execution, that rivals the notes of a Paganini; chaste and touching and simple melodies are almost banished from the theatre, and concert room; while in private, abortive attempts must be made by feeble and ill-trained voices to equal the extravagancies of the opera. Although, within certain limits, these innovations have given a brilliancy, richness, and variety to vocal performances, they have led to the neglect of the true and expressive music of the old masters, whose sterling beauties are lost in the glitter of the new school. Rossini, Bellini, Pacini, Mercadante, Donizetti, and others have given us much that is beautiful, but much that is trashy also, between which too few are able to discriminate. It is too often a sufficient recommendation to the notice of our amateur performers, that a composition bears the name of one of these fashionable composers, and time and talent are wasted in learning what is soon to be thrown aside. It is the very compositions of this school, that are especially calculated to exhibit the defects of the prevalent system of musical education. They have in general been written for artists of great talent, whose powers of voice and incessant practice have given them extraordinary powers of execution. In the hands of half-taught amateurs they become positively disgusting. Even with an acquired taste for such compositions, they have no charms when accompanied by imperfect intonation, laborious imitation, and a total deficiency of feeling and expression; they can only be given with effect by voices of uncommon quality, and which have been brought to the highest pitch of excellence under a course of early instruction and study, which few among us are able or willing to submit to.

It is not in the power of every one, who has a voice, to sing in various styles; rarely do we meet with a union of all the necessary qualities in the same individual. If every singer would endeavor to confine him or herself to the style of performance for which nature has bestowed the requisite qualifications, and not attempt anything beyond the natural or acquired powers, we should seldom have cause to complain of the crude efforts of our amateurs. We have already said that the natural powers are susceptible of great improvement by art, or the careful study of works like that of M. Panseron; but it should be added that the kind of voice the pupil possesses should first be carefully ascertained. This is what is understood by the register of the voice, and this is too often entirely overlooked.

Nature gives the rough material, but it must be polished and perfected by art; and the able teacher will quickly perceive the beauty that may be developed by judicious cultivation. There is great danger that a beginner will mistake his or her true register, and fix an incorrect intonation, a nasal tone, or a throat voice, with short or painful respiration. Many a good voice has been thus spoiled, and not unfrequently from the selection of incompetent teachers. The mistakes and carelessness of parents in the musical education of children are perfectly incomprehensible; they seek for the best teachers in all the other branches, scrutinize their acquirements and qualifications, while in this they are too often utterly indifferent. Teachers of music are daily springing up, who are destitute of almost every qualification for this important duty, and who satisfy their consciences if their pupils are taught to imitate them, like so many parrots.

There is a broad, majestic, simple, energetic, and expressive style of singing, which the Italians have termed the cantabile, in which our singers are sadly deficient, which we would have them labor to acquire; it is in truth the touchstone of a singer. It was beautifully exhibited in Madame Caradori. It requires an entire command of the breath, perfect intonation, the power of sustaining, increasing, and diminishing each note to the utmost degree of fineness, soft and sweet expression, delicate portamento, and a deep feeling of the sentiment. These are the good qualities of the good Italian school, which are now rare even in Europe, or lost in the meretricious glare of the present degenerate school. Too many modern singers have a set of insignificant turns, or touches, which they tack on to every song, good or bad; their forcible inspirations are mistaken for expression, their portamentos are prolonged, like the mewings of a cat, and these are their accents of expression, and this is the so called cantabile style of the present day, as too genrally understood. In the works of Panseron and Garaudè will be found abundant examples of the true cantabile, which can be safely and strongly recommended to the careful study of our fair vocalists.

The cultivation of Italian music is often objected to by persons who are not familiar with the language. But it is so peculiarly well adapted to the conveyance of musical sounds and expression, that no one can often listen to the arias and cavatinas of the great masters, without soon perceiving that the ex

quisite beauties of the music amply compensate for ignorance of the language. While listening to the musical sounds and phrases, we soon become indifferent to the words of the poet; we give to them a meaning of our own. Ideas and feelings

are awakened which may be widely different from those which the words would excite, and which in most cases are far more interesting and delightful than if we comprehended every word that was uttered. The greater number of Italian songs and vocal compositions, with the exception of the operas of Metastasio and one or two others, are but the canvass, as it were, upon which the lyrical and musical ideas are depicted each suggests to the singer a peculiar expression, but when taken together are but a repetition of the same ideas without plan or interest to the hearer. The poet is an absolute nullity, sacrificed to the soul and voice of the singer.

It cannot be denied that, although to ninety-nine in every hundred, Italian may be as unintelligible as Greek or Chinese, Italian vocal music has effected a revolution in musical taste and style, which, if we are on our guard not to be led away and mistake its defects and redundancies for beauties, must have a happy influence upon the art among ourselves. But to produce its full effect, it must be studied and taught in the thorough manner we have indicated in what we have already said, and with the aid of thoroughly educated and cultivated teachers.

We cannot close our notice of M. Panseron's work, without cautioning our musical friends to shun the spurious, modern Italian style, which may please for a time, and may be attractive in the concert room in the hands of a skilful performer, but which cannot endure. Let them carefully distinguish the compositions of the great masters of the true cantabile style, and cultivate that alone, for that is the only true Italian school the school of Mozart and Cimarosa, of Cherubini and occasionally of Bellini.

The visit of the "first tenor in Europe," as Braham was many years ago styled, while it has afforded us, at times, great pleasure, has awakened the fear that our young vocalists, unless more alive to his defects, than there is reason to suppose them to be, will be led astray by his great beauties. From the indiscriminate praise which has too often been given to his performances, those who are not well grounded in their musical education, or whose judgment has not been formed upon good. VOL. XXXI. 3D. S. VOL. XIII. NO. I.

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models, may not be alive to his frequent sins against good taste, to which he was led by his once unrivalled powers. With occasional exceptions, his is the degenerate Italian school. But while we caution against his faults, we would strongly urge the study of his masterly conception of his author, his indications of power and expression. The observation of the effect which may be given to music by a thorough artist, even if sometimes extravagant, must have a beneficial influence.

We cannot close without expressing our conviction, that the musical public are under great obligations to the several musical societies for bringing before us the two great models, Caradori and Braham, and would take this occasion to suggest to them that they will undoubtedly find it for their interest, as well as for the improvement of our musical taste, to make such overtures to other eminent European artists, as will induce them to visit us the ensuing season.

W.

ART. V. — A Discourse on the Transient and Permanent in Christianity; preached at the ordination of Mr. Charles C. Shackford, in the Hawes Place Church in Boston, May 19, 1841. By THEODORE PARKER, Minister of the Second Church in Roxbury. 8vo. pp. 48. Boston: Printed for the Author. 1841.

THIS sermon has been the subject of so much newspaper discussion, and has so largely occupied the attention of the religious public, that we should hardly be excusable, were we to pass it by in silence. It also claims our notice, as the recognised exponent of a distinct system of theology or philosophy, which, by the high intellectual culture and moral worth of its disciples, if not by their number, challenges a careful and respectful criticism. Unfortunately for the reviewer, the author of this discourse has taken the liberty usually, though wrongfully conceded to him who writes a sermon, of writing illogically. It is therefore often difficult to determine what sentiments he means to convey. His propositions cover much more ground than his proofs. His premises fall very far within his conclusions. Sweeping general statements, which seem altogether to

set aside the historical and authoritative element in Christianity, he sustains and illustrates by specifications, which need not alarm the most bigoted conservative. We make these remarks at the outset, because we mean to be fair, and if we misrepresent Mr. Parker's sentiments, we believe that it will be owing to his having set forth in a popular and diffuse form, ideas, which, to guard against misconception, demanded a peculiarly strict logical exhibition and development.

Mr. Parker was singularly unhappy in the choice of a text. He takes for his text the declaration of Jesus, "Heaven and earth shall pass away; but my words shall not pass away." Now it so happens, that the "words," to which Jesus here refers, are his predictions concerning the fate of Jerusalem and the Jews, words appertaining to that scaffolding of miracle and prophecy, which, according to the preacher, has no permanent validity or worth, words, therefore, which passed away almost as soon as they were uttered.

We are perplexed in our attempt to grasp the general doctrine of the sermon, by the vague use which is made of the term Christianity. On one page, we are invited to "consider what is Transient in Christianity, and what is Permanent therein," and then on another, we are told that "looking at the Word of Jesus, at real Christianity, the pure religion he taught, nothing appears more fixed and certain." But though "the though"the Word of Jesus" is thus set forth as identical with "real Christianity," we are afterwards assured, that, could it be proved" that the gospels were the fabrication of designing and artful men, that Jesus of Nazareth never lived, still Christianity would stand firm, and fear no evil;" and yet, in another connexion, the union of "the Godlike and the Human," in Jesus, is spoken of as "the brightest revelation of what is possible for all men." But it is hard to say how Christianity could have stood firm, and yet the brightest revelation" connected with it have perished; and we exceedingly doubt the propriety, nay, the consistency with common sense of giving the name of Christianity to that, which is so entirely independent of Christ, as to stand equally well without him.

Mr. Parker enumerates first among the transient elements of Christianity religious forms, of which it is not so much as hinted that any were instituted or sanctioned by the great Author and Finisher of our faith. "In our calculating nation," says the preacher, "in our rationalizing sect, we have