many chromatics, and too much abrupt modulation, and mere orchestral effect. The consequence is, that in the mind of an attentive and reflecting hearer an impression is made which differs as much from religious feeling as the feigned grief of an actor differs from that of a real sufferer. Take for example the "Crucifixus etiam pro nobis," &c. and the "Agnus Dei" of the first mass; also the "Agnus Dei" of the second. These are too long to be extracted, but any one who takes the trouble to examine them will perceive, I think, that there is too much artifice in their construction and too much design to be impressive. This is more remarkably the case in the latter movement, in which, preceding and during the repetition of the words "Miserere nostri," the drum has a passage which has no relation whatever to sentiment, and could only have been introduced for what we may safely call dramatic effect.

It must be owing to the passion which our German neighbours have for noisy instruments that they are used on almost every occasion by the greatest writers. In deference to this taste for the strepitoso, HAYDN, in many parts of his compositions for the church, has disturbed that calm and repose which a correct expression of the prayer demands. For an instance of this, we have only to turn to the conclusion of the first mass, where, at the words " Dona nobis pacem,' the voices vociferate and the orchestra thunders, for the "peace which passeth all understanding,” in a manner which savours more of demand than entreaty.

So infinitely great and glorious is the Being whom we worship, that his praises can be but very imperfectly sung, even when man strains his highest faculties for the purpose. Such being the case, it surely follows that when a composer undertakes the task of writing for the church, there should, in all his works, be a total absence of every thing puerile and common. No employment in which the musician can be engaged is so noble as sacred composition, and in the exercise of it, he should raise his imagination to the highest pitch; at the same time his most rapturous flights should be "coupled with fear."

In our days, however, these reverential and salutary considerations are too much disregarded, and in all that concerns the highest order of vocal music, I am not afraid to say that we are vastly inferior to to our forefathers. If the supplicatory parts of HAYDN's masses want that pathos which arises from unaffected simplicity, those parts

which relate to praise want dignity and elevation. The "Gloria" of the first mass is of a mixed character, something between the parade and the play-house, but that mixed character does not fairly entitle it to admission into the church.

The commencement of the "Quoniam tu solus sanctus," were it played rather slower than the author has indicated, would remind us of a military march. The first part of the "Credo" is light and common place, and the whole has an air of jollity and levity unfitting so solemn an act of Christian worship as the confession of our faith. The verse "Et incarnatus est," forms a great contrast to the movement which precedes it, and is very flowing and beautiful. Of the "Crucifixus" I have already spoken. In the second mass we find the "Gloria" again deficient in characteristic dignity. Nothing can be more common place than the second phrase to the words "Et in terra pax hominibus bonæ voluntatis," nor are the vocal parts at all aided by the mode of this accompaniment. The " Benedictus" has the air of a movement in a quartett. It is very inferior to the "Benedictus" of the first mass. The "Dona nobis pacem" is preceded, and for a few bars, accompanied with a flourish of drums and trumpets, such as my friends in London are accustomed to hear at their Lord Mayor's feast. Those words contain a most solemn and impressive prayer, and I am compelled to observe, that HAYDN, in setting them, seems to have overlooked all the principles which the philosophy of his art dictates.

It would have carried me much beyond my limits had I extended my remarks to the whole six masses which are known to us. But as they are very similar in style, the observations which I have ventured to make on the two first will be found applicable to all.

Notwithstanding the defects of construction, mode of accompaniment, and general character, which these compositions exhibit, it is not for a moment to be supposed that they do not bear the marks of a superior mind and the hand of a great master.— HAYDN is still visible in them, and the charm of his genius pervades almost every page. It is on this account that I have made the masses a subject of particular discussion; since the invention and variety which they often display, and the imposing nature of their general effect, are very apt to beguile the majority of hearers into a forgetfulness of their inherent defects, and their unfitness for the high purpose to which they are destined. This, I must

repeat, is the more necessary at the present day, when there is certainly much danger of our losing all sense of that chasteness and simplicity which should be found in ecclesiastical compositions.

There is nothing new in this apprehension, for the extraordinary attention which composers have been led to pay to the study of dramatic music, and the influence which it has had on their writings for the church, have furnished ground of alarm to the real musical critic for the last half century: and it is much to be regretted, that his efforts to oppose a great and injurious misapplication of the art should be counteracted by the practice of one so celebrated as HAYDN. His powerful authority introduced, as it were, the opera into the church, and we have lived to see the opera followed by the ballet and pantomime but more of this hereafter.

I have scarcely left myself any room to speak of The Creation, the greatest of our author's vocal productions. Indeed it may almost appear intrusive to make any observations on a work which has been so long before the public.

But with the freedom of remark and discussion for which I shall always contend, I venture to declare that it does not, in my opinion, add essentially to the fame of HAYDN. The Creation presents us with the same excellencies and defects as are to be found in the We discover great invention and variety, joined to a consummate knowledge of the orchestra, and of the powers and peculiar properties of every instrument which it contains.

masses.

But the vocal part is feeble, in comparison to the instrumental, and the style in general wants elevation. The best parts are the chorusses, which seem to be written on the Handelian model.

Concerning the popularity of "The heavens are telling," I can only account for it on the ground of its being the longest, and the loudest, in the whole work. "It begins," says a friend of mine, "at Vauxhall and ends at the Opera-house." Indeed, considering the magnitude of the composition, and the hand from which it comes, we cannot fail in being struck at the woeful common-place of its commencement and termination, which is not redeemed by the pleasing trio in the middle.

The "Chaos" seems only calculated to excite gaping astonishment in the hearers. Some indeed may think that there is absurdity in the attempt to paint disorder and confusion by means of modulated sounds. And it may be observed that HAYDN, with all his pains,

has not made his chaos sufficiently chaotic; for there are certain places where the parts imitate each other in a manner which shows too much artifice and contrivance.

Thus while we must always regard this great master with the reverence due to his superlative abilities as a composer for instruments, it seems impossible to assign him a high place among vocal writers.

In the orchestra he has vastly extended the boundaries of his art, and multiplied the sources of our pleasure. But as a composer for voices, and especially as a composer for the church, he does not appear to have added any thing truly valuable to the treasures we before possessed.

Yet let it be remembered, that when I say this, it is with a consciousness that there is much to admire even in those works, some defects of which I have presumed to point out.

The construction of the vocal parts may often be harsh; the accompaniments may often preponderate too much, and the general style may be deficient in pathos and dignity; but on many occasions those defects do not appear, and we are charmed by passages and movements full of beautiful and correct expression.

In conclusion I would observe, that if the MUSICAL STUDENT cannot go to the masses and oratorios of HAYDN, as to models of vocal excellence, he will always derive the greatest advantage from a diligent study of them, in all that regards elegant writing and the management and employment of various instruments.

L.

ON THE ORIGIN OF THE SCOTCH MUSIC.

SIR,

TO THE EDITOR.

HAVING, in your last entertaining and valuable Magazine, given the lovers of music a short dissertation upon that of the Scotch, so much and so justly admired, because it speaks to the soul, it will not, I trust, be deemed impertinent in me to present your readers with an account of its origin, which I shall do by laying before them a passage or two from GIRALDUS CAMBRENSIS, with their translations, exactly as I copied them into my album some time ago, though from what author I then transcribed them, I must frankly confess, I do not now remember; nor is it perhaps material that I should:

"In musicis solum instrumentis commendabilem invenio gentis istius diligentiam. In quibus præ omni natione quam vidimus, incomparabiliter est instructa. Non enim in his, sicut in Britannicis (quibus assueti sumus) instrumentis, tarda et morosa est modulatio, verum velox et præceps, suavis tamen et jucunda sonoritas."

Topographia Hiberniæ, Sylvestro Giraldo authore, in Camden's
Anglica, Normanica, Hibernica and Cambrica―p. 739.

So far for Irish music (of which I ought previously to have observed that he was speaking,) but what follows immediately is communicated to the Welch too in p. 889, Cambriæ Descriptio.

"Mirum quod in tanta tam præcipiti digitorum rapacitate musica servatur proportio; et arte per omnia indemni, inter crispatos modulos organaque multipliciter intricata, tam suavi velocitate tam dispari paritate, tam discordi concordiâ consona redditur et completur harmonia, seu diatessaron seu diapente chorda concrepent. Semper tamen ab molli incipiunt, et in idem redeunt, ut cuncta sub jucundæ sonoritatis dulcedine compleantur. Jam subtiliter modulos intrant et exeunt, sicque sub obtuso grossioris chorda sonitu, gracilium tinnitus licentius ludunt, latentius delectant, lasciviusque demulcent, ut pars artis maxima videatur artem celare tanquam

"Si lateat, profit, ferat ars deprensa pudorem."