people, thus affording the audience shelter from the weather while He was never found laughing or even smiling in his intercourse with waiting for the opening of the doors, or waiting for conveyances at the the pupils. He was always in earnest, and had no time for frivolity. end of the performance. This important improvement must necessarily He inflexibly insisted upon the observation of the regulations of "his be delayed until the leases of the present yearly tenants expire--that house," as he called the Conservatory. Every professor, previous to the is, until Christmas in next year. opening of his class, was obliged to sign a book, called "le registre de The systems of ventilation in theatrical use are all uneffective, nor presence," in order to show that the members of his class were all have we been able to introduce that which alone is perfect. Under- present and taught by him. Cherubini never failed to examine daily neath the entire floor of the pit should be constructed à chamber lined the register, that he might know whether every one's task had been and floored with galvanized iron, to keep out the damp. This chamber fulfilled. But he required no more from others than he performed is in connexion with the roof, by means of four large air-shafts and four himself; he attended to all the duties of his station with exemplary open fireplaces with their respective flues. The flooring of the pit exactness and promptitude. At ten o'clock in the morning, he regularly forming the ceiling of this chamber is laid with open joints, thus sat at his bureau, either writing or answering letters, sending orders to admitting either cool or warm air, as the chamber below is heated by the classes, or hearing the professors or pupils, or any other person, who the fires or cooled through the air shafts. The wide extent over which might occasionally call upon him. When he had to dispatch a letter, the cool or warm air is thus admitted precludes all possibility of summons, or message of any kind, he rang a little bell which was always draught, and the process in either case is insensible. The ceiling of near at hand, and a servant, who was invariably attending at the door the auditorium should be made of wire gauze, such as is used in of his room, immediately presented himself, uncovered, to know what window-blinds; it is stretched on a strong wire frame, which has been was wanted, and to perform what was commanded. When the previously modelled into the proper form-that is, a very oblate dome, business of his charge was over, you would find Cherubini copyor an inverted saucer-shape. This ceiling will take decoration like ing either the parts of his own score, which was to be performed, canvas, and is opaque when lighted as usual from below, or may be or writing out the score of some great master. His wife, on a rendered transparent by lighting it, from above. It is suspended by certain occasion, asked him what profit he could get from such strong rods from the roof timbers, and guyed steadily in its place, | copies :—“ Oh!" said he, "there is always some good to be got from whence it can be let down to be redecorated or cleaned, or taken up them, which remains in one's mind." His favourite employment in without trouble. Over its entire surface above, and between it and the moments of leisure was drawing and cutting flowers, of which he was roof, is spread a light blue woollon cloth, which is perforated by the exceedingly fond, or classifying plants, for he was very conversant suspending rods, kept stretched by them, and works up and down upon with botany. He was most patient in writing his own scores; if them. This damper is raised by lines, or allowed to fall as the by chance a drop of ink fell on the paper, he immediately took a ventilation may be required more or less in degree; if allowed to lie penknife, cut round the mark, and adapted another piece of paper in the on the wire gauze, it stops the air way altogether. The economy place with such skill that it was impossible to discover the place of the introduced by new machinery into the expenses of working the stage blunder. In consequence of so much care, his scores were so neatly will enable the public to reap an immediate and sensible benefit in the done, that no printing could rival them in clearness and beauty. At form of the reduction of the prices to 30 per cent. below the old tariff. twelve o'clock, Cherubini left his bereau, and then was engaged in On this very reduced scale a manager, if only moderately successful, reviewing the classes or parts of the establishment; at two o'clock, he may realize 20,000l. a-year clear profit. Low prices are frequently went home, and his day's business was ended. associated with an equally low entertainment and an ill-behaved audience, but a first-class performance in a first-class theatre will surely attract a respectable class of the community, and a moderate price can be no impediment to their enjoyment, nor exercise an unfavorable influence on their manners. I submit that since Jullien's concerts the Crystal Palace and other shilling entertainments have popularized artistic amusements. The theatres, by maintaining such high prices of admission as 5s., have done the drama much injury, and have alienated a large and respectable class of people, who are not content to pay for the best places nor to accept the inconvenience of the worst. The public require moderate prices, a short, bright performance, always over at a quarter before 11 o'clock; a light and airy theatre, comfortable room for each person, especially for the cheaper seats; good ventilation, and no boxkeepers. I am prepared to try the experiment, and to set an example which I feel assured will be improved upon; and, if the model I now beg to submit meets with approval, I am prepared also to build in a central spot at the West-end a new theatre, containing all those improvements, some of which I acknow-Requiem,' which was his last work, ranks among his master-pieces, ledge with regret have been in my present enterprise either omitted or postponed. Your obedient servant, Hereford-house, Dec. 21.

DION BOUCICAULT.

Cherubini was, par excellence, a classical man, not in his works only, but in his tastes, habits, and manners; and when he judged another's productions, he could not rid himself of the influence of the principles which ruled him when writing. This caused him to err on many occasions in the appreciations of modern masters. It will hardly be believed, that such a great man, so well fitted to judge rightly in musical matters, on first hearing the performance of Beethoven's Symphonies, exclaimed: "It is impossible to understand all this; it is mere devergondage." The French word is used for want of an expressive synonyme in English. He had forgotten the saying of a celebrated French poet:-" Souvent un beau desordre est un effet de l'art." He nevertheless changed his opinion later, and became a warm admirer of the great symphonist.

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Cherubini," says, a critic, "was endowed with manly genius; his strain is broad, round, and soaring heavenward, leaving the earth at an immeasurable distance. This manliness of style and freshness of creation did not abandon him even when near to his grave. His second

though composed in the seventy-ninth or eightieth years of his age. Although his body was bent under so great a weight of years, his eye was full of fire, his face full of majesty, his forehead full of brightness. It was delightful to contemplate his curled, silver hair, which thickly covered his head, and played beautifully round his ears and temples." Many statements have been circulated in relation to his second "Requiem." It has been said that Cherubini composed it for his obsequies. This is a mistake. The facts, according to the most authentic authorities, are simply these. In France, female singers are excluded from Catholic churches, although they were admitted in the Chapel of the restored Dynasty, because it was considered as a private building with which clerical authorities had nothing to do. It is well the ill-fated Duc de Berri; and as it was to be performed by the members of the King's Chapel, the soprano parts were written throughout for first and second soprano, for the execution of which Cherubini availed himself of the female singers attached to the Chapel. This "Requiem" was pronounced equal to Mozart's, and everywhere crowned with success. In many instances, at the decease of persons of distinction, its performance was desired, but not permitted because of the exclusion of female singers from churches. Annoyed by such vexations, Cherubini determined to compose a new "Requiem" for male voices only, which was first given at the obsequies of the author himself. This composition closed the artistic career of the master.

CHERUBINI. CHERUBINI'S poverty in Paris and the Conservatory was as proverbial as that of the Grecian Aristides. About 1816 or 1817, after his return from London, where he had been called in 1815, he found himself greatly injured by the political changes which had taken place in the French Government, and he retired from his employment in disgust. After a while, it was acknowledged that the Government had dealt wrongly with him, and to make amends, he was appointed Professor of Com-known that Cherubini's first Requiem was composed for the funeral of position in the Conservatory, and Chapel Master to the King, or rather, to use the conventional term, Director of the King's Music Chapel. But learning that, before he could enter upon the duties of the latter office, his friend Le Sueur would have to be discharged from the directorship of the Music Chapel, in which he had been maintained after the downfall of Napoleon, Cherubini (who at that time was miserably poor) unhesitatingly and peremptorly declined the oflice, which, he said, was so satisfactorily filled by his friend. All possible means were used to prevail upon him to take the position, but he was unshaken in his resolution. At length it was decided that both Le Sueur and Cherubini should share the charge of the King's music; and, on such terms, Cherubini accepted the office; and both these most honourable artists continued in their employment till 1830, at which time, to the great detriment of the art, the King's Chapel fell with the dynasty, and has never been, and perhaps never will be, restored.

Cherubini, though warm-hearted, was of serious and stern disposition.

"Cherubini's intellectual powers"-says Mr. Hogarth, in his very interesting Memoirs of the Musical Drama-and the dignity of his character, have contributed, as well as the excellence of his works, to the influence which he has long enjoyed in the French musical world; an influence of which the persevering malevolence of Buonaparte was

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with Mr. Henry Leslie's choir and accompaniment of twenty harps, given at St. James's Hall on Thursday evening let us read the report of that performance, and learning that every artist played and sang without remuneration, and that the hall was crowded in every part, draw our own conclusion. Judging from this and other concerts, numerous beyond mention and still going on, may we not reasonably infer that the gentle art has had her full share in the holy work Would that we could pause here, and that we had no reverse to present to the golden shield just held up to light. Unfortunately from out this illumination there comes a darkness which almost obnubilates the glory That there

black sheep in the musical as well as other professions we cannot pretend to gainsay. Some of these clothed in sable wool happily what are denominated in piscatorial phraseology" small fry have recently attempted, under the eloak of charity, to force themselves on the public and arrest that attention which they have failed to do by legitimate weak inventions. When one of no note comes forward and announces an entertainment for the benefit of the Lancashire Relief Fund;" when his coadjutors are the simplest possible, and the locality suspicions, does not the cloven foot beconte as visible as though it were laid on the table before your eyes? And yet, so great is the force of charity, so meek and refining its influence, that most people believe the actor in this faree to be instigated by the most thoroughly disinterested motives. We name no names, but could do so, and would, were we not withheld by that spirit of kindliness which forbids us to intermingle any acerbity with the cause we have undertaken to uphold, and what it is our ardent wish to benefit. R.

means. But they are easily discoverable through, their

"M Congreve, and Shakspere in bolder and more imagina-are tive phrase proclaims the man who hath not music in his soul and is not moved by concord of sweet sounds as fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils. Had either of these poets existed in our own times he would have discovered a newer eulogy for the divine Art, and would have apostrophised it in still more glowing terms. Music indeed, as the work is now assured, has far greater power than to assuage savagery, or to banish treasonable designs and machinations from the human breast. It has become the handmaid of charity, and has proved one of the most strenuous and useful assistants assis of the white-robed goddess in her present beneficent mission on earth. All classes of the community have come nobly forward with pecuniary advancements to still the cry of "bunger" from the north. Musicians as a rule are not an opulent class; but in lending their services gratuitously they pay most generously, as at every concert they give the full worth of their talents and their reputation, which, on the part of artists of the first class, is a munificent bequest. From Joachim and Arabella Goddard, from Titiens and Sims Reeves downwards, all have come forward without hesitation, to help the distress of the Lancashire operatives, and the sum resume some theorists are inclined to entertain the realised by concerts in London and the Provinces-must be Tretion that fugttes, with two counter themes, should be something enormous. In our leading journals there appears called triple-fugues, and fugues with one developed counter every morning long advertisements of the subscriptions from public and private sources, but no mention is made of what theme, double fugues.* This, however, becomes a source of has been collected at theatres, halls, and concert-rooms, and counter theme in double counterpoint, and opposes it to the the greatest embarrassment. One fugue presents the of course singers, instrumentalists, and actors derive no immediate credit for their exertions in the good cause. Not leading subject every time the latter is introduced; a second that true artists require their to be trumpeted abroad 371 q bu e01 Neue Berliner musik-Zeitung. nonimorg edT is equity vllaboges stor blow areq teban edt of navig

Jawas, however he arrogated to himself for the composition

The triad on A gives us in two inversions a chord of the 6-4, which proceeds in an uncommon manner