NOTICES OF NEW MUSIC.
Beethoven’s Songs.Vol. I. With both the German words and an English version. By the Rev. Dr. Troutbeck, to whom we are indebted for so many excellent translations of words to music.—This truly valuable collection, including such specimens as “Adelaide,” “The Glory of God in Nature,” popularly known as “Creation’s Hymn,” will be eagerly sought for by all singers; particularly when we mention that the twenty-six songs may be purchased for eighteenpence.
Musica
Liederkreis.The opus 39. By Schumann.—A circle of twelve songs, many well known to you. Amongst them we find the “Frühlingsnacht,” “Mondnacht,” “In der Fremde,” and other lovely poems.
Six Duets.For soprano and contralto. By F. H. Cowen.—Form a most charming volume, and are published at the same moderate price and in the same excellent form, with clear type and careful editing.
Six Vocal Duets, for the same voices. By Oliver King, a rising composer, may also be warmly recommended.
Ten Songs.By George J. Bennett, a youthful Academy student. Settings of words by Robert Burns. Are all most fresh and delightful, and add to a reputation which this hard-working young composer has already firmly established.
Three volumes of Piano pieces, by Fritz Spindler, a well-known pianoforte teacher and composer in Dresden (forming numbers of Novello’s Pianoforte Albums), are most useful and artistic contributions to our store of light piano music. The transcriptions of subjects by Wagner are very good.
Scales and Arpeggios.By Harvey Löhr.—These excellent studies are systematically fingered, and contain many useful hints towards improving the pianist’s technique.
The Star of our Love.By F. H. Cowen.—A graceful, well-written song, to words by the late Hugh Conway, whose little books have created so much excitement lately. Compass D to E or F to G.
Clouds, andI love you too well. Two more songs by the same eminent composer. Published in one or two keys.
Three Songs.Words and music by W. A. Aikin.—Very simple and effective.
The Ride of Fortune(founded on Shakespeare’s lines, “There is a tide in the affairs of men,” &c.). By Charles A. Trew.—An excellent contralto song.
Operatic Fantasias.For violin, with piano accompaniment. By F. Davidson Palmer Mus.Bac.—Judging fromIl Trovatore, the number before us, these fantasias should be often used for concerts and other entertainments, where a faithful transcription of operatic melodies is required, untrammelled by too many cadenzas and fireworks for the solo instrument.
La Figlia del Reggimento.—This selection is also to be commended. It is for two violins and piano, and arranged by John Barnard.
Sarabande(ancien style). Pour piano. Par Henri Roubier.Idée Dansante.For piano. By Percy Reeve.—Two dances above the average, graceful and musicianly.
Partita, in D minor. For violin and piano. By Hubert Parry.—A scholarly work, made up of six sections:—Maestoso, Allemande, Presto, Sarabande, two Bourrées, and a Passepied in Rondo form. One might almost call it a Sonatina of many movements. The partita differs from the suite in not being restricted to dances only.
Je l’aimerai toujours.An easy piano piece for beginners. Composed by François Behr.
Intermezzo-Minuet.A short entr’acte for piano. By G. Bachmann.—This smoothly-written morceau is included in Czerny’s orchestral series as a string quartett.
Adoration.A meditation upon Bach’s 7th “Small Prelude.” By Oscar Wagner.—Arranged for piano and violin, or flute or violoncello, with organ and additional strings, upon the model of Gounod’s similar work, but scarcely so interesting, and certainly not so spontaneous in melodic treatment. It is also arranged as an “O Salutaris Hostia” for voice, violin, piano, and organ or harmonium.
Stars of the Summer Night.By Edouard Lassen.
My All-in-all.By Theodor Bradsky.—Both these songs have violin obbligatos, in which the chief fault appears to be that the violin never rests, not even for a bar.
Happy Days.A touching song. By poor Max Schröter. Compass C to F.
For ever with the Lord!Sacred song. By Gounod.—A new song by Gounod needs only to be mentioned to engage the attention of our readers. Gounod has been happier in his setting of other English hymns, such as the “Green hill far away” and the “King of Love my Shepherd is.” But there are some lovely points in this. It is published in keys suitable to all voices, both as a solo and a duet, and it also appears in anthem form for four voices and organ.
She Noddit to Me.A song that bids fair to become most popular. The words by A. Dewar Willock.—Describe the delight of a Scotch body at receiving a “special bow” from the Queen as she passed her cottage on the Deeside. The music is by J. Hoffmann, and it is dedicated by special permission to Her Majesty.
The Crusader.A stirring baritone song. By Theo. Bonheur.
The Goblin.A cynical poem, set to music by Gustav Ernest, whose clever works we have before noticed.
The Winged Chorister.The music by Pinsuti.—The chorister in question (although there is a harmonium part) is not a dying choir boy, but a robin which has got into the church by some means, and whose “pure, clear notes,” it is suggested, “would harmonise our coarser tones, and bear them straight to Heaven.” Our recollection of the robin’s note, easily imitated by tapping two pennies together, hardly carries out this lofty idea!
Let us Wander by the Sea, andThe Merry Summer Time. Two duets for soprano and contralto. By our much lamented countryman, Henry Smart, whose delicate fancy has in so many ways enriched English music.—The edition before us is ruined, as far as outward appearance goes, by vulgar drawings on the covers.
Aubade Française.A most elegant serenade in the purely French style. By M. de Nevers.—Very suitable for a light tenor voice.
Gavotte des Oiseaux.A bright little dance for pianoforte. By G. Bachmann.
The Musical Monthly.—This last year’s number is as extraordinary a shillingsworth as ever, containing, in the midst of much that is unworthy, several good old English airs, some of Mendelssohn’s songs without words, five songs from theBohemian Girl, of Balfe’s, some good Scotch songs, etc., etc.
We have also received an advance copy of No. 1 of the “Violin Soloist,” well got up, and containing ten or twelve good solos. It is to be brought out monthly at a penny per number.
Canadian March.For Piano. Solo and duet, and for every other imaginable combination. Composed by Carl Litolff.
150 Exercises and Questions in the Elements of Music.By I. L. Jopling, L.R.A.M.—Most thorough and searching test questions, systematically and exhaustively treated. This little book will prove of great help in preparing for the elementary examinations of the various colleges and academies. It is to be used after studying Mr. Davenport’s primer.
Six songs by Erskine Allon to words by Sir Thomas Wyatt, who died in 1542.—All that Mr. Allon writes is interesting. In these songs the accompaniments are as full of charm as the melodies are of quaint character and grace.
Shakesperian Sketches, for Pianoforte, by Frank Adlam.—Clever illustrations of passages and scenes in Shakespeare’s plays.
The Choralist: 269, “Waiting for the Spring.” 270, “A Winter Serenade.”—Two capital four-part songs by J. S. Mitchell.—267, “Come, Lassies and Lads.”—A masterly arrangement in four parts of the good old seventeenth-century ditty.
Cavendish Music Books.—In No. 101 we have a selection of American pieces. To those who wish to know what our cousins on the other side of the Atlantic are doing in musical composition, we advise a perusal of this selection. It proves that, at any rate in this kind of art work, we are more “go-ahead” than they are.
The Sweet old River.Song by Sydney Smith.—A smoothly written song, published in C and E flat.
Dreams.Song by Cecile S. Hartog.—Miss Hartog’s compositions are exceptionally good, and far above the average ballad.
The Wide, Wide Sea.—One of the best songs that Stephen Adams has written. Compass, B flat to E flat, or C to F.
In the Chimney Corner.By F. H. Cowen.—A song of the Behrend type, but higher in conception, and rather more hopeful in tone.
Go, Pretty Rose.Duet in canon. By Marzials.—We recommend this duet to all who have sung and admired his other canon, “My true love hath my heart.” It is a most elegant canon, and very melodious and bright withal.
Grave and Corno.By Joseph Gibbs (1744), and air and jigg by Richard Jones (17th century). All for violin and piano.—These really good and interesting relics of old English composition have been revived by Herr Peiniger, who has arranged a piano part from the figured basses. Just as we admire the case of an organ, so may we speak of the admirable covers to these pieces. They are in excellent taste.
Five Pictures on a Journey.By F. W. Davenport.—Well written and suggestive piano pieces.
Episodes for the Piano.By Frederick Westlake.—We have received No. 1, Prelude, and feel sure that the others equally well sustain the reputation of this esteemed professor of the Royal Academy.