touch is all obedience; whenever he drops his fingers, whether in rapid and delicate runs, or in full chords at both ends of the key-board, they never miss their aim, and they are always completely under his control. In temperament he is a miracle of boyish health and spirits, and they shine out in all his playing; his expression is not much exaggerated-not fantastically so, we mean; he lays on the colors pretty thickly, it is true, but still in a downright fashion, that is, he plays loud or soft, and retards or accelerates, where the melody naturally requires it, and does not reverse everything for effect, as Ole Bull would. His music exhibits the same qualities; it is effective, showy, difficult, and all that, in a natural way; it is never deep or affecting, but always clear, free, novel, daring, regular enough in structure, and just fit to be played on a piano at an evening party.

VIEUXTEMPS We should rank next to De Meyer, and considering the greater difficulties of the violin, perhaps we ought to place him first. But he did not succeed well here, either because he came at a wrong time, or did not judiciously direct his puffing; or because our public could not appreciate him; or most probably from all these reasons combined. As we remember his playing, it seems to us to have had most of the excellencies of violin performance in higher perfection than any other artist's we have ever heard; his intonation and bowing, were not merely perfect, but considerably beyond the point where we had before supposed perfection to have resided; and his ease, his artist-like style, so pure and gentlemanly; we shall not soon hear their like again. His compositions, too, though in the modern style, and in this least poetical sort of music, concertos, and brilliant fantasies, yet showed the well-educated musician; his themes had some food in them, and they were wrought into an intelligible consecution. His capriccio, so beautifully played by MR. BURKE, at the Tabernacle, last October, was in reality a more regular piece than one of Sivori's, dignified by the name of concerto, which that performer played, a few evenings after, at the same place. If he had a defect, it was one in a quality in which he excelled all our other solo violinists, and therefore we ought not to look upon it as a defect, but merely as the point wherein he failed of absolute perfection. His tone, though fuller and richer by far than

either Ole Bull's or Sivori's, was yet a modern tone. Now, to our apprehension, all that could be added to his perfect execution and intonation, would be the tone of some of the players of the last age, (judging by what we have read of them of course,) or that of the solid Spohr school. But tone and execution antagonize each other; it is hard to excel in both; the German violinists, while they acquire a great tone, become stiff in execution, and the modern French players, in practicing their harmonics and their other bijouterie, become thready and wanting in strength towards the point of the bow. Vieuxtemps had a splendid tone, per se, yet if his tone could have borne the same relation to his execution that the tone of the old players did to theirs, what a master he would be! As it is, he is the greatest violinist we ever heard.

SIVORI and OLE BULL are both great violinists; but the first is the best, because he has the best tone, is less vulgar, and can do more tricks that the other cannot

do, than the other can do that he cannot. Ole Bull's harmonics are purer, but his intonation was never so precise; Sivori is too refined, and too little of a genius, ever to please the unmusical public, though he can astonish them. Ole Bull never could rise above the vulgar; all his playing was full of that carratere which hits the popular taste in the white. As regards composition-which of the two could put together the worst trash, it is not easy to decide; but allow the author of "Niagara,” the “ Solitude of the Prairie," and the " Memory of Washington,” to prefix titles to his pieces, and we should be willing to venture odds on him against all comers. Sivori, at the date of this writing, has not appeared as a great original descriptive composer; we hope he will not: but there is no prophesying what he may do before this reaches our readers.

But, if the compositions of these players are so trashy as we represent them— so wanting in clear, deep, affecting, musical thoughts-and so wholly constructed for mere show, why is it that these players are so successful with the public? We answer-in the first place, because that which is merely showy, pleases uneducated hearers best. There is a general disposition, with such, to leck for something else in music (and the same is true in other arts) than what legitimately belongs to it. The only pieces that a large portion of those who crowd

our concert rooms really understand, are simple couplets, marches, dances, Scotch airs, psalm tunes, &c.; they cannot follow even an overture through, and take it in as a whole;-much less a florid solo, where the rapidity of the execution, or the novelty of strange effects, is perpetually bewildering them. They only desire to be kept on the alert, and have their wonder continually gratified by new exhibitions of skill-a harmless desire, certainly, but one which must not be supposed to be identical with a true relish and affection for music.

Secondly-these show players have it all in their own way before an audience. The sympathies, direct and reflex, are all in their favor. How many tender hearts were vanquished by the tall and handsome Norwegian, with his tightwaisted coat and innocent smile, at every concert, before he drew his bow? What a fascinating little hero is Sivori? And the boy-faced "Lion,"-how many conquests are the trophies of the shaggy mane that adorns his upper lip? Even with the less susceptible sex, these sympathies operate to an extent sufficient to account for all the enthusiasm that ever effervesced within the walls of the Tabernacle. It is but natural. LEON JAVELLI has the benefit of the same amiable weakness of humanity: many a heart beats quicker when he prances out upon his dangerous "funambulatory track.' If there was even one in all the thousands of spectators that have witnessed his exploits, who would have wished to see him fail in one of them, it must have been some envious rival. Just so it is with these musical dancers upon one string; and so it is with all who stand out alone before large audiences. Wherever there is difficulty to be overcome, we cannot help sympathizing with him who is to be the overcomer; aiding him with our interest, and sharing in his pride of success. We are not quarreling with this natural feeling; on the contrary, we regard it as one of the most happy dispositions of our nature-a development of the social kindliness that binds man to man, and holds the world together. We only would that its operation should not be mistaken for the effect of good music; and so the most delightful art vouchsafed to man-that art ordained to refresh his mind

be covered up and concealed from the view of many, who might, if rightly directed, come to understand and love it. We are content that show players, of all sorts, should be successful, and make money; the path of success, in music, is not so easy a one to travel, as to lead us to fear it will ever be crowded. How many long years of his boyhood must the scales have been before the eyes of a De Meyer? And with how much more patience must a great master of the violin devote his days and nights to practice those nerve-tearing octaves, and those thousand varieties and combinations of bowing? To play the violin like such a master, we conceive to be the highest achievement of mechanical skill to which man can attain, and we are sure we are not disposed to find fault with any man for having attained it-only, let skill be always distinguished from music, the great player from the great artist, and we shall be quite content.

And

8. FINALLY, we would heartily recommend the study of this divine art to all who have hitherto neglected it to the young, as singers or performers; to the old, as hearers; for, though there is such a thing as being too old to acquire skill in music, it is never too late, if one so desires, to begin to understand it. we would recommend every one who would at all perfect himself in musical study, not at first to follow his own taste, but to accustom himself to the best models; they will form his taste anew, and constantly enlarge his sphere of apprehension, so that his knowledge and love of the art will grow with his growth, will create for his imagination, as it were, a spacious country residence, like the pleasure dome in Xanadu, with lofty halls, libraries, gardens, noble prospects, and shady retreats, whither this vital essence of the soul may steal away at whiles from the cares of life, and gather fresh strength to carry him through all his necessary labors and undertakings. For it is most certain that the proper study of music does especially strengthen that vis occulta of the mind, that ability of abstracting and concentrating the faculties, which is essential to prolonged and successful endeavor, in any kind of employment. It trains the intellectual powers, also, to habits of order and obedience; and, moreover-which is its peculiar and most excellent effect-it keeps the door of After his studies or his usual pain" the heart open to all that is refreshing

and tender in life, rendering it apt to receive all delicate emotions, and all refining affections--softening it but not enervating. We advise the student, also, to come to his delightful task, laying aside the oldfashioned, narrow notions of music which so prevail among us; let him resolve not to look for singularities or wonders in the art, nor for any sort of resemblances or descriptions, but only for genuine original ideas, new developments of beauty in the invisible and impalpable element, forms of matchless elegance and exquisite proportion, which yet the eye cannot see, and which have no expression, save in that empyreal or fiery circle of the soul where language cannot penetrate.

it be ever so little, in an artist-like manner; that is, a manner which leaves room for after improvement--not such an one as he will be likely to fall into, if he studies only to master a few show pieces. Let him also beware of studying any one instrument so exclusively as to have its effects color his whole idea of the art. The instrument, he should remember, was made for the art, not the art for the instrument. There is now a greal deal too much music written for the piano, an innumerable number of pieces, the chief characteristics of which are mathematical dryness, brilliance and superficiality. We recommend the student, who would not have his mind Gallicized by them, to go back, at least as far as Mozart, and use himself to wholesome food, before venturing on this unsubstantial diet. With these few hints, and our best wishes for his success, we leave him; only reminding him, in conclusion, that it does not follow, because he would know music, that he must needs let himself be ignorant of any other matter, whether of business or study, which it is fit he should learn.

If he cultivates his voice, or an instrument, let him do it so as to gain a personal accomplishment (studying music besides), as he would learn to read well, or to fence, or dance :--practicing not in a half-determined way, yielding a little from the first to every difficulty, till he reaches his ultimatum (when he may find that he has acquired a habit merely, instead of an accomplishment); but with a resolution to do all that he is able, though NOTE. At the time when the foregoing article was written, HERZ had not given his first Concert here, which will account for the omission to include his name in the notices of the great solo-players. We take the following from the Courier and Enquirer of Jan. 9th, as expressing our judgment respecting his music and performance as briefly and fully as anything we could write on the subject at present :

"Of HERZ's music we have room to say but little. It is music of the salon; it has not the irresistible passion of the greatest masters, but, in its construction and style, it approaches nearer to them than the music of more recent pianists, which is frequently only a careless reproduction and spreading of old ideas over the key-board. It is original, and its characteristics are, fertility of mechanical invention, grace, delicacy and life; it is rich in curious contrivance and in mathematical combination, full of novel figures that please the ear, as those of the Viennoises children do the eye, and all so managed that we have, in hearing, a sense of order, neatness and propriety. It has far less passion than De Meyer's music, yet is more finished, regular, studied and exact; the union of the temperaments of these two, DE MEYER and HERZ, would be the best for a musical performer that we can conceive of; the intense quiet of the one and the fiery impetuosity of the other, representing two extremes, so wide apart, that to unite them, would be to contain everything.

"HERZ's playing is like his music-as the playing of great soloists usually is—refined, delicate, exact and beautiful, rather than ardent and overwhelming. It seems a delightful art, acquired by natural facility and long study, and not an inspiration, or immediate effort of the will, like De Meyer's. We cannot yet decide which school or style to admire most.'

SHORT CHAPTERS ON RARE AND EXOTIC METRES. CHAPTER III.-CLASSICAL LYRIC METRES.

"Needy knife-grinder, whither art thou going?

Rough is the road; your wheel is out of order;

Cold blows the blast; your hat has got a hole in 't;

So have your breeches !" That is what every one thinks of at the first mention of English Sapphics.

Yet it is very doubtful how far these

verses represent the rhythm of the ancient Sapphic, or have a right to be called Sapphics at all. The sixth syllable of a Sapphic is short; here it is one of the most emphatic in the line; and the next strongest syllable is the fourth, also short in the Greek Sapphic though not in the Horatian. Indeed, to preserve the quantities of the Horatian Sapphic, and read it into anything that sounds like regular

The very same tendency is observable in Spanish Sapphics:

Dulce vecino de la verde selva,
Huesped eterno del Abril florido
Vital aliento de la madre Venus,
Cefiro blando,

*

Asi los Dioses con amor paterno,

Asi los cielos con amor benigno," &c.