Cantabile must never border on deep distress, nor approach to violent agitations; both of which are evidently inconsistent with ornament. The motion of this air, though not so solemn as that which belongs to still graver subjects, is very slow, and its constituent notes of consequence proportionally long; we say constituent notes, in order to distinguish those which the singer introduces as ornamental from those which constitute the melody itself. These last are in general very few, extremely simple in their march, and so arranged as to allow great latitude to the skill of the singer. The instrumental parts are, in this kind of song, restricted to almost nothing; for the accompaniment is of use to the singer, because it supports the voice, yet it ought to be kept so subordinate to the vocal parts, as never during the song to become the object of attention. In listening to an air of this description, though the mind is all awake to feeling, yet are the emotions it experiences of that gentle kind which unfit it neither for the contemplations of beauty, nor the admiration of the art; on the contrary, they serve to dispose more effectually for both. Thus may many of the noblest faculties of the mind be gratified at once: we judge, we feel, we admire, at the same instant of time.

ARIA DI PORTAMENTO.

The Aria di Portamento is a denomination expressive of the carriage of the voice. This kind of air is chiefly composed of long notes, such as the singer can dwell on, and have thereby a greater opportunity of more effectually displaying the beauties and calling forth the powers of his voice; for the beauty of sound itself, and of the voice in particular, as being the finest of sounds, is held by the Italians to be one of the chief sources of the pleasure we derive from music. The subjects proper for this air are sentiments of dignity, but calm and undisturbed by passion. The subject of the Aria di Portamento is of a nature too serious and important to admit of that degree of ornament which is essential to the Cantabile. To illustrate the specific difference of these two classes, we might say, that were Venus to sing, her mode of song would be the Cantabile; the Portamento would be that of the Queen of gods and men.

ARIA DI MEZZA CARATTERE.

The Aria di Mezza Carattere is a species of air which, though expressive neither of the dignity of the latter, nor of the pathos of the former, is, however, serious and pleasing. There may be an almost infinite variety of sentiments, very pretty and very interesting, which are not, nevertheless, of sufficient

importance to be made the subject either of the Cantabile or the Portamento: the Aria di Mezzo Carattere comprehends all such. From the great variety which this air of consequence embraces, as well as from the less emphatic nature of the sentiments to which it belongs, its general expression is not so determined as that of the former classes; yet, with respect to each individual air, the expression is far from being vague or dubious: and though some greater latitude be here granted to the fancy of the composer, nothing is given to his caprice; the sense itself of the words clearly ascertaining, in point both of degree and quality, the expression. The degree ought to be in exact proportion to the placidity or warmth of the sentiment, and its peculiar cast ought to be regulated by the nature of that passion to which the sentiment is allied, for sentiments are but gentler degrees of passion. Thus this class of airs, whilst it retains its own particular character, may by turns have some affinity with almost all other classes; but, whilst its latitude is great in respect to variety, its limitations with regard to degree are obvious: it may be soothing, but not sad; it may be pleasing, but not elevated; it may be lively, but not gay. The motion of this air is by the Italians called andante, which is the exact medium of musical time between its extremes of slow and quick.

As the vocal part here is never supposed to be beautiful and interesting as in the higher classes, the orchestra, though it ought never to cover the voice, is not, however, kept in subordination to it; it is not only allowed to play louder, but frequently introduced by itself, and may on the whole contribute to the general effect of the air. This kind of song is admirably well calculated to

give repose and relief to the mind, from the great degree of attention and (with respect to ourselves, at least, we might say) agitation excited by the higher and more pathetic parts of the piece. They possess the true character which belongs to the subordinate parts of a beautiful whole; as affording a repose, not the effect of a total want of interest, but of an interest which they call forth of a different and more placid kind, which the mind can attend to with more ease, and can enjoy without being exhausted.

ARIA PARLANTE.

The Aria Parlante, or speaking air, is that which, from the nature of its subject, admits neither of long notes in the composition, nor of many ornaments in the execution. The rapidity of the motion of the air is proportioned to the violence of the passion which is expressed by it. This species of air goes sometimes by the name of Aria di Nota

Parola, and likewise of Aria Agitata; but these are rather subdivisions of the species, and relate to the different degrees of violence of the passions expressed. It may be said to take up expressions just where the Aria di Mezzo Carattere leaves it. Some airs of this last class, of the liveliest cast, may approach, indeed, so near to some of the Parlante of the agitated kind, that it might perhaps be difficult to say to which class they belonged; but, as soon as the expression begins to be in any degree impetuous, the distinction is evident: as the degree of passion to be expressed increases, the air assumes the name of Aria Agitata, Aria Strepito, Aria Infuriata. Expressions of fear, of joy, of grief, of rage, when at all impetuous to their highest and most frantic degrees, are all comprehended under the various subdivisions of the class. Their subject has its peculiar province; the effect of this kind of airs depending, perhaps, chiefly on its powers. The instrumental parts are here likewise of great efficacy, particularly in the expression of the more violent passions, giving, by the addition of a great body of sound, and by the distinctness and rapidity of their execution, a force and energy to the whole, which could never be the effect of the voice alone, however flexible, however powerful. Rousseau, somewhere in his works, makes a very ingenious