NOTES ON MUSIC. - To the Editor of the Herald. - The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954) - 7 Aug 1863 (original) (raw)

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Fri 7 Aug 1863 - The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954)
Page 2 - NOTES ON MUSIC.

To the Editor of the Herald.

SIR, - Passing down Pitt-street the other day, I saw,

amid the omnium gatherum of old furniture that is

exposed every Monday morning in front of the Labour

Bazaar, an old spinnet. You know what I mean -

one of those queer little pianofortes that our grand-

fathers and grandmothers used to be proud of-some-

where about the size of a shoe trunk, and elevated on

attenuated legs, no doubt at one time thought the

height of elegance. On looking at it, I observed it

bore the name of Clementi and Clementi, and the date

(they dated pianos then) 1789. It supplied me with a

fertile theme for meditation, and on it allow me to !

hang a few notes on music, that I hope may prove at

least as interesting as one of Mr. Dalgleish's

speeches. I thought of the pride and happiness of the

oiiginal purchaser of this venerable instrument, to how

many generations it had contributed some amount of

pleasure. When did it arrive in the colony?

Was it ia the last century? Was it the

grandfather of all the pianofortes here? What an

enormous family it had seen spring up! At one time

perhaps it was the only one, and was known to the

early settlers as the piano. How many merry toes that

have danced to its music are now turned up to the

daisies ! Did the early music masters give lessons on

it? Has it responded to the touch of Cavendish,

Horncastle, or Wallace? Did some of the lady singers

of the old days, whose memory is now only a tradi-

tion in the minds of the first colonists, enchant their

admirers with its strains? And is it come to this?

I took quite an interest in the venerable old relic,

and furnished it with a hundred scenes. On such

an instrument as this must have occurred the

amusing encounter between Handel and Mozart, when

the latter fairly puzzled the colossus of music in the

following manner: - Handel who, like most geniuses,

was not given to hiding his light under a bushel, was

declaring with great pomposity in a large musical

circle, where Mozirt was present, that he would un-

dertake to play off at sight any music that might be

written. Mozart promptly denied, his ability to do so,

and offered at once to write a niece that Handel could

not perform. A wager was laid between them on the

fact, and Mozart rapidly scored down a rondo, and

placed it on the piano for Handel to try his

skill upon. For the first few bars he went

on gaily enough but soon came to a full stop saying

with astonishment, "What have you got here ? No

man play this unless he has three hands. Here is my

right hand fully occupied in the top of the treble clef

and my left down at the bottom of the bass, while at

the same time there are notes in the centre to be

struck. This is a trick, it is impossible to be done."

"I'll bet you double the wager that I play it," said

Mozart. "Done," said Handel ; and Mozart sat down

to the instrument. Now Mozart had a very prominent

nose, and to the utter astonishment and amusement of

the whole circle, soon showed how the impossible feat

was to be accomplished, for as soon as he came to the

passage which had defeated the giant of the art, he

popped his nose down on those notes that required to

be touched to complete the harmony, and fairly played

the piece to the end, winning his wager amid the

shouts of laughter of all present.

But suddenly the romance was knocked out of my

head by the sharp and strident voice of the auctioneer.

"Now, then, what do you say for the piannar." A rash

woman who saw in it a possible side table, but who

did not heed the shaky condition of the legs, bid ten

shillings, and the lot was at once knocked down to

her, and my dreams were dissipated.

But it set me thinking on the condition of music in

the colony, and whether the importance of the art

was sufficiently recognised. As a corollary to these

thoughts, I venture to call your attention to the

advertisement just issued by the Philharmonic Society.

It surely is not to the credit of the lovers of music in

this city, that the oldest society established here for

its support, should be in difficulties. Those who

have longest resided here, could speak with more

distinctness than I can, as to the earlier struggles

of the art, but I have heard enthusiastic amateurs

recall with delight the performances of Cavendish, of

Horncastle, of Mrs. Bushell, and of Vincent Wallace,

and I have sometimes wondered what those artists'

sensations would be could they now visit us once

more, and find an admirable Italian Opera company

established and largely, supported, - could they attend

the performances of the Philharmonic Society, and find,

upwards of a hundred musical amateurs gathered

together. And to what are we indebted for these ad-

. vantages, but to the exertions of some of the members

of committee of the Philharmonic Society, who have

for ten years past devoted themselves laboriously and

disinterestedly to the sustaining of that society. I say

disinterestedly, because it is well known that many

of these gentlemen have given their time and labour

on purely public grounds. There ia thc worthy

president of the society, than whom no one stands

higher in thc public regard-he doubtless with,the.

eye of a statesman, discerns how iutima-e a concoc-

tion the amusements of a people have wi'h i s moral

welfare, There arc also two-well known, advocates of j

tho total abstinence cause, conscious that in advocating

the deprivation of their fellows of debasing pleasures,

it is necessary that they should provide innocent and

elevating substitutes. Then- there is the worthy

foimer treasuter, whose house and whose pocket have

both been open ior Ute past twenty years to the

claims of music. To such as these the pleasures

derived from their attendance on the public perfor-

mances cannot be an adequate motive for their exer-

tions, for it is well known that they can command, ia

their own private circles, music, instrumental and

vocal, of,a class that cannot be heard in public. And

yet what ii the reward of the labours of theBe gentle-

men ? "Why, it appears that after having devoted so

much of their time and their means to the entertain-

ment ol their fellow- citizens, there is a sttong proba-

bility cf their being left to bear a heavy pecuniary

loss. I am told that it is necessary to raise the, sum

of £250 to put the society in a sound and stable posi-

tion, and that for this sum the memberi of the com-

mittee are personally liable. Now, ¡Sir, I cannot be-

lieve that thc citizens will allow these gentlemen¡to be

losers io this extent. . "With a view to ascertain ¡what

the feelirg of the public is, I observe that a benefit is

to take place to-morrow, at the Prince of Wa'es

Theatte, when tho whole of the Opera troop are en-

gaged.' . This will give au opportunity for hundreds

to acknowledge the claims of thoso who have so un-

selfishly exerted themselves' to contribute to the plea-

sure of their fellow-citizens.

There are doubtless many who would bo very ready

to assist the committee in keeping the society afloat

who have conscientious scruples about attending the

; Optra home -, (and I call to mind a venerable quon-

dam mayor of the city, who has done as much as any

man to spread abroad a love of good music in con-

nection with sacred objects),; and to those it may be

proper to state that contributions to the society may

beptidin to its account at the Bank of New; South

"Wales, and Mill be duly acknowledged by the trea-

surer, Mr. A. Cubitt, of Bridge-street. Tne commit-

tee, I perceive, have obtained thc patronage. of Sir

John and Lady Young, who have in this, as hi many

other ways, maniftstid their solicitude for the artistic

reputation of the colony ; and it is earnestly to be

hoped that they will have the pleasure of meeting a

house crowded to the ceiling. It is a convenient

night, and a beautiful opera has been selected, and it

only remains for the public to shew their appreciation

of the exertions of the committee.

Should the response unhappily bs cold, the society

ol' course will dissolve, and its friends will have to

bear the consequences, while the city will be subject

to the reproach of indifference to art, and of having

left in the lurch those who endeavoured to be its