'It is the power of melody which draws tears of grief, and quickens the pulse with joy.'* All his compositions are pervaded with a tenderness peculiar to himself: even in his instrumental pieces we find a vocality that is truly delightful. Take, for instance, the motivo in his first quartett. Moderato. # But as a display of genius, we must turn to his operas. Mark the exquisite morceau of tender grief, when Donna Anna is weeping over the body of her murdered father. *The Abbé Stadler observed, that it was impossible to take a minuet out of a quartett, or quintett, of Mozart, and not discover that he was a great master of fugue; but his admirable fancy was ever found ' taming its wildness to the loving hand of nature.'-German Ramble. The soft lament of Batti, batti,' and exquisite sweetness of 'Vedrai carino,' in the same work, are well known. As a specimen of the terrific, what can surpass the few bold strokes of the trombones on the appearance of the ghost, and the repetition, when the statue speaks in the church-yard, and accepts Don Giovanni's invitation to supper? In Figaro we meet with more gaiety. Who has not been charmed with that flow of notes which Susanna sings at the time she is putting on the cap, and attiring Cherubino, the page, in a female dress? For an expression of gossamer lightness, turn to the terzetto, 'Gia fan ritorno,' in the Zauberflöte, which is sung by the genii as they ascend into the clouds. The butterfly shakes from the orchestra seem to assist the fluttering of their wings, as they are wafted through the air. Allegretto. # The Genii having fastened Papageno's mouth with a golden padlock, how droll is the effect when he attempts to speak, in humming the following strain. Hm It is in the drama that Mozart has excelled all preceding writers. The simple beauty of his style naturally enters into every scene where human feelings are concerned. His compositions for the church consist of eighteen masses, among which, his Requiem ranks as the finest production. It is remarkable, however, that he has never attempted an oratorio, in which a greater diversity of talent might have been shown. As a proof of his knowledge of the sacred style, we have only to name the accompaniments which he has adapted to Handel's Messiah. These have so embellished and invigo rated that work, that it will live for another hundred years. We must now advert to a style of composition from the pen of Beethoven, so perfectly new, so sublime, that it surpasses everything that has been hitherto conceived. He treads in no man's steps, 'moves within no prescribed limits, and adopts no 'established combinations.* Though, like Haydn, he has drawn many thoughts from nature, yet his works exhibit others so transcendant and uncommon, that we are at a loss to trace them to any earthly resemblance. The vastness of his mind may be compared to that of Michael Angelo, who had formed the design of cutting a statue of Neptune out of the rock of Massa Cara, that should overlook the Mediterranean sea! Beethoven's thoughts launch into an equal majesty of design, Shee on Painting. |