"Oh! Glorious Age of Chivalry." Duet. For Soprano and Contralto "The Solemn Words his Lips have spoken." Grand Air. For Soprano "The Love you've slighted still is true." Ballad. Sung by Mlle. JENNY BAUR "Stratagem is Woman's Power." Ballad. Sung by Miss EMMA HEYWOOD... "Love is a gentle Thing." Ballad. Sung by Miss EMMA HEYWOOD "A young and artless Maiden." Romance. Sung by Herr REICHARDT "There's Truth in Woman still." Romance. Sung by Herr REICHARDT "The Monks were jolly Boys." Ballad. Sung by Herr FORMES "In my Chateau of Pompernik." Aria Buffa. Sung by Herr FORMES "Once too often, or No?" Quartet for Soprano, Contralto, Tenor, and Bass

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4 6

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30

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"To thee, dear land, I sing" (à la Patrie), for 2 Tenors, 2 Basses, and Chorus "God save the Queen," 2 Tenors and 2 Basses, with Piano ad lib.

The Lord's Prayer for Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass, with Organ ad lib... "This house to love is holy." Serenade for 8 Voices (without accompaniment) "Aspiration," for Bass, Solo, and Chorus of 3 Sopranos, 2 Tenors, and 1 Bass "Here on the mountain," with Clarinet obbligato

I had a message to send her,

To her whom my soul loves best;
But I had my task to finish,

And she had gone to rest:

To rest in the far bright Heaven-
Oh so far away from here!
It was vain to speak to my darling,
For I knew she could not hear.

I had a message to send her,

So tender, and true, and sweet,
I long'd for an angel to hear it,
And lay it down at her feet.

I placed it, one summer evening,
On a little white cloud's breast;
But it faded in golden splendour,
And died in the crimson west.

I gave it the lark next morning,
And I watched it soar and soar;
But its pinions grew faint and weary,
And it fluttered to earth no more.

I cried, in my passionate longing,
Has the earth no angel friend
Who will carry my love the message
My heart desires to send?
Then I heard a strain of music,
So mighty, so pure, so dear,
That my very sorrow was silent,
And my heart stood still to hear.
It rose in harmonious rushing

Of mingled voices and strings,
And I tenderly laid my message
On music's outspread wings.

And I heard it float farther and farther,
In sound more perfect than speech,
Farther than sight can follow,

Farther than soul can reach.

And I know that at last my message

Has pass'd through the golden gate;
So my heart is no longer restless,
And I am content to wait.

LONDON: DUNCAN DAVISON & Co. 244, Regent Street, W.

"Merry Hearts."

New Song by J. P. KNIGHT.

THE POETRY BY HARRIET POWER,

Price 38.

Merry hearts have sunshine o'er them,
And their sky is blue and bright;
Flowers are ever spread before them,
And their path is bathed in light.
All around them speaks of gladness:
In the sighing, waving trees
They can hear no voice of sadness:
Sounds of joy are in each breeze.
Merry hearts chase every sorrow
From the gloomy dark to-day,
Look unto a bright to-morrow

When the clouds shall pass away. If chill disappointment meet them, And some precious hopes decay, Other hopes rise up to greet themGlad as summer, bright as day.

LONDON: DUNCAN DAVISON & Co. 244 Regent Street, W.

REMARKS ON THE RENDERING OF THE "SINFONIA EROICA."*

(Continued from Page 694).

The famous introduction of the second horn (p. 47) with the first two bars of the theme, as a sort of distant and suggestive presentiment of the return of the principal idea, must also be played legato, although there are no ties over the notes in the horn part (Original Edition; Vienna, presso A. Steiner & Co., and Simrock's Score)-probably an oversight. All reminiscences of the theme in the concluding period (beginning at page 43) of the magnificent development are marked legato for all the wind instruments (as is the case even for the second horn some thirty bars previously, page 44), while the direction pp. as well as the only signification of which the passage is capable, speaks decisively in favour of the connected style of execution. If we had anything to do here with aught humourous and witty, the case would be different, and such a staccato execution would make it.

It is in the following solo of the first horn in F major, and then of the flute in D flat major, that the theme is first marked dolce. We have always admired this charming intermezzo between the simple re-introduction of the E flat major theme in the violoncello (p. 48) and the full volume of the same in the tutti (p. 50) as one of the greatest beauties of the whole movement. Let the reader only compare these twenty bars with those which also in the beginning of the allegro separate and connect both points the simple theme and its radiations into the tutti. There the entrance to the career of the hero, who would force his way upwards, is obstructed by an opposing power thrusting him back and keeping him down :—

flight tends upwards more and more; the accents upon e and upon f sharp in the fourth and the sixth bar, and the più forte in the four following bars carry us on and on, until in the fortissimo (page 51) the theme appears, as it has not yet appeared, in the high trumpet notes, and-which is the great point-with the greatest splendour and fullest symphony, with kettle-drums and accent for all the instruments upon the third crotchet, which, also, is something we have not had before:—

TR., CORNO.,

ま

the legato disappearing from all the instruments, because it is not adapted to the power here to be developed.

But the legato again comes in for the last time in the coda (page 73). We have already mentioned the coda in reference to a quick tempo; but we must here direct attention to the accentuation, once more changed, for the execution of the theme. The latter here appears upon the horn, first as a reminiscence of the heroic idea from which everything originally sprang; the violin figure gambols around it as if with a feeling of joy at what has been achieved. Its expression softens down the determined will into inward satisfaction; the melody remains here, as in the solo for the F horn (page 48), which represents a similar frame of mind, dwelling upon the high b flat in the fourth bar. In order, however, that this expression may not be lost, the last crotchet must be played staccato before the sustained b flat, so that the third bar appears as follows:

The sharply accented syncopations stem the stream like so many rocks, which the water must break through by main force; here everything is different; the wild combat is over; the most precipitous cliffs have been scaled, and the eye perceives a charming valley, that suggests the blessings of peace and the fruits of victory. The melody, confined, for the sake of soft, gentle, profound, and quiet effect to the softest instruments-F horn and flute-remains dwelling upon the highest note of the theme::CORNO. IN F.

In bar 4, we have in addition the imitating oboe, with the second horn:

played in the same style, which is still more sharpened in the horn (reminding us of the pizzicato of the violoncellos, page 48). The violins take up the theme thus :

We shall meet this delicate imitation once more. The execution of the entire passage, which, by the way, especially belongs to those passages whose effect is annihilated by too quick a tempo, must, however, be wholly free from aught like affectation or false sentimentality; the dolce must be rendered principally by the softness of the tone; the greater the simplicity, nay, the greater the want of accent and this is true of the pizzicato likewise with which the tones melt away, the more wonderfully will they re-echo in the mind. A weak crescendo upon the sustained c (and flat) is the sole touch of light and shade allowable. But, in the last bar of the flute solo the orchestra modulates decrescendo to the seventh chord of B flat; the soft, unaccented strain of the theme in the lower notes (page 50) sounds like a warning to end the hero's career, and, consequently, everything hastens with increasing enthusiasm towards the tutti, in which the theme once more unfolds its pinions in the principal key. Its

a

* From the Niederrheinische Musik-Zeitung.

while all three horns, imitating the violins, a bar in arrear, present it to us for the first time in full triads, and conduct it with this victory announcing clearness to its original representatives, the basses and tenors, which, with their old and constantly increasing strength cause it to resound through the jubilation of the figures for the flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon, until they themselves join in the jubilation, and leave to the trumpets and all the clearsounding wind instruments, the task of fashioning it into a triumphant hymn. But the accentuation upon the third crotchet disappears, despite the same development of strength as at page 51, for we have now no longer to do with the overthrow of opposition, but with radiant glory alone.

In the analysis we have given of the accentuation of the first movement of the Eroica, we plainly perceive one of the means which Beethoven employed for the purpose of avoiding monotony in the repetition of the leading motive. But the repetition of the principal thought is a characteristic quality of his style, never used in such a manner, by any previous master, and-far from becoming monstrous, heavy, or wearisome,-it is one of the principal elements in the comprehension and admiration of his works, and particularly of his Symphonies, even with the great mass of the public of all nations. It is in the Eroica that this new mode of the development, or rather, of the repeated introduction of the theme-so that it is impossible for the hearer to forget, or even to lose sight of the latter-appears for the first time, in a most striking, but, also because the plan is carried out with genius-in a most effective manner. The theme of the first movement offers us a

specimen of this peculiar treatment at the very outset; it first appears in the bass piano, in a single part, and, harmonially, with only a two-part accompaniment; then in the highest part, the flute, supported by the horn and clarinet in octaves, and with a three-part accompaniment; and then, for the third time (after the progressive expansions, taken from the second half of the theme) with all the resources of the orchestra, and in harmonic symphony. This fixing of the principal thought takes up quite 38 bars. In the entire movement, however, the complete theme of 4 bars occurs 23 times (in which, at pages 43 and 44, only the first bassoon part is counted, the imitations for the clarinet, flute, and horn not being included), and the first half absolutely 43 times! If, in addition to this, we take the repetitions and expansions of the third bar alone :

This figure must be played by all the instruments as it is played by the first violin, although the p after the sf in the score and in the parts has been sometimes accidentally omitted. This brings us to the difference of the sfz in forte and in piano passages; its force must be determined by the dynamic direction for the entire period. The word rinforzare, whence is derived rinforzando, for which, at present, sforzando (from sforzare, to force) is always written, means to give additional strength (Germanicè, verstärken), and is never applied to a series of tones, like the forte, but only to the additional strengthening of a separate tone in the series. If a series of notes is to be more strongly accented, the direction sfz is repeated upon each note; frequent instances of this occur in the Eroica. As a rule, this strengthening process is combined with a certain breadth, corresponding to the accentuation of words or syllables marked "with emphasis" in spoken language. The sfz occurs consequently seldom in the staccato, as, for instance, page 18:

or partly with the unaccented portion of the bar:

partly with the final or culminating note:

8f

we find an unexampled recurrence of the theme, and a varied exhibition-effective in the highest degree-of the same, by means of higher or lower notes; the different character of the instruments; prepared and unprepared change of key; richer accompaniment; fuller and more ample harmony; strengthened instrumentation; simple and double imitation; expansion and growth; addition of characteristic subordinate figures; by the prescription of the dynamic expansion, in all possible gradations of light and shade, from pianissimo to fortissimo, or vice versa; and, finally, by variety of accentuation.

The fact of our mentioning this last point, brings us back to our object, properly so speaking, namely, the discussion of how the Third Symphony should be rendered. But, even for this object, it struck us as necessary to show at some length how different was Beethoven's treatment of the principal idea from the treatment of it by all preceding composers, because no one can ever perform the Symphony properly without a clever comprehension of the said

mode of treatment.

As is partly apparent from what has been said, in order to ensure correctness of performance, the accentuation of separate notes, by the sforzando, has been more extensively and characteristically employed by Beethoven than by any previous composer. It is essential to pay attention to them, but they can hardly be overlooked, with common care, and they are easily executed. In the cases of fp and sfp, however, double attention must be given, both in the case of the figures and in that of the sustained notes. For instance, as early as page 3, in the second violin and the violoncello :

where, by this means, the contrast between the intended sharpness of the tones in the violins and the breadth of the tones in the minims of the wind instruments, which are also introduced at the second crotchet with sfz, is intended to be marked. It thus becomes a mere direction for the accent. That this, then, must become strong, and exceptionally strong, is required by the forte of the entire period.

But very different from a fortissimo of this description is the strengthening of the separate tone in the passages to be played in the half strong (mezzo forte) piano, and especially in the pianissimo. Too strong an accentuation in these instances is a serious error; the amount of strengthening must be regulated by the character of the period. Some persons will exclaim, "Everyone knows that!" Good! but how comes it to pass, then, that, despite this knowledge, we so frequently hear, at the very commencement of the Eroica, the $fz in the tenth bar, accented upon the d f a flat with a degree of energy not at all in keeping with the character of the period, which character, on the contrary, it completely obliterates by an abruptness that renders the gradually dying away of the sound, down to the complete piano, almost impossible in the space of time apportioned to a single bar, while the mark immediately following the sfz shows plainly enough what kind of expression is required. The free progression which Beethoven annexes in eight bars to the theme, until the latter occurs, at the fifteenth bar, in the highest part even, but still piano, must not differ, in the first or second crescendo, or in the sforzando, from the character of the entire period. This character is sufficiently marked by the piano of the theme, as well as by its repitition and expression, up to bar 22, and, furthermore, by the p which is placed (bar 7) as a warning before the crescendo, upon the first g of the first violin. The same holds good of all the crescendos and sforzandos in the middle episode, pages 10 and 11: