St. Paul's Covent-garden; and afterwards of Fulham. In 1737 he was appointed organist of the Chapels Royal. He was an excellent musician, and having at an early period of his life formed an acquaintance with Dr. Pepusch, derived great assistance from him in the prosecution of his musical studies. He died in 1758, and was succeeded in the Royal Chapel by Dr. Boyce.

SCENA E DUETTO, (Page 9.)

Lodoviska. Lovinski, hai cor—
Lovinski.
Lod.

-Ne temi.
Ebben, deciso, Io del tiranno
Mai non sarà giurami che giammai
D'altro tu non sarai.

Lov.

Lov.

Lod.

Due.

Ah! mio dolce tesoro, la tua virtù
Come m'accresce in core

E costanza, e valore.

In si duro cimento,

Ceppi, carcere, orror, minaccia, morte,

Ah no, più non pavento.

Anzi al tuo amor cosi costante e puro, Pria di partire, eterna fede io giuro.

Parto ti lascio; addio!—

Che son fedel, lo sai,
Fedel sempre m'avrai,
Primo e mio dolce amor.
Parto ti lascio; addio!—
Ma in mezzo alle catene
L'immagin del mio bene
Porterò sempre in cor.
Ahi, che il dolor m'uccide!
Nen posso più parlar!
Ah! il cor mi si divide,

Mi sento, O Dio! mancar.

This Scena, which, as a chef-d'œuvre of the master, we have given entire, is from the opera of Lodoviska, composed by

SIMONE MAYER,

commonly distinguished by the addition of Venice, but born at Sandersdorf, in Bavaria, in 1760*. He was at an early age sent to study in Italy, and in 1802 was appointed Maestro di Capella at Bergamo. In 1799 he produced Il Fanatico per la Musica, in which is the lovely air Chi dice mal d'amore; and in 1800 appeared his Lodoviska. The latter, together with I Misteri Eleusini, both written in the German style, paved the way for the reception of Mozart's operas in Italy. In 1803 he brought out at Vienna L'Equivoci; and in the same year he produced his Ginevra in Scozia. In 1812 La Rosa bianca e la Rosa rossa, on the subject of the wars between the houses of York and Lancaster, was brought forth, with vast success in Italy; but when introduced at the King's Theatre a few years since, it failed entirely. It was certainly got up in a very imperfect manner, but under the most favouring circumstances it would not have succeeded in London. His greatest work, Medea, was produced here in 1826, by Madame Pasta, who gave an effect to it which carried it triumphantly through more than one season.

BALLAD (Page 14.)

Of all the girls that are so smart
There's none like pretty Sally;
She is the darling of my heart,
And she lives in our alley.
There's not a lady in the land
That's half so sweet as Sally
She is the darling of my heart,
And she lives in our alley.

Her father he makes cabbage-nets,
And through the streets does cry 'em ;
Her mother she sells laces fine

To such as please to buy 'em.
But sure such folks could ne'er beget
So sweet a girl as Sally:
She is the darling of my heart,
And she lives in our alley.
When she is by I leave my work
(I love her so sincerely);
My master comes like any Turk,
And bangs me most severely:
But let him bang his belly-full,

I'll bear it all for Sally:
She is the darling of my heart,

And she lives in our alley.

Of all the days that's in the week
I dearly love but one day,

And that's the day that comes between
A Saturday and Monday;

For then I'm drest all in my bes
To walk abroad with Sally:

She is the darling of my heart,
And she lives in our alley.

*All the biographers of Mayer give this date, but we are of opinion that they have been misled by the Dictionnaire des Musiciens, and that his birth took place at a later period.