common exit with the rest of the audience -and let the quarters allotted to them be superintended, that their toying may not go on, as we have frequently seen, in the face of the whole house!

Some persons attribute the alleged decline of theatricals to the want of dramatic writers of talent; that has nothing to say to it. We do not want new plays to make our theatres attractive-good plays and good acting are always new. How many nights did the thread-worn " Critic" run about three years ago? "Dramatic talent," such people say, "is not sufficiently rewarded; otherwise we should have a greater number of dramatic writers." Do they think that a dramatic writer is to be made for a

thousand pounds? "Sir Walter Scott might be induced to write for the stage;" stuff! If you were to pay Sir Walter all the money that all his admirable novels have produced, the chance is that he could not turn you out a drama. They say the same thing of other authors-they talk of what they know nothing about. Why have not Coleridge, Southey, Rogers, and Wordsworth produced plays? They are poets; why are they not dramatists? Were they to put their heads together could they produce any thing like the Rienzi of Miss Mitford ?-No!

MUSIC.

ITALIAN OPERA.

THE month of May has been highly favourable to the King's Theatre. It has been extremely well attended, and we rejoice to have cause for hoping that the management will have found wherewithal to console itself for the early portion of the season, which was in sooth, "flat, stale, and unprofitable," in no ordinary degree; the arrival of Pasta imparted life and spirit to every thing, and from her first appearance in Medea to this very moment, the audiences of the King's Theatre, if not uniformly crowded, have been invariably numerous and respectable. Yet the managers have made no effort in the way of novelties. Pasta has gone through her favorite parts in her usual style of excellence; and we have been alternately gratified with the sublime terror of "Medea," the chivalrous energy of "Tancredi," and the grandeur of "Semiramide." But however greatly the public may admire these compositions. has not that public reason to complain of the monotony observable in the Opera

play-bills? It is true that the everlasting "Barber of Seville" has been less obtrusive this season than is customary, but yet who has not seen and observed "Tancredi" and "Semiramide" to satiety? There is no doubt that the enthusiastic dilettanti may enjoy the beauties of these performances a thousand times over, but are the audiences of the King's Theatre exclusively composed of dilettanti? Save the mark! they are obliged to cry bravo at the very same passages at which they have cried bravo a hundred times before, simply because it is a sort of traditional business so to do, not because the applauding exclamation is wrung from excess of delight. We humbly suggest to the managers of the Italian Opera, to take the subject into consideration, and they will perceive the propriety of presenting a little more variety to the frequenters of their theatre; and indeed it is monstrous that such enormous salaries should be paid to the principal performers for singing two or three parts, throughout the whole season. We intend in our next number to discuss fully the necessity of reform in the King's Theatre, and as we mean to demonstrate that unless such a step is taken, the Opera will be obliged to shut up, we abstain for the pre ent from making any further comment on the subject.

With regard to the performers, we are sorry to state that we perceive no improvement. Rubini is obstinately callous to the voice of reason; he continues to flourish as much as ever; nor are we at all surprised at this. Whenever a preposterous, lengthy, and unmeaning roulade proceeds from him, a round of applause is sure to reward the delinquency, and of course when people get more for their faults than their virtues, it is not extraordinary that they should persevere in sinning, and indeed it is edifying to see how they succeed in this respect! Why is Santini thrust into heroic parts for which he is totally incompetent; he has neither dignity, nor grace, nor ease of manner; the warrior's costume was never meant for his uncouth bearing. Let him keep to the caricato parts, where vulgarity is no offence, and not come on the stage to produce a laugh in those scenes in which it is intended he should excite terror, as, for example, the part of the husband in "Il Pirata." Some of Santini's notes are full and sonorous, but the quality of his voice is hard and unmanageable; it is not susceptible of the least modulation, even if the professor were an artist of higher

abilities; therefore, although Santini may be highly serviceable in the concerted pieces, to sing the sostenuto, he will never produce any great effect in an aria,

Lablache presents a singular contrast to Santini. We never heard a bass-voice so mellow, soft and silvery. His masterly style of singing, and the excellence of his acting, added to such an advantage, have made him a special favourite. It is not surprising therefore, that his benefit on the 23rd instant should have collected one of the best houses of the season. It must however be allowed, that the attractions were of an uncommon order. Paganini lent his aid, Madame Rambeaux made her debut, and a new opera was performed. Madame Rambeaux made her appearance in L'Italiani in Algieri, and gave considerable satisfaction; her voice, a mezzosoprano, is pleasing, though no ways remarkable for extent or power. But her good style of singing makes amends for other deficiencies, and we augur that the debutante will be useful in some characters.

The new opera, entitled "" La prova d'un opera seria," is one of the most laughable farces with which we are acquainted; the music, by Cnecco, partakes a good deal of the Cimarosa school. It is full of breadth; unassuming, and replete with popular melody. Lablache was quite at home, and aided by Santini in the character of a starving poet, he contrived to keep the audience almost in a constant roar of laughter.

We offered some doubts in our former number, concerning the improved taste of the English in music; and certainly we have found of late strong proof corroboratives of our scepticism. Pasta has been hissed this month-strange and unaccountable as the fact may appear, it is not less the truth; Drury Lane theatre claims the honor of the feat. Although the Goths that hissed were only three or four in number, yet the circumstance cannot but excite astonishment; perhaps, a more conclusive fact is, that of her having received less applause than Miss Inverarity. Pasta was but tamely applauded in the beautiful aria of Pacini," Il soave e bel contento" which she sang for Abbott's benefit at Covent Garden. We say tamely applauded in a relative sense, for most assuredly she excited not the twentieth part of the approbation that the former lady did in some English ballad; this, indeed, was taste with a vengeance-Miss Inverarity was encored, and probably the triumph was apt to intoxicate a young lady of any moderate pretensions, in a

musical point of view. She can never be a genuine prima donna; we speak advisedly, and foretel that next season no one will care a straw to hear her. She was one of the manufactured lions of the season, and must, of course, retreat at the appearance of a new one. The ballet department in the King's theatre has been deplorably deficient this year. Taglioni has been cried up as a miracle of grace, and we admit the miracle, yet as a whole ballet cannot be carried on successfully with a solitary grace, we are apt to regret that the enormous sums squandered on this lady, should have precluded the possibility of procuring a more complete "corps de ballet." But the starsystem remains in full vigour, and it is decreed that a few favoured actors, singers, and dancers, should carry away all the money, the rest starve, and the public gratification be totally overlooked. We admire Taglioni, yet we confess that a hundred guineas for kicking her heels about five minutes, is something too much, at a time when people are grown so pathetic about a starving population, &c. &c.

The principal musical feature of the season has unquestionably been the extraordinary Paganini. It is a remarkable fact in the history of this man, that he has fully answered the most sanguine expectations, notwithstanding the disappointment which extravagant puffing might have been supposed to produce. The Signor played the first time to a moderately filled house; the second, third, fourth, and fifth, to what is called a " bumper." The sensation which he has produced is not easily described. The papers have been so full of "the wonder" that we have, unfortunately, nothing left but the task of repeating praises. The performance on one string has been the most admired of Paganini's excellencies. This has set people a guessing in what the marvel consists; Doctor Bennati has written some fanciful absurdities on the subject; but we have neither time, space, nor inclination, to enter into an anatomical disquisition on Paganini, though we cannot but enter a formal protest en passant against the supposition that nervous sensibility, weakness, or deformity, are requisites toward the formation of a great fiddler. Paganini composes his own music, and he does right, although the music seems to be with him only the pretext of his performances; this may seem absurd, but we really believe that an improvisation would be quite, perhaps more effective than any

regular composition. The admiration excited by Paganini's miracles on one string has brought into the field imitators, or mimics. A person named Collins has attempted to rival him at Sadler's Wells, Yet, even at Sadler's Wells, the affair would not pass muster. The most foolish attempt is that of Oury, a clever French performer with no small share of conceit; he, too, has endeavoured to ape Paganini at Puzzi's concert, where he played on one string, and gave general dissatisfaction.

PAGANINI AND HIS PREDECESSORS.

A catalogue raisonnée of the most eminent violinists that have exhibited in this country during the present generation, enumerating the qualities for which they have been distinguished, may form no inapt introduction to the record of the miraculous being, whose name is affixed to the present notice; and in whose person the felicitous combination of a rare excellence in every department of his art, the science, the soul, and the mechanism, warrant the conclusion that his career will form an epoch in the history of music. By comparing the more prominent characteristics of his predecessors in notoriety, according to a scale of qualities requisite to form a complete musician, the general reader will at once appreciate the decision of musical judges in placing Signor PAGA NINI Upon his hitherto unapproached eminence. We have only to observe in drawing up the subjoined list, that it has been completed from memory (with the exception of the dates and places indicating the birth, and public performance of the individuals;) if, therefore, any name of acknowledged excellence have escaped us, the omission is unintentional.

CRAMER, WILLIAM-Born at Manheim,

1730; first performance in England 1770. Peculiar characteristics. Decision and spirit, also an excellent leader.

VIOTTI-Piedmont, 1745-1790. Vigorous energy, grand bowing, extraordinary execution, and masterly style; above all in concertos.

VACCARI-Modena, 1772-1823. Tenderness; exquisite taste; feeling, and refined expression.

RODE-Bourdeaux, 1773-1794. Bold tone; vigour and elegance. PINTO-London, 1786-1798. Fire, originality, vivid fervour, and profound feeling. *BAILLOT-Paris, 1770

Sterling taste; variety of manner, admirable bowing, forcible tone, and masterly command of the instrument. *SPAGNOLETTI-Italy

-Charming Auty quality of tone; graceful freedom in bowing; genuine Italian taste. *WEICHSEL--- Strength of tone;

energy; excellent timist. *LAFONT-Paris, Suavity and elegance, especially in cantabile move

ments.

KIESEWETTER-Anspach, 1777-1821. Deep pathos in adagios, and extraordinary rapidity in allegros; fine bowarm, and wonderfully distinct articula

tion. *SPOHR-Seesen, 1784-1820. Grandeur, vigour, elevation of style, exquisite taste, purity of tone, and a composerlike feeling. *MORI-London, 1797 Rich, full, and beautiful tone; polished taste, masterly variety of style, and extraor dinary brilliancy of execution. *DE BERIOT-France Perfect intonation; grace; rich and charming tone; elegant bowing; refined taste, and wonderful execution.

The subject of the present article is in his 48th year. His personal appearance has been so frequently described, that it were waste of time and space to repeat the portrait. He has been likened to the preacher, the Rev. E. IRVING; this circumstance arises from the two men being habited in black, having tall and slender figures, with jet black hair flowing over their shoulders. In feature they are totally distinct; while the musician has infinitely more the look of a man of genius. His countenance expresses both varied and vivid emotion, and this uniformly accords with the peculiar character of the movement he is performing. As it is his custom to play all his concertos without the notes being before him, a circumstance

These are still living.

alone which proves an extraordinary faculty for retention and arrangement, he not unfrequently commences his undertaking with his eyes closed; and as he warms into his subject, the face and whole figure of the man become roused; he works to and fro like one inspired; while his eyes from time to time open upon the spectator with the startling effect of the focal point in a thunder-cloud.

As the prevailing characteristics of the most eminent performers on the same instrument have been enumerated, we shall complete the proposed comparison by detailing, as succinctly as possible, the extraordinary combination of qualities that are to be found united in PAGANINI; and this, it is presumed, will be the most satisfactory mode of proving that his present station has been gained by commanding genius, physical aptitude, and almost inconceivable perseverance and industry.

In the first place, then, he is a musician as regards the science. He possesses invention, originality, fire, pathos, playfulness, and variety. The introduction to the first concerto he performed in this country, combined charming melody with a correct knowledge of harmony and instrumentation. The second movement, an adagio appassionata (and. to our taste, the most beautiful of his compositions that we have yet heard) was instinct with profound grief, and pathetic expression; the sighings of au imprisoned sprite not more plaintive-Ariel weeping in the cloven pine not more appealing and melodious. His airs with variations are remarkable for their variety, complexity, elegance, and close adherence to the subject.

As respects his accomplishments as a performer, the task becomes difficult, on account of the unpopular nature of musical technicalities. Suffice, however, to say, that in tone he possesses both sweetness, purity, firmness, and variety-probably he is most eminent in the latter quality. His bowing is original and peculiar, but singularly free, energetic, and decisive. His enthusiasm is fervid: his delicacy, grace, and tenderness in melodies of a playful or pathetic character, are perfect; and in expressing a cantabile, if we have heard his equal, never have we heard his superior. In execution he has darted forward beyond all his competitors, to a distance that reduces the attempt to approach him into an act of romance; while the chance of succeeding appears to be utterly hopeless. In ra

pidity, clearness, and neatness of articulation, he is unrivalled; and his mode of producing various new effects upon his instrument puzzles all the musicians; such as playing a rapid pizzicato accompaniment with three fingers, while the fourth is engaged with the bow in performing the air; his producing the harmonics with his fingers at the lower extremity of the violin: his playing in octaves with perfect clearness and integrity of intonation: his extraordinary feats upon the single string, wherein, among others, the rapidity and precision with which he repeats passages of imitation in octaves, are probably the most extraor dinary and lastly, the delicacy and striking effect in his tremando movements, the whole of which are performed by the most even, minute, and rapid stacc itoing with the bow. Add to all these features the astonishing celerity of his execution, the hitherto unattained height he has reached in ascending the scale, the unvarying ease and precision with which he dashes out a note-no matter at what distance the remove in the scale-and the reader, whose ears have hitherto been unblest with his strains, may partially comprehend the powers of Signor PAGANINI. To sum up all, he combines every requisite towards the formation of a perfect violinist-possessing also the power of inventing and executing novel effects of such excceding and complicated difficulty, that they seem incredible even when he is heard to perform them; and, indeed, it is probable that no other violinplayer will ever again be found to unite the extraordinary variety of qualities displayed in the compositions and miraculous performance of this wonderfully-gifted

man.

His appearance is a mystery; the wondering world, therefore, have made a mystery of his life and attainments. Is he the gentle-hearted, affectionate, simple, gay, witty, and jocose creature he has been described? That his tendencies are directly the reverse of the above qualities, as the scandalous have circulated, we do not for a moment believe :

"But lewed peple demen comunly

Of thinges that been made more subtilly Than they can in their lewednesse comprehende:

And demen gladly to the badder ende,"

Of a surety it demands no stretch of the imagination to conceive oneself in the presence of a supernatural being, from the moment of his appearance upon the stage,

and that eng of no common order or sphere. Is he the wandering Jew who recreates his sad spirit with those divine and harmonious sounds? Is he the swart

essence who, in visions of the night," ravished the ears of TARTINI, and has come among us in the flesh? Speak! is thy alias BELPHEGOR? Art thou of the earth, earthy?"

Whence he may come or whither he may go, we could echo the genuine humanity of Bardolph when the company were enumerating the qualities of his dead master.

A HINT TO THE MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF

cess.

PAINTING.

THE superior quality of the materiel with which the old master's wrought, and produced those wonderful effects that we all admire; the freshness of their colours, the "eyes of youth with which they look out upon us through the mist of gone-by centuries, the corporeal essence that will apparently go hand in hand with the divine conceptions that gave it "a local habitation," have long been the subject of conjecture and investigation with the modern practitioner, and hitherto with little-at all events very inadequate sucIf the men "of old time were in possession of "a secret" in the compounding, grinding, or laying on of their colours, a fact we strongly doubt, and if, like the manufacture of the Tyrian dye, the knowledge of the art perished with an isolated few who had learned the secret of compounding that precious tincture; then the modern painter has but to rely upon the hope that the progress of chemical science will prove equally beneficial to his art, as it has been to all the lower branches of handicraft. We believe however, that "the secret" of which the great painters of former ages were in possession, lay simply in the purity of the substances with which they compounded their pigments. If they did not personally superintend the manufacture of their colours, they probably had confidence in their manufacturers. That this is not the case with the modern artist, is a notorious fact. Not only is he ignorant of the ingredients that are used in preparing his materials, of what adulterations are resorted to, what coarse, cheap, and impure oils are purposely selected by the maker; he knows nothing, except the mortifying

result, that let him paint carefully and "thick as he will," the freshness and lustre of his colours shall flee away before they have reached the first climacteric of one of Claude's or Titian's productions. The artist's material then being inferior to that used by the old painters, and the cause of its inferiority being more than surmised, we come to the subject of the present paper; which is to recommend that the members of the Royal Academy should establish (under their own roof if possible) a laboratory for the making of every ingredient connected with the compounding of colours and varnishes; and a Dispensary for the sale of them to the members of the profession. Experienced judges of the raw material should be engaged to superintend the purchases; and labourers in the different branches of the art of preparing both the oils and colours, should be employed at wages so liberal as to place them above temptation.

The raw materials being purchased at cost price, and the members of the Aca demy being themselves the manufacturers, the articles could be retailed to the profession at an immense deduction from the prices they are at present compelled to pay. The advantages that would "accrue from such an establishment are the following. Every artist would resort to it, both because he could rely upon the integrity of the materials he purchased; also that he would procure the articles at probably 200 per cent. less price than that which he now pays for compounds he cannot depend upon.

Art itself would derive a benefit from such an institution; for works of genius would no longer be subjected to the ignorance or cupidity of the colour grinders; at all events they would have a favourable chance of escaping the premature old age so frequently to be deplored in modern pictures; and which defect alone prevents their maintaining an equal rank, as to their market value, with paintings in the same class of art by the old masters. For we shall ever believe that those branches of art that have been most fostered in this country, (portraiture perhaps excepted); have in numerous instances risen to an eminence in point of merit fully equal to productions of the old schools that are similar in character; whether these will not retain their pristine beauty after the lustre of the former shall have decayed, remains to be proved:-we believe that such will be the event; and, not improbably, from the cause that has given rise