If then, Sir, we could once originate a clear and distinct perception of the superior pleasures to be derived from the simple design of producing all the gratification that can be produced by the union of sentiment with sound, if as you have said, the principle was once received that an opera should be "a continued succession of musical effects" heightening the pleasure derived from the comic incidents. and play of words, it would probably be easy to ascend through the various degrees, till we at length arrived at the perfection of the musical drama, in the representation of the most sublime affections in the regular grand serious opera. CIMAROSA, PAISIELLO, PICCINI, GUGLIELMI, MOZART, and ROSSINI, all present us with the means. Some part of all these great composers' works have been rendered to us in an English dramatic dress, by STORACE and by BISHOP especially. It only remains to overcome the absurdity of the connecting dialogue, and to reconcile us to the principle which you have laid down, and I have just quoted. In short, all that is required is, to train the mind and the ear to the enjoyment of the Recitative.

The first step to this desirable purpose I consider to be the encou ragement of a public discussion of the question, and the preparation of the general mind for the change, by the assistance of the periodical literature of the country. The English, as a nation, have no notion of the genuine structure of an opera; and, I fear, John Bull is still too contemplative (although he has rid himself of much of his ill-habit of reasoning upon what ought to please him, before he condescends to be pleased) to enter without some previous argument into the full enjoyment of an unmixed rausical drama. For though he can allow a character to sing a song every now and then, no matter in what situation, he will yet perhaps think it absolutely out of nature, that all the business of life should be conducted in musical phrases. He must therefore be reconciled to the idea of the continuous effect being more consistent with reason than the broken and interspersed jargon of speech and song. He must induce himself to believe (for a couple of hours) that he has been transported to a newly-discovered land, a region called Melopæia, a country where the inhabitants are so happily constituted as to express all their wants, utter all their sentiments, and breathe their softest wishes in measured and sweet melodies. He will in the end profit by his delusion; though such a result may seem very uncommon in the history of his foreign connections and persuasions.

Care should also be taken to apprise him of the general simplicity (both as to incidents, sentiments, and dialogue) which the Italians court in the structure of their musical drama. It is for this reason, scarcely less than for the universal celebrity and real captivation of CIMAROSA's music, that I have ventured to fix upon Il Matrimonio Segreto. I have a lurking hope and expectation, that the predilection of MR BULL, in behalf of one of his old favourites, may ope rate beneficially. And although I can but be aware the opera will suffer by the absence of Lord Ogleby and Mrs. Heidelburgh, yet I, cannot but think the characteristic and novel effects of the music, will atone for the unvoidable falling off in regard to these delightful personages.

If Sir, the absurd prejudice in favour of dramatic speaking and singing could be overcome, what a mine of novelty would it add to our present scanty stock of musical property! We should be able at once to discover, invade, and conquer the El Dorado of the Italian dramatic treasure. Nothing I am convinced would so speedily conduce to our becoming a really musical people. Indeed we have already felt the effects partially, by the graftings of poor STEPHEN STORACE. Since the days of ARNE, who also borrowed from Italy though not so directly or so openly, scarcely a single opera lives except those of STORACE, which are essentially compilations. I would be bound to furnish a store of such novelty and beauty as the English theatres have never enjoyed, for years to come, if it were thought desirable (which however it never can be) to exclude our native talent, and which I rather wish to excite than extinguish or even eclipse.

I have thus, Sir, renewed the discussion of this question because there appears to be a fairer opening than ever for the experiment. Drury-lane theatre has now perhaps a finer operatic corps than an English stage ever before possessed; half the nights of performance have been devoted to music, I therefore throw out these suggestions in the certainty that through your Magazine they will reach the eyes of persons most interested in music, and in the hope that they may set in action some of those springs that move the public amusements. To give to the English nation a regular musical drama is an effort worthy the refinement of the present age, and is a proposal I may safely assert, not more supported by good taste than by COMMON SENSE.

ON THE PHILOSOPHY OF MUSICAL COMPOSITION.

No. 4.

SIR,

TO THE EDITOR.

we proceed to examine the nature of the intervals employed by composers in the expression of sublime or intense emotions, the essential qualities of particular keys, or rather the nature and construction of the intervals of the scales formed upon certain tonics, appear to have a claim to our attention, because they extend a priori, as it were, the principles I have endeavoured to illustrate in my last essay. For if there be tempered intervals in certain keys, as there undoubtedly are for fixed instruments, the bearings of that tempe. rament will bestow at the outset a tendency to increase or diminish distances, and consequently to affect in a natural manner the theory I am endeavouring to illustrate.

The calculations of mathematicians affix to intervals exact ratios by which the true Diatonic scale is or ought to be regulated. But these can be said to have no precise operation in practice.Considering, therefore, that the ideal uniformity of the scale in different keys is in fact abandoned, I propose to say a few words upon the general proportions and effects to be gathered from the use and application which great composers have made of the various keys, assigning such reasons as may appear to arise from the perfection or imperfection, as well as from the augmentation or diminution of the intervals. I look upon it to be true, in the main, that composers have been influenced in their choice of keys (where they have made a choice on the grounds I design to speak of) by the known relations of fixed instruments, viz. the organ or piano forte, and that they have in point of fact lost sight of the approximation to ideal perfection the violin is capable of attaining, when they have sought to extract from the key selected, any peculiar adaptation to senti

* See vol. 2, page 398.

ment. RAMEAU says that we receive different impressions, according to the pitch of intervals. For example, the major third, which naturally excites us to joy, impresses us with feelings approaching to fury when it is too sharp; and the minor third, which carries tenderness and softness, saddens us when it is too flat. Able musicians (continues the same author) know how to profit by these different effects of intervals.

It appears to me that until we arrive at those keys which contain intervals considerably tempered, it is not in truth very consequential, which a composer chooses. The difference for instance between C and G, imports the composer very little as to effect, and either will probably be found to be preferred principally as it regards the compass of the voice for which the song may be written. The same may be said of C and F. This rule however will scarcely hold any further, and certainly cannot extend beyond the keys which carry two flats or sharps at the signature, because the nearest modulation will conduct the singer into a key, the temperament of which can

*Temperament.-This word, in an enlarged sense, denotes a small and almost imperceptible deviation from the original purity of intervals, rendered necessary by the different relations in which the tones are used in melody and harmony. In a more restricted sense, it is an arranged system of sounds, in which some tones are deprived of some of their original purity, to bring all the tones used in the system into such a connection that each may form serviceable intervals with any others, and that each may, as fundamental tone of its own major or minor mode, find all the tones necessary to its mode, among the rest of the intervals of the scale.

At the natural generation of tones, when each interval appears in its greatest purity, those necessary to a major or minor mode develop themselves in the following proportions to their fundamental:

The octave in the proportion

2:1; Major Second
3:5; Major Sixth
4:3; Minor Sixth

Major Third

Minor Third

9:8;

5:3;

8:5;

15:8;

16:15;

6:5; Major Semitone

consequently the degrees of the major scale of C natural for instance, have the following perfectly pure proportions to their fundamental tone:

3

8

The tones in this scale have all their pure and original proportions among themselves, except the minor third, D. F, which, instead of having the proportion 6:5, occurs in the proportion 32: 27; and the fifth D. A, which, instead of 3: 2, has the proportion 40: 27. The comparison of the proportions of the minor third and pure fifth with the pure proportions of these intervals, shews that both are in this series too small by the syntonic comma.

When therefore in any melody of the major mode C, the tone A as pure sixth of C, is used in the proportion 5: 3, and the bass plays to this A the tone D, A is too flat, as fifth to D, by the syntonic comma; and as experience

not fail to be felt. It is therefore not only with relation to the primary key itself which the author adopts, that he needs to regulate his choice, but the sentiment of the words he is about to set will necessarily determine whether the music is likely to require or to be advantaged by frequent or remote changes of key, as by the nature of the emotions those changes will be directed. It may also be observed that the keys with sharps are certainly more stimulant than those with flats-and this property has not only relation to the intevals, but to the general pitch, for if we transpose a song into a higher key, (except so far as the tempered intervals may contravene the general law) we render it more brilliant, and, on the contrary, if we lower a composition, we shall find it heavier. The key of F then, in relation to G, is likely to produce less excitation, and the key of B, as related to that of D, a still lower degree, simply on the ground of depression.

The score of The Messiah presents a work that has universally been acknowledged to reach the height of the sublime affections. We may therefore safely apply to that source. HANDEL has chosen for the opening recitative the key of E with four sharps. Brilliancy has been esteemed the peculiar characteristic of this scale, which arises from the tendency of all the intervals to elevation rather than depression. The third and the seventh are in tuning made perfect, or sharper than perfect. Our great master then, to express not only the sedate satisfaction which is implied in the words Comfort ye, (and which by the way is done first by the smooth descent of close intervals, and afterwards by continuity, thereby signifying the soft sinking of the soul into tranquillity and its subsequent quietude,) but the first call to the holy fervour and religious joy, which are the immediate effects, has chosen a key which carries brilliancy beyond that which attends the one nearest approaching to truth, the key of C. The immediate introduction of

teaches that the ear is offended at the deficiency or excess of a whole.comma in a consonance so pure as the fifth, it is obvious that some expedient must be resorted to, and a temperament must take place.

This single example demonstrates the necessity of a temperament of tones, even in a very simple and limited use of them. But this necessity becomes still more absolute when all the tones used in music are to be combined into a system in which each tone is not only to form serviceable intervals with all the others, but also to find as fundamental tone of a major or minor mode, all the tones necessary to its scale in a proportion satisfactory to the ear.-German Musical Dictionary..