THE TERPODION. AN ingenious German, whose name is BUSCHMANN, has brought over to this country a new instrument under this title. In our first volume, page 149, a correspondent has described the Edophone, another German invention. We have been admitted to hear the Terpodion, but not to a sight of its mechanism, which however we are persuaded has a near resemblance to that of the Edophone, if it be not actually the same. The two instruments are the same in size and external appearance. They are both made to speak by an apparently similar process. The performer must treat them both alike and regulate the pressure of foot and finger in the same manner, in order to produce the general tone, the crescendo and the diminuendo, of which the instruments are equally capable. Neither does it appear that the sounds of the Terpodion are more rapidly produced. From these strong analogies we therefore conclude the construction of. the two to be nearly the same. But there is an essential difference in the tone, which proceeds from the different materials employed. We understood the Terpodion to be of beech wood; the vibrating parts of the Edophone were of a metal the composition of which was known only to the inventor. We prefer the tone of the wood. It is not indeed so various, but more rich and powerful. The greater part of the instrument resembles the horn when very finely played; indeed the sounds were exactly assimilated in our ears with those produced by M. Puzzi, with whose performance we had been exceedingly delighted only a few hours before. The upper division of the instrument resembles the flute so completely, that we should consider it might, even better than the Edophone, be used as a substitute, particularly in the chamber, for those instruments. The invention is very ingenious and beautiful. It was, we believe, M. BUSCHMANN's purpose to sell the knowledge of its construction, should he find a purchaser, but whether it remains in his hands, or whether he has transferred his interest we have not heard. This in genious man came to England with his son, an interesting lad, about 15, with a fine intelligent countenance. Neither of them spoke any language but their own, and they played duets upon the instrument with delicate and beautiful expression. The grand defect of instruments, whose tone is generated by friction, seems to lie in the comparatively slow manner in which the notes can be produced; and so considerable is the difficulty of overcoming this embarrassing consequence, that great doubts must arise of the possibility of constructing an instrument upon such a principle that can ever answer the finger with sufficient velocity and facility to be useful in concert, or even in general accompaniment. So far as the Terpodion can be made to speak with rapidity, it might be exceedingly useful where fine performers on wind instruments are not to be had, and certainly amateurs engaged in private concerts would find this contrivance would perfectly answer all the ordinary demands. We understood that the prime cost of the Terpodion was not great, a circumstance which alone could favour the introduction of an instrument so limited in its powers and application. As an accompaniment to the voice it would hardly, we think, be agreeable or adequate. MESSRS. MORI, SPOHR, AND KIESEWETTER. Ir is not often that three players of such distinguished eminence are cast into such immediate contiguity and comparison as these three consummate artists have lately been, by the visit the two German violinists have been induced to make to England-England the nurse and cherisher of art! But the means that have been thus afforded us of concentrating and recording the judgments formed of their several styles and performances by sound critics, ought not to be disregarded, and however difficult and indeed impossible it may be to give the exact place of honour which these generous rivals may severally claim, (a task we shall not attempt) we may yet render some service by such a description as lies within the competency we derive from being, as it were, the centre and depository of many opinions. Their precedency may perhaps depend upon extreme niceties, concerning which scarcely any one but themselves can decide, because few or none others have combated the difficulties, weighed the merits, and studied the effects of those minute points upon which probably the controversy would turn. Our mediocrity must be content with a wider generalization; but it may possibly happen, that as our opinions are a sort of modification of the judgment of numbers, these professors may themselves gather from us a valuable knowledge of what the real effects of their performances are upon the critical part of the public. MR. MORI is one of the most shining ornaments of the great school of VIOTTI. His natural intellectual endowments are strong and at the same time delicate. A lively temperament, keen sense, a just reliance on his powers, and last not least, an ardent love of his art and an unrelaxing enthusiasm, whetted by a desire to reach and maintain, and indeed to be satisfied only with the highest rank-all these qualities, backed by industry and perseverance, are the attributes and characteristics of his mind. He brings to the technical part of his profession also great requisites. His attitude has the grace of manly confidence. His bow-arm is bold, free, and commanding; and he pro duces an eminently firm, full, and impressive tone. His execution is marked alike by abundant force and fire, by extraordinary precision and prodigious facility. The confidence arising from youth, the consciousness of great talent, and his standing unrivalled in his own. country, appear however to make him set too little value on the peculiar excellences of others, and to prevent his extracting those advantages from them, to which maturer age may probably induce him to pay a more strict regard. He has all the qualifications necessary to make a consummate player, but he either overlooks or does not sufficiently appreciate those nice points of finish, and those graces and delicacies of expression which, like the setting of a jewel, give a preciousness that highly enhances its original worth. May it not fairly be conjectured that a little travel would be of great use to him on the points we have hinted at, whilst from the native vigour of his talent, there would be but little apprehension that his manliness and fire would be lessened by refinement? As it is, MR. MORI is a sort of champion of England upon his instrument. He stays at home and holds the lists against all comers. This is indeed gallant and chivalrous and honorable to himself and to his country, because he is ready to prove, and he has proved to what an exalted pitch that country can rear such talents as he posWe give him full credit for his powers, but is it quite fair to himself? Would not those abilities which shine forth so brilliantly be likely to receive from seeing men and cities that enlargement which can only be so attained? Would he not assimilate the great and the good from others? Would he not soften some and exalt other features of his performance? sesses. If it be apparent that MR. MORI's constitution disposes him towards all that is most energetic, we have the traces in MR. SPOHR'S execution of a mind continually turning towards refinement, and deserting strength for polish. His tone is pure and delicate, rather than remarkable for volume or richness; his taste was cultivated to the highest excess, and his execution was so finished that it appeared to encroach in a measure upon the vigour of his performance. But he was very far from being deficient in the energy necessary to make a great player. The fact seems to be, that this quality, which for its inherent pre-eminence is most distinguishable in other violinists, was in SPOHR, cast into secondary importance, and rendered less dis cernable by the predominating influence of his superior refinement. His delicacy was so beautiful and so frequent an object of admira tion that his force was lowered in the comparison. But though it must be confessed that his bow-arm had not the openness and command so peculiarly striking in MORI, yet he could sustain and protract his tones to an extraordinary duration. His method of taking staccato passages was excellent, but the saltations he frequently made in his passages of execution, could not be said to accord with the general composedness of his manner. And as it is frequently the consequence of a too subtle habit of refining to obliterate the stronger traces of sensibility, so his expression was more remarkable for polished elegance than for those powerful and striking modifications of tone that are the offspring of intense feeling. It is probably owing to this softening down of the bright and brilliant effects that he failed (if such a man could ever be said to fail) in eliciting those stronger bursts of the public approbation than attend those exhibitions of art that are directed against and that reach the affections of a mixed audience. Thus though in the very first rank of his profession and of talent, SPOHR perhaps excited a lower degree of interest than has frequently attended the performance of men whose excellences were far below his standard. But such is the common fate of very extreme cultivation and polish. It transcends the judgment of the million. The Roman critics remarked the pre-eminent beauty with which SPOHR enriched his playing by a strict imitation of vocal effects. They said he was the finest singer upon the violin that ever appeared. This perhaps is the highest praise that can be bestowed, for although instrumental music certainly raises emotions and passions, yet they are very faint and vague when compared with the full, deep, and definite affections awakened by the human voice. The nearer an instrument approaches the voice, the nearer is art to the attainment of its object, and the reverse of the proposition equally applies to singers; the more they wander through the mazes of execution towards instrumental effect, the further they stray from the seat of their own proper dominion-the heart. We come now to the last great name. MR. KIESEWETTER's first performance at the Philharmonic Concert of London-perhaps the severest test to which power can be brought, because the major part of the audience consists of professors or persons most immediately connected with music-his first performance we might almost say was greeted with the very extravagance of approbation and applause. For although his extraordinary ability deserved the most |