&* '.■-••'. ■W/Z''*?**-'- Gflfje Htbrarp of tfjc WLnibtxtlity of JJortf) Carolina tHSJC UfctfM* THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA ENDOWED BY THE DIALECTIC AND PHILANTHROPIC SOCIETIES V780.9Ui B967P MUSIC LIBRARY : This book must not be taken from the Library building. THE PRESENT STATE F MUSIC 1 N FRANCE and ITALY: O R, The JOURNAL of a TOUR through thofc Countries, undertaken to collect Materials for A GENERAL HISTORY OF MUSIC. By CHARLES BURNEY, Muf. D. Ei cantarono allor fi dolcemente, Che la dolcezza ancor dentro mi fuona. Dante, Purg. Canto zdo. LONDON, Printed for T. Becket and Co, in the Strand. MDCCXXI. fh is difficult to write about the arts without ufing terms of art; but though few foreign words, or technical terms, will occur jn this Journal, which are not translated or de- fined the firft time they are ufed, yet, to fave the reader the trouble of feeking them in the text, or of remember- ing them, the following are collected and explained here.] EXPLICATION O F Some Musical Terms and Foreign Words$ Which occur in the following Journal. ^CCADEMU, a concert. Adagio, flow, in the firft degree ; or, when ufed fubftantively, it fignifies a flow movement. Allegro, gay, or a quick movement. Appoggiatura, from appoggiare, to lean on ; a note of embellishment ; it is ufually written in a fmall character, as not eflential to the har- mony, though molt eflential to melody, tafte, and exprefllon. Bdritono, a voice of low pitch, between a tenor and bafe. Bravura, as aria di bravura, a quick fong of dim* cult execution. Canoriy a compofition in which the parts follow each other in the fame melody and inter- vals. Canto fer mo, plain fong, or chanting in the cathe- dral fervice. A 2 • Canzone^ '. " - V [ iv ] Canzone, sl fong. Contr'Alto, counter-tenor, or a voice of higher pitch than the tenor, but lower than the treble. Contrapuntijla, one fkilled in the laws of harmony, a compofer. ' Contrapunto, counterpoint ; compofition in parts : this term came from the firft mufic in parts, being exprefled in points placed over each other. Dilettante, a gentleman compofer or performer; fy- nonimous with the French word amateur.- Diminuendo, diminifhing a found, or rendering it fofter and fofter by degrees. Due Cori, two choirs, orcheftras, or chorufTes. Eicprejjion, the performing a piece of melody, or a fingle paflage, with that energy and feeling which the poetry or paffion, to be imprefTed upon the hearer, requires. Forte, loud. Fugue, a flight and purfuit ; a fugue differs from a canon only in being lefs rigid in its laws j a canon is a perpetual fugue : the firft, or leading part gives the law to the reft in both ; but, in the courfe of a fugue, it is allowable to introduce epifodes and new fubje£ts. Funzlone, function, ceremony in the church on a feftival. GraduaU t [ v ] Graduate, gradual j an appellation given, in the Romifh church, to a verfe which is fung after the epiftle, and which was anciently fung on the fteps of the altar. Harmony, muiic in parts, in oppofition to melody. i Imitation, a flight fpecies of fugue, in which the parts imitate each other, though not in the fame intervals, or according to the rigorous laws of a fugue or canon. Improvvifatrice, a female who pronounces verfes ex- tempore. Intermezzo, an interlude, or mufical farce, ufually performed between the acts of a ferious piece. Laudifli, pfalm fingers. Maejlro di Capella, z compofer, or one who directs a mufical performance in a church or chapel. Maejlro del Coro, matter of the choir. Melody, an air, or fingle part, without bafe or ac- companiment. Maffa Bajfa, a filent mafs, whifpered by the prieft during a mufical performance. Mezzo Soprano, a fecond treble, or voice between the treble and counter-tenor. Miferere, the firft word of the 51ft Pfalm, in Latin. Modulation, the art of changing the key, or of con- ducting the harmony or melody into dif- ferent keys, in a manner agreeable to the car, and conformable to eftablifhed rules. . , MotettOy . t vi 1 MoiettOy Motet, a Latin hymn, pfalm, or anthehiV Muftco, a general term for mufician; but novf chiefly applied in Italy to a cajlrato. Offertorio, Offertory, an anthem Tung, op a voluri-' tary played, at the time the people arc making an offering. Piano, foft. Plain chant, plain fong, or chanting. Portamento, conduct of the voice : the portamento is faid to be good, when the voice is neither nafal nor guttural. Ritornello, originally the echo or repetition of any portion of a fong by the inftruments * but, irt procefs of time, it became the general terni for fymphony^ in which fenfe it will be often ufed in this Journal, and which will, perhaps, be called, Verbum movere loco ; but though the word Ritorncl is rather obfolete,- and has for fome time been fupplied by fym- phony, it now wants revival, as fymphonyj 5 among modern muficians, is ufually fy- nonymous with overture. Saltatort, jumpers, or dancers of uncommon agility. Si/line, the Pope's chapel is fometimes called the Sijiinc chapel, from Sextus Quintus, who built it. Soprano, the fupreme, or treble, part in vocal Com- pofitions. Sojlenufof [ vii ] Sojlenuto, fuftained ; or, ufed fubftantively, the power of continuing a found : in this cafe the harpfichord has no Sojlenuto, the organ has one. Steiner, the name of a famous German maker of violins. Sinfonia, fymphony, or overture. Tqfte, the adding, diminifhing, or changing a me- lody, or paffage, with judgment and pro- priety, and in fuch a manner as to improve it : if this were rendered an invariable rule in what is commonly called gracing, the paflages, in compofitions of the firft clafs, would feldom be changed. Virtu, talents, abilities ; hence Virtuofo, a performer. Voce di Camera, a feeble voice, fit only for ft chamber. Voce di Petto, a voice which comes from the bread, in oppofition to one that is nafal or guttural. Vox Humana, human voice. ERRATA. Gloflary, p. 5, for Mafia read Meffo. P. 6, line the laft, after treble dele comma. Text, p. 2, 1. 3, dele neither. P. 24, 1. 9, read Bezozzi. P. 25, at bottom, read Bezozzi. P. 41, line laft but one, for July read June. P. 49, 1. 3, after at night, «Jtf Saturday, June 23. P. 50, 1. 13, dele here. P. 53. 1. laft, for 39 read 43. P. 59, 1. laft but one, for quarelles rea.d que- relles. P. 65, 1. io, for diflungato read Jlungato. P. 67, 1. 12, «<# July. P. 71, 1. 17, for grand read grande. P. 72, 1. 14, /or feem rafa/ feemed. P. 78, ra&iSacriftia. P. 79, 1. 20, for are read were. P. 8i, 1. 13, dele comma after gallery. P. 83, 1. laft but one, for Picconai read Piccionaja. P. 94, 1. ai, dele it. P. 98, for Simonetto read Simonetta. P. no, for Fermian read Firmian. P. 112, 1. 3. /or Maeftra read Maejlro. P. 115, 1. 17, for per read con. P. 117, for Brighello read Brighella. P. 119, 1. 19, /or Venice mz^/ Aflifi. P- 133, and elfewhere, read Ofpedaletto . P. 134, 1. 9, readPardon. P. 139, readOfpe- dale, Ofpedaletto, and Paolo. P. 141, dele accent over «. P. 147, and elfewhere, for L'Atilla read Atilla. P. 154, 1. 14, read enquiries. P. 164, read Giorgio. P. 166, 1. a, read Gefuati. P. 171, 1. 21, read Ofpedaletto. P. 173, 1. 7, for Mendicanti read Incurabili. P. 174, 1. 7, dele the accent o-ver Celeftia. P. 174, 1. 19, read exhilarates. P. 180, in the note, read Giufeppe. P. 182, 1. 16, read Giovanni. P. 196, 1. 9, after happy add as. P. 198, mz, and as I expected to have the fame preju- dices, or feelings at my return, about their mufic, I endeavoured to give it a fair hearing firfl, in the capital, and the two extremities of the kingdom, Paris, Lifle, and Lyons. I flopped at Cambray, vifited r u i viiited the churches there, in hopes of hearing rnuiic, but was difappointed > the fervice was performed entirely with- out chant or organ* I was told there would be finging in the afternoon, but was unable to flay. Indeed the character given of the voices by fome of the inhabitants did not tempt me, fo I went on directly to PARIS. And here, after fpending the greatef! part of the firfr. day in fearch of books* I went in the evening, June 1 2, to the Boulevard, as no better entertainment offered itfelf either at the play-houfe or opera. The Boulevard is a place of pub- lic diverlions, without the gates of Paris, It is laid out in walks, and planted. In the middle is a wide road for carriages, and at the iides are cofFee-hoTafes, conju- rors, and mows of all kinds. Here every evening, during fummer, the walks are crowded with well-drefTed people and the road t '5 3 road with fplendid equipages ; and here I faw the new Vauxhall, as they call it, but it is no more like ours, than the em^ peror of China's palace. Nor is it at all like Ranelagh; though, atthefirft entrance, there is a fmall rotund, with galleries round it well lighted up, and decorated. Next to this is a quadrangle in the open air, where they dance in warm weather; it is illuminated, and has galleries, which are continued to another room, which is fquare, and Hill larger than the firft, with two rows of Corinthian pillars orna- mented with fefloons and illuminations. This is a very elegant room, in which are minuets, allemandes, cotillons, and contre danfesy when the weather is cold, which was now the cafe in the extreme. However, here was a great crowd of well-drefled people. From the name of this place it was natural to look for a garden, but none was to be found. In the coffee-houfes on the Boulevard, which are much frequented, there are bands 7 °f [ '6 1 of mufic, and ringing, in the Sadler's- Well- way, but worfe. The women who per- form there, go about with a plate to col- lect a reward for their trouble. Here, though they often fing airs a l\ Italienne, original fin, in the expreffion, flicks as clofe to them as to us, at fuch places; in England. Wednefday 13. This morning I fpent in the- library of the College Des Quatre na- tions, founded by cardinal Mazarin. It is a noble one. I confulted the cata- logues, and found feveral of the books I wanted. In the evening I heard two pieces per- formed at the 'Theatre Italien, in which the finging was the worft. part. Though the modern French compofers hazard every thing that has been attempted by the Italians, yet it is ill executed, and fo ill underftood by the audience, that it makes no impreffion. Bravura fongs, or fongs of execution, are now attempted ; but [ 17 I but they are fo ill performed, that no one ufed to true Italian finging can like any thing but the words and action. One of thefe pieces was new, and meant as a comic opera, in all its modern French forms of Italian mufic, (that is, mufic compofed in the Italian ftyle) to French words. No recitative, all the dialogue and narrative part being fpoken. And this piece was as thoroughly d — d as ever piece was here* I ufed to imagine that a French audience durft not hifs to the degree I found they did upon this oc- cafion. Indeed quite as much, mixt with horfe laughs, as ever I heard at Drury Lane, or Covent Garden. In fhort, it was condemned in all the Englifh forms, except breaking the benches and the actors heads ; and the inceflant found of hijh inflead of hifs. The author of the words, luckily, or rather judicioufly, lay concealed ; but the compofer, M. de St. Amant, was very much to be pitied, for a great deal C of t 18 J of real good mufic was thrown away upoif bad words, and upon an audience not at all difpofed, efpeeially in the two Taft ads (there were three) to hear any thing fairly. But this mufi'c, though I thought it much fuperiour to the poetry it accompanied, was not without its defects j the modulation was too ftudied,- fo much fo as to be unna- tural, and always to difappoin€ the ear. The overture however was good mufic y full of found, harmony, elegant and pleafing melody, with many pafTages of effect. The hautbois at this theatre is admirable -, I hardly ever heard a more pleafing tone or manner of playing. Se- veral of the fbngs would rrave been ad- mirable too; if they had been fung with the true Italian expreffion. But the French voice never comes further than from the throat j there is no voce di petto, no true portamento or direction of the voice, on any of the ftages. And though feveral of the fingers in this theatre t '9 3 theatre are Italians, they are Co degene^ rated fince they came hither, that if I had not been allured of it, their per- formance would have convinced me of the contrary. The new piece had ieveral movements in it very like what is heard at the ferious opera* (It mult be remembered that the whole was in verfe, and extremely ferious* except fome attempt at humour in * Cal- liot's part) which, however, did not prevent the audience from pronouncing it to be deteftabk. Thurfday 14. This being Fete Dieu f or Corpus Chrijii Day, one of the greateft holidays in the whole year, I went to fee the proceffions, and to hear high mafs performed at Notre Dame. I had great .difficulty to get thither. Coaches aje not * Mi Calliot is defervedly the favourite aclor and finger of the comic opera at Paris. His voice, which he can make a bale or a tenor at pleafure, is admirable, and he is in all refpecls a moil in- terefting and entertaining performer. C 2 allowed [ *> J allowed to flir till all the procefliontf, with which the whole town fwarms, are over. The flreets through which they are to pafs in the way to the churches, are all lined with tapeflry; or, for want of that, with bed-curtains and old petti- coats : I find the better fort of people, fles gens comme il fautj all go out of town on thefe days, to avoid the embarras pf going to mafs, or the ennui of flaying at home. Whenever the hofl flops, which frequently happens, the priefts fing a pfalm, and all the people fall on their knees in the middle of the flreet, whether dirty or clean. I readily com- plied with this ceremony rather than give offence or become remarkable. Indeed, when I went out, I determined to do as other people did, in the flreets and church, otherwife I had no bufinefs there ; fo that I found it incumbent on me to kneel down twenty times ere I reached Notre Dame. This I was the* lefs hurt at, as I faw it quite general ; and [ 2I ] and many much better dreffed people than myfelf, almoft proftrated them- felves, while I only touched the ground with one knee. At length I reached the church, where I was likewife a .conformift % though here I walked about frequently, as I faw others do, round the choir and in the great aifle. I made my remarks on the organ, organift, plain-chant, and motets. Though this was fo great a fes- tival, the organ accompanied the choir but little. The chief ufe made of it, was to play over the chant before it was fung, all through the Pfalms. Upon en- quiring of a young abbe, ' whom I took with me as a nomenclator^ what this was called ? Cejl prefer, 'Tis profing, he faid. And it mould feem as if our word frofmg came from this dull and heavy manner of recital. The organ is a good one, but when played full, the echo and reverbe- ration were fo llrong, that it was all eonfufion \ however, on the choir organ and echo flops I could hear every paf- C 3 fage [ IN 3 fage distinctly. The organift has a neat and judicious way of touching the in- ftrument ; but his pafTages were very old fa/hioned. Indeed what he played dur- ing the offer t or io, which laded fix "or eight minutes, feemed too ftiff and regu- lar for a voluntary. Several motets, or fervices, were performed by the choir, but accompanied oftener by the ferpent than organ : though, at my firft en- trance into the French churches, I have frequently taken the ferpent for an or- gan ; but foon found if had in its efFect lomething better and fomething worfe than that inftrument. . Thefe compofi- tions are much in the way of our old church fervices, full of fugues and imi- tation ; more contrivance and labour than melody. I am more and more con- vinced every day, that what I before ob- ferved concerning the adapting the Eng- lifli words to the old canto fermo, by Tallis, at the Reformation, is true -, and it feems to me that mufic, in our cathe- dral I 2 3 I idral fervice, was lefs reformed than any other part of the liturgy. At five o'clock I went to the Concert Spirituel, the only public amufement al- lowed on thefe great feftivals. It is a grand concert performed in the great hall of the Louvre, in which .the vocal confifts of detached pieces of church mulic in Latin *» I mall name the feveral per- formances of this concert, and fairly fay what erTe£r. each had upon myfelf, and upon the audience, as far as a ftander-by could difcover. The firft piece was a motet by M- De la Lande 9 Domimts reg^ tiavit, ohiefly made up of chorufTes, per- formed with more force than feeling ; the whole was in the ftyle of the old French * The French have never yet had either a fe- jious Italian opera or a regular oratorio of any fort performed in their country. I fuppofe the mana- gers of their public diversions know too well the tafce of the people to attempt them, though every other fpecies of novelty is tried, and they even fuf- fer Italian to be fpokcn by feveral of the characters m the Harlequin pieces. C 4 opera ; [ 24 J opera ; and, except the fecond chorus, which had a conduct and fpirit fomewhat new and agreeable, to me deteftable, though much applauded by the audience, who felt and admired it as much as them- felves, for being natives of a country able to produce fuch mafter-pieces of compo- sition, and fuch exquifite performers. Then a concerto on the hautbois by Bez- zozi, nephew to the celebrated hautbois and baffoon players of that name at Turin. For the honour of the French, I muft needs fay that this piece was very much ap- plauded. It is a ftep towards reforma- tion, to begin to tolerate what ought to be adopted. This performer has many points in his tafte and expreffion that are truly exquifite -, but I think he is not conftantly perfect. He makes great ufe of his tongue in divifions, which perhaps occafions a more frequent crack or cackle in the reed than one would wifTi -, neither is his tone very powerful without forc- ing [ *5 ] ing, which, as this was a large room, he perhaps thought neceflary. Upon the whole, however, I was very much de- lighted with his performance. But it is not eafy to account for the latitude the French take in their approbation, or to fuppofe it pomble for people to like things as oppofite as light and darknefs. If French mufic is good, and its expref- fion natural and pleafing, that of Italy muft be bad : or change the fuppofition, and allow that of Italy to be all which an unprejudiced, but cultivated ear could with; the French mufic cannot, one would imagine, give fuch an ear equal delight. The truth is, the French do not like Italian mufic; they pretend to adopt and admire it ; but it is all mere affecta- tion. After this high-nnimed perfor- mance of Bezozzi Mademoifelle Delcam- bre fcreamed out Ex audi Deus with all the power of lungs me could mufter ; and was as well received as if Bczzozi had done [ *6 ] done nothing. After this Signor Tra- verfa, firfk violin to the prince de Carig- nan, played a concerto in the Italian ftyle very well ; many parts with great delicacy,'good tone, and facility of execu- tion : but this was not fo well reliihed as the Exaudi that went before it. Nay, I could plainly difcover, by their counte- nances and reception of it, how little they had felt it. Madame Philidor fung a motet next, of her hufband's compo- iition, who drinks hard at the Italian fountain ; but though this was more like good finging and good mufic than any vocal piece that had preceded it, yet it was not applauded with that fury, which leaves not the leaft doubt of its having been felt. The whole was finifhed by Beatus Vir, a motet, in grand chorus, with folo and duet parts between. The prin- cipal counter-tenor had a folo verfe in it which he bellowed out with as much violence as if he had done it for life, 7 while [ *7 ] while a knife was at his throat. But though this wholly ftunned me, I plainly Jaw, by the fmiles of ineffable fatisfa<5tion .which were vifible in the countenances of ninety-nine out of a hundred of the company, and heard, by the moil violent applaufe that a'ravimed audience could beftow, that it was quite what their hearts felt, and their fouls loved. Ceft fuperbe! was echoed from one to the other through the whole houfe. But the la ft chorus was zjinijher with a vengeance ! it furpaffed, in clamour, all the noifes I had ever heard in my life. I have frequent- ly thought the choruffes of our oratorios rather too loud and violent; but, com- pared with thefe, they are/oft mnfic, fuch as might footh and lull to fleep the he- roine of a tragedy. Friday 15. In vifiting the king of France's library this morning, I found that if I could have contented myfelf with I 2 8 ] with the dead letter of information, fuch as is to be obtained from books only, I need not to have crofled the Alps ; as the number to be found here, relative to my fubjed:, is almoft infinite. The MSS. were what I firft enquired after of the libra- rian, and I found that the mere catalogue of thefe alone amounted to four volumes in folio ; not all about mufic indeed, but that fcience has not been neglected by th& collectors of thefe books. The moil ancient MSS. in which mufic has any concern, if we except the feven Greek authors publimed by Meibomius, which are all here in MS. are the liturgies and ofiices of the church, fuch as miffals, rituals, graduals, breviaries, and pfal- ters, in Greek and Latin -, but of thefe when I come to treat of the mufic of paft times. Of its prefent ftate here, I thought I could get no better informa- tion than was to be acquired by going to the opera of Zaide, which was performed this evening at the new opera-houfe ad- joining [ 29 ] joining to, or rather being part of the Palais Royal belonging to the duke of Orleans. The former theatre was burnt down about fix years ago, during which time the opera was performed in the king's palace of the Louvre, where the Concert Spirituel is ftill held *. The opera of to-night Was firft performed in 1739; revived again in 1745, 1756, and now, for the fourth time, in 1770. It is called by the French ballet-heroique, or heroic dance; the dances being inter- woven, and making an elfential part of the piece. I believe in all fuch pieces, the intereft of the drama is very inconfider- able -, at leaft, if we may judge by this, and fome of thofe compofed by Rameau. * One of the fineft fights at Paris ufed then to be the Tuilleries in fummer, after the opera j which being over between feven and eight in the evening, all the company, in full drefs, confifting of the flower of this capital, poured into the grand ave- nue : totis vomit JEdibus undam ; and formed an aflembly not to be met with in any other part of the world. The i ^ 1 The mufic of Zaide is by Royer ; arid it {% fomewhat wonderful that nothing better, or of a more modern tafte, has been cOm- pofed fince ; the ftyle of composition is totally changed throughout the reft of Europe ; yet the French, commonly ac- cused of more levity and caprice than their neighbours, have flood {till in mufic for thirty or forty years : nay, one may go flill further, and alTert boldly^ that it has undergone few changes at the great opera fince Lulli's time, that is to fay, in one hundred years. In friortj notwith- fbanding they can both talk and write fo well, and fo much abmit it) mufic in France, with refpecl to the two great efTentials of melody and expreffion *, may flill be faid to be in its infancy. But to return to M. Royer's opera of Zaide, which, in point of melody, of light and made, or contrail, and of erTeclj * The Italian mufic, fays M. D'Alembert, is a language of which we have not yet the alphabet. Melange de Litter. is is miferable, and below all eriticifm : but . at the fame time it muft be allowed that the theatre is elegant and noble ; that the dreffes and decorations are fine ; the machinery ingenious; and the dancing excellent : but, alas ! thefe are all ob- jects for the eye, and an opera elfewhere is intended to flatter the ear. A mu- fical drama, which has nothing intereft- ing in the words, and of which the mufic is bad, and the finging worfe, muft furely fall fhort of every idea that has been formed in other countries of fuch a fpecies of exhibition. Three out of five of the principal fingers in Zaide, I had heard at the Con- cert 'Spirituel. Meflieurs Gelin and Le Gros, and Mademoifelle du Bois -, the other two were M. and Mad. L'Arrivee; in their manner of finging much like the reft. One thing I find here, which makes me grieve at the abufe of nature's bounty, the voices are in themfelves really good and well toned 5 and this is eafily to be dif- covered, covered, in defpight of falfe direction and a vitiated expreffion. But of this enough has already been faid : a word or two more about their compofition, and I have done with their mufic for fome time ; at leaft with their expreffion : for they- have fome compofers of great merit among them, who imitate very fuccefs- fully the Italian ftyle. But it is in vain, at leaft for the natives of France -, other nations may indeed be the better for it; but let this deteftable and unnatural ex- preffion be given to any mufic in the world, and it becomes immediately French. One may apply to French ling- ers, what Dryden faid of Mac Flecno's wit — Sound pafs'd thro* them no longer is the farrie^ As food digefted takes a different name. But it feems to be with the ferious Ffench opera here, as it is with our oratorios in England j people are tired of the old by hearing them fo often ; the ftyle has been pufhed perhaps to its utmoft boun- dary, C 33 3 dary, and is exhausted ; and yet they can- not reliih any new attempts at pleafing them in a different way : what is there in this world not fubject to change ? And (hall we expect mufic to be perma- nent above all things, which fo much depends on imagination and feeling ? There are particular periods, that one "would perhaps wifh to flop at, if it were poffible ; but as that cannot be, let us comply with neceffity, in good humour, and with a good grace. Poetry, paint- ing, and fculpture have had their rife and decleniion: have funk into barba- rifm : have emerged from it in fucceed- ing ages, and mounted to a certain de- gree of perfection, from which they have gradually and infenfibly funk again to the ioweft ftate of depravity : and yet thefe arts have a ftandard in the remains of antiquity, which rnuiic cannot boafh There are claflicks in poetry, fculpture, and architecture, which every modern ftrives to imitate ; and he is thought D moil: E 34 J mofr. to excel, who comes neareft to thofe models. But who will venture to fay, that the mudcian who mould compofe or per- form like Orpheus, or Amphion, would be defervedly moft applauded now ? Or who will be bold enough to fay, how thefe immortal bards did play and fing, when not a fingle veftige of their mufic, at leaft that is intelligible to us, remains ? As far as we are able to judge, by a com- parative view of the mod ancient muric with the modern, we Ihould gain nothing by imitation. To copy the canto fermo of the Greek church, or that of the Roman ritual, the moft ancient mufic now fubfifting, would be to retreat, not to advance in the fcience of found, or arts of tafte and expreffion. It would afford but fmall amufement to ears ac- quainted with modern harmony, joined to modern melody. In fhort, to ftop the world in its motion is no eafy tafk ; on we muft go> and he that lags behind is I 25 1 is but lofing time, which it will cofl him much labour to recover. Indeed many of the fir ft perfons in France, for genius and tafte* give up the point : among whom are Meiiieurs Dide- rot, D'Alembert, and the Abbe Arnaud. Meffieurs De la Lande and De Blainville openly rank on the Italian fide likewife ; but it feems always with fome degree of refer ve : (fee M. De la Lande, Voyage d'wi Fra?7cois i p. 224, torn, vi.) they Mill lay great ftrefs on dancing and decora- tion ; but how few fubjects fit for mufic will admit dancing in the texture of the drama ? And as to finging and dancing at the fame time, if equally good, they mud diftract and divide the attentipn in fuch a manner as to make it impofiible to enjoy either : it would be eating of two coftly dimes, or drinking of two ex- quifite wines at once — they reciprocally defcroy the effect of each other. When mufic is really good, and well performed, D 2 the [ 3-6 ] the hearer of tafte wants no adjunct ol* additional proyocative to Simulate at- tention. Sunday. I went to St. Rocque, to- hear the celebrated M. Balbaftre, organiit of that church, as well as of Notre Dame and the Concert Spirituel *; I had fent the day before to enquire when M. Bal- baflre would play, as a ftranger from England was very curious to hear him. He was fo obliging as to fay he mould be glad to fee me at his houfe, or would attend me at St. Roque, between three and four o'clock. — I preferred the latter, as I thought it would give him leaft trouble, fuppoling he would, of courfe, be at church, but I found he was not expected - y and that it was in complaifance that he came. He very politely took me up into the organ-loft with him, where I could fee as well as hear. The organ * There are four organifts of Notre Dame, who play quarterly — Meflieurs Couperin, Balbaftre, D'Aquin, and Fouquet. is [ 37 ] is an immenfe instrument, made not above twenty years ago -, it has four fets of keys, with pedals ; the great and choir organ communicate by a fpring : the third row of keys is for the reed ftops, and the upper for the echoes. This in- ffrument has a very good effect below ; but above the keys are intolerably noify. M. Balbaftre took a great deal of pains to entertain me; he performed in all ltyles in accompanying the choir. When the Mag?iificat was fung, he played like- wife between each verfe feveral minutes, fugues, imitations, and every fpecies of mufic, even to hunting pieces and jigs, without furprifing or offending the con- gregation, as far as I was able to difcover. In profmg, I perceived he performed the chant on the pedals, which he doubled with the loweft part of the left hand, and upon this bafis played with learning and fancy. The bafe part was written in femibreves, like our old pfalmody. What D 3 was I 38 ] was fung in the choir, without the organ, was inferted in the Gregorian character. i\.fter chflrch M. Balbaftre invited me to his houfe, to fee a fine Rucker harp- fichord which he has had painted infide and out with as much delicacy as the fineit. coach or even fnuff-box I ever faw at Paris. On the outfide is the birth of Venus ; and on the infide of the cover the ftory of Rameau's mofl fa- mous opera, Caflor and Pollux ; earth, hell, and elyfium are there reprefented : in elyfium, fitting on a bank, with a lyre in his hand, is that celebrated compofer himfelf .-, the portrait is very like, for I faw Rameau in 1764. The tone of this inftrument is more delicate than power- ful , one of the unifons is of buff, but very fweet and agreeable ; the touch very light, owing to the quilling, which in France is always weak. M. Balbaflre had in the fame room a very large organ, with pedals, which it may [ 39 ] may be necefiary for a French organift to have for practice; it is too large and coarfe for a chamber, and the keys are as noify as thofe at St. Roque. However M. Balbaftre did his belt to entertain and oblige me, and I had great reafon to be fatisfied both with his politenefs and performance. Monday i3. This evening I went to St. Gervais, to hear M. Couperin, ne- phew to the famous Couperin, organift. to Louis XIV. and to the regent duke of Orleans ; it being the vigil or eve of the Feaft of Dedication, there was a full congregation. I met M. Balbaftre and his family there ; and I find this annual feftival is the time for the organifts to difplay their talents. M. Couperin ac- companied the Te Deum, which was only chanted, with great abilities. The in- terludes between each verfe were admi- rable. Great variety of ftops and ftyle, with much learning and knowledge of D 4 the [ 40 ] the inftrument, were {hewn, and a finger equal in ftrength and rapidity to every difficulty. Many things of effect were produced by the two hands, up in the treble, while the bafe was played on the pedals. M. Balbaftre introduced me to M. Cou- perin, after the fervice was over, and I was glad to fee two eminent men of the fame profeffion, fo candid and friend- ly together. M. Couperin feems to be be- tween forty and fifty ; and his tafte is not quite fo modern, perhaps, as it might be ; but allowance made for his time of life, for the tafte of his nation, and for the changes mufic has undergone elfewhere, lince his youth, he is an excellent organ- ift.,; brilliant in execution, varied in his- melodies, and mafterly in his modulation. It is much to be wifhed that fome opportunity, like this annual meeting, were given in England to our prganifts, who have talents, and good inftruments to difplay. It would awaken emulation, and [ 4' ] be a ftimulus to genius; the per- former would be fure of being well heard, and the congregation well enter- tained. The organ of St. Gervais, which feems to be a very good one, is almoft new; it was made by the fame builder, M. Cli- quard, as that of St. Rocque. The pedals have three octaves in compafs ; the tone of the loud organ is rich, full, andpleafing, when the movement is flow - y but in quick paiTages, fuch is the reverberation in thefe large buildings, every thing is indiftincl and confufed. Great latitude is allowed to the performer in thefe inter- ludes ; nothing is too light or too grave, all ftyles are admitted ; and though M. Couperin has the true organ touch, fmooth and connected ; yet he often tried, and not unfuccefsfully, mere harp- iichord paiTages, fmartly articulated, and the notes detached and feparated. Tuefday, July 19. Was fpent in the Jung's library. JVednefday E 42 ] Wednefday 20. I heard M. Pagin on the violin, at the houfe of Mad. Brillon, at Paffy ; fhe is one of the greateft lady- players on the harpiichord in Europe. This lady not only plays the moft diffi- cult pieces with great precifion, tafte, and feeling, but is an excellent fight's-woman ; of which I was convinced by her man- ner of executing fome of my own mufic, that I had the honour of prefenting to her. She likewife compofes -, and was fo obliging as to play feveral of her own fonatas, both on the harpfichord and piano forte, accompanied on the violin by M. Pagin. But her application and talents are not confined to the harpfi- chord -, fhe plays on feveral inftruments -, knows the genius of all that are in com- mon ufe, which me faid it was necerlary for her to do, in order to avoid compofing for them fuch things as were either im- practicable or unnatural ; fhe likewife draws well and engraves, and is a mofl accomplifhed and agreeable woman. To this [ 43 1 this lady many of the famous compofers of Italy and Germany, who have refided in France any time, have dedicated their works ; among thefe are Schobert and Boccherini. M. Pagin was a pupil of Tartini, and is regarded here as his belt fcholar 5 he has a great deal of expreffion and facility of executing difficulties ; but whether he did not exert himfelf, as the room was not large, or from whatever caufe it proceeded, I know not, his tone was not powerful. Mufic is now no longer his profeffion ; he has a place under the Compte de Clermont, of about two hundred and fifty pounds flerling a year. He had the honour of being hifled at the Concert Spirituel for daring to play in the Italian ftyle, and this w T as the reafon of his quitting the profeffion. ^fhurfday. I had the honour of being introduced to the acquaintance of M. L'Abbe Arnaud, of the Academy Royal des Infcriptions et Belles Lettres ; his con- verfation [ 44 ] fation confirmed what I had gathered from his writings, that he was not only a man of great learning, but of great tafte. His differtation upon the accents of the Greek tongue is both ingenious and profound ; there is a truth and pre- cifion in his ideas concerning the arts, which are irrefiftible to a mind at all open to conviction. With this gentleman I had the honour to difcufs feveral points relative to the mufic of the ancients, and the happinefs of being confirmed in fome opinions I had already formed, and en- lightened in others. At the Comedie Francoife I was this night very much entertained by the repre- fentation of La Surprife d Amour, and George Dandin ; the former is a piece of Marivaux, and was admirably played; the latter is Moliere's, and a mere farce, full of buffoonery and indecency : it is with this piece, as with fome af Shakefpeare's, the name fupports it -, for was any modern writer to produce fuch grofs t 45 3 grofs ribaldry and nonfenfe, it would be very fhort-lived : at the fame time it muft be conferTed, that here and there, as in Shakefpeare's worfl pieces, there arc ftrokes of genius and ftrong comic wit that ought to live for ever. Preville played admirably a clown's part in both thefe comedies; his humour is always eafy and natural, and there is a perpetual laugh runs through the houfe from the time he enters, till he quits the ftage. I perceive that the overtures and act tunes of this theatre, as of the Theatre Italien, are all either German or Italian ; they begin to be afhamed of their own mufic every where but at the ferious opera ; and this revolution in their fentiments feems to have been brought about by M. Rouf- feau's excellent Lettre fir la Mufique Francoife. Friday. I met to-day with M. L'Abbe Rouffier ; had a long converfation with him relative to ancient mufic -, his Memoire [ 46 ] Memoire upon that fubjecr, juft publiili* fed, has gained him great reputation here. He. feems to have difcovered, in the 'Triple Pfogreffion, the true foundation of all the Greek Syftems % I undertook, at his iequeft, to carry two of his books to Bologna, one for Padre Martini, and one for the Injlitute. At dinner to-day I again met with M. L'Abbe Arnaud ; M. Gretry, and the fa- mous Liotard, the painter of Geneva, Were of the party. M. Gretry, the belt, and, at prefer! t, the moft fafhionable compofer o£ the comic opera, has lived eight years in Italy, and is author of Lucile, he Tableau parlant, and the Huron ; all pieces that have had great fuccefs, hovv defervedly I do not pretend to fay, not having either heard or feen them; but from the cha- racter given them, by perfons of good tafte and found judgment, I expect them to be excellent : the author is a young * Memoire fur la Mufique des Anciens, Paris, 1770. *j man, [ 47 ] man, and in appearance and behaviour very agreeable ; he requeued me to be the bearer of a letter to Padre Martini, under whom he ftudied fome time at Bologna. It may not be amifs to remark here, that in converfation with M. Gretry, a young Lyric compofer, about the poems he had to fet, he agreed with me entirely in my affertion, that there were in France, and elfewhere, men, at prefent, who wrote very pretty verfes, full of wit, invention, and paffion ; admirable to read, but very ill calculated for fong ; and perhaps one may venture to fay, that, among all the ingenious and ele- gant writers of this age, Metaftafio is the bed and aim oft the only Lyric Poet *. A fong for mufic mould confift only of onzfubjecl or pajjion, exprefTed in as few and zsfoft words as poffibk. Since the refine- ment of melody, and the exclufion of re- citative, a fong, which ufually recapitu- * By Lyric Poet is here meant one who writes poems for mufic, lates, I 43 ] lates, iliufirates, or clofes a fcene, is nol the place for epigrammatic points, or for a number of heterogeneous thoughts and claming metaphors ; if the writer has the leaft pity for the compofer^ or love for mufic, or wifhes to afford the leafl opportunity for fymmetry in the air, in his fong, 1 fay again, the thought mould be one, and the expreffion as eafy and laconic as poflible : but, in general, every new line in our fongs in- troduces a new thought; fo that if the compofer is more tender of the poet's re- putation than of his own, he muit, at every line, change his fubject, or be at ftrife with the poet ; and, in either cafe, the alternative is intolerable. In an air, it is by reiterated ftrokes that paffion is impreffed; and the mod: paffion- ate of all mufic is, perhaps, that where a beautiful paffage is repeated, and where the fir ft fubjecl: is judiciouily returned to, while it ftill vibrates on the ear, and is recent in the memory : this, no doubt, may L 49 1 may be, and often is, carried too far j but not by men of true genius and tafte. At night, juft before my departure from Paris, I went to the Italian theatre, to hear On ne 's'avife jamais de tout, and Le Huron. The Huron is an entertain- ing drama, taken from M. de Voltaire's Ingenu \ the mufic by M. Gretry, in which there are many pretty and inge- nious things, wholly in the buon gufio of Italy ; which convinced me, that this compofer had not been eight years in that country for nothing* But I could not help remarking that our young com- pofers, w r ho are proferled imitators of Italian mufic, though they have never been in Italy, lefs frequently deviate into abfolute Englifh mufic, than M. Gretry into French ; for feveral of his melodies are wholly French : but it feems not difficult to account for this ; in France there are no genuine Italian operas, ei- ther ferious or comic -, fo that England, where we have both in great perfection, E in t 5° a in the Italian language, compofed and performed by Italians, may be faid to be a better fchool for a young compofer than France ; at leaft his tafte, if already formed upon that of Italy, is lefs likely to be vitiated and depraved in a country where good ringing may frequently be heard, than in one where it is hardly too much to fay, it is never to be heard at the theatres. LYONS. From the vicinity of this place to Italy, it was natural to fuppofe that the mufic here would have been tinctured rather more by the Italian gufio than at Paris ; but, on the contrary, what is bad at Paris, is worfe here. At the theatre, which is a very pretty one, the finging is deteftable : I was entertained how- ever at a cofTee-houfe by an Italian family, who, I am certain, were never heard in Italy but in the ftreets, yet here their performance was charming. The t |S ] The father played the fir/1 violin, arid with great fpirit ; the fecond violin, and the violoncello were played by his two fons j and the vocal part was performed by his tvvo daughters, who fung airs and duets by turns. Nothing was demanded by the landlady, but for the coffee and other things that were drank ; but the girls, after each fcng, went about the room with a plate, to collect what the generofity of each new comer would afford; which, I fear, was but little, if one may judge by the attention to the mufic ; for fuch an inceffant chattering I never heard among the moll loquacious female goffips, as the company, not the audience, here made, during the prettiefl airs that were either fung or played. The firff violin of this town is an old Venetian, Signor Carminati, one of Tar- tini's earliefl fcholars. And the princi- pal performer on the harpfichord 9 Signor Leoni; but both have been here long enoueh to have accommodated them- E 2 felveS £ £ -if J felves to the mufic and tafle of this country. I went twice to the cathedral church of St. John, to hear the Plain Chant a Id Romaine, and found both the church and the mufic as plain and unadorned with pictures, ftatues, harmony, or tafte, as any proteftant church I ever was in. The prebends, who are here called counts, the canons, and twenty-four boys, all fing in unifon, and without organ or books. GENEVA. There is but little mufic to be heard in this place, as there is no play-houfe al- lowed y nor are there organs in the churches, except two, which are ufed for pfalmody only, in the true purity of John Calvin : however, M. Fritz, a good compofer, and excellent performer, on the violin, is ftill livings he has refided here near thirty years, and is well known to all the Englifh lovers of mufic who have vifited Geneva during that time. In his youth he had fludied under Somis, at Turin, [ 53 ] Turin. It was rather awkward to go to him y but I fent a meilage over night, and he appointed two o'clock the next day. He lives at a houfe about a mile out of town. I found him to be a thin, fenlible looking old man, and we foon grew very well acquainted. He was fo obliging as to play me one of his own folos, which, though extremely difficult, was pleafing ; and though he muft be near feventy years of age, he ftill per- forms with as much fpirit as a young man of twenty-five. His bowing and expreffion are admirable -, and he mud himfelf be a real lover of mufic to keep in fuch high practice, with fo few oppor- tunities of difplaying his talents, or of receiving their due reward. He is on the point of publishing, by fubfeription, fix fymphonies. * Befides M. Fritz, on the practical fide, Geneva can boafl an excellent theorift, * This excellent performer, when at Paris, fome years ago, had the fame honours conferred upon Jiim at the Concert Spirituel as M. Pagin. (See p. 39.) E 3 M, Serre, [ 54- ] M. Serre, an eminent miniature painter, who has written fome learned and inge* nious efTays on the theory of harmony. I had the pleafure of converging with him on the fubjecl, and of communicating to him the plan of my intended hiftory of mufic. He is thought to be very deep in the fcience of found : feemed pleafed with my vifit, and returned it the fame evening; entering very heartily into my views, and feeming folicitous that I mould purfue them. My going to M. Fritz, broke into a plan I had formed of vifiting M. de Vol- taire at the fame hour, with fome other flrangers, who were then going to Fer-^ ney. But, to fay the truth, befides the vifit to M. Fritz being more my bujinefs, I did not much like going with thefe people, who had only a bookfeller to in- troduce them ; and I had heard that fome Englifh had lately met with a rebuff from M. de Voltaire, by going without any letter of recommendation, or any thing [ 55 ] thing to recommend themfelves. He afked them what they wanted? Upon their replying they wifhed only to fee fo extraordinary a man, he faid — " Well, * e gentlemen, you now fee me — did you " take me for a wild beaft or mcnfter, V that was fit only to be flared at as " a mow ?" This ltory very much frighted me ; for not having any in- tention of going to Geneva, when I left London, or even Paris, I was quite un~ provided with a recommendation : how^ ever I was determined to fee his place, (which I took to be^ Cette maifcn d'Ariflippe, ces jard'ms d' Epicure: to which he retired in 1755, but was miftaken ) I drove to it alone, after I had left M. Fritz. His houfe is three or four miles from Geneva, but near the lake. I approached it with reverence, and a curiofity of the mofl minute kind. I enquired when I firft trod on his do- main 3 I had an intelligent and talkative E 4 poflil-* r 56 ] poftillion, who anfwered all my queA tions very fatisfactorily. His eftate is very large here, and he is building pretty farm-houfes upon it. He has erected on the Geneva fide a quadrangular jujiice, or gallows, to (hew that he is the Jeigneur. One of his farms, or rather manufactur- ing houfes (for he is eltablifhing a manu- facture upon his eftate) was fo handfome that I thought it was his chateau. We drove to Ferney, through a charming country, covered with corn and vines, in view of the lake and mountains of Gex, SwifTerland, and Savoy. On the left hand, approaching the houfe, is a neat chapel with this infcription : DEO E R E X I T VOLTAIRE. M DCC LXL* * When this building was conftructed, M- de Voltaire gave a curious reafon for placing upon it this infcription. He faid that it was high time to dedicate one church to God, after fo many had been dedicated to Saints. I fent [ 57 ] I fent to enquire whether a flranger might be allowed to fee the houfe and gardens, and was anfwered in the affir- mative. A fervant foon came, and con- ducted me into the cabinet or clofet where his matter had juft been writing, which is never fhewn when he is at home; but having walked out, I was al- lowed that privilege. From thence I pafTed to the library, which is not a very large one, but well filled. Here I found a whole length figure in marble of hirn- felf, recumbent, in one of the windows ; and many curiofities in another room ; a bull: of himfelf, made not two years fince; his mother's picture ; that of his niece, Mad. Denis -, his brother, M. Dupuis ; the Calas family, and others. It is a very neat and elegant houfe, not large., or affectedly decorated. I mould have faid, that clofe to the chapel, between that and the houfe, is the theatre, which he built fome years ago ; where he treated his friends with fome of his own tragedies: it t 58 J it is now only ufed as a receptacle for wood and lumber, there having been no play aclied in it thefe four years. The fervant told me his mailer was feventy- eight, but very well. " II travaille" faid he " pendant dix heures chaque jour." He ftudies ten hours every day ; writes con- ftantly without fpectacles, and walks out with only a domeftic, often a mile or two — -" Et le voila, la has /"—and fee, yonder where he is. — He was going to his workmen. My heart leaped at the fight of fo extraordi- nary a man. He had j Lift then quitted his garden, and was croiling the court before his houfe. Seeing my chaife, and me on the point of mounting it, he made a lign to his fervant, who had been my Cicerone, to go to him, in order, I fuppofe, to enquire who I was. After they had exchanged a few words together, he ap- proached the place where I flood, motion- lefs, in order to contemplate his perfon as much as I could when his eyes were turned [ 59 1 turned from me ; but on feeing him move towards me, I found myfelf drawn by fome irrenftible power towards him ; and, without knowing what I did, I in- fenfibly met him half way. It is not eafy to conceive it poffible for life to fub- nft in a form fo nearly compofed of mere fkin and bone, as that of M. de Voltaire. He complained of decrepitude, and faid he fuppofed I was curious to form an idea of the figure of one walking after death. However his eyes and whole countenance are flill full of fire - y and though fo emaciated, a more lively ex- preffion cannot be imagined. He en- quired after Englifh news, and obferved that poetical fquabbles had given way to political ones ; but feemed to think the fpirit of oppofition as necefTary in poetry as in politics. " Les querelles dauteurs font pour le bien dj la litterature, comme dans un governe?nent-libre, les quarelles des grands, et les chvneurs. des pet its font necef- faires [ 6o ] f aires a la liberie." * And added, " When critics are iilent, it does not fo much prove the age to be correct as dull." He enquired what poets we had now ; and I told him we had Mafon and Gray. They write but little, faid he, and you feem to have no one who lords it over the reft like Dryden, Pope, and Swift. I told him that it was, perhaps, one of the in- conveniencies of periodical journals, how- ever well executed, that they often filenced modeft men of genius, while impudent blockheads were impenetrable, and unable to feel the critic's fcourge : that Mr. Gray and Mr. Mafon had both been illiberally treated by mechanical critics, even in news-papers -, and added, that modefty and love of quiet feemed in thefe gentlemen to have got the better even of their love of fame. During this * Difputes among authors are of ufe to litera- ture; as the quarrels of the great, and the cla- mours of the little, in a free government, are necef- fary to liberty. con- [ 6i ] converfation, we approached the build- ings he was conflructing near the road to his chateau. Thefe, faid he, pointing to them, are the moft innocent, and, per- haps, the moft ufeful of all my works. I obferved that he had other works, which were of far more extenfive ufe, and would be much more durable than thofe. He was fo obliging as to mew me feveral farm-houfes he had built, and the plans of others ; after which I took my leave, for fear of breaking in upon his time, being unwilling to rob the public of things fo precious as the few remain- ing moments of this great and univerfal genius. TURIN. At the firfl entrance into Italy, if the entertainment were as good as at Rome or Naples, travellers would be inclined to flop fhort; but they find the curiofi- ties, both of art and nature, ftill more numerous and interesting the nearer they approach thofe capitals. Turin t 6 2 1 Turm is, however, a very' beautiful city, though inferior perhaps to many others in antiquities, natural curiofities, and in the number of its artifls. The language here is half French and half Italian, but both corrupted* This cannot be applied to the mufic, for Turin has produced a Giardini ; and there are at prefent in this city the famous Dilet- tante, Count Benevento, a great performer on the violin, and a good compofer ; the two Bezozzi's, and Pugnani ; all, except the Count, in the fervice of the King of Sardinia. Their falary is not much above eighty guineas a year each, for attending the chapel royal ; but then the fervice is made very eafy to them, as they only perform folos there, and thofe juft when they pleafe. The Maejiro di Capella is Don Quirico Gafparini. Tn the chapel there is commonly a fymphony played every morning, between eleven and twelve o'clock, by the king's band, which is divided into three orcheitras, and placed [ «3 ] placed in three different galleries ; and though far feparated from each other, the performers know their bufinefs fo well that there is no want of a perfon to beat time, as in the opera and concert fpirituel at Paris. The king, the royal family, and the whole city feem very conftant in their attendance at mafs ; and all their devotion is lilently performed at the Mejfa Baffa, during the fymphony *i On festivals Signor Pugnani, or the Bezozzis play a folo, and fometimes motets are performed with voices. The organ is in the gallery which faces the king, and in this ftands the principal firft violin. The ferious opera begins here the fixth of January, the king's name-day, and continues every day, except Friday, till Lent, and this is called the Carnival. Here is an excellent tenor voice, Signor * The morning fervice of the church here is called Mejfa Baffa^ when the prieft performs it in a voice fo little louder than a whifper, that it cannot be heard through the instruments. Ottane, f 64 J Ottane, who rings with tafle, and in a pleafing manner. He favoured me with two or three airs, in different ftyles, which difcovered him to be a mailer of his profeflion. He likcwife paints well, in the manner of Claude Lorrain and Du Vernet, and is fometimes employed as a painter by his Sardinian majefty. In October a company of burletta performers comes hither, and remains till Chriftmas, at the little theatre, where there is, during fummer, a company of buffo come- dians, which exhibits every night, except Friday, una farfa fatta da ridere, and an intermezzo in mujica a quattro voci. * This continues till the burlettas begin. I went thither the evening after my ar- rival -, there was not much company; the boxes, or falchetti, are all engaged by the year, fo that flrangers have no place but in the pit - 3 which, however, is far more comfortable than the parterre or * A farce to laugh at, and a mufical interlude for four voices. pit, t 65 ) pit, at Paris, where the company Hand the whole time - y and even than that at London, where they are much crowded ; but there are backs to the benches in, this theatre, which are of double ufe, as they keep off the crowd behind, and fup- port thofe who fill them. This theatre is not fo large as that at Lyons, but pretty, and capable of holding much company : it is diflungato, or of an ob- long form, with the corners rounded oft. There are no galleries in it, but then there are five rows of boxes, one above ano- ther, twenty-four in each row ; and each box will contain fix perfcns, amount- ing in all to feven hundred and twenty; there is one flage-box only on each fide. The farce was truly what it promifed, except the laughing part, as it did not produce that effect. The intermezzo was not bad ; the mufic pretty, but old ; the finging very indifferent for Italy, though it would have been very good in France. However, it is but juft to fay, that, as a F drama-, [ 66 ] drama, the French comic operas have greatly the advantage over the Italian y take away the mufic from the French* and they would he flill pretty comedies ; but, without mufic, the Italian would be infupportable. There were four cha- racters ; the two girls were juft not ofFen- five. Of the men fo much cannot be faid i none of them would have pleafed in Lon- don , and the Italians themfelves hold thefe performances in no very high efti- mation : they talk the whole time, and feldom attend to any thing but one or two favourite airs, during the whole piece : * the only two that were applauded were encored ; and I. obferved, that the performer does not take it as fuch a great favour to be applauded here as in Eng- land ; where, whenever a hand is moved, all illusion is deftroyed by a bow or a * I fhall have frequent occafion to mention the noife and inattention at the mufical exhibitions in Italy ; but mufic there is cheap and common, whereas in England it is a coftly exotic, and more highly prized. curtfey i 67 I eurtfey from the performer, who is a, king, a queen, or forne great perfonage, ufually going off the ftage in difirefs, or during the emotions of fome ftrong paf- fion. If Mr. Garrick, in fome of his principal characters, was to fubmit to fuch a humiliating practice, it would fure^ ly be at the expence of the audience ; who would every inftant be told, that it was not Lear, Richard, or Macbeth they faw before them, but Mr. Garrick. Friday '13. This morning I vifi ted the two Signer Bezozzis, whofe talents are well known to all travellers of tafle in mufic. Their long and uninterrupted regard for each other is as remarkable as their per?- formance. They are brothers ; the eldefl feventy, and the youngeft upwards of fixty. They have fo much of the Idem ye lie et idem nolle about them, that they have ever lived together in the utmoffc harmony and affections carrying their Umilarity of tafte to their very dreis, F a W&lfb I 65 } which is the fame in every particular, even to buttons and buckles. They are hatchelors, and have lived fo long, and in fo friendly a manner together, that it is thought here, whenever one of them dies, the other will not long furvive him. My introduction to thefe eminent performers was eafy and agreeable, having been fa- voured with a letter to them from Mr. Gi-ardini, who had been fo kind as to fave me the confufion of afking them to play upon fo fhort an acquaintance, by telling them, in his letter, how much they would oblige me by fuch a favour. The ekleft . plays the hautbois, and the youngeft the baffoon, which inftrument continues the fcale of the hautbois, and is its true bafe. Their compofitions generally confifr, of felect and detached paffages, yet fo elabo- rately nnifhed, that, like felect. thoughts or maxims in literature, each is not a frag- ment, but a whole : thefe pieces are in a peculiar manner adapted to difplay the powers of the performers ; but it is diffi- cult r m 3 cult to defcribe their ftile of playing, Their compofitions, when printed, give but an imperfect idea of it. So much expreffion ! fuch delicacy ! fuch a perfect acquiefcence and agreement together, that many of the paflages feem heart-felt fighs, breathed through the fame reed, No brilliancy of execution is aimed at, all are notes of meaning. The imitations are exact ; the melody is pretty equally distributed between the two inftruments ; each forte, piano, crefcendo, diminuendo, and appoggiatura, is obferved with a minute exactnefs, which could be at- tained only by fuch a long residence and ftudy together. The eldeft has loft his under front teeth, and complained of age; and it is natural to fuppofe that the per- formance of each has been better : how- ever, to me, who heard them now for the firft time, it was charming. If there is any defect in fo exquihte a perform- ance, it arifes from the equal perfection ■of the two parts; which diftracts th-e F 3 atte.ft- [ 5$ I attention, and renders it impoffible td litten to both, when both have diffimilar melodies equally pleafing. They were born 'at Parma, and have been upwards of forty years in the fervice of his Sardinian majefty, without ever quitting Italy, except in one fhort excur-* iion to Paris ; or even Turin, but for that journey, and one to vifit the place of their nativity. They are fober, regular perfons,and areineafycircumflancesj have a town and country houfe, in the former are many good pictures, particularly one of Lodovico Carrach, fuperior to every picture I had feen by that matter. After this vifit I heard a full piece per^ formed at the king's chapel, and then went to fee the great opera- houfe, which is reckoned one of the fineft in Europe. It is very large and elegant ; the machi- nery and decorations are magnificent. I was carried into every part of it, even to the taylor's work- mop. Here are fix rows 4of boxes above the pit, both larger and deeper [ 7« 1 deeper than thofe of the other theatre : the king is at the chief expenee of this opera. Thofe who have boxes for the feafon, pay, in a kind of fees only, two or three guineas ; money at the door being only taken for fitting in the pit. The itinerant muncians 7 Anglice, bal- lad-fingers, and fidlers, at Turin perform in concert. A band of this kind came to the Hotel, la bonne femme, confirming of two voices, two violins, a guitar, and bafe, bad enough indeed, though far above our fcrapers. The lingers, who were girls, fung duets very well in tune, accompa- nied by the whole band. The fame peo- ple at night performed on a ftage in the grand place or fquare, where they fold their ballads as our quack doctors do their noftrums, but with far lefs injury to fo- ciety. In another part of the fquare, on a different flage, a man and woman fung Venetian ballads, in two parts, very agreeably, accompanied by a dulcimer. F 4 Saturday t 72 ] Saturday 14. Signor Pugnani played a concerto this morning at the king's cha- pel, which was crowded on theoccafion. It is an elegant rotund, built of black marble, and happily conftructed for mufic, being very high, and terminated by a dome. I need fay nothing of the performance of Signor Pugnani, his talents being too well known in Eng- land to require it. I fhall only obferve, that he did not appear to exert him- felf -, and it is not to be wondered at, as neither his Sardinian majefty, nor any one of the numerous royal family, feem to pay much attention to mufic. There is a gloomy famenefs at this court, in the daily repetition of ftate parade and prayer. Signor Baretti, of this place, in confe- quence of a letter from his brother in London, received me very politely, and took great pains to be ufeful to me while I remained in Turin ; and in this he fuc- peeded very much, by introducing me to Padre [ 73 ] Padre Beccaria, for whom, at firft fight, I conceived the higheir. regard and ve- neration. He is not above forty ; with a large and noble figure, he has fomething open, natural, intelligent, and benevolent in his countenance, that immediately captivates. We had much converfation concerning electricity, Dr. Franklin, Dr. Prieftly, and others. He was pleafed to make me a prefent, finding me an amateur, (which fhould be always tranflated a dabkr) of his laft book *, and the fyllabus of the Memoire he lately fent to our Royal So- ciety. He likewife wrote in my tablets a recommendatory note to M. Laura Bam", the famous dot t or ej/a and academifi at Bo- logna ; recommended to me fome books, and was fo kind, and with a manner fo truly fimple, that I fhall for ever remem- ber this vifit with pleafure. Mr. Martin, * Experimental atquc Obfervationes, quibus Eletlri- citas vindex late conjlituitur utque explicatur. Taurin: 1769. 7 the [ 74 ] the banker here, came after me to Signer Beccaria's ; and this great mathematician is fo little acquainted with worldly con^ cerns, especially money-matters, that he was quite aftoniflied and pleafed at the ingenuity and novelty of a letter of credit. Mr. Martin deiiring to look at mine, in his prefence, in order to know how he might fend my letters after me, the good father could hardly comprehend how this letter could be argent comptant, ready money, throughout Italy. He charged me with compliments to Padre Bofcovich at Milan, and Padre Mar- tini at Bologna - } and I left my new ac- quaintance, imprerTed with the higher! refpect and affection for him. I muft juffc mention one particular more relative to this great and good man, which I had from Signor Baretti -, that he, through choice, lives up fix pair of flairs, among ■his obfervatories, machines, and mathe- matical inftruments; and there does every thing for himfelf, even to making his bed, and dreffing his dinner. I vifit- ■ i viiitedthe univerfity, or royal library* where there are fifty thoufand volumes* and many manufcripts, the catalogue of which fills two volumes in folio. The accefs to thefe books is eafy, both before and after dinner, every day, holidays ex- cepted. I was very politely treated therei on Signor Baretti's account, by Signor Grela, the diftributer of the books, who mewed me feveral of the moffc ancient MSS. Among my mufical enquiries at Turin, David Rizio was not forgotten ; who having been a native of this city, and his father a mufician here, I thought it like- ly, if I could find any mufic compofed by either of them, or by their cotempora- ries, that it would determine the long difputed queftion, whether David Rizio was author of the Scots melodies attri^ buted to him*. * The iiTue of this enquiry will be related in the Hiftory of Mufic. la [ 76 ] In my journey from Turin to Milan, I flopped a little while at Vercelli ; which is a large town, faid to contain twenty thoufand inhabitants ; where I met with a book on the fubject of mufic, and with its author, Signor Carlo Geo. Teftori, with whom I had the pleafure of con- verfing. MILAN. In this city, which is very large and populous, mufic is much cultivated. Signor Battifta San Martini is organift of two or three churches here ; I had a let- ter to. him from Signor Giardini, which procured me a very agreeable reception. He is brother to the famous Martini of London, who fo long delighted us with his performance on the hautbois, as well as by his compofitions. The mufic of Signor Battifta San Martini of Milan is well known in England. But what I was moft curious after here, was the Ambrofian Chant or church fer- vice, [ 77 ] vice, which is peculiar to Milan, after the manner inftituted by St. Ambrofe, two hundred years before the Roman, or that of St. Gregory. At the Duomo, or great church, which, in lize, is fuperior to every Gothic ftruc- ture in Italy, and faid to be nearly as big as St. Peter's at Rome, there are two large organs, one on each fide the choir. On feftivals there are oratorios, a due cori, for two choirs, and then both organs are ufed ; on common days only one. There are two organifts ; Signor J. Bach, before his arrival in England, was one of them: at prefent the nrft organift is Signor G. Corbeli ; he is reckoned a very able man in his profeffion, I heard him play feve- ral times, in a mafterly grave jftile, fuited to the place and inflrument. Friday, July 17. After hearing the fervice chanted in the Ambrofian manner, peculiar to this place, I was introduced to Signor Jean Andre Fioroni, Maefiro di Ca- pella [ 7§ ] fella at the great church, who invited me into the orcheftra, mewed me the fer~ vices they were juft going to ling, printed on wood, in four parts, the cantus and tenor on the left fide, and alius et bajfus on the right, without bars. Out of this one book, after the tone was given by the orgapift, the whole four parts were fung without the organ. There was one boy, and three cajlratiiox the foprano and contr alto with two tenors and two bafes, under the direction of Sjgnor Fioroni, who beat the time, and now and then fung. Thefe fervices were compofed about one hun- dred and fifty years ago, by a Maeftro di Capella of the Duomo, and are much in the ftile of our fervices of that time, confid- ing of good harmony, ingenious points and contrivances, but no melody. From hence I went home with Signor Fioroni, who was fo obliging as to (hew me all his mufical curioiities, (he had before done me the favour to mew me thofe in the SacriJH) and played over and fung to me [ 79 ] me a whole oratorio of his own compofi- tion. He likevvife favoured me with a copy of one of his own fervices, in eight part3 in fcore, for two choirs, which I begged of him, in order to convince the world, that, though the theatrical ftile and that of the church are now much the fame, when inftruments and additional fingers are employed, yet the ancient grave itile is not wholly loft *. Piccini had been at Milan this year, during the carnival, for which he com- pofed a ferious opera. The principal fingers were, firfr. man, Signor Aprile ; firfl woman, la Signora Piccinelli ; and the two principal dancers were M. and Mad. Pique. After the carnival he compofed a bur- letta, called // Regno nella Luna, for the performers, who are flill kere. Piccini had been gone from hence but a little while before my arrival. * This piece, with feveral other curious com- pofitious, mentioned hereafter, will be publifhed. 6 There t 8q ] There is no ferious opera at Milan bill in carnival time. The firft burletta I heard there, was U Amore drtegiano \ it began at eight, and was not over till twelve o'clock : the mufic, which had pretty things in it, was by Signor Floriano Gafman, in the fervice of the emperor, who played the harpfichord. There were in it feven characters, all pretty well done, but no one 'very well, as to {inging. The dance in this opera was very en- tertaining ; there was an infinite number of principals and figurers employed in it, befides two faltatorl, Signor and Signora Palecini, who gained more ap- plaufe than all the reft ; indeed their activity was very furprifing : there were two others, who danced all' Inglefe y and there was a French peruqiiier in this bur- letta, whofe tinging was to be French : but their imitations here are fuch as ours in London, when we are to take off the Italians ; that is to fay, about as like as a rniferable iign-poft, called the King or Queen's head, ufually is to George the Third, i 8' l Third, or Queen Charlotte : one is more inclined to laugh at than with fuch mi- mics. In this dance the ftage was illu- minated in a moft fplendid, and, to me* new manner, with lampioni coloriti, or coloured lamps, which had a very pretty effect; the front fcene and ceiling, as well as the fides, had an infinite number of thefe lamps. The theatre here is very large and fplen- did j it has rive rows of boxes on each fide, one hundred in each row ; and parallel to thefe runs a broad gallery, round the houfe, as an avenue to every row of boxes : each box will contain fix perfons, who fit at the fides, facing each other. Acrofs the gallery of communication is a complete room to every box, with a fire-- place in it, and all conveniences for re- freshments and cards. In the fourth row is a pharo table, on each fide the houfe, which is ufed during the performance of the opera. There is in front a very large box, as big as a common London dining* G room, [ 82 ] room, fet apart for the Duke of Modena, governor of Milan, and the Principejjina his daughter, who were both there. The noife here during the performance was abominable, except while two or three airs and a duet were finging, with which every one was in raptures : at the end of the duet, the applaufe continued with unremitting violence till the performers returned to ling it again, which is here the way of encoring a favourite air. The firffc violin was played by Lucchini : the band is very numerous, and orcheftra large in proportion to the fize of the theatre, which is much bigger than the great opera-houfe at Turin. In the high- eft ftory the people lit in front; and thofe for whom there are no feats, ftand behind in the gallery. : all the boxes here are appropriated for the feafon, as at Turin. Between the acts the company from the pit come up ftairs, and walk about the galleries. There was only one •dance, but that very long. It I 83 7 It is not the Englifh genius to be fatisfied with their prefent condition or pofTeflions, or elfe, upon the whole, one may venture to pronounce, that fuch a comic opera as that of laft winter in London, might have contented them ; which, on the fide of finging, was great- ly fuperior to this ; nor did I meet, throughout Italy, with three fuch per- formers at leaft on the fame ftage, as Signor Lovatini, Signor Morigi, and Signora Guadagni. The opera here is carried on by thirty noblemen, who fubfcribe fixty zechins each, for which every fubfcriber has a box * ; the reft of the boxes are let for the year at fifty zechins la prima jila, or firft row, forty the fecond, thirty the third, and in proportion for the reft. The chance money only arifes from the pit and upper feats, or picconai : they perform every night except Fridays. * A zechin is a gold coin, current all over Italy, equal in value to about nine ihillings Englifh. ' G z Wednefday t U J tVednefday 1 8. I went this morning, for the firft time, to tte Ambroiian Li- brary, which, in fize, appears but dimi- nutive, after reading the accounts given of it in books of travels, and after having feen the Biblioteque du Roi at Paris, which is, at leaft, ten times as big; there is, in fact, but one large room filled with printed books, and two fmall ones for French lite- rature, printed andMS. then a room full of copies only of the beft ancient ftatues at Rome and Florence -, and, laftly, a large hall or faloon, full indeed of wonderful performances of the greatefl: painters ; among thefe are many ineftimable works of Leonardo da Vinci, and Jean Breugel, of Antwerp, the high finiuSer, whofe four elements in this collection are faid to have coft him his fight. There is an ad- mirable portrait in the collection, by this painter, of the organifl Merula *. Upon * Claudius Merulus, as the Germans called him, was of Antwerp, and flouriflaed in the flxteenth century. my [ «5 ] my enquiring for the catalogue of MS'S. I was told it was not ufual to mew it, but I might fee any one in the collection, if I would aik for it by name ; but I knew no more the name than the contents : I was m queft of new exigences, new literary beings, unpolluted by profane compilers and printers. Upon explaining my er- rand to Milan, and faying it was chiefly to afcertain the time of eftabliming the Ambrofian Chant in that church, I was told that Padre Martini had made the fame enquiries, but without fuccefs -, it feeming as if that chant had been given to St. Ambrofe by the writers of his life, one after the other, without fufficient proof. This was rather difcouraging j however I did not, as yet, give up the point y and I afterwards found more fa- vour in the light of the librarians. As yet I had not delivered my letters to thofe perfons, whofe countenance, in my fu- ture viiits, procured me every fatisfaction this library could afford. G 3 A gen- [ 86 1 A gentleman of Parma, with whom I had travelled from Paris, having a letter from M. Meffier to Padre Bof- covich, giving him an account of a new comet which he had difcovered on the eleventh of June, I had the pleafure of accompanying my friend in his vifit to this father at the Jefuits College, who received us both with great courtefy; and being told that I was an Englimman, a lover of thefciences, and ambitious of fee- ing fo celebrated a man, he addreffed him- felf to me in a particular manner. He had feveral young ftudents of quality with him, and faid he expected that morning three peribns of diftin&ion to fee his in- ftruments, and invited me to be of the party ; I gladly accepted the propofal, and he immediately began to fhew and explain to me feveral machines and con- trivances which he had invented for m aking optical experiments, before the arrival of the Signori, who were a Knight of Malta, a nephew of Pope Benedict XIV. and another [ ^7 J another Cavaliere. He then went on, and furprifed and delighted us all very .much, particularly with his Stet Sol, by which he can fix the fun's rays, paffing through an aperture or a prifm, to any part of the oppofite wall he pleafes : he likewife feparates and fixes any of the prifmatic colours of the rays. Shewed us a method of forming an aquatic prifm, and the effects of joining different lenfes, all extremely plain and ingenious. He has publifhed a Latin differtation on thefe matters at Vienna. Then we af- cended to different obfervatories, where I found his inftruments mounted in fo in- genious and fo convenient a manner, as to give me the utmoft. pleafure. He was fo polite as to addrefs himfelf to me always in French, as I had at firft accofted him in that language, and in which I was at this time much more at my eafe than in Italian. M. Meffier had told him the comet had very little motion, being al- moft. ftationary ; but Padre Bofcovich G 4 after- [ 83 ] . afterwards found it fo rapid as to move fifty degrees in a day. Mais la comete, Monjieur, lui dis~je y ou eft elk a prefent f Avec le foleil, elle ejl mariee. The late Duke of York made him a prefent of one of Short's twelve-inch reflectors, of twen- ty guineas price ; but he has an acroma- tic one, by the fame maker, which coft one hundred. The expence of his obfer- vatory, which is defrayed by himfelf, mutt have been enormous. He is uni- verfity profeffor at Pavia, where he fpends his winters. If any new difcoveries are to be made in aflronomy, they may be expected from this learned Jefuit ; whofe attention to optical experiments for the improvement of glafTes, upon which fo much depends j and whofe great number of admirable inftruments of all forts, joined to the excellence of the cli- mate, and the wonderful fagacity he has difcovered in the conduction of his ob- servatory and machines, form a concur- rence of favourable circumflances, not eafily [ % ] eafily to be found elfewhere. He com- plained very much of the filence of the Englifh aftronomers, who anfwer none of his letters. He was feven months in England, and during that time was very much with Mr. Malkaline, Dr. Shepherd, Dr. Bevis, and Dr. Maty, with whom he hoped to keep up a correfpondence. He had, indeed, lately received from Mr. Profeflbr Mafkaline the laft Nautical Al- manack, with Mayer's Lunar Tables, who gave him hopes of reviving their literary intercourfe. He is a tall, flrong built man, upwards of fifty, of a very agreeable addrefs. He was refufed admiflion into the French academy, when at Paris, though a member, by the parliament, on account of his being a Jefuit : but if all fefuits were like this father, makinp- ufe only of fuperior learning and intel- lects for the advancement of fcience, and the happinefs of mankind, one would have wiihed this fociety to be as durable as the world. As it is, it feems as if equity [ 9° ] equity required that fome difcrimination mould be made in condemning the Je- fuits -, for though good policy may re- quire a diflblution of their order, yet hu- manity certainly makes one wifh to pre- ferve the old, the infirm, and the inno- cent, from the general wreck and deftruc- tion due only to the guilty. The fecond opera I heard here was La Lavandara Ajluta, a Pajliccio, with a large portion of Piccini's airs in it. Gari- baldi, the firft man, had a better part in this burletta than in the firft, and fung very well. He has a pleafing voice, and much tafte and expreflion ; was encored, alia Italiana, two or three times. One of the Baglioni * fings better than the two others, and had more to do. Caratoli diverted the people at Milan very much by his action and humour, though local, and what would not pleafe in England : the * There are fix fitters of that name, all fingers, three of them were at Milan ; 'tis a Bolognefe family. dance I 91 ] dance was the fame as that I had £ten before. A private concert in Italy is called an accademia ; the firft I went to was com- pofed entirely of dilettanti ; il padrone, or the mafter of the houfc, played the firft violin, and had a very powerful hand; there were twelve or fourteen performers, among whom were feveral good violins ; there were likewife two German flutes, a violoncello, and fmall double bafe ; they executed, reafonably well, feveral of our Bach's fymphonies, different from thofe printed in England : all the mufic here is in MS. But what I liked mo ft. was the vocal part by La Signora Padrona della Cafa, or lady of the houfe; fhe had an agreeable well-toned voice, a good ihake, the right fort of tafte and expreffion, and fung (fitting down, with the paper on the common inflrumental defk) wholly without affectation, feveral pretty airs of , Traetta. Upon [ 92 ] Upon the whole, this concert was much upon a level with our own private concerts among gentlemen in England, the performers were fometimes in and fometimes out -, in general, however, the mufic was rather better chofen, the execution more brilliant and full of fire, and the finging much nearer perfection than we can often boaft on fuch occa- fions ; not, indeed, in point of voice or execution, for in refpecl: to them our fe- males are, at lead, equal to our neigh- bours, but in the portamento or direction of the voice, in expreflion and in dif- cretion *. * It is humbly hoped that my fair country- women will not take offence at the ufe of the word difcretton, as its acceptation here is wholly confined to mufic, in which the love for what is commonly called gracing, is carried to fuch a pitch of ind'ifcre- tioriy as frequently to change paflages from good to bad, and from bad to worfe. A little paint may embellim an ordinary face, though a great deal would render it hideous j but true beauty is furely beft in its natural ftate. The 7 I 93 3 The fame day, Friday, July 20, there was rrnaiic at three different churches ; I wifhed to be at them all during the per- formances, but it waa impoffible to be prefent at more than two of them; the firft of which was in the morning, at the church of Santa Maria Seer eta-, it was a Mejfa in mujica, by Signor Monza, and under his direction : his brother played the principal violoncello, with much fa- cility of execution, but neither in tone or tafle very pleating. The firit violin was played by Signor Lucchini, who leads at the burletta ; there were two or three cajlrati among the fingers. A little paltry organ was erected on the occafion ; there was a large one in the church, but it flood in a gallery, which was too fmall for a band : the mufic was pretty ; long and ingenious introductory fymphonies to each concentOy as each part or divifion of the mafs is called; and the whole was in good tafte, and fpirited ; but the organ, hautbois, and fome of the fiddles being bad, de- ftroyed the effect of feveral things that were [ 94 ] were well defigned. As a principal vio- lin, Signor Lucchini is not of the firft clafs ; there is no want of hand, but great want of finishing : he had feveral folo parts given him, and made three or four clofes. The finging, though in genera! rather better than at our oratorios, was by no means fo good as we often hear in England at the Italian opera. As yet I had met with no great linger fince my arrival in Italy. The firft foprano here was what we mould call in England a pretty good linger, with a pretty good voice ; his tafte neither original nor fu- perior. The fecond linger, a contr alto, had likewife but a moderate portion of merit; though his voice was plealing, and he never gave offence by the inju- dicious ufe of it. But, " 'Tis in fong as it 'tis in painting, Much may be right, yet much be wanting." However, fuch a performance as this fhould not be criticifed too feverely, for it [ 95 3 it is heard for nothing. I fpeak as a traveller ; but the people of Italy, who contribute fo much to the fupport of the church, are furely well entitled to have thefe treats excellent. The fecond mafs I heard to-day was compofed by Battifta San Martini, and performed under his direction at the church of theCarmini; the fymphonies were very ingenious, and full of the fpirit and fire peculiar to that author. The inftrumental parts in his compofitibns are well written; heletsnoneof the performers be longidle; and the violins, efpecially, are never fuffer- ed to fleep. It might, however, fome- times be wifhed that he would ride his Pegafus with a curb-bridle ; for he feems abfolutely to run away with him. With- out metaphor, his mufic would pleafe more if there were fewer notes, and fewer allegros in it : but the impetuofity of his genius impels him to run on in a fuccef- fion of rapid movements, which in the end fatigue both the performer and the 8 hearers. [ 96 ] hearers. Marchefini, whom I did not much like, fung the firft. foprano part ; Cipraiidi, an excellent tenor, who was in England a few years ago, and whofe caft of parts has never fince been fo well filled, fung here in a manner far fuperior to all the reft. The band was but indif- ferent; the firft violin was played by Zuccherini, who is reckoned here a good muiician. I find performances of this kind but ill attended, no people of fafhion are ever (een at them ; the congregation feems to confift principally of the clergy, trades-people, mechanics, country clowns, and beggars, who are, for the moft part, very inattentive and reftlefs, feldom remaining in the church during the whole performance. San Martini is Maejiro di Capella to half the churches in Milan, and the number of maffes he has compofed is almoft infinite $ however his fire and invention frill re- main in their utmoft vigour* At C 97 ] At another church vefpers were per- formed this evening by Monks and Nuns only ; I was too late in my attempt to hear them : however I was carried to one of the largeft accademia of Milan, where there Were upwards of thirty performers, and among them feveral good ones. Ma- dame De fung ; and though fhe had a cold, which affected her voice, did feve- ral things which difcovered her to have the abilities of a capital finger. Befides two fongs of great compafs and execution, me' fung an adagio with infinite tafte. The mafter at the harpfkhord was Sig- nor Scotti -, two or three of Mr. Bach/s overtures were played, and very much approved; and an excellent one of Mar- tini, with a duet violin concerto of Raymond, a German, very well written, and, though difficult, well performed, by two violins of different powers, but both good in their way ; one an elderly man, with great neatnefs and delicacy of tone, but feeble -, the other very young, with a H force [ 9§ 3 force and fire which will foon render him a very great player; efpeeially as to thefe requifites he joins expreffion: it was an admirable conteft between age and youth, judgment and genius. Thefe were all virtnoji or profeffors, the reft of the band was made up of dilettanti. Saturday 21. It did not feem foreign to my bufmefs in Italy to vifit the Palazzo Simonetto, a mile or two from Milan, to hear the famous echo, about which tra- vellers have faid fo much, that I rather fufpeded exaggeration. This is not the place to enter deeply into the doctrine of reverberation ; I (hall referve the attempt for another work ; as to the matter of fad, this echo is very wonderful. The Simonetto palace is near no other build- ing ,♦ the country all around is a dead flat, and no mountains are nearer than thofe of SwifTerland, which are upwards of thirty miles off. This palace is now uninha- bited and in ruin, but has been pretty - r the front is open, and {imported by very light [ 99 j light double Ionic pillars* but tbe echo is only to be heard behind the houfe, which, next to the garden has two wings. Front- J ^ 1 r~fc Garden. 1. The beM: window to make the ex- periment at. 2. The belt, window to hear the echo from. 3. A dead wall with only windows painted upon it, from whence the repeti- tions feem to proceed. Now, though itisnatural to fappofe that the oppoiite wails reflect the found, it is cot eafy to fay in what manner; as the form of the building is a very common cue, and no other of the fame conilruc- H 2 tion, t 100 ] tion, that I have ever heard of, produces the fame effects. I made experiments of all kinds, and in every iituation, with the voice, flow, quick; with a trumpet, which a fervant who was with me founded; with a piftol, and a mufquet, and always found agreeable to the doctrine of echos, that the more quick and violent the percuffion of the air, the more numerous were the repetitions ; which, upon firing the mufquet, amounted to upwards of fifty, of which the ftrength feemed regu- larly to diminim, and the diftance to be- come more remote. Such a mufical canon might be contrived for one fine voice here, according to father Kircher's method, as would have all the eifect of two, three, and even four voices. One blow of a ham- mer produced a very good imitation of an ingenious and practifed footman's knock at a London door, on a viliting night. A fingle ha ! became a long horfe-laugh; and a forced note, or a found overblown in tire trumpet, became the [ ioi ] the moft ridiculous and laughable noife imaginable. The compofers to be found in this city are innumerable. I was carried to-day to hear three ladies fing, who are fitters, and I found at their houfe Signer Lam- pugnani, who is their mailer : he lives conftantly at Milaa, plays the firft. harp- fichord at the opera, in the abfence of the compofers, and puts together the pajliccios. Thefe ladies did him great credit, by the manner in which they fung feveral fongs, duets, and trios. One of them performed a long fcene in the Olimpiade of Jomelli, which is extremely difficult; the compofition is juflly ad- mired for the boldnefsand learning in the modulation, which is recherchee> but ex- preffive and pleating : I have procured a copy of this fcene. There was at the fame houfe a good performer on the vio- lin, Signer Pafqualini, who accompanied the fongs with great neatnefs and judg- ment. H 3 After [ 102 ] After this I went to the opera-houfe, where the audience was very much dif- appointed ; the firft tenor, and only good finger in it, being ill. All his part was cut out, and the Baritono, in the character of a bluftering old father, who was to abufe his fon violently in the firft fcene and fong, finding he had no fon there, gave a turn to the misfortune, which di- verted the audience very much, and made them fubmit to their difappointment with a better grace than they would have done in England -, for inftead of his fon, he fell foul on the prompter, who here, as at the opera in England, pops his head out of a little trap-door on the ftage. The audience were fo delighted with this at- tack upon "the prompter, who is ever rer garded as an enemy to their pleafures, that they encored the fong in which it was made. However, after the rirft act and the dance, I came away, as the lights at the opera-houfe here affected my eyes in a very, painful manner -, and there being no [ '°3 ] no retribution for this fuffering to-night, I denied myfelf the reft of the per- formance. Sunday 22. This morning, after hear- ing the Ambrofian fervice in all its per- fection, at the DuGmo, I went to the Convent of Santa Maria Maddalena i I heard feveral motets performed by the nuns; it was their feaft-day. The com- pofition was by Signor B. S. Martini, who is Maeflro di Capella, and teaches to fing at this convent. He made me ample amends for the want of flow movements in his mafs on Friday, by an adagio in the motet of to-day, which was truly di- vine, and divinely fung by one of the filters, accompanied, on the organ only, by another. It was by far the beil ring- ing, in every refpect, I had heard fince my arrival in Italy ; where there is fo much, that one foon grows faftidious. At my firfl coming I both hungered and •thirfled, after mufic, but I now had had H 4 almofl [ 104 ] almofl my fill 5 and we are more fevere critics upon a full ftomach, than with a good appetite. Several of the nuns fung, fome but indifferently, but one of them had an excellent voice -, full, rich, fweet, and flexible, with a true make, and ex- quifite expreflion ; it was delightful, and left nothing to wifh, but duration ! There is a general complaint in Eng- land againft loud accompaniments ; and if an evil there, it is doubly fuch in Italy. In the opera-houfe nothing but the in- itruments can be heard* unlefs when the baritoni or bafe voices iing, who can con- tend with them j nothing but noife can be heard through noife; a delicate voice is fuffocated ; it feems to me as if the orcheftra not only played too loud, but had too much to do. Befides the organ in this convent for the choruffes, there was an organ and harpfichord together, which was likewife played by one of the nuns -, and the ac- companiment of that inftrument alone with [ ios ] with the heavenly voice abovementioned, pleafed me beyond defcription, and not fo much by what it did, as by what it did not do ; furely one cannot hear too much of fach a mellifluous voice. All the jar- gon of different parts, of laboured con- trivance, and difficult execution, is little better than an ugly mafk upon a beauti- ful face -, even harmony itfelf, upon fuch occafions is an evil, when it becomes a fovereign inftead of a fubjecT:. I know this is not fpeaking like a.?mifician, but I {hall always give up the profejfion, when it inclines to pedantry ; and give way to my feelings, when they feem to have reafon on their fide. If a voice be coarfe, or otherwife difpleafing, the lefs it is heard the better, and then tumultuous accompaniments and artful contrivances may have their ufe ', but a Angle note from fuch a voice as that I heard this morning, penetrates deeper into the foul, than the fame note from the mofr. per- fect inftrument upon earth can do, which, at [ 106 ] at bert, is but an imitation of the human voice. The mufic this morning was entirely performed by the nuns themfelves, who were invisible to the congregation -, and though the church of the convent is open to the public, like a common parifh church, in which the priefts are in fight, as elfewhere, yet the refponfes are made behind the altar, where the organ is placed. I looked in vain for that and the fingers, upon my firft entrance into the church, without knowing it belonged to a convent. Upon my praifing this ring- ing, I was told that there were feveral convents here in which the nuns fing much better. Of this I mull own I was in doubt j I could only fay I mould be very glad to hear them. And I was fo pleafed with this ringing, that though I dined with a private family, in a very fo- ciable and agreeable way, I ran from the company ere the fecond courfe was ferved, irt hopes of hearing more of it at the [ i°7 1 the fame convent s and was fo fortunate as to enter it jufl as the fervice was be- gun, and heard the fame motet repeated again by the fame nun, and with double delight. The ballad-fingers at Milan ring duets in the ftreets, fometimes with, and fome- times without inftruments, and keep very firm to their parts -, but I did not per- ceive that they mount a ftage here as at Turin. At night, the firlr. tenor of the bur- letta continuing to be ill, there was an accademia at the theatre, inflead of aa opera. The lingers were the fame that I had heard before -, they were placed on the ftage in much the fame manner as at the annual performance in London for the benefit of decayed muficians : they fat at tables, two and two, and when they fung, each got up, and advanced towards the audience. There were feveral opera overtures performed, but no folos ; inflead of them there Were dances between the acts [ io8 J acts of the concert. On the flage, behind the fingers, which were fix, there flood fix fervants the whole time. The Bag- lioni appeared to more advantage to-night than in the opera, efpecially Clementina, who, in a lefs theatre, would be a very agreeable finger ; in this all voices are loft. Monday 23. This morning I went early with father Moiana, a very agreeable Dominican, to the Ambrofian Library, and with fome difficulty got a fight of two or three very ancient manufcripts re- lative to my purpofe, and of the pom- pous edition of the fervices performed at the Duomo, printed in four vaft. volumes in folio, 1619, for the ufe of that church only. The printing is very neat, upon wood, but without bars, and confequent- ly not in fcore, though the parts are all in fight, upon oppofite pages ifoprano and tenor on the firft, and alto and bajfo on the fecond page : I made feveral extracts from [ i°9 ] from all thefe. Signor Oltrocchi, the librarian, began to be more communi- cative than at firft. One of the moft an- cient books he {hewed me this morning, was a beautiful manufcript of the ninth century, and wellpreferved. It is a mif- fal, written before the time of Guido, at leaft two hundred years, and'eonfequent- ly before the lines ufed by that monk were invented. The notes are little more than accents of different kinds put over the hymns *. I met with a noble and learned churchman here, Don Triulzi, a perfon very much in years, who had ftudied thefe characters, and had formed fome ingenious conjectures about them. The reft of this day was fpent in quell of old books, and the evening in hearing muiic. Chiefa and Monza feem, and are faid to be the two beft compofers for the ftage here at prefent. Serbelloni, a con- tralto caftrato, who was in England fome * A fpecimen of this notation will be given in the General Hiftory of Mufic. 8 years I "° 1 years ago, has Jiad a difpenfation to W~ come a prjeft, and now only fings in the church. Tuefday 24. This morning a folemo proceffion paffed through the flreets to the church of St- Ambrofe for rain, on which account the public library was not: open, which was a great disappointment to me, being the laft day I had to rlay here ; but by this time my letters had pro- cured me the notice and countenance of his Excellency Count Fermian, the Conte Pb, il Mar chef e Menafoglio, D. Francefco Carcano, the Abate Bonelli, and others ; which operated like magic in opening doors and removing difficulties - y and upon my prefenting myfelf at the Ambrofian Library with the Abate Bone/li, it was in- ftantly opened ; and, indeed, for the firft time, all its treafures ; the moil curious MSS. were now displayed .; among which were feveral books of Petrarca's and Leo- nardo da Vinci's own hand-writing. I 7 was I 1" 1 was likewife fhewn feveral very ancient MSS. upon papyrus, well preferved. In ihort, I was made ample amends this morning for former difappointments, be- ing carried into a room containing no- thing but MSS. to the amount of fifteen ihoufand volumes. From hence the Abate carried me to Padre Sacchi, a learned mufician here, as to theory -, he has publiihed two very cu- rious books, relative to mufic, which I had before purchafed. He received me very courteoufly, and we entered deeply into converfation on the fubject of them and of my journey. He was fo obliging as to write down my direction, and gave me great encouragement to write to him, if on reading his books I met with any difficulties. BRESCIA. Thurfday, July 26. I was only one day in this town, but, it happening to be a holiday, I had the good fortune to hear a boy, at the church of trie Jefuits delk Grazie, [ til ] Grazte, whofe voice and volubility pleafed me much. His name is Carlo Mofchetti, a fcholar of Pietro Pellegrino, Maejira di Capella of this church, who beat the time during the performance of his mo* tet. This caftrato is not above fourteen or fifteen. He has a compafs of two octaves complete, from the middle C in the fcale to the higher!:. His voice is full, when he has time to throw it out ; and he executes fwift paffages with fuch faci- lity, that he is apt to be lavifh and run riot, and now and then is not exactly in tune. But there feems to be good ftufT for a mailer to work upon ; his make is good, and he promifes to be a great linger. There was a young counter tenor, of whom little is to be faid; a tenor, lefs -, and a bafe that drove me out of the church. At a kind of Magdalen Hofpital in this place, the women were finging and play- ing moil furioufly; the mufic was in the old {tile, full of fugues upon hackneyed fubjecls f Hi 1 fubjecis. Thefe females do the whole bufinefs, upon fuch occafions, them- felves; play the organ, violins, and bafes : the performance indeed was fo coarfe, that I had foon enough of it. I heard no organs in this town that feemed to be well toned, but then thev are much or- namented, and, like the French opera, more calculated to pleafe the eye than the ear. The pipes here are 1 never gilt, though fometimes the frame and cafe are* and have not a bad effect. The theatre at Brefcia is very fplendid, but it is much lefs than that at Milan* with refpect to length ; the height is the fame. The proportion of boxes round each theatre is as one hundred to thirty- four : there are five rows in each, fo that this houfe feems much higher than that at Milan. The boxes are more orna- mented with glaffes, paintings', fronts cloths of velvet, or rich filks fringed ; more room is allowed here in the pit, to each auditor, than at Milan. *, every feat I turns [ "4 ] turns up, and is locked till the peribn comes who has taken it ; and here every row, and every box of each row, is num- bered, as in our playhoufes, when the pit and boxes are laid together. The comedy was 77 Saggio Amk-o,, the Prudent Friend, written by Goldoni -, it v/as the firft I had ever iben in Italy without a Harlequin, Colombine, Pierro, and Dot- tore : it was more like a regular comedy than the Italian pieces ufually are. There was a Milordo Inglefe in it, who gave away his zechins by handfuls, with which the audience was very much pleafed. Some of the actors came on with candle3 ia their hands > it never ftruck me before,, but, on the Engliuh. and French ftage r where this, is not praclifed,. probability fufFers when the tranfactions of the piece are fuppofed to happen in the night. Here was a burletta in run, under the direction, of Signor Leopoldo Maria Scherli, Maejlro di Capclla ; \ the fingers were .Gioyafin^ Simoni, Qiufeppe Fran- tt . cefchinij, cefchini, Niccola Menichelli, Angiola Dotti, Geltrude Dotti, Terefa Menichel- li, Terefa Monti, but, for my misfortune, they did not perform while I was at Brefcia. At the fign of the G amber o or Lobfler, where I lodged, and in the next room to mine, there was a company of opera fingers, who feemed all very jolly ; they were jufl: come from Ruffia, where they had been fourteen or fifteen years. The principal finger among them, I found, upon enquiry, to be the Caftrato Luini Bonetto. He is faid to be (till- very rich, though he loft in one night, at play, ten thoufand pounds of the money he had gained per la fua virtu. He is a native of Brefeia $ was welcomed home by a band of mufic, at the inn, the night of his arrival, and by another the night before his and my departure, confifting of two violins, a mandoline, French horn, trum- pet, and violoncello j and, though in the dark, they played Pong concertos*, with I 2 folo I M6- J folo" parts for the mandoline. I was fur- prifed at the memory of thefe performers $ in fhort, it was excellent Jireet mufic» and fuch as we are not accuitomed to; but ours is not a climate for ferenades. The famous Venetian dancer, La Colon- na, was likewife juft arrived from Ruflia, and in the fame houfe y they were all going to Venice, VERONA. There was no opera in this city y fe- rious or comic, when I arrived in it f July 28 -, however, I was conducted to the famous amphitheatre, faid to have been built by Auguftus, or, at leafr r about his time > perhaps by Vitruvius^ who was not only his architect, but a na- tive of Verona. The infide has been lately repaired, and is entire: it has forty- fix rows of feats, of rough white marble ; is of an oval figure, the greateit. diameter being two hundred and thirty- three feet, and t "7 3 and lead one hundred and thirty-fix : the inhabitants hy that it will contain fixty thoufand perfons, which is more than twice the number at prefent in Verona. It was here that the people were formerly amufed with wild beafts, and upon my •entrance into it, I really thought it had been ftill appropriated to that purpofe, for the roaring and noife xvhich arlailed my ears, feemed to proceed from nothing -human ; when, behold, upon a nearer approach I -found it was only -Pant alone and Brighello, who had been baited and beaten by Harlequin; indeed this gen- tleman's wit had great force to-night, and, I believe, contributed more .to the happinefs of the lpectators, than ever the elephants, lions, or tigers did in former times. The comedy, in which thefe characters were introduced, was repre- fented in all its buffoon perfection ; and I now faw, for the firfb time, Harlequin, Brighello, Pantalone, and Colomhina, in jtrue Italian purity. The ftage was ecect- I 3 ed t »8 3 ed in the middle of the arena; there were only two boxes, one on each fide the ftage : the area before the ftage made a kind of pit, where the better fort of company fat on chairs. The next bed places were on the fteps, about twelve deep, railed off from the reft of the Heps, which may be regarded as the upper gal- lery -, but all this in the open air, and the feats the naked marble. Here is a modern theatre, but that is only ufed in the winter for the opera *. VICENZA. There was neither opera nor comedy at this place when I palfed through it, nor mould I have mentioned this city in * The fhort fpace of time I ftaid at Verona, was not fufficient for many mufical enquiries ; but I was afterwards informed by an Engliffi gentle- man, who had refided feveral years- in that city, that it contains, befides feveral able profeflbrs, a great number of dilettanti , who both perform and compofe in a fuperior manner, my I "9 ■] my journal, had I not been entertained^ during dinner, with a kind of vocal 'mufic which I had not before heard in Italy : it confifted of a pfalm, in three parts, performed by boys of different ages, who were proceeding from their fchool to the cathedral, in prGceflion, with their mafter, a prieft, at their head, who fung the bafe. There was more melody than ufual m this kind of mufic ; and though they marched through the itreet very fail, yet they fung very well in time and tune.' Thefe boys are a kind of religious prefs-gang, who feize all other boys they can find in their way to the church, in order to be catechifed. In coming from Verona to tliis city, I overtook a great number of pilgrims, young men, who were going to Venice tovifit the tomb of St, Francis'; they ufed to go to Loretto once a year, but the fenate has forbidden them to go out of the Vene- tian territories. Several of them marched in large companies, and fung, or rather I 4 chanted, I I2 ° ] chanted, hymns and pfalms in canto fermo. PADUA. This city has been rendered no lefs famous, of late years, by the refidence of Tartini, the celebrated compofer and per- former on the violin, than in ancient times, by having given birth to the great hiilorian Livy. But Tartini died a few months before my arrival here, an event which I regarded as a particular misfor- tune to myfelf, as well as a lofs to the whole mufical world ; for he was a pro- ferfor, whom I was not more defirous to hear perform, than ambitious to converfe with. I vifited the flreet and houfe where he had lived ; the church and grave where he was buried ; his butt, his fucceflbr, his executor, and every thing, however mi- nute and trivial, which could afford me the leail intelligence concerning his life and character, with the zeal of a pilgrim at Mecca : and though, fince his death, all [ 121 ] all thefe particulars are become hiftori- cal, and hardly belong to the prefent Jiate of mufic ; yet I fhould be inclined to prefent the reader with a fketch of his life, if my books and papers collected in the Venetian ftate, among which are the materials I acquired at Padua concerning Tartini, were arrived. As it is, I mall only fay, that he was born at Pirano, in Iftria, in 1692 \ that, in his early youth, having manifefted an attachment to a young perfon, who was regarded as un- worthy of being allied to. his family, his father llmt him up ; and during his con- finement he amufed himfelf with mufical inftruments, in order to divert his melan- choly ; fo that it was by mere accident he difcovered in himfelf the feeds of thofe talents which afterwards grew into fo much eminence. M. de la Lande fays he had from his own mouth the following lingular anec- dote, which mews to what degree his imagination was inflamed by the genius 10: " of [ 1*2 ] of Compofition. t( He dreamed one " jiight, in 17 1 3, that he had made a " compact with the Devil, who promifed and inftantly feized his fiddle, in «i hopes of expreffing what he had juft '* fee^rd, but in vain ; hey however, then " com- [ '23 ] *« compofed a piece, which is perhaps, " the beft of all his works, (he called it «« the Devil's Sonata) but it was fo in- " ferior to what his fleep had produced, •' that he declared he mould have broken " his inftrument, and abandoned xnulic " for ever, if he could have fubfiited by if any other means." * He married early a wife of the Xan- tippe fort, and his patience upon the moll trying occalions was always truly Socra- tic He had no other children than his fcholars, of whom his care was constantly paternal. Nardini, his nrft, and favourite pupil, came from Leghorn to fee him in his licknefs, and attend him in his laft moments, with true filial affection and tendernefs. During the latter part of his life he played but little, except at the church of St. Anthony of Padua, to which he had devoted himfelf fo early as the year 1722, where, though he had a falary of four hundred ducats a year, yet his attendance was only required on great fefti- * Voyage (Tun Francois. Tom. 8. [ I2 4 ] feftivals; but fo flrong was his zeal for the fervice of his patron faint, that he feldom let a week pafs without regaling him to the utmoft power of his palfied nerves. He died univerfally regretted by the Patavinians, who had long been amufed by his talents, and edified by his piety -and good works. To his Excellency Count Torre Taxis of Venice, his fcholar and protector, he bequeathed his MS. mufic ; and to the profeflor Padre Colom- bo, who had long been his friend and counfellor, he left the care of a pofthu- mous work, of which, though chiefly ma- thematical, the theory of found makes a eonfiderable part*. There was a public function performed for him at Padua, March 31, 1770, at which a funeral oration was pronounced by the Abate Franc efco Fanzago, and an anthem performed, which was compofed * In this work he propofed to remove the ob- fcurity, and explain the difficulties of which he is accufed in his former Treatifes. on [ ^5 J ©n the occafion by Signor P. Maeflra Valloti. His merit, both as a compofer and performer, is too well known to need a panegyric here : I fhall only fay,, that as a compofer, he was one of the few origi- nal geniuffes of this age, who conftantly drew from his own fource -, that his me- lody was full of fire and fancy, and his harmony, though learned, yet fimple and pure ; and as a performer, that his flow movements evince his tafte and expref- iion, and his lively ones his great hand. He was the firft who knew and taught the power of the bow j and his know- ledge of the finger-board is proved by a thoufand beautiful paffages, to which that alone could give birth. His fcholar, Nardini, who played to me many of his beft folos, as I thought, very well, with refpect to correctnefs and expreflion, af- fured me that his dear and honoured mafter, as he conftantly called him, was as much fuperior to himfelf, in the per- formance t ** ] fbrmance of the fame folos, both in the pathetic and brilliant parts, as he was to any one of his fcholars. With regard to the complaint made by common readers, of obfcurity in his Treatife of Mufic, and the abufe of ma- thematics, of which he is accufed by men of fcience, they are points which this is not the place to difcufs. Perhaps a. more exact character of this work cannot be given than that of M. RoufTeau, who fays, " If the Syftem of the celebrated Tar- " tini is not that of nature, it is at leaft " that of which theprinciplesarethemoft " fimple, and from which all the laws ut the pipes are feen on three fides of % fquare. There are on common days forty per* formers employed in the fervice of this church \ eight violins, four violetti or JC tenors, [ 13° 1 tenors, four violoncellos, four double bafes, and four wind instruments, with fixteen voices. There are eight cajirah infalary, among whom is Signor Gaetano Guadagni, who, for tafte, expreffion, fi- gure, and a I vifited Signor Tromba, Tar^ tini's fcholar and fuccefTor. He was fo obliging as to play feveral of his matter's folos, particularly two which he had made juft before his death, of which I begged a copy, regarding thefe laft drops of his pen as facred relics of fo great and original a genius* VENICE. I had many enquiries to make, and had very fanguine expectations from this city, with regard to the mufic of pad times as well as the prefent. The church of St. Marc has had a conftant fupply of able matters, from the time of Adriano, Zarlino's predeceflbr, to Galuppi, its prefent worthy compofer. Venice has likewife been one of the firtt cities in Europe that has Cultivated the mufical drama or opera : and, in the graver ftile, it has been honoured with a Lotti and a Mar- I '38 ] Marcello. Add to thefe advantages the confervatorios eftablifhed here, and the fangs of the Gondolieri, or Water-men, which are (o celebrated, that every mufical collector of taftein Europe is well furnifh- ed with them, and it will appear that my expectations were well grounded. The firft mufic I heard here was in the flreet, immediately on my arrival, per- formed by an itinerant band of two fid- dles, a violoncello, and a voice, who, though as unnoticed here as fmall-coal- men or oyfcer-women in England, per- formed fo well, that in any other coun- try of Europe they would not only have excited attention, but have acquired ap- plaufe, which they juftly merited. Thefe two violins played difficult pafTages very neatly, the bafe flopped well in tune, and the voice, which was a woman's, was well toned, and had feveral effentials belonging to that of a good finger, fuch as compafs, (hake, and volubility j but I (hall not mention all the performances of this kind I 139 1 kind which I met with here -, as they happened fo frequently, the repetition would be tirefome. This city is famous for its confervato- rios or mufical fchools, of which it has four, the OJpidale della Pieta, the Mendi- cant?', the Incurabile, and the Ofpidaletto a S. Giovanni e Paulo, at each of which there is a performance every Saturday and Sunday evening, as well as on great fef- tivals. I went to that of the Pieta, the evening after my arrival, Saturday, Au- guft 4. The prefent Maejlro di Capella is Signor Furlanetti, a prieft, and the per- formers, both vocal and inflrumental, are all girls ; the organ, violins, flutes, violoncellos, and even French horns, are fupplied by thefe females. It is a kind of Foundling Hofpital for natural chil- dren, under the protection of feveral nobles, citizens, and merchants, who, though the revenue is very great, yet contribute annually to its fupport. Thefe girls are maintained here till they are married, [ m ] married, and all thofe who have talents lor rriufic are taught by the befl maflers of Italy. The compofition and perform- ance I heard to-night did not exceed mediocrity ; among the fingers I could difcover no remarkable fine voice, or performer ponefTed of great tafte. How* ever, the inftrumentsfinifhed with a fym- phony, the firft movement of which, in point of fpirit, was well written and executed. On Sunday morning, Auguft 5, I went to the Greek church, which has been to- lerated here ever fince the time of Leo X. The fervice is performed in the Greek language; the epiftles and gofpels are chanted by a high-prieft in a pulpit, and the prayers and refponfes are fung in a kind of melody totally different from any other I had ever heard in or out of the church. In this there is no organ, but it is more crowded with ornaments, and its ceremonials are more numerous than in any of the Romifh churches. From From thence I went to St. Marc's, and heard a mafs in mufic, which was fung by the priefts, accompanied by the organ only, much in the manner of our full an- thems. At St. Luke's church I likewife heard part of a mafs with inftruments ; fome of the tenor voices here were good, and the airs written and fung with tafte ; the mufic was compofed by a prieit. There was an excellent fugue in the lair, chorus, well worked and well performed. In the afternoon of the fame day I went to the hofpital de Mendicanti, for orphan girls, who are taught to ling and play, and on Sundays and feftivals they ling divine fervice in chorus. Signor Bertoni is the prefent Maeftro di Capella. There was a hymn performed with folos and chorufTes, and a mottetto a voce Jola, which laft was very well performed, par- ticularly an accompanied recitative, which was pronounced with great force and energy. Upon the whole, the compoli- tions had fome pretty .paflages, mixed with [ 1A2 ] with others that were not very new. The fubjects of the fugues and choruffes were trite, and but flightly put together. The girls here I thought accompanied the voices better than at the Pieta : as the choruffes are wholly made up of female voices, they are never in more than three parts, often only in two -, but thefe, when Te- inforced by the inftruments, have fuch an effect, that the full complement to the chords is not miffed, and the melody is much more fenfible and marked, by be- ing lefs charged with harmony. In thefe hofpitals many of the girls fing in the counter tenor as low as A and G, which enables them always to keep below the foprano and mezzo foprano, to -which they iing the bale; and this .feems to have been long pracufed in Italy, as may be feen in the examples of compofition given in the old writers, fuch as Zarlino, Glariano, Kircher, and others, where the loweft part of three is often written in the counter-tenor clef. From [ m l From hence I went to the QfpidaletU, of which Signor Sacchini is the matter, and was indeed very muehpleafed^by the compofition of part of the famous hymn Salve Regina, which was iingiiig when I entered the church ; it was new, fpirited, and full of ingenious contrivances for the inftruinents, which always /aid fomething interefting without difturbing the voice. Upon the whole, there feemed to be as much genius in this compofition as in any I had heard fihee my arrival in Italy. The performers here too are all orphan £irls ; one of them, la Ferrarefe, fung very well, and had a very extraordinary compafc of voice, as fhe was able to reach the high- eft E of our harpfichords, upon which me could dwell a considerable time, in a fair, natural voice. Even after this, upon the Piazza di S. Marco, I heard a great number of va- grant muficians, fome in bands, accom- panying one or two voices ; fometimes a fingle voice and guitar; and fometimes I two [ 144 ] or three guitars together. Indeed it is not to be wondered at, that the ftreet- mufic here is generally neglected, as peo* pie are almoft ftunned with it at every corner; but, however, in juftice to the tafte and difcernment of the Italians, it muft be allowed, that when they do ad^ mire, it is fomething excellent ; and then, they never " damn with faint praife," but exprefs rapture in a manner peculiar to themfelves ; they feem to agonize with pleafure too great for the aching fenfe. They had here, lafl Carnival, {even opera-houfes open at once, three ferious, and four comic, befides four play-houfes, and thefe were all crowded every night. Monday 6. This morning the Doge went in proceffion to the church of S. Giovanni e Paolo. I was not only curious to fee this proceffion, but to hear the mufic, which I expected would be very coniiderable, and by a great band i how- ever there was only a mafs fung in four 6 pai\g s i hi i parts, without other iriftxument thai! the orgari, but then it was fo good of the kind* fo well executed and accompanied, that I do not remember to have received more pleafure from fuch mufic. One of the organifts of St. Mark's church, who is in orders, attended, and difcovered himfelf, in his voluntaries and interludes, to be a Very mafterly performer. The voices were well choferi, and well alforted, no one ftronger than the other ; the com- pofition was of Signor Lotti, and was truly grave and majeftic, confifting of fugues and imitations in the ftile of our beft old church fervices, which have been fo well felected, and publifhed in fo magnificent a manner by Dr. Boycej all was clear and diftincl:, no confufion or unneceffary notes j it was even capable of expreffioii, particularly one of the movements, into which the performers entered fo well, that it affected me even to tears. The organift here very judicioUfly fuffered the voices to be heard in all their purity, iri- L fomuch [ i 4 6 ] fomuch that I frequently forgot that they were accompanied ; upon the whole this feems to be the true ftile for the church : it calls to memory nothing vulgar, light, or prophane -, it difpofes the mind to phil- anthrophy, and diverts it of its grpfs and fenfual paffions. Indeed my being moved was the mere effect of well-modulated and well-meafured founds, for I knew not the words, which were wholly loft by the diftance j nor is this fpecies of mufic at all favourable to poetry : in the anfwers that are made to the points, the feveral parts all ling different words, fo that no great effects can be produced by them } but notwithstanding this defect, fuch mufic as this, in the fervice of the church, muff ever be allowed to have its merit, however it may be exploded, or unfit for theatrical purpofes. In confequence of a meffage from Mr. Richie, Charge des Affaires to his Britan- nic Majefty, to whom Sir James Wright had honoured me with a letter, and who very [ 147 J very politely and kindly was pleafed to interefl himfelf effectually in my fervice, I was this afternoon favoured with a vifjt from Signor Latilla, an eminent compofer here, and had a long converfation with him relative to the fubjed: of my journey, I found him to be a plain, fenfible man, of about iixty years of age, who had both read and thought much concerning the mufic of the ancients, as well as that of the moderns, to which he has contri- buted a confiderable mare for many years paft *i I admired his candour in advifing me to go to the Incur abili, to hear the girls perform there, with whom he faid I mould be much pleafed. They are fcho- lars of Signor Galuppi, who is MaeftrQ di Cafella of this Confervatorio. Unluckily when I arrived there, the performance was begun, however, I had only loft the * Moft of the comic operas performed in Lorw don with fuch fuccefs, in the time of Pertici and Lafchi, were of Latilla's compofition j particularly La Comedia in Co media, Don Gala [clone ^ and Others, He is uncle to Signor Piccini. % h a ever* [ x+8 ] overture, and part of the firft air. The words were taken from three or four of the Pfalms in Latin, from the hymn Salve Regina, and one of the Canticles put into Latin verfe, and in dialogue. I knew not whether I was mod delighted with the compofition, or with the execu- tion -, both were admirable. Signor Bu- ranello has preferved all his fire and ima- gination from the chill blafts of Ruflia, whence he is lately returned *. This in- genious, entertaining, and elegant com- pofer abounds in novelty, in fpirit, and in delicacy, and his fcholars did his mu- fic great j uftice. Several of them had un- common talents for finging, particularly the Rota, Pa/qua Rojfi, and the Ortolani ; the two lad fung the Canticle in dialogue. The overture, and the whole of this laft performance were for two orcheftras. In the overture, which was full of pretty * Signor Gal uppi is beft known in Italy by the name of Buranello, which he acquired from having been born in the little ifland of Burano, near Venice, He is replaced at Petersburg by Signor Traetta. paf- [ H9 ] paffages, the two bands echoed each other. There were two organs, and two pair of French horns. In fhort, 1 was extreme- ly entertained by this performance, and the whole company, which was very nu- merous, feemed equally pleafed. The young fingers, jufl mentioned, are abfo- lute nightingales ; they have a facility of executing difficult divifions equal to that of birds. They did fuch. things in that way, efpecially the Rota, as I do not remember to have heard attempted be^ fore. The able matter was difcoverable in all the cadences of thefe young fub- je&s. The inftrumental parts were very well executed, and the whole indicated a fuperior genius in the compofer and con- ductor of the performance. This muiic, which was of the higher fort of theatric ftile, though it was performed in a church, was not mixed with the church fervice, and the audience fat the whole time as at a concert ; and, indeed, this L 3 might t 15° ] tiiight be called a concerto fpirituale with great propriety, Tuefday J> This morning there was a mafs in mufic at the church of S. Gaetano* It being a great feflival, all the treafures and relics were expofed to public view, and there was a very great crowd. The compofer of the mufic, and the perfon who beat the time was Signor Menagatto, a pried* I cannot fay that I received much pleafure from this performance, the organ was coarfe, and poorly played j the voices only two indifferent tenors, and a bafe, and^ the composition very com- mon, and unmarked by any ftamp of ori- ginal genius. The people here, at this feafon> feem to begin to live only at midnight. Then the canals are crowded with gondolas, and St. Mark's fquare with company ; the banks too of the canals are all peo- pled, and harmony prevails in every part. If two of the common people walk toge- ther arm in arm, they feem to converfe & in f *5* ] in Tong; iFthereis company on the water* in a gondola, it is the fame ; a mere me- lody, unaccompanied with a fecond part, is not to be heard in this city : all the ballads in the ltreets are fung in duo. Luckily for me, this night, a barge, in which there was an excellent band of mufic, confining of violins, flutes, horns, bafes,anda kettle-drum, with apretty good tenor voice, was on the great canal, and flopped very near the houfe where I lodged; it was a piece of gallantry, at the expence of an inamorato in order to fenerade his miftrefs. Shakefpeare fays of nocturnal mufic, * s Methinks it founds much fweeter than by day. S7 3 were Well worked in the fugue and orato- rio way. But for this kind of mulic, that of Handel will, I believe, ever ftand fu- perior to all other writers ; at leaft I have heard nothing yet on the continent of equal force and effect. There is often in the compofitions of others, more me- lody in the folo parts, more delicacy, and more light and Ihade, but as to harmony and contrivance, no one comes near him by many degrees. I muft confefs that I had heard fome of Handel's mulic fo long, and often fo ill performed, that I was fomewhat tired and difgufted with it; but my Italian journey, inflead of lower- ing the efteem I ever had for the bell writings of that truly great artift, exalted them in my opinion, and at my return renewed my pleafure in hearing them performed. As yet I had heard little but church mulic in Italy; however, in that ftile, with injlruments, all other com- pofitions appeared feeble by companion. The fubjects of the fugues were, in gene- ral, . 7 f 158 ] Val, trivial and common, and the manner of working them dry and artlefs. Indeed the church ftile, without inftruments, ex- cept the organ, was well known in Italy, and all over EurOpe, long before Han- del's time ; and melody is certainly much refined fince : it is more graceful, more pathetic, and even more gay; but for counter-point, fugues, and chorurTes of many voices, with injiruments, I repeat it, I neither have heard, nor do I ever expect to hear him equalled. 10th. This morning I went again to the church of the convent of St. Lau- rence, where, befides a mafs of Signor Sacchini's compofition, I heard Signor Nazzari, the n'ftt violin of Venice, play a concerto; but we have long heard that inflrument fo well performed upon in England, that nothing is left to admire. However, Signor Nazzari is certainly a very neat and pleafing player ; his tone is even, fweet, and full; he plays with great facility and expreflion, and is, upon the whole, [ *$$ ] whole, the befl folo player I had heard on this fide the Alps. Argus is faid to have had an hundred eyes, and Fame has been painted by the poets all tongues; in this place one wifhes to be all ears for mufic, and all eyes for painting and architecture. To-day there were fo many temptations to a lover of harmony, that it was difficult for him to chufe ; for, befides the four confervato- rios, there were feveral accademias or pri- vate concerts. I was invited" to one, which arTembles on all feftivals, in order to ling the works of Marcello, without other accompaniment than a harpfichordj and as this was different from any other I had been at in Italy, I accepted the invi- tation, though I wifhed very much to be at the Incur abili, where I was fure of entertainment from Buranello and his fcholars. Several of Marcello's Pfalms were here very well fung by the Abate Martini and fome other dilettanti, among whom one had [ * 6 ° ] had a very good bafc voice, and, between the Pfalms, fung Marcello's famous can* tata called Caffandra, where this com- pofer has entirely facrificed the mulic to the poetry, by changing the time or ftile of his movement at every new idea which occurs in the words ; this may, perhaps, mew a compofer to be a very fenfible man, but at the fame time it muft dif- cover him to be of a very phlegmatic turn, and wholly free from the enthufi- afm of a creative mufical genius. And, indeed, fince melody has been allied to grace and fancy, mufical disjointed thoughts on various fubjects, would be but ill received by the public. One, of thefe gentlemen performers was old enough to remember very well the ce- lebrated Benedetto Marcello, who has been dead forty-four years, and gave me feveral anecdotes about him ; his family, which is noble, frill fubfifts, and the head of it is now ambaflador from the Vene- tian flate at the Porte. lith. ■A ^ ] I \th. This afternoon I went again to the Pieta-y there was not much company, and the girls played a thoufand tricks in iinging, particularly in the duets, where there was a trial of fkill and of natural powers, as who could go higheft, loweft, fwell a note the longed, or run divifions with the greatefi rapidity. They always finifh withafymphony; andlaftWednef- day they played one by Sarte, which I had before heard in England, at the opera of the Olimpiade. The band here is cer- tainly very powerful, as there are in the hofpital above a thoufand girls, and out of thefe there are feventy muficians, vocal and instrumental; at each of the other three hofpitals there are not above forty, as I was informed by Signor L'A- tilla, which are chofen out of about a hundred orphans, as the orignal eftablim- ment requires. But it has been known that a child, with a fine voice, has been taken into thefe hofpitals before it was be- reaved of father or mother. Children are • M fomc- [ 162 ] fometimes brought hither to be educated from the towns belonging to the Vene- tian flate, upon the Continent ; from Padua, Verona, Brefcia, and even from other places, ftill more diftant; for Fran- cefca Gabrieli came from Ferrara, and is therefore called the Ferrarefe. The Con- fervatorio of the Pietahzs heretofore been the molt celebrated for its band, and the Mendicanti for voices -, but in the voices time and accident may occafion great al- terations ; the mailer may give a celebrity to a fchool of this kind, both by his com- poiitions and abilities in teaching ; and as to voices, nature may fometimes be more kind to the fubjects of one hofpi- tal than another -, but as the number is greater at the Pieta than at the reft, and confequently the chances of fupe- rior. qualifications more, it is natural to fuppofe that this hofpital will in general have the befl band and the bed: voices. At prefent, the great abilities of Signor Galuppi are confpicuous in the perform- ances S '63 1 knees at the Incur ah •//?, which is, in point of mufic, finging, and orcheflra, in my opinion, fuperior to the reft. Next to that, the Ofpidaletto takes place of the other two ; fo that the Pieta feems to enjoy the reputation of being the belt fchool, not for what it does new, but for what it has done, heretofore. Sunday 12. This morning, after hear- ing high mafs well performed at St* Mark's, I went to the patriarchal church of St. Peter, and heard it again there, accompanied by a very fine organ, well played on by one of the priefts j after that I went to the Francifcans' church, where one of the Friars likewife was or- ganift, but he played in a very fuperior manner, both as to tafte and harmony ; though I vifited thefe churches for the fake of mufic, it was impoflible to keep my eyes off the pictures and architecture. But it was here I began to find that thefe two objects of fight were not fo remote from my chief purpofe of writing a hif- M 2 tory t 164 ] tory of the pleafures of the ear, as I at firft imagined ; for I frequently, in the old matters, met with reprefentations of mufical inftruments, either of their own times, or at learl fuch as they imagined to be in ufe at the time when the a&ion of the piece happened ; thus I obferved in a famous picture of the Marriage of Cana by P. Veronefe, in the Sacrifty of S. Georgio Maggiore, a con- cert, with a variety of inft.rumeiits } of all which I have made a memorandum : and I faw this morning, at the Francifcans, a little picture under the pulpit* by San Croce, which is much admired, and thought to be a good deal in the ftile of Raphael, in which is a concert of che- rubs and feraphs ; and I obferved among feveral different kinds of lutes and gui- tars, an inftrument played with a bow, refling, like a violin, upon the fhoulder of the performer, but it had fix firings. After I had feen thefe, and fome more churches, I had the honour of a long con- [ i6 5 ] converfation with il Conte Torre Taxis, who is here a perfon of great weight * ; he is Superintendant-general of the Ger- man and Venetian poft-oflice, was a great friend of Tartini, is now in porTeffion of all his MS. compolitions, (hewed me a great number of them, and has defended his friend in a pamphlet, of which he did me the honour to give me a copy, again ft fome remarks made upon his Trat- tato di Mujica, by M. RourTeau, in his Diffi. de Mnjique, This nobleman, though young, feems to pofTefs great mufical eru-^ dition ; to have profited from the converfe and correfpondence of Tartini, and to be an enthufiafl for the arts in general. I had great pleafure in his converfation, in which I communicated to him my plan of a Hiftory of Mufic, and was pleafed and enlightened by his obfervations. * He is of the fame family with that German prince, better known in France and England by the name of Tour Taxis. M 7 In [ 166 ] In the afternoon I (lopped a little while at the new church of the 'Jefuati, where I heard the organ played with a very un- common brilliancy of execution, by one of the. Dominicans. It was indeed a ftile of playing more fuitable to the harp- fichord than organ, but, in its way, was very maflerly and powerful. There are ibme reed flops in this inftrument which I had never heard before, and with which the performer produced effects that I was unable to account for. I had not time to make enquiries, as I took this church only in my way to the InciirabUi, where I was fo pleafed, both with the compo- fition and performance, that in fpeaking of them I ill all find it difficult to avoid hyperboles. It feems as if the genius of Signor Galuppi, like that of Titian, became more animated by age. He cannot now be lefs than feventy years old, and yet it is generally allowed here that his laA; operas, and his laft compofitions for the church, abound [ "V ] abound with more fpirit, fade, and fancy, than thofe of any other period of his life. This evening the Latin Pfalms that were fung by the orphan girls, gave me great reafon to concur in the common opinion, for out of ten or twelve movements, there was net one that could be pronoun- ced indifferent. There were feveral admi- rable, accompanied recitatives, and the whole abounded with new pafTages, with good tafte, good harmony, and good fenfe. His accompaniments, in particular, are al- ways ingenious, but, though full, free from that kind of confuiion which dis- turbs and covers the voice. I mull like- wife do juftice to the orcheftra, which is here under the mod exact difcipline ; no one of theinilrumental performers feemed ambitious of mining at the expence of the vocal part, but all were under that kind of fubordination which is requifite in a fervant to a fuperior. Of thefe young ringers I have fpoken rather warm- ly before, but in this performance they M 4 dif- [ i68 ] difcovered Mill new talents and new cul- tivation. Their mufic of to-night was rather more grave than that which I had heard here before, and I thought they were more firm in it ; that their intona- tions were more exact, and, as more time was allowed for it, a greater volume of voice by the two principal fubjecls was thrown out. But in their clofes, I know not which aflonifhed me moft, the com- pafs of voice, variety of paffages, or rapi- dity of execution ; indeed all were fuch as would have merited and received great applaufe in the firft operas of Europe. I dwell the longer on thefe performances, as, at prefent, the theatres of Venice are all fhut ; but the only difference between this kind of church mufic, and that of the drama, confifls in the chorufTes ; thofe of the church are long, elaborate, and fometimes well written. Thofe who fuppofe all the church mufic of Italy to be as light and airy as that of the opera, are miltaken ; it is only on feftivals that modern I '69 ] modern mufic can be heard in any of the churches. The mulic of the cathedrals, on common days, is in a ftile as grave and as ancient as that of our church fervices of two hundred years ftanding ; and in the parim churches it is a mere canto fer mo, or chant, fung in unifon by the priefls only ; fometimes with the organ, but more frequently without. If we compare the mufic of Mr. Handel's firft oratorios with the operas he com- pofed about the fame time, it will ap- pear that the airs of the one are often as gay as thofe of the other. And as to the choruffes of an opera, which are all to be in action, and performed by memory, they mud of courfe be fhorter and lefs la- boured than thofe of an oratorio, where every finger has his part before him, and where a compofer is allowed fufficient time to difplay his abilities in every fpe- cies of what is called by muficians good writing. From [ i 7 o ] From the Incurabili I had the honour to be carried by his Excellency Signor Murin Giorgi, to an accademia, at the Cafa Grimani, where I firft had the pleafure to hear Signora BafFa 3 a noble Venetian lady. She has long been rec- koned the beft performer on the harpfi- chord of all the ladies of Venice ; and I found that me played very neatly, and with much tafte and judgment. The company conlifled of the chief nobility of Venice, the three perfons I have named being among the firft clafs. They did great juftice in this afTembly to the abili- ties of Mrs. Cafiandra Wynn, from Eng- land, who was there l'ait year, and had left behind her the character of a very great player. Tuefday 14. This evening being the vigil of the AfTumption, there were mu- iical performances at three .different churches. I went firft to that of the CelejUa-, the vefpers were compofed and directed by the Maeftro of the Pieta, Signor . [ »7 X ] Sig-nor Furlanetto ; there were two or- chefcras, both well filled with vocal and inftrumental performers : the overture was fpirited, and the firft chorus good, in Contra Punto ; then there was a long fymphony in dialogue, between the two orcheftras, and an air well accompanied, though but indifferently fung. After this an air in dialogue with the chorus, which had a good effect : an air for a tenor voice, of little merit, and one for a bafe, which was ingenioufly put together, making ufe by turns of all the principal in- frruments : I did not flay out the wholeper- formance, but what I heard feemedfuperior to any compofition that I had before met with of this author; he availed himfelf of the two orch.eft.ras, and produced fe- veral effects which, with one, would have been impracticable. From hence I went to the Ofpidaletto, where the mufic and muficians fpoke a different language. The performance was a Latin oratorio ; Machakaorum Mater -, the [ *# ] the mufic was by Signor Sacchini ; there were fix characters in it, the principal was performed by Francefca Gabrieli : it was divided into two parts ; the nrft was over before I arrived, for which I was very forry, as what remained delighted me extremely, both as to the compofi- tion, which was excellent, and the ting- ing which had infinite merit. When I entered the church the Ferrarefe was fpeaking an admirable accompanied re- citative in fuch a manner as is feldom heard ; it was terminated by a Bravura air, with a pathetic fecond part in Jo- melli's oratorio ftyle, but by no means in his paffages ; there was then a recita- tive and flow air by Laura -Con ti, who is pofTefled of no great power of voice ; it is a mere voce di Camera; but me has in- finite expreffion and tafte, and charmed me in a different way : then followed ano- ther recitative, and after it a duet, which was truly fublime ; it was extremely well executed by Domenica Pafquati and Ippolita [ '71 ] Ippolita Santi; upon the whole, Signor Sacchini rifes in my opinion, and accord- ing to my feelings and intelligence he is the fecond in Venice, having no fuperior there but Signor Galuppi. The finging I heard at this hofpital to-night would, as well as that of the Mendicanti, I am certain, receive great applaufe in the firft opera of Europe.* Wednefday 15. I went this morning to St. Mark's church, at which, being a feftival, the doge was prefent. I there heard high mafs performed under the direction of Signor Galuppi, compofer of the mufic. Upon this occafion there were fix orchestras, two great ones in the galleries of the two principal organs, and four lefs, two on a fide, in which there were likewife fmall organs. I was placed very advantageoufly in one of the great organ lofts, with Signor L'Atilla, afMant to Signor Galuppi *. The mu- * This inftrument has pedals, and but one row of box keys. flC, [ *74 ] fie, which was in general full and grave* had a great effect, though this church is not very happily formed for mafic, as it has five domes or cupolas, by which the found is too much broken and reverbe- rated before it reaches the ear. From hence I went again to the Celefiia, which church was very much crowded. The mafs was fet to mufie by Signor Furlanetto, mafcer to the Pieta : the re- fources of this compofer are very few ; he has little fire and lefs variety, but he fins more on the fide of genius than learning, as his harmony is good, and modulation regular and warrantable ; but I muft own, that his mufic is to me tirefome, and leaves behind it a languor and difTatif- faction,; whereas that of Signor Galuppi and Sacchini always exhilerates and en- livens. Signor Nazari played here a concerto on the violin in a very neat and pleafing manner. I know not of whofe compofition, but it was by no means remarkable for novelty. After dinner I went went to the church of Santa Maria Mag- giore to fee fome pictures, and ftumbled on mufic, but fuch mufic as I did not think it poffible for the people of Italy to bear. The organ was out of tune, other inftruments out of time, and the voices were both ; then the compofition feemed juft fuch fluff as a boy who was learning counter-point would produce after the firfl; two or three lefTons. After I had feen the two beft pictures in the church, the famous St. John the Baptift, by Titian, and Noah's ark by Giacomo Baffano, I ran away from this mufic to the Incur abili, where Buranello's nightin- gales, the Rota, and Pafqua Roffi, poured balm into my wounded ears. There was not much company, and the girls did not exert themfelves ; however, after what I had juft heard, their performance was ravifhing ; and it was not without regret that I reflected upon this being the lafi time I fhould hear it, 4 ^hurfday t 1/6 J Thurfday 16. My vifit to Signor Ga- luppi this morning was long, profitable, and entertaining. I was very glad to find upon Teeing him, that time had fpared the perfon as well as genius of this excellent compofer. He is ftill live- ly and alert, and likely to delight the lovers of muiic many years. His cha- racter and converfation are natural, in- telligent, and agreeable. He is in figure little and thin, but has very much the look of a gentleman. Signor Galuppi was a fcholar of the famous Lotti, and very early taken notice of as a good harp- fichord player, and a genius in compo- fition. He was fo obliging as to prefent me to Signora Galuppi ; to (hew me his houfe -, an admirable picture of a deeping child, by P. Veronefe, which has been long in his wife's family; and to carry me into his working-room, with only a little clavichord in it, where, he told me, he dirtied paper. His family has been very large, but all his children, except three t 177 ] three or four, are now well married. He has the appearance of a regular family man, and is efleemed at Venice as much for his private character as for his public talents. He feems, however, rather hurt at the encouragement and protection which fome ecclefiaftical dunces, among whom is F , meet with as compofers here. Indeed, except Sacchini, his fe- cond, he (lands fo high among the prefent race of muficians in Venice, that he feems a giant among dwarfs : he was fo obliging, at my requefr, as to promife me a piece of his compofition, which has not yet been made public, as a relick and mark of his friendship. I mewed him my plan, and we talked over that, and mufic and muficians, very cordially, and with fimilar fentiments : his definition of good mufic I think admirable, and though fhort, very comprehenfive. It confifls, he fays, of vaghezza, chiarezza, e buo- na modulazione* . He and Signor L'A- * Beauty, clearnefs, and gcod modulation. N tilla, L '78 J tilla, among many other particulars, re- collected the names of all the great mailers of the confervatarios, and had patience to let me write them down. Thefe gentle- men likewife informed me that the ex- pence of the confervatorios, oh account of rnufic, is very inConflderable, there being but five or fix matters to each for iinging and the feveral inftruments, as the elder girls teach the younger. The Maefiro di Capella feldom does more than compofe and direct : fometimes, indeed, he writes down clofes, and ufually attends the lafl rehearfal and firft public perform- ance. A'fuccerlion of "able mafters has con- ftantly been employed in thefe fchools : HarTe was once Maeftro to the Incurabili, and has left a Miferere, which is ftill per- formed there in Paffion Week, and is, according to the Abate Martini, a "won- derful compofition*. * I obtained, before I left Venice, a copy of it - f and fince my arrival in England, I have been honoured [ m 1 Signor Galuppi feemed to have full employment here, even in fummer, when there are no operas, as he is firfl Maejlro cli Capella of St. Mark, and of the Incura- bill. He has a hundred jeechins a year as domeitic organift. to the family of Gritti, and is organic of another church, of which I have forgot the name. He cer- tainly merits all that can be done for him, being one .of the few remaining original geniuffes of the bell: fchocl per- haps that Italy ever faw. His compofi« tions are always ingenious and natural, and I may add, that he is a good contra* puntift, and a friend to poetry. The firft appears by his fcores, and the latter by the melodies he fets to words, in which the expreflion of his mufic al- ways correfponds with the fenfe of the author, and often improves it. His com- pofitions for the church are but litfle honoured with a letter from Count Bujovich, of Venice, with feveral interefting particulars relative to the rife and progrefs of thefe mufical infeitutions. N z known [ i8o ] known in England -, to me they ap- pear excellent* •, for though many of the airs are in the opera ftile, yet, upon oc- cafion, he fhews himfelf to be a very able writer in the true church ftile, which is grave, with good harmony, good mo- dulation, and fugues well worked. I was this evening at a fecond Acca- demia, at Signor Grimani's, which was much more confiderable than the firft. Signor Sacchini was there, and feveral of the principal muiicians of Venice. La Signora Regina Zocchi, a lady who had her mulical education at the Incurabili, under the celebrated Signor Haffe, and who is now well married, and re- ceived, and even courted by the firfl people here, fung : me has a very power- ful voice, and good fhake, with great volu- bility and expreffion. D. Flaminio Tomj, who has a mere Voce di Camera , fung * I procured at Venice, fome of his motets ; and Giafeppe, an excellent copieft there, undertook to tranfcribe, and fend after me, two or three of his mattes, with [ '8: ] with exquifite tafte. La Signora Baffa performed on the harpfichord, two or three concertos with much grace and pre- cifion. Add to this, that the whole was . well heard by a very large company, cora- pofed of the nrft nobility of Venice^ a- mong whom was^ Signor Mocenigo, fon to the prefent doge. Friday 17. I had this morning the honour of a fecond interview with Count Torre Taxis, during which, I had the pleafure to hear his excellen- cy perform on the harpfichord, of which inftrument he is an able matter; he played voluntaries for a confiderable time, in which he difcovered much fkili in modulation, and 1 found him worthy of a place on the upper form of the Tar- timfcnbdi. He mewed me a great num- ber of marTes, motets, and oratorios of his compofition, for though young, he is already a very voluminous writer. He is pofferTed of a very curious keyed inftru- ment which was made at Berlin, under N 3 the the direction of his Pruffian Majefty : it Is, in fhape, like a large clavichord, has feveral changes.of flops, and is occasionally a harp, a harpfkhord* a lute, or piano forte -, but the moft curious property of this inftrument is, that by drawing out the keys the hammers are transferred to different firings, by which means a com- poiition may be tranfpofed half a note, a whole note, or a flat third lower at plea- sure, without the embarrarTment of dif- ferent notes or clefs, real or imagi- nary. Among the Dilettanti here, befides Count Taxis, there is a noble Venetian, Signor Giovan Cornaro, remarkable for his genius and ikill in compofition : he had compofed a mafs for a great feftival at a church in Padua, which was per- formed there, while I was at Venice, with an immenfe band of voices and inftru- ments. This evening, in order to make my- felf more fully acquainted with the na- ture' [ if; ] ture of the confervatorios, and to finim my mufical enquiries here, 1 obtained permiffion to be admitted into the mufic fchool of the Mendicanti, and was fa- voured with a concert, which was per- formed wholly on my account, and laded two hours, by the beft vocal and inftru- mental performers of this hofpital : it was really curious tofee, as well as to hear every part of this excellent concert, per- formed by females, violins, tenors, bafes, harpfichord, French horns, and even double bafes ; and there was a priorefs, a perfon in years, who prefided : the firft violin was very well played by Antonia Cubli, of Greek extraction ; the harpfi- chord fometimes by Francefca Rofli, maeflra del coro, and fometimes by others ; thefe young perfons frequently change inftruments. The ringing was really ex- cellent in different fliles -, Laura Rifegari and Giacoma Frari, had very powerful voices, capable of filling a large theatre -, thefe fung bravura fongs, and capital N 4 fcenes [ ,8 4 ] fcenes felected from Italian operas ; and Francefca Tomj, fitter to the Abate of that name, and Antonia Lucuvich, whofe voices were more delicate, confined, themfelves chiefly to pathetic fongs, of tafle and expreffion. The whole was very judicioufly mixed ; no two airs of a fort followed each other, and there feemed to be great decorum and good difcipline obferved in every particular ; for thefe admirable performers, who are of different ages, all behaved with great propriety, and feemed to be well edu- cated. Tt was here that the two cele- brated female performers, the Archiapate, now Signora Guglielmi, and Signora Maddalena Lombardini Sirmen, who have received fuch great and juft applaufe in England, had their mufical inftrudtions. If I could have ftaid a few days longer at Venice, I might have enjoyed the fame kind of entertainment at the other three confervatorios, having been tempted to continue there by fuch an offer from a friend [ i8 5 ] friend who had intereft fufficient to pro- cure me a light of the interior difcipline of thefe admirable mufical feminaries 5 and I declined this obliging offer with the greater reluctance, as there is not in all Italy, any eftablifhment of the fame kind ; but being willing to divide the time I had allowed myfelf for the en- quiries I had to make there as equally as pofiible, I refitted that temptation as well as feveral other offers with which I was honoured, from fome of the principal nobility, of being admitted to their private concerts ; and thus far for the honour of Italy, as well as for my own, I muft fay, that I met with the politefl treatment, and greateft encouragement and affiflance imaginable, wherever I flopt. At Venice my expectations were greatly furpaffed, as I had always been told that the inhabitants, particularly the better fort, were referved and difficult of accefs. I [ ^ 6 ] I was indebted for mu'ch of my enter- tainment and information at Venice, to the affiduity and friendfhip of Mr. Ed- wards, a young gentleman who was born In England, but has lived fo long in this city, that he has wholly loft his verna- nacular tongue. With this gentleman, and D. Flaminio Tomj, I went from the Confervatorio of the Mendicanti, to Signor Grimani's : here the Abate Tomj fung two or three pathetic airs with more tafte than I can remember to have heard fincc the death of Palma. There was a great deal of company, and the mufical perfor- mances of various kinds continued till two or three o'clock in the morning ; at which tiixte I took a melancholy leave of Signor Grimani, who had honoured me with fomething more than mere polite- nefs and hofpitality : in a lefs elevated character I fhould venture to call it friend- mip, but here it could only be conde* fcending goodnefs, To [ i8 7 ] To finiili my account of the mu-fic of this charming city, I mujft obferve, that though the compofers of the Venetian fchool are in general good con trapuntifts, yet their chief characteriftics are delicacy of tafte, and fertility of invention - 3 but many circumftances concur to render the mufic of Venice better, and more gene- ral than elfewhere. The Venetians have few amufements but what the theatres afford -, walking, riding, and all field- fports, are denied them. This in fome degree accounts for mulic being {o much, and in fo cofily a manner, culti*- vated , the number too of theatres, in all which the Gondoliers have admiffion gra^ tis, may account for the fuperior manner in which they ring compared with people of the fame clafs elfewhere *, And in the private families, into which the girls of * When a box belonging to a noble family is difengaged, and likely to remain empty, the opera manager permits the Gondolieri to occupy it, ra- ther than a report fhould prevail that the perform- ance drew but little company. 4 the [ i8 $ ] the Confervatorios marry, it is natural to fuppofe that good tafte and a love for mufic are introduced. The library of St. Mark here, which abounds with books in all other facul- ties, afforded me but few materials on the fubject of mufic. However I gained confiderably by the converfation of Sig- nor Zanetti, the firft. librarian, who was very polite and communicative. Printing has been carried on in Venice with great fpirit, ever fince the year 1459, when it was eftablifhed there by Nicho- las Janfen ; and there is perhaps no city in Italy in which fo many books have been publifhed. At prefent the prefs is very active and fertile, and the number of bookfellers in the fine ftreet called Merceria is very confiderable. I found in no one place fo many old au- thors on the fubject of mufic as here ; and as to the new, I met with many that I was unable to find elfewhere, particu- larly the firft volume of Padre Martini's Hiflory [ i«9 1 Hiftory of Mufic. The principal book- fellers in Venice are Pafquali, Remondini, Bettinelli, Occhi, and Antonio di Cafiro. The art of engraving mulic there feems to be utterly loft, as 1 was not able to find a iingle work printed in the manner we print mufic in England. In the firft place there is no fuch thing as a mufic fhop throughout Italy, that I was able to difcover. Indeed M. di Caflro, a fpirited bookfeller, one of the four abovemen- tioned, has publifhed a propofal for print- ing mufic with types, in the manner at- tempted by Mr. Fought, but has met with fmall encouragement, having only publifhed one book of little duets and trios. Mufical compofitions are fo fhort- lived in Italy, fuch is the rage for novel- ty, that for the few copies wanted, it is not worth while to be at the expence of engraving, and of the rolling-prefs. In- deed there, as in Turkey, the bufinefs of a tranfcriber furnifhes employment for fo many people, that it is cruel to wifh to rob them of it, efpecially as that 7 trade C J9<5 ] trade feems more brifk and profitable! than any other. As a fupplement to the article Venice, I muft add, that, fince my return to Eng- land, I have been favoured with a letter from thence, dated January 25, 1771? coaming the following particulars re- lative to the ftate of mufic there, at that time. ** At the theatre of S. Benetto we " have had reprefented, during the pre- " fent carnival, the opera of Alexander " in India ; compofed by Signor Bertoni, " mafter of the Mendicanti, which has " been univerfally applauded; particu- " larly a duet, fung by Signora de Amicis " and Signor Cafelli. At the fame " theatre we have at prefent il Siroe ri- lt conofchito, compofed by Signor Borghi, " which is generally difliked. " The mufic, at the opera-houfe of S. " Moise, pleafes very much ; notwith- t( (landing it is fo ill executed, that the " author, Signor Garzaniga, a Neapoli- " tan, has great reafon to be mortified, " though crowned with general praife.'* BOLOGNA, [ *$* ] BOLOGNA. My chief errand in this city w;s to fee and converfe with the learned Padre Martini, and the celebrated Signo: Fari- nelli, the former being regarded by all Europe as the deeper!: theorift, aid the other as the greateft practical mulician of this, or perhaps of any age or cointry ; and, as I was fo fortunate as to b? well received by both, I mall make no apo- logy for being minute in my account of two fuch extraordinary perfons. Padre Martini is a Francifcan, and Maeftro di Capella of the church belong- ing to that order in Bologna. He has many years been employed in writirg the Hiftory of Mufic, of which the rlrft vo- lume only has, as yet, been published. Two editions, one in folio, and one in quarto, were printed at the fame lime in Bologna, 1757 ; a fecond volume is in the prefs, and he propofes finishing the work in five volumes. The firft volume is t 192 ] is chicly employed in the Hiftory of Muilc imong the Hebrews ; the fecond and third will comprife that of the an- cient Greeks ; the fourth the Latin or Roman mufic, with the hifiory of mufic in the/church ; the fifth and laft vo- lume will be appropriated to modern mufic; with fome account of the lives and writings of the moft famous mufi- cians, and engravings of their heads. We reciprocally agreed upon an open and cordiil correfpondence, and a mutual pro- mife pf confidence and afliftance -, but it is greatly to be lamented that the good Father Martini is far advanced in years, and i of an infirm conftitution, having a very bad cough, fwelled legs, and a ficklycountenance -, fo that there is rea- fon to fear he will hardly have life and healtrj fufficient to complete his learned, ingenibus, and extenfive plan. It ii impoffible, by reading his book, to form a judgment of the character of this bood and worthy man. As yet he [ .*93 ] he has treated only the drieft and moll abftrufe part of the fubjedt, in which he had great opportunities to (hew his reading and knowledge, which are deep and extenfive, but none to dif- play the excellence of his character, which is fuch as infpires not only refpect but kindnefs. He joins to innocence of life, and fimplicity of manners, a native chearfulnefs, foftnefs, and philanthropy. Upon fo fhort an acquaintance I never liked any man more ; and I felt as little referve with him in a few hours, as with an old friend or beloved brother; it was impoffible for confidence to be more cordial, efpecially between two perfons whofe purfuits were the fame : it is how- ever true, that though they are the fame with refpect to the object, they are diffe- rent with refpecl: to the way : I had ad- vanced too far to retreat before I could procure his book, and when I had found it, my plan was fo much digefted as to render the adoption or imitation of any O Pther t *#4 3 other very inconvenient. Befides, a3 every object may be approached by a different route, it may alfo be feen in a different point of view 5 two different perfons therefore may exhibit it with equal truth, and yet with great diveriity : I mall avail myfelf of P. Martini's learn- ing and materials, as I would of his fpec- tacles, I mall apply them to my fubjecl:, as it appears to me, without changing my fituation ; and fhall neither implicitly adopt his fentiments in doubtful points, nor tranfcribe them where we agree. Befides his immenfe collection of print- ed books, which has coil him upwards of a thoufand zechins, P. Martini is in poffeffion of what no money can purchafe, . MSS. and copies of MSS. in the Vatican and Ambrofian libraries, and in thofe of Florence, Pifa, and other places, for which he has had a faculty granted him by the Pope, and particular permiffion from others in power. He has ten different copies of the famous Micrologus of Guido t m ] Guido Aretinus, and as many made from different mahufcripts of John de Muris, with feveral other very ancient and va- luable MSS. He has one room full of them ; two other rooms are appropriated to the reception of printed books, of W T hich he has all the feveral editions ex- tant ; and a fourth to practical mufic, of which he has likewife a prodigious quan- tity in MS. The number of his books amounts to feventeen thoufand volumes, and he is ilill encreafing it from all parts of the world *. JHe fhewed me feveral of his mofl curious books and MSS. upon which I communicated to him the cata- logue of mine. He was furprifed at fome * I had frequently furprifed feveral bookfellers on the continent with the lift of my books on the fubjecl: of mufic, but, in my turn, I was now fur- prifed. Though Padre Martini has had many pre- fents made him of fcarce books and MSS. yet he has often paid a great price for othei^, particularly for one written in Spanifh, 1613, which coft him a hundred ducats, about twenty guineas, at Na- ples, where it was printed. O 2 of r 196 ] of them, and faid they were extremely rare -, of thefe he took down the titles, and, at my fecond vifit, he was pleafed to think my plan worth borrowing to tran- fcribe, which he did with his own hand. Thurfday, Augufi 23. It will give plea- fure to every lover of mufic, efpecially thofe who have been {q happy to have heard him, that Signor Farinelli flill lives, and is in good health and fpirits. I found him much younger in appearance than I expected. He is tall and thin, but by no means infirm in his appearance. Hearing I had letter for him, he was fo obliging as to come to me this morning at Padre Martini's, in whofe library I fpent a great part of my time here. Upon my obferving, in the courfe of our converfa- tion, that I had long been ambitious of feeing two perfons, become fo eminent by different abilities in the fame art, and that my chief bufinefs at Bologna was to gratify that ambition, Signor Farinelli, point- f 197 ] pointing to P. Martini, faid, * c What he tf is doing will lait, but the little that I " have done is already gone and forgot- " ten." I told him, that in England there were ftill many who remembered his performance fo well, that they could bear to hear no other finger ; that the whole kingdom continued to refound his fame, and I was fure tradition would hand it down to the lateft pofterity, Friday 24. This being St. Bartholo- mew's day, I went to the church of that name, where I was told the mufic would be good ; however, I found it quite the contrary. Signor Gibello was Maeftro di Cape/la, and feveral cajirati fung, but neither the composition nor execution pleafed me -, the compofition had not one of Buranello's three requiiites, vagkezza, chiarezza, e buona modnlazione, to re- commend it, and the execution was 116- venly and incorrect. Though there was no opera in Bologna at this time, yet, for the fake of feeing O 3 the t 193 ] the theatre, I went to the play. The houfe is elegant, but not large; it has however five rows of boxes, twelve or thirteen on a fide. When I went in I knew not what the play would be, but expected a ribbald farce, as ufual ; when, to my great furprife, I found it was an, Italian tragedy, called 'Tomire, written by Padre Ringhieri. I had never feen one before, and was much pleafed with the opening, but foon grew tired of the long fpeeches and declamation ; they were pail all bearing tedious. Thomyris, Queen of the Amazons, came on dreffed in a very equivocal manner ; for, in or- der to give her a martial look, fhe had her petticoats truffed up in front above her knees, which were very difcernible through her black breeches. However ftrange this appeared to me, the audience clapped violently, as they did conilantly at the worft and moil abfurd things in the piece. There was a great deal of religion in it, and fuch anachronifms, that L l 99 ] that they talked of J. C. and the Trinity, npr were Free-will and Predeftination forgotten ; and when Cyrus is dying of the wound he received in battle, he is examined by a Jewiili prieft (a principal character in the play) as his confeflor, concerning his religious principles, and he makes to him zprofeffion of faith. This kind of fpectacle has been fo long neglected in Italy, that it feems to have been wholly loft -, and now, after a fecond birth, appears to be in its infancy. How-; ever, the Italian language is certainly capable of great things; as it can fupport dignity without the trammels of rhyme. The actors too are good, as to propriety and variety of gefture ; but in voice, a monotony reigns here, as in the Italian pulpit. The paffion for dramas in mufic has ruined true tragedy as well as comedy in this country; but the language and genius of the people are fo rich and fer- tile, that when they become heartily tired of mufic, which by excefs of it they O 4 will t 2<5 6 ] w ill probably be very foon, the fame rage for novelty, which has made them fly with fuch rapidity from one ftile of compo- fition to another, often changing from a better to a worfe, will drive them to feek amufement from the ftage, without mufic. And in that cafe, when they apply all their powers to the fock and bufkin, and the writer and actor are obliged to make ufe of every refource with which the na- tional language and genius abound \ they will probably furpafs the reft of Europe in the dramatic, as well as in other arts. But before this can happen* much mull be done towards refining the national tafle, which is at prefent too much de- praved by farce, buffoonery, and fong. The inattention, noife, and indecorum of the audience too, are quite barbarous and intolerable. The lilence which reigns in the theatres of London and Paris, during reprefentation, is encouraging to the actor, as well as defirable to the hear- er of judgment and feeling. In Italy the [ 201 ] the theatres are immenfe, and, in order to be heard through fpace and noife, the actors feem in a perpetual bawl. Each fentence, thus pronounced, is more like the harangue of a general at the head of an army of a hundred thoufand men, than the fpeech of a hero or heroine in converfation ; this allows of but few modulations of voice ; all the paffions are alike noify, the tender and the tur- bulent. The fcenes and decorations in this piece were elegant and judicious : there was one fcene in particular very ftriking -, it was that of a high, but fertile moun- tain, from which Thorny ris defcended with her court and guards, in order to. come to a parley with Cyrus. The orcheflra was rather weak and or- dinary ; and, in general, I found the mufic in the flreets here worfe, and lefs frequent then at Venice. However, I was faluted foon after my arrival at the inn, as every flranger is, with a duet, very well played by [ 202 ] by a violin and mandoline ; and, this af-* ternoon, an itinerant band played under my window feveral fy mphonies and lingle movements of execution, extremely well, in four parts. Saturday 2$. This day I had the plea- fure to fpend with Signor Farinelli, at his houfe in the country, about a mile from Bologna, which is not yet quite finifhed, though he has been building it ever fince he retired from Spain *. II Padre Maeftro Martini was invited to dine there with me, and I cannot refill the defire of confeffing that I was ex- tremely happy at finding myfelf in the company of two fuch extraordinary men. Signor Farinelli has long left off fing- ing, but amufes himfelf flill on the harp- * The country is flat all round him, but though the environs of this city are perhaps the moft fer- tile of any in Italy, yet the inhabitants feem poffef- fed of nothing like tajie^ in laying out their gardens ; however, Signor Farinelli's houfe commands a fine profpeft of Bologna, and of the little hills near it. 4. fi chord [ 20 3 ] fichord and viol d' amour: h.e has a great number of harplichords made in different countries, which he has named accord- ing to the place they hold in his favour* after the greateft of the Italian painters. His firft favourite is a piano forte ', made at Florence in the year 1730, on which is written in gold letters, Rafael d'Urbino % then, Coreggio, Titian, Guido, &c. He played a confjderable time upon his Raphael, with great judgment and deli- cacy, and has compofed feveral elegant pieces for that inftrument. The next in favour is a harpficord given him by the late queen of Spain, who was Scarlatti's fcholar, both in Portugal and Spain ; it was for this princefs that Scarlatti made his two firft books of lefTons, and to her the firft edition, printed at Venice, was dedicated, when fhe was princefs of Aftu- rias : this harpfichord, which was made in Spain, has more tone than any of the others. His third favourite is one made like wife [ 204 ] like wife in Spain, under his own direc- tion ; it has moveable keys, by which, like that of Count Taxis, at Venice, the player can tranfpofe a compofition either higher or lower. Of thefe Spanifh harp- lichords the natural keys are black, and the flats and fharps are covered with mo- ther of pearl ; they are of the Italian model, all the wood is cedar, except the bellies, and they are put into a fecond cafe. Signor Farinelli was very convertible and communicative, and talked over old times very freely, particularly thofe when he was in England; and I am inclined to believe, that his life, were it well written, would be very interefting to the public, as it has been much chequered, and fpent in the hrfl courts of Europe; but, as I hope it is yet far from nniihed, this feems not to be the place to attempt it : however, the following anecdotes, chiefly picked up in converfation with himfelf [ 2°5 ] himfelf and Padre Martini, may perhaps for the prefent, gratify in fome meafure, the curiofity of the reader. Carlo Brofchi, called Farinelli, was born at Naples in 1705; he had his firft mu- fical education from his father, Signor Brofchi, and afterwards was under Por- pora, who travelled with him ; he was feventeen when he left that city to go to Rome, where, during the run of an opera, there was a druggie every night between him and a famous player on the trumpet, in a fong accompanied by that inftrument : this, at nrft, feemed ami- cable and merely fportive, till the audi- ence began to intereft themfelves in the conteft, and to take different lides : After feverally fwelling out a note, in which each manifested the power of his lungs, and tried to rival the other in brilliancy and force, they had both a fwell and a fhake together, by thirds, which was continued fo long, while the audience eagerly waited the event, that both [ 206 ] both feemed to be exhaufled ; and, In facl:, the trumpeter* wholly fpent, gave it up, thinking, however, his antagonifl as much tired as himfelf, and that it would be a drawn battle f when Fari- nelli, with a fmile on his countenance, fhewing he had only been fporting with him all this time, broke out all at once in the fame breath, with freQi vigour, and not only fwelled and fhook the note, but ran the molt rapid and difficult divifions, and was at laft filenced only by the ac- clamations of the audience. From this period may be dated that fuperiority which he ever maintained over all his cotemporaries. In the early part of his life he was dif- tinguifhed throughout Italy, by the name of the boy. From Rome he went to Bologna, where he had the advantage of hearing Bernacchi, (a fcholar of the famous Piftocco, of that city) who was then the firft [ 2o 7 1 Srft finger in Italy, for tafte and kriow^ ledge ; and his fcholars afterwards ren- dered the Bologna fchool famous. From thence he went to Venice, and from Venice to Vienna; in all which cities his powers were regarded as mira- culous j but he told me, that at Vienna, where he was three different times, and where he received great honours from the Emperor Charles the VI. an admo- nition from that prince was of more fervice to him than all the precepts of his matters, or examples of his competitors for fame : his Imperial Majefty conde- fcended to tell him one day, with great mildnefs and affability, that in his fing- ing, he neither moved nor flood jlill like any other mortal -, all was fupernatural. " Thofe gigantic ftrides, (faid he) ; thof& " never-ending notes and paffages (ces " notes qui ne finijjent jamais) only fur- " prife, and it is now time for you to * f pleafe ; you are too lavifh of the gifts " with which nature has endowed you ; "if t 208 ] " if you wifh to reach the heart, you " muft take a more plain and fimple < c road." Thefe few words brought a- bout an entire change in his manner of finging ; from this time he mixed the pathetic with the fpirited, the fimple with the fublime, and, by thefe means, delighted as well as aflonifhed every hearer. In the year 1734, he came into Eng- land, where every one knows who heard, or has heard of him, what an effect his furpriung talents had upon the audience : it was extacy ! rapture ! enchantment ! In the famous air Son qual Nave, which was compofed by his brother, the firfl note he fung was taken with fuch delica- cy, fwelled by minute degrees to fuch an amazing volume, and afterwards di- minished in the fame manner, that it was applauded for full five minutes. He af- terwards fet oft with fuch brilliancy and rapidity of execution, tha.t it was difficult for the violins of thofe days to keep pace 6 with I 209 ] With him. In fhort, he was to all other fingers as fuperiour as the famous horfe Childers was to all other running-horfes - } but it was not only in fpeed, he had now every excellence of every great linger united. In his voice, ftrength, fweetnefs, and compafs ; in his flile, the tender, the graceful, and the rapid. He pofTefTed fuch powers as never met before, or fince, in any one human being ; powers that were irrefiftible, and which mufl fubdue every hearer j the learned and the igno* rant, the friend and the foe. With thefe talents he went into Spain in the year 1737, with a full delign to return into England, having entered into articles with the nobility, who had then the management of the opera, to perform the enfuing feafon. In his way thither he fung to the king of France at Paris, where, according to Riccoboni, he en- chanted even the French themfelves, who at that time univcrfally abhorred Italian xnufic -, but the firfc day he performed J* before [ 20 j before the king and queen of Spain, it was determined that he mould be taken into the fervice of the court, to which he was ever after wholly appropriated, not being once fufFered to ling again in public. A pennon was then fettled on him of upwards of 2000 1. fterling a jear. He told me, that for the firfl ten years of his refidence at the court of Spain, during the life of Philip the Vth, he fung every night to that monarch the fame four airs, of which two were compofed by HafTe, Palido ilfole, and Per quefio dolce Amplejfo. I forget the others, but one was a minuet which he ufed to vary at his pleafure. After the death of Philip the Vth, his favour continued under his fuccefTor Fer- dinand the Vlth, by whom he was dig- nified with the order of Calatrava in 1750 j but then his duty became lefs conftant and fatiguing, as he perfuaded this prince to have operas, which were a great I 2U ] great relief to him : he was appointed fole director of thofe fpedtacles ; and had from Italy, the beft compofers and fingers of the time, and Metaftafio to write. He (hewed me in his hoofe four of the principal fcenes in Didone and Netette, painted by Amiconi, who accompanied him firft into England, and then into Spain, where he died. When the prefent king of Spain af- cended the throne, he was obliged to quit that kingdom, but his penfion is ftill con- tinued, and he was allowed to bring away all his effects. The furniture of his houfe is very rich* as it is almoft en- tirely compofed of the prefents he receiv- ed from great perfonages. He feems very much to regret the being obliged to feek a new habitation, after having lived twenty-four years in Spain, where he had formed many friendfhips and connections that were dear to him ; and it is a great proof of the prudence and moderation of his character, that in a country and court, P 2 where where jealoufy and pride are fo predomi- nant, he continued fo long to be the king's chief favourite, a diftinclion odious to every people, without the leaft quarrel or difference with "any of the Spaniards. When he returned into Italy in 176 1, all his old friends, relations, and ac- quaintance were either dead or removed from the places where he had left them ; fo that he had a fecond life to begin, without the charms of youth to attach new friends, or his former talents to gain new protedors. He fays that Metaftafio and he were twins of public favour, and entered the world at the fame time, he having per- formed in that poet's firft Opera. When he mewed me his lioufe, he pointed out an original picture, painted about that time, by Amiconi, in which are the port- raits of Metaftafio, of Farinelli himfelf, of Fauftina, the famous linger, and ©f Amiconi, 4 From. [ 2i 3 1 From his converfation, there is reafon to believe, that the court of Spain had fixed on Bologna for his refidence ; though the Italians fay his firfl defign was to fettle at Naples, the place of his birth, but that he was driven from thence by the numerous and importunate claims of his relations : however that may be, he has a fitter and two of her children with him, one of whom is an infant, of which he is doatingly fond, though it is crofs, fickly, homely, and unamiable ; yet this is a convincing proof, among others, to me that he was defigned by nature for family attentions and domeftic comforts : but in converfation he lamented his not being able, for political reafons, to fettle in England ; for, next to Spain, that was the place in the world, he faid, where he mould have wifhed to fpend the remain- der of his days. He fpeaks much of the refpect and gra- titude he owes to the Englim. When I 4ined with him it was on an elegant fer- P 7 vice [ 2r 4 ] vice of plate, made in England at the time he was there. He mewed me a number of pictures of himfelf, painted during that time, from one of which by Amiconi, there is a print. He has an Englifh fweep-chimney boy playing with a cat, and an apple -woman with a barrow, by the fame hand ; he has likewife a cu- ripus Englifh clock, with little figures playing in concert on the guitar, the violin, and violoncello, whofe arms and fingers are always moved by the fame pendulum. His large room, in which is a billiard- table, is furniihed with the pictures of great perfonages, chiefly fovereign princes, who have been his patrons, among whom are two emperors, one emprefs, three kings of Spain, two princes of Aflurias, a king of Sardinia, a prince of Savoy, a king of Naples, a princefs of Aflurias, two queens of Spain, and Pope Benedict the XlVth. In other apartments are feveral charming pictures, by Zimenes and Mo- rillo^ [ MS ] rillo, two Spanifh painters of the firfl eminence, and Spagnolet. Sir Benjamin Keene was a great fa- vourite with him, and he fpeaks of his death, not only as a misfortune to the two courts of England and Spain, but as an irreparable lofs to himfelf and all his friends. He fhewed me feveral pictures painted in England, in the manner of Teniers, by a man, during the time he was in prifon for debt ; I forget his name ; thefe, he faid, Lord Chefterfield had given him in the politer!: manner imagi- nable. Upon my expreffing fome defire to write his life, or, at leaft, to infert parti- culars of it in my hiftory. ec Ah," fays he, by a modefty rather pufhed too far, " if you have a mind to compofe a good <{ work, never fill it with accounts of fuch " defpicable beings as I am." However, he furnimed me with all the particulars concerning Domenico Scarlatti, which I defired, and dictated to me very oblig- P 4 i n giy* [ 216 ] ingly, while I entered them in my pocket- book. He frill retains a few words of the Eng- lish language, which he had picked up during his reftdence in London, and en- tertained me a great part of the day with accounts of his reception and adventures there. He repeated a converfation he Jiad with Queen Caroline, about Cuzzoni and Fauftina ; and gave me an account of his fird performance at court to his late majefty George the lid. in which he was accompanied on the harpfichord by the princefs royal, afterwards princefs of O- range, who infixed on his finging two of Handel's fongs at light, printed in a dif- ferent clef, and compofed in a different flile from what he had ever been ufed to. He told me of his journey into the coun- try with the Duke and Duchefs of Leeds, and with Lord Cobham 3 of the feuds of the two operas ; of the part which the late Prince of Wales took with that managed by the nobility ; and the Queen and I 217 ] and Princefs Royal with that which was under the direction of Handel. He likewife confirmed to me the truth of the following extraordinary ftory, which I had often heard, but never before credited. Senefino and Farinelli, when in England together, being engaged at different theatres on the fame night, had not an opportunity of hearing each other, till, by one of thofe fudden flage-revolu- tions which frequently happen, yet are always unexpected, they were both em- ployed to ling on the fame ftage. Sene- fino had the part of a furious tyrant to reprefent, and Farinelli that of an unfor- tunate hero in chains 5 but, in the courfe of the firft fong, he fo foftened the ob- durate heart of the enraged tyrant, that Senefino, forgetting his ftage-character, ran to Farinelli and embraced him' in his own. Monday 22.. This day, after vifiting the Inititute, I waited on the Dottorejfa Madame Laura BqJJi, and met with a very polite [ 2.8 ] polite and eafy reception. Upon naming Padre Beccaria, and mewing his recom- mendation in my tablets, we wereinftant- ly good friends. This lady is between fifty and fixty ; but though learned, and a genius, not at all mafculine or afTum- ing. We talked over the moft celebrated men of fcience in Europe. She was very civil to the Englifh, in eulogiums of Newton, Halley, Bradley, Franklin, and others. She mewed me heir electrical machine and apparatus : the machine is fimple, portable, and convenient ; it con- fifts of a plain plate of glafs, placed ver- tically ; the two cushions are covered with red leather ; the receiver is a tin forked tube ; the two forks, with pins at the ends, are placed next the glafs plate. Sheis very dextrous andingenious in her ex- periments, of which me was fo obliging as to fhew me feveral. She told me thatSignor Baffi, her huiband, immediately after Dr. Franklin had proved the identity of elec- trical fire and lightning, and published ■ I hif t 21 9 ] his method of pr eferving buildings from the effects of it, by iron rods, had caufed conductors to be erected at the Institute j but that the people of Bologna were fo afraid of the rods, believing they would bring the lightning upon them, inftead of the contrary, that he was forced to take them down. Benedict XIV. one of the mofl enlightened and enlarged of the popes, a native, and in a particular man- ner the patron, as well as fovereign of Bologna, wrote a letter to recommend the ufe of thefe conductors ; but it was fo much againft the inclination of the inhabitants of this city, that Signor Baffi defifled entirely, and they have never iince that time been ufed here. There is an apparatus, and a room apart for electricity at the Inftitute, but the machines are old, and very inferior to thofe in ufe at this time in England. It is remarkable that this univerfity has no correfpondence with England, nor is it able to purchafe our Phi- lofophical [ 220 J Jofophical Transactions, The Falarics are fmall, arid the money allowed for the fupport of the Inftitute is all appro- priated. This I was told by the Keeper QT.CuJlode, who mew r ed me the apart-, ments. My vifit with the learned Sig- nora Bairl was very agreeable, and fhe yy%s fa obliging as to oifer me a letter to Signor Fontana at Florence, one of the firil mathematicians in Europe. ] ; They fpeak much at Bologna of the prav Qrbi> or- blind iidlers, who were not in town when I was there ; but all the matters admire them, in their way, very much, particularly Iomelli, who always fends for them, when in the fame town, to play to him. They travel about in fummer to Rome, Naples, and elfewhere : one plays on the violin, the other on the violoncello, and is called Spacca Not a, or Split Note. Tuefday being a feftival, mafs was performed in mufic at the church of the convent of St. Auguftin. The compofer was [ 221 ] was Signor Caroli, Maefiro di Capella del Duomo of Bologna, There was a great band, but neither learning, tafle, or no- velty to recommend the mufic. It con- firmed of old paffages, ftrung together in a heavy manner, without even the merit of a little pertnefs now and then to en- liven it. And what rendered this mulic ftill more tirefome, was the finging, which was rather below mediocrity. In the afternoon I went to take a me- lancholy leave of the Cavalier FarinellL He kindly importuned me to ftay longer at Bologna, and even chid me for going away fo foon. I found him at his Raphael, and prevailed on him to play agooddeal : he Jings upon it with infinite tafte and expref- fion. I was truly forry to quit this extraor- dinary and amiable perfon : he prefled me to write to him, if there was any thing in Italy which he could procure or do for me. I ftaid with him till it was fo late, that I was :n danger of being fhut out of the city of Bologna, the gates be- ing [ 222 ] ing locked every night as foon as it is dark. By the advice of P. Martini I ftaid at Bologna two days longer than I intended, in order to be prefent at a kind of trial of fkill among fuch compofers of this city as are members of the celebrated Philharmonic Society, founded in 1666. There is an annual exhibition, or pub- lic performance, morning and evening, on the thirtieth of Auguft, in the church of S. Johanni in Monte** This year the "Principe, or Prelident, was Signor Petro- nio Lanzi. The band was very nume- rous, confifting of near a hundred voices and inftruments. There are two large organs in the church, one on each fide * This church is rendered famous by the p'oflef- fion of two of the beft pictures in Bologna, or, per- haps, in the world, the St Cecilia of Raphael, and the Madonna of the Rofary of Dominichini. They are placed in two chapels, oppofite to each other, between which, and in full view of thefe charming paintings, I had the advantage of fitting to hear the muftc. Of [ **| ] of the choir ; and, befides thefe, a fmall one was erected for the occafion, in front, juft behind the compofer and fingers. The performers were placed in a gallery, which formed a femi-circle round the choir. In the Mejftt or Morning Service the Kyrie and Gloria were compofed by Sig- nor Lanzi, Prefident for the fecond time. His mufic was grave and majeftic; it opened with an introduction, by way of overture, of a confiderable length, which afterwards ferved as an accompaniment to the voices in a very good chorus : [ there were likewife in it feveral pleafing airs, and a well-written fugue. The Graduale was compofed by Signor Antonio Caroli, in the fame dry, uninte- refting ftile as the performance mentioned above, which would have been thought trite and dull fixty years ago. The Credo was compofed by Signor Lorenzo Gibelli, a fcholar of Padre Mar- tini, t 224 1 tlni, which, in point of harmony, had its merit. The morning fervice was finifhed by a fymphony, with folo parts, by Signor Gioanni Piantanida, principal violin of Bologna, which really aftonifhed me. This performer is upwards of fixty years of age, and yet has all the fire of youth, with a good tone, and modern taile ; and, upon the whole, feemed to me, (though his bow-hand has a clumfy and aukward look) more powerful upon his inftrument than any one I had, as yet, heard in Italy, f In the Vefpero 9 or evening fervice, the Domine was compofed by Signor Anto* Fontana di Carpi, a priefl, and was a pleafing performance, of one movement only. The Abate Gio. Califto Zanotti, ne- phew to the learned librarian of that name, compofed the Dixit ; and in this performance there were all the marks of an original and cultivated genius. The move- [ us ] movements, and even palTages were well contrafted ; and, to make ufe of the Ian* guage of painters, there were difcernible in it, not only light and (hade, but even mezzo tints. He proceeded from one thing to another by fuch eafy and in- fenfible gradations, that it feemed wholly the work of nature, though conducted with the greater!: art. The aecompani- ments were judicious, the ritornels al- ways expreffed Jbmet/img, the melody was new and full of tafte, and the whole was put together with great judgment, and even learning. In fhort, I have very fel- dom in my life received greater pleafure from mufic than this performance afford- ed me j and yet the vocal parts were but indifferently executed, for at this time there were no great lingers at Bologna, though there were two or three that were agreeable, particularly a contr alto, Sig- nor Cicognani, who, in a ferious opera, would be a gcod fecond linger ; and a foprano, Confoli, a boy of about thirteen [ 226 ] $r fourteen, with a very fweet, but feeble voice, who poffeffed great tafte and ex-* preffion. Signor Zanotti is a fcholar of Padre Martini, and one of the Maejiri di Capella in the church of S. Petronio. The next compofer who took upon him the direction of the orcheftra (every author beat time to his own performance) was Signor Gabrielle Vignali. His part of the fervice was the Conjitebor, which he had fet in fuch an inoffenlive manner^ that the niceft judge could not be hurt by its faults, nor the moll envious critic by its beauties. BeatusVir was fet, by D. Giufeppe Cor retti, a venerable prieft, who ranks very high in Bologna as a contrapuntifi ; indeed his mufic was very maflerly, and, in found harmony, and regular modulation, had infinite merit. Laudato Puer was compofed by Signor Bernardo Ottani, another fcholar of P* Martini, who is young, and a promifmg compofer. There were many ingenious pretty I m I pretty things in his performance, as well as in that which followed, which was a hymn by D. Francefco Orfoni, a young prieit, and fcholar likewife of P. Mar- tini. The whole was concluded by the Mag-* nificat of Signor Antonio Mazzoni, fecond matter of the duomo or cathedral, who is compofer to the opera here, and has been in that character at Naples, Madrid, and Peterfbourg. He is faid to have great JBr'e and fancy, but in this performance, which was all chorus, they were not dif- coverable ; the whole was founded upon a ground-bafe, which was played by all the inftruments, and feemed laboured and conftrained* There were prefent at this exhibition all the critics of Bologna, and the neigh- bouring cities, and the church was ex- tremely crowded. Upon the whole, I was very well entertained $ and the va^- riety of ilile, and mafterly compofition were fuch as reflected honour, not only 0^2 upon [ 228 ] upon the Philharmonic Society, but upon the city of Bologna itfelf, which has, at all times, been fertile in genius, and has given birth to a great number of men of abilities in all the arts. I mull acquaint my mufical reader, that at the performance juft mentioned, I met with M. Mozart and his fon, the little German, whofe premature and al- mofr. fupernatural talents aflonifhed us in London a few years ago, when he had fcarce quitted his infant flate. Since his arrival in Italy he has been much ad- mired at Rome and Naples ; has been honoured with the order of the Speron d'Oro, or Golden Spur, by his Holinefs, and was engaged to compofe an opera at Milan for the next Carnival. I cannot quit this city without return- ing once more to the good Padre Mar- tini. After the mufical performance above defcribed, I went, by appointment, to his convent to bid him adieu, as I was to quit Bologna early next morning. He waited [ 229 ] waited for me in his ftudy, it being late, and beyond the monaftic hours of feeing company. He had kindly prepared for me recommendatory letters for Florence, Rome, and Naples ; and had looked out ftill more curious books to fhew me, of which I took the titles, in hopes of meet- ing with them fome time or other. He had told me, the day before, that, as he mould not be prefent at the Philharmonic Meeting, he mould rely on my judgment and account, how matters went off and were conducted ; and now defired me to defcribe to him every (ingle piece. After doing this very faithfully, I was going to retire, when he fays, " Won't you ftay " for the words to be written to thefe " Canons ?"-— I had the day before fung with a young Francifcan, his fcholar, .out of a prodigous large MS. book of his Canons, feveral very pleafing ones for two voices only, of which I feemed to exprefs a defire to have one or two copied, and this excellent father remem- Q^3 bering [ 230 } tiering it, had fet a perfon to work for me, who was writing when I entered the jftudyj but, as he had ufu ally two or three amanuenfes there, I did not mind him*. At length we parted, on my fide with forrow, and on his with a re- commendation to write to him often. FLORENCE. This city has been longer in pofTerliott of mufic, if the poets and hiftorians may be credited, than any other in Europe. Dante, a Florentine, born in 1265, fpeaks of the organ and lute as inflruments well known in his time ; and has taken an opportunity to celebrate the talents of his friend Cafella> the mufician, in the fecond canto of his Purgatorio.-. The hiftorian Villani, cotemporary with Petrarca, fays that his canzonets were * Padre Martini has compofed an amazing num- ber of ingenious and learned canons, in which every kind of intricacy and contrivance, that ever had admiflion into this difficult fpecies of compofition, has been happily fubdued. unif £ 2 3 I ] univerfally fung in Florence, by the old and the young of both fexes. And we are told that Lorenzo il Magnifico, in Carnival time,ufed to go out in the even- ing, followed by a numerous company of perfons on horfeback, mafked, and richly drefTed, amounting fometimes to upwards of three hundred ; and the fame number on foot, with wax tapers burn- ing, which rendered the ftreets as light as at noon day, and gave a fplendour to the whole fpedtacle. In this manner they marched through the city, till three or four o'clock in the morning, iinging, with mujical harmony , in four, eight, twelve, and even fifteen parts, accompa- nied with various inftruments, fongs, ballads, madrigals, and catches, or fongs of humour, upon fubjecls then in vogue ; and thefe, from being performed in Car- nival time, were called Canti Carnafcia- lefchi, * * They were firfi: collected and publiftied by Francefco Spaziano. Florence, 1559. Q^4 But [ 2 3 2 ] But even before this period the company of Laudijli, orPfalm-fingers, was formed, which has continued ever lince ; it is now called La Compagnia, and the morn- ing after my arrival in Florence, between fix and feven o'clock, they pafTed by the inn where I lodged, in grand proceffion, dreffed in a whitifh uniform, with burn- ing tapers in their hands. They flopped at the diwmOi or great church, juft by, to ling a chearful hymn, in three parts f which they executed very well. In this manner, on Sundays and holidays, th® trades-people and artifans form them- felves into diftinct companies, and ling through the Itreets, in their way to church. Thofe of the parilh of S. Bene- detto, we are informed by Crefcimbeni, were famous all over Italy; and at the great Jubilee, in the beginning of this century, marched through the Itreets of Rome, ringing in fuch a manner as pleafed and aitonimed every body. September I 233 ] September 3. I went to the little thea- tre di via Santa Maria, to hear the comic opera of La Pefcatrict, compofed by Sig- ner Piccini. There are but four charac- ters in this drama, two of which were reprefented by Signora Giovanna Bag- lioni, and her fiffcer Coftanza, whom I had heard at Milan ; the other two were Signor Paolo Bonaveri, a good tenor, and Signor Goftantino Ghigi. Giov. Bag- lioni appeared here to much greater ad- vantage than at Milan, where the theatre is of fuch a fize as to require the lungs of a Stentor to fill it. She fung very- well -, her voice is clear, and always in tune, her make open and perfect, and her tafte and expreffion left nothing to wifh in the fongs (he had to fing. She was extremely applauded ; the houfe was very much crowded, the band was good, and the mufic worthy of Signor Piccini ; full of that fire and fancy which charac- terife all the productions of that ingeni- ous and original compofer. x In i *34 ] • In the duomo, or cathedral here, which is one of the larger! churches in Italy, there is the fmefr. toned organ 1 ever heard; whether, like St. Paul's, in London, it is meliorated by the magnitude and happy conftruction of the building, I cannot tell, but it pleafed me exceedingly. It has moreover, the advantage of being very Well played on by Signor Matucci, the prefent organift, whofe ftile is not only grave and fuitable to the church, but learned in modulation, and, in flow move- ments, truly pathetic. M. de Maupertuis, in his voyage to the polar circle, was told by the Laplanders of a monument which they regarded as the moft wonderful thing in their coun- try : upon the merits of this report only, he fays, he was almoft. afhamed to confefs that he undertook a very fatiguing and dangerous journey to fee it. Something of the fame kind happened to me : in go- ing to the opera, a fecond time, I was fur- prized to find the theatre almoft empty ; and, I 2 35 J and, upon enquiry into the reafon of it, I was told that the chief muficians, and the belt, company of Italy, were aflembled at Figline, a town in the Upper Val d'Arno, about thirty miles from Florence, to celebrate a kind of jubilee, in honour of Santa Maflimina, the protectrefs of that place ; and I am almoft afhamed to con- fefs, that, without enquiring of perfons well informed, I took upon truft this re- port, and travelled all night, in order to be prefent at thefe games the next day. • I arrived at the place of action about feven o'clock in the morning, and found the road and town very full of country people, as at a wake in England, but faw very few carriages, or perfons of rank and fafhion ; however, confiderable prepara- tions were making in the great fquare, for the diverfions of the evening. At eleven high mafs was performed ia the principal church, which was very much ornamented, and illuminated with innumerable [ 2J6 3 Innumerable wax tapers, which, together with the greateft crowd I ever was in, rendered the heat almoft equal to that of the black-hole at Calcutta, and the con- fequences mufl have been as fatal, had not the people been permitted to go out as others preffed in ; but neither religious zeal, nor the love of muiic, could keep any one long in the church who was able to get out. In ihort, the whole was a ftruggle between thofe whofe curiofity made them ftrive to enter the church, and others whofe fufferings and fear made them ufe every means in their power to get out. By'permitting myfelf to drive with the ffcream, I at length was carried to a toler- able place near one of the doors, where I had perfeverance fufficient to remain dur- ing the whole fervice, as I was in conftant expectation of being rewarded for my fufferings, by the performance of fomc great finger, whom I had not heard be- fore j f 237 ] fofcj but in this I was difappointed, as all the vocal performers, except one*, were very indifferent : the mufic, however, was very pretty 5 full of tafte and fancy : it was compofed by Signor Feroce, Fio- rentino. The principal violin was play- ed by Signor Modele, who, with his fon, played very neatly a duet concerto : after this the Abate Fibbietti fung a motet with fuch tafte in the flow movements, and fire in the quick, as were truly afto- nifhing ; his voice was fweet and clear, his intonations perfectly true ; his expref- fion and fancy charming, and he left no- thing to wifh, but a (hake a little more open. At four o'clock in the evening, the games began in the great fquare, which is a large piece of ground of an oblong form. There were 1500 peafants of the neighbourhood employed upon this occa- fion, who had been three months in train- * The Abate Fibbietti, an excellent tenor. ing: e * 3 s i ing : they had the ftory of David and Goliah to reprefent, which was done with the moll minute attention to the facred itory, and the cojiume of the an- cients. The two armies of the Ifraelites andPhiliftines met, marching to the found of ancient inftruments, fuch as the crotok or cymbal, the fyftrum, and others : they were all dreffed ,a l' Antique, "even to the common men. ; the kings, princes, and generals, on both fides, were fumptuoufly clad, and all on horfeback, as were feveral hundreds of the troops. The giant, Goliah, advanced and' gave the challenge-: the Ifraelkes retreated in great confirmation, till, at length, littk- David appears, and entreats- Saul to let him be his champion, which requeft, after fometime is granted $ the reft of the ftory was well told, and it was fo contrived, that after Goliah was ftunned by the i^one ■from David's fling, in cutting off his head with the Giant's own great fword, a quantity of blood gufhed out, and many of [ 2 39 ] of the fpe&ators fhrieked with horror, fuppofing it to be the blood of the perfon who reprefented the champion of the Philiftines. After this, there, was a pitched battle between the two armies, and the Ifraelites, being victorious, brought David in triumph, at the head of the prifoners and fpoils of the enemy, mount* ed on a fuperb chariot, in the ancient form. At Vefpers I heard the fame ftoryjung in an oratorio, fet by the Abate Feroce, in which Signor Fibbietti, the tenor, had a capital part, to which he did great juf- tice : during this performance, the whole town was illuminated in an elegant man- ner, and there were very ingenious fire- works played off in the great fquare ; and, in juftice to the pacific difpofition of the Tufcans, I muff, obferve, that though there were at leaft 20,000 people affem- bled together on this occafion, without guards, yet not the leaft accident or dif- turbance happened. This may perhaps be [ 2 4 ] be owing, in fdme meafure, to the pecu- liar fobriety of the Italians, as I do not remember to have feen one drunken perfon during the whole time I was in Italy. It being impoffible to procure a bed, if I would have paid eight or ten zechins for it, and the night being very fine, I fet out at eleven o'clock for Florence, where I arrived at four the next morning ; and though the mufical performance at Figline was not what I had been made to expect, yet the reft was very fuperior, and what I was not likely to meet with elfewherej fo that, upon the whole, I did not think the time fpent in this ex- curiion entirely loft. JVednefday, Sept. 6. I was prefent at the performance of another opera, fet by Piccini, called Le Donne Fendicate. There were in this drama but four characters, which were reprefented very well by the fame perfons as thofe in the Pefcatrice. There are but two acts in any of the co- mic [ 241 ] mie operas I have yet feen in Italy ; but the dances, which are likewife two, may be called balli pantomimic or pantomime entertainments, as they are each as long almoft as an act of the opera. There are two or three charming airs in this bur- letta. Coftanza Baglioni fung extremely well ; and the tenor, who is a favourite here, was very much applauded ; but though a good finger, I neither think his voice or tafte equal to thofe of Signor Lovatirii. Friday* Sept. 7. In the evening I heard vefpers performed at the church of the Annunciation, by a great number of fingers, priefts and laymen, accompanied only by a little organ, a violoncello, and two double bafes. The mufic was in the old choral ftile of the fixteenth century. After this full performance, in the great choir, there was other finging in different chapels of this beautiful church, by boys placed in different organ lofts, who were R accompanied [ tti> ] accompanied by tenor and bafe voices be- low. .Saturday, Sept. 8. This morning, there were no other inftruments to accompany the voices than thofe which I had heard at the fame church yefterday, though the day was a great feflival : however, the vocal performers were more numerous, and they fung a mafs in eight parts, four on a fide, very well ; it was compofed by Orazio BenevOli, of the Roman fchool, who flourifhed foon after Paleftrina, and, for that time, and that kind of mufic, is excellent. There are no regular fugues, the fubjects are changed with the words, and little or no effect is produced by the melody, when divided among fo many parts -, but the points and imitations muft be mort, or the movement would be end- lefs. However, the effect of the whole, to lovers of harmony, is admirable. Af- ter the fervices were ended, Signor Veroli, a very good foprano, fung a grave motet i ' a voce [ 243 ] a voce fola. He is ufually the firit finger in the ferious opera here, and has a very pleafing voice, with .a confiderable fhare of tafle. The motet was compofed by Padre Dreyer, Maeftro di Capella of the Anniiriciata. He was formerly a famous finger at Drefden, with ^foprano voice, but on account of the too great notice which was taken of him, by a perfon of diftindtion there, he was fent away, and has been many years eftablimed in this city : he is now in years -, I had a long v converfation with him, and found him .very intelligent and obliging. He fays, the mufic of Paleftrina is ufed here on all days, except festivals ; and, upon my re- queuing him to favour me with a copy -of the mod celebrated composition per- formed in his church, he told me that jt was the Miferere of Alkgri, which is. lung .here, as in the Pope's -chapel, only on Good Fridays, and that it mould be tran- fcribed for me immediately : but as I had already obtained a copy of ; that fa- ll 2 mous [ H4 ] mous compofition from Padre Martini; who had one made by the exprefs or- der of the late Pope, I declined the ac- ceptance of his obliging offer. ' In the evening I went again to the opera of Le Donne Vendicate, which I mention only becaufe it gives me an op- portunity of remarking the extraordinary good humour of an Italian audience ; for this being the laft night of the pre- fent company's performance, the crowd and applaufe were prodigious ; printed fonnets, in praife of fingers and dancers, were thrown from the flips, and fee n fly- ing about the houfe in great numbers, for which the audience fcrambled with much eagernefs, and at the clofe of all, it was rather acclamation than ap- plaufe. Sunday, Sept. 9. This morning I was at a very folemn fervice in the convent delle Monache, or nuns of the Portico, about a mile from Florence. This per- formance coil: upwards of 300 zechins ; it t 245 ] it was the laft confecration of eight nuns ; the archbifhop was there, a great deal of the firfl company of Florence, and a very numerous band of vocal and initxumental performers. I I had here the pleafure of hearing Signor Manzoli. In the flrrT: part of the mafs, there was a trio between him, Signor Veroli, and the fecond maejlro of the Nunziata, whofe voice is a Bari- tono. The mufic of the mafs was by Signor Soffi, of Lucca, but he not being prefent, Signor Veroli beat time to the choruffes. Befides the verfes which Sig- nor Manzoli fung in the mafs, with which I was very much delighted, though his voice feemed lefs powerful, even in a fmall church, than when he was in Eng- land ; he performed a charming mo- tet, compofed by Signor Monza, of Milan. Signor Guarducci, and Signor Riccia- relli, left Florence a few days only^be- fore my arrival thsre, other wife I might have heard a duo fung by Signor Man- R J zoli [ M ] zoliand SignorGuarducci,who performed* together at a private concert; this was a? lofs the more to be regretted, as thefe two great performers are feldom in the fame place, and very rarely fing together. At prefent, though Florence does not abound in mufical geniuffes of it's own growth, yet it is very well fupplied from other places ; for, befides the performers 1 above mentioned, Signor Campioni is fettled here, as maeftro di Capella to the grand duke j Signor Dottel, the celebrat- ed performer on the German flute, is of his band, and Signor Nardini is engaged here, as principal violin, in the fervice of the fame prince *. I heard likewife in this city a good per- former on the double harp, Signora Anna Fond, from Vienna, who is in the fervice of the court; and my little countryman, Linley, who had been two years under * Thefe three eminent matters, whofe merit is well known to all Europe, have been lately tempted to quit Leghorn, by the munificence of the grand duke, Signor [ 2 47 ] Signer Nardini, was at Florence when I arrived there, and was univerfally admired. Th& Tomma/ino, as he is called, and the little Mozart, are talked of all over Italy, as the moft promifinggeniufTes of this age. The comedy of /'/ Saggio Amico, by Goldoni, which I had feen at Brefcia, was reprefented this evening at another theatre, larger and more fplendid than that where I had feen the burlettas. I found fo much company there, that it was impof- fible to procure a feat : the play was dull, but there was a Turkim dance between the acts, which lifted near half an hour : it was very ingenious, and the fcenes and dreffes were the moft magnificent I had ever feen in my life *. In my way to this theatre, juft as it was growing dark, I met in the itreets a company of haudifii : they had been at Fiefole, and were proceeding in procef- fion to their own little church. I had * The price for the pit in this theatre, and for that of every comic opera in Italy, is one paul, 3- mountingto almofr, fix pence Englifh. R4 the r 248 ] the curiofity to follow them, and procur- ed a book of the words they were ting- ing*. They ftopt at every church in their way, to fing a ftanza in three parts; and when they arrived at their own church, into which I gained admirTion, there was a band of inftruments to receive them, who, between each ftanza that they fung, played a fymphony. They per- formed vefpers in Canto Fermo, . aflifted by their chaplain : the whole was con- dueled with great decorum, and was cer- tainly a very innocent amufement. Some of the companies of Laudifti, in Florence, have fubfifted near five hundred years. I found a folio MS. of Laudi Spirituals t with the notes, in the Magliabecchi library, compofed for the company of friars of the order of the Umiliati, and fung at the church of All Saints, Florence, 1336, Monday, Sept. 10. This afternoon, I * The title of thefe hymns runs thus, Laudi da Cantarfi da Fratelli della venerahil Compagnia di S. M, Maddalena de' pazzi e S. Guifeppe in S. Mar via in Campidoglio in Firenze, 1770. had t 2 49 1 had the pleafure of hearing Signor Nar- dini, and his little fcholar Linley, at a great concert, at the houfe of Mr. Hemp- fon, an Englifh gentleman, where there was much company. This gentleman plays the common flute in a particular manner, improving the tone very much, by inferting a piece of fpunge into the mouth-piece, through which the wind pafTes. He performed two or three dif- ficult concertos, by Haffe, and Nardini* very well. There was a perfon from Perugia, who played a folo on the viol d'amore, very agreeably; and Signor Nardini played both a folo and a concerto, of his own compofition, in fuch a man- ner as to leave nothing to wilh : his tone is even and (wcet ; not very loud, but clear and certain ; he has a great deal of expreffion in his flow movements, which, it is faid, he has happily caught from his matter Tartini. As to execution, he will fatisfy and pleafe more than furprize: in ihort, he feems the completefl player on the [ *5P I the violin in all Italy-; and, according to my feelings arid judgment, his ftile 36* delicate, judicious, and highly ii- nifted*. The Tomraafmo Linley played two concertos, very much in the manner of his matter. Signor Nardini has a great number of young profeilbrs under his care, as his matter, Tartini, ufed to have, among whom is a fon of Mr. Agus, from England. Tuefday 1 1 . At another great acca- demia, at the houfe of Signor Domenico Baidigiani, I this evening met with the famous Improwifatrke, Signora Mad- daiena Morelli, commonly called La Co- riila\ who is likewife a fcholar of Signor Nardini, on the violin ; and afterwards I was frequently at her houfe -f*. Beiides * Whoever has heard the poliJhed performance of the celebrated Madame Sirmen, may form a pretty jtift" idea of Signor Nardini's manner of playing. f: She has, almoft every evening, a converfat'ione y ©r a/Tembly, which is much frequented' by the foreigners, and men of letters, at Florence. her t 251 ] her wonderful talent of fpeaking verfes extempore upon any given fubjecT:, and being able to play a ripieno part, on the violin, in concert, {he lings with a great deal of expreffion, and has a confiderable mare of execution. I was feveral times at the houfe of Sig- rior Campioni, whofe trios have been fo well received in England. He is mar- ried to a lady who paints very well, and who is likewife a neat performer, on the' harpfichord. He has the greatest, collec- tion of old mufic, particularly Madrigals, of the fixteenth and feventeenth centuries, Padre Martini's excepted, that I everfaws he has likewife himfelf compofed a great deal for the church, fince his eftablifh- ment at Florence. He fhewed me the fcore of a T(? Deum, which he fet for the birth of the grand duke's eldeft daughter* full of curious canons, and ingenious con- trivances : it was performed by a band of two hundred voices and inftruments, Among [ 2 S 2 1 Among the Dilettanti, at Florence, the Marquis of Ligniville is regarded as a good theorift and compofer. He has fet the hymn Salve Regina in Canon , for three voices. The mufic is neatly engraved, and copies of it are given to his friends. The Marquis was not in Florence during my reiidence there; however, I was pre- fented with a copy of this Curious piece, by a mufician in the fervice of his ex- cellence *. Mr. Perkins, an Englifh gentleman, who has reiided a considerable time in this city and in Bologna, is likewife a good mufician. A letter from Padre * In the title page of this Salve Regina, the Mar- quis of Ligniville is fliled Prince of Conca, cham- berlain to their Imperial Majefties, director of the mufic of the court in Tufcany, and member of the philharmonic fociety of Bologna. He is Prince of Conca, in the kingdom of Naples, by right of his mother; is fon of the famous Marfhal Ligni- ville, who was killed in the gardens of Colorno, a country houfe belonging to the Duke of Parma, during the war of 1733. r Martini [ 253 J Martini procured me the honour of his acquaintance. This gentlemen is en- titled to my beft acknowledgments for many mufical curiofities, with which he was fo kind to furnifti me ; and among the reft, for an effay, of which he is him- felf the author, on the capacity and extent of the violoncello, in imitating the violin, flute, French horn, trumpet, hautboy, and baflbon. At Florence, I found the harpfichord of Zarlino, which is mentioned in the fe- cond part of his Harmonical Institutions, p. 140. This inftrument was invented by Zarlino, in order to give the tempera- ment and modulation of the three genera, the diatonic, chromatic, and enharmonic; and was conftructed, under his direction, in the year 1 548, by Dominico Pefarefe : it is now in the pofTeflion of Signora Moncini, widow of the late com- pofer Pifcetti. I copied Zarlino's in- structions for tuning it, from his own hand-writing, on the back of the fore- board -, [ *54 ] board; but I fhall referve them, and the .particular defcription of this curious in- ftrument, for the Hiftory of Mufic, to which they more properly belong. The grand. duke's gallery, the Pitti pa- lace, the Lorenziana, the Magliabecchi, and the Rinuccini libraries, all furniQie^ reflections and materials for my intended work j and the converfations with which I was honoured by Dr. Bicchierai, Dr. Perelli, proferTor of mathematics, Dr. .Guadagnj, proferTor of experimental phi- .lofophy, il propoflo Dr. Foffi, Signor Ban- '4ini, librarian to the grand duke, and others ; who facilitated my enquiries, and afforded me every opportunity for infor- mation I could wim, rendered by refi- dence, in this delightful city, to which all the arts have been fo much and fo long indebted, at once both pleafant and profitable. SIENNA. There had been an opera, in this city, during the month of Auguft, in which Signor C *5S 3 Signor Nicolini was the principal finger, and very much approved ; but fo capri- cious is public favour, that, with the fame talents, the fame voice, the fame performers, and in the: fame compositions, he was totally difliked and neglected, at Lucca, in- the month of September ! MONTEFIASCONE. September 1 8. In my way to Rome, I vifited Signor Guarducci, who has here built himfelfa very good houfe, and fitted it up in the Englifh manner, with great tafte. He had already been apprized of my journey into Italy, and received me in the politeft manner imaginable. He was fo obliging as to let me hear him, in a fong of Signor Sacchini's compofition, which he fung divinely. His voice, I think, is more powerful than when he was in England, and his tafte and ex- preflion feem to have received every pof- fible degree of feleclion and refinement. He is a very chafte performer, and adds but [ 2*6 ] but few notes ', thofe few notes, however, are fo well chofen, that they produce great effects, and leave the ear thoroughly fatisfied. He has a winter-houfe in Flo- rence, and has built this at Montefiafcone, the place of his birth, to retire to in fum- mer, and to receivehis mother, and his bro- thers and fitters : it is charmingly fituated, commanding, on one fide, a fine profpect of the country, as far as Aquapendente, and a great part of the Lake of Bolfena ; and, on the other, the hills of Viterbo, and the country leading to it. He fays he has totally quitted the ftage, and in- tends finging no more in public : this is . a lofs to Italy, as I find he is now allow- , ed by the Italians the firlt place among all the fingers of the prefent period - 3 and, at Rome, they fliil fpeak of his perform- ance, in Piccini's Didone Abbandonata, with rapture. Signor Guarducci, in, a manner truly obliging, gave me letters to eminent profefibrs at Rome and Naples, and not only treated me with the greateft hofpitality, [ 2 5'7 1 hofpitality while under his roof* but load^ ^d my chaife with exquilite wine, the pro- duce of his own vineyard, and with other refreshments *. £ O M E. It is impoflible to approach this city* the capital of the world, for fuch it jlill is with refpecl to the arts, without fen* fations which no other Situation can ex- cite. The remains of antiquity, like the Sibyls works of old, become of greater Value the lefs there is of them. At a tra- veller's £rffc entrance into Rome* every I Stick, half devoured by time, or Stone in- crufled with mofs, is fo interesting, that his curiofity is not to be fatisfied but by a molt minute examination of it -, left the precious fragments of fome venera- ble pile, or the memorial of fome illuf- trious atchievement, Should be paffed unnoticed, * The wine of Montefiafcone is proverbially fa- mous all over Italy, S Though I 258 ] Though my views and expectations, on arriving in this city, were chiefly con- fined to antiquities, and the inedited ma- terials with which the Vatican and other libraries might furnim me, relative to ancient miific, yet -I received great pleafuie from the modern. September 21. The day after my arri- val, at his Grace the Duke of Dorfet's, I heard Signor Celeftini, the principal vio- lin here, who is a very neat, and expref- five performer : he was feconded by Sig- nor Corri, who is an ingenious compofer, and lings in a very good tafte 5 there was likewife a good performer on the violoncello. Signor Celeftini played, among other things, one of his own folos, which was very plealing, though extremely difficult, with great brilliancy, tafte, and pre- cision. Saturday, Sept. 22. This evening Mr. Beckford, to whofe zeal for the bufinefs in which I am embarked I have infinite obliga- [ 259 ] obligations, made a concert for me* confifting of twelve or fourteen of the heft performers in Rome j thefe Were led by Sigrior Celeflini. There were three voices, Signor Criftbfero, of the Pope's chapel, who fings Very much in Guarducci's way, and is little inferior to him in delicacy j il Graffetto, a boy, who fubmitted to mutilation by his .own choice, and againft the advice of his friends, for the prefervation of his voice, which is indeed a very good one, and he isj in other refpects, a very pleating finger ; and a buffo tenor, a very comical fellow; September 23. I was introduced to Signer Crifpi* a celebrated Maefiro diCa- pella, at whofe houfe there was an acca- demia this evening, in which the vocal part was performed by his wife. This compofer has an accademia at his houfe every Friday evening, at which there is uiually a good band and much company. S 2 Septem- [ 260 ] September 24. There was a grand Futt- zioni at the Santi Apojloli, on account of the reconciliation of the Pope and the King of PortugaL It was at this church that I flrft faw his Holinefs, and a great number of Cardinals, and heard Te Deum. There were two large bands of mufic, and an immenfe crowd. The mufic was compofed by Signor Mofi. Criftofero fung charmingly j the airs were pretty, but the choruffes poor. In the evening the outfideof the cupo- la, church, and colonade of St. Peter, together with the Vatican palace, were finely illuminated, which affords afpecta- cle to the inhabitants of Rome, not to be equalled in the univerfe. And in the balconies, next to the ftreet, at the pa- laces of moft of the Cardinals, befides illuminations, there were concerts of very numerous bands of inftrumental per- formers j but chiefly at the refidence of the Portuguefe AmbarTador, where the .hands employed amounted to above a hun- [ *6i J hundred, and thefe continued their per- formance all night. However, this mu- fic, though in the open air, was too noify for me, and I retreated from it early, in order to have my ears foothed with more placid founds at the Duke of Dorfet's concert. Tuefday 25. I had this morning the honour of being prefented to Cardinal Alexander Albani, principal librarian to the Vatican, and Prefetto, or Governor of the Pope's chapel. His eminence re- ceived me in the mofi obliging and con- defcending manner imaginable, taking me by the hand, and faying, Figlio mio, che voletif (i My fon, what do you wifh I t( fhould do for you ?" And upon my telling the views with which I came into Italy, and expreffing a defire to be per- mitted to examine MSS. in the Vatican library, and in the archives of the ponti- fical chapel, relative to mufic, he faid* " You (hall have the permiffion you de- " fire, but write it down in the form of S3 for the ufe of the Imperial chapel at Vienna \ which be- ing granted, a copy was made by the Sig- ner Maefiro of the Pope's chapel, and fent to the Emperor, who had then in his fervice fome of the nrft fingers of the age ; but, notwithstanding the abilities of the performers, this compofition v/as fo far from anfwering the expectations of the Emperor and his court, in the execu- tion, that he concluded ihe Pope'-s Maejiro di Capella, in order to keep it a myftery, had put a trick upon him, and fent him another compofition *. Upon which, in * Signor Santar-elli's words were thefe : — Sthian- Unique Cantato da Mufici foavijjimi-, fece alia Corte di Vienna la Mi f era Cotnparfa di un fempl'uijjinio falfo Bordone. T 4 great [ 2$0 ] great wrath, he fent an exprefs to his Ho- linefs, with a complaint ag'ainft the Maejiro di Capelh, which occalioned his immediate difgrace, and difmiffion from the fervice of the papal chapel; and in fo great a degree was the Pope offended, at the mppofed impofition of his compofer, that, for a long time, he would neither fee him, or hear his defence ; however, at length, the poor man got one of the cardinals to plead his caufe, and to ac- quaint his Holinefs, that the ftile of ting- ing in his chapel, particularly in perform- ing the Miferere, was fuch as could not be expi efi'ed by notes, nor taught or tranf- mitted to any otherplace, but by example; for which reafon the piece in qiieflion, though . faithfully tranfcribed, mufl fail in its effect, when performed elfewhere. His Holinefs did not underftand mufic> and could hardly comprehend how the fame notes mould found fo differently in different places; however, he ordered his Maejiro di Capella to write down his defence, I a8i ] defence, in order to be fent to Vienna* which was done; and the Emperor, fee- ing no other way of gratifying his wifhes with refpect to this compofition, begged of the Pope, that fome of the muficiahs in the fervice of his Holinefs, might be fent to Vienna, to inftruct thofe in the fervice of his chapel how to perform the Miferere of Allegri, in the fame exprcflive manner as in the Siftine chapel at Rome, which was granted. But, before they ar- rived, a war broke out with the Turks, which called the emperor from Vienna; and the Miferere has never yet, perhaps, been truly performed, but in the Pope's chapel. I vifited feveral times, while I was at Rome, t Signor Mazzanti, who not only fings with exquifite tafte, but is likewife an excellent mufician. He is both a reader and a writer on the fubject of mufic, as well as a confiderable collector of book's and manufcripts. The richnefs of [ 282 ] of his tafte, in finging, makes ample a- mends for the want of force in his voice, which is now but a thread. He has a great collection of Paleftrini's composi- tions, and furnifhed me with feveral of them, which I could not get elfewhere. Signor Mazzanti is famous for finging the poem of Taflb to the fame melody as the Barcarolles of Venice. This he does with infinite tafte, accompanying himfelf on the violin, with the harmony of which he produces curious and pleafing effects. I prevailed on him to write me down the original melody, in order to compare it with one that I took down at Venice, while it was finging on the great canal. He has compofed many things himfelf, fuch as operas and motets for voices -, and trios, quartets, quintets, and other pieces for violins. He plays pretty well on the violin, and is in pofTefiion of the moft beautiful and perfect Steiner I ever faw. He has advanced very far in the theory of mufic ; E 283 3 mufic ; has made, by way of fludy, an abridgment of the modulation of Paleftri- ni, which is well felected and digefted; and he fhewed me a confiderable part of a mufical treatife, in manufcript, written by himfelf. At Rome I alfo had frequent conver- fations with Rinaldo di Capua, an old and excellent Neapolitan compofer. He is the natural fon of a perfon of very high rank in that country, and at flrft only ftudied mufic as an accomplishment ; but being left by his father with only a fmall fortune, which was foon difiipated, he was forced to make it his profeffion. He was but feventeen when he compofed his firfl: opera at Vienna. I have often re- ceived great pleafure from his compofi- tions y he is not in great fafhion at pre- fent, though he compofed an intermezzo for the Capranica theatre at Rome, lail winter, which had great fuccefs. He is very intelligent in converfation ; but, though a good* I 284 -] good-natured man, Jiis opinions are ra- ther lingular and fevere upon his brother compofers. He thinks they have nothing left to do now, but to write themfelves and others over again ; and that the only chance they have left for obtaining the reputation of novelty and invention, arifes either from ignorance or want of me- mory in the public $ as every thing, both in melody and modulation, that is worth doing, has been often already done. He includes himfelf in the cenfure ; and frankly -conferTes, that though he has written full as much as his neighbours, yet out of all his works, perhaps not above one new melody can be found, which has been wire- drawn in different keys, and different rneafures, a thoufand times. And as to modulation, it muft be always the fame, to be natural and pleafing; what has not been given to the public being only the refufe of thou- farids, who have tried and rejected it, either [ 28 5 ] either as impracticable or difpleafing. The only opportunity a compofer has for introducing new modulation in fongs, is in a fhort fecond part, .in order to fright the hearer back to the firfl, to which it feives as a foil, by making it compari- tively beautiful. He likewife cenfures with great feverity the noife and tumult of instruments in modern fongs. Signor Rinaldo di Capua has at Rome the reputation of being the inventor of * accompanied recitatives - y but in hunting . for old compofitions in the archives of S. Gerolamo della Carita, I found an, oratorio by AlefTandro Scarlatti, which was compofed in the latter end of the laft century, before Rinaldo, di Capua was born, and in which are accompanied . recitatives. But he does not himfelf pre- tend to the invention ; all he claims is the being among the firffc who introduced long ritomellos, or fymphonies, into the recitatives of ftrong paffion and diflrefs, which f 286 ] which exprefs or imitate what it would be ridiculous for the voice to attempt* There are many fine fcenes of this kind in his works, and HarTe, Galuppi, Jo- melli, and Piccini have been very happy in fuch interefting, and often fublime compofitions. In the courfe of a long life Rinaldo di Capua has experienced various viciilitudes of fortune ; fometimes in vogue, fome- tirries neglected. However, when he found old age coming on, he collected together his principal works, fuch as had been produced in the zenith of his for- tune and fancy ; thinking thefe would be a refource in diflrefsful times. Thefe times came; various misfortunes and calamities befel him and his family, when, behold, this refource, this fole re- fource, the accumulated produce of his pen, had, by a gracelefs fon been fold for wafte paper ! Tn< [ 2 8 7 ] The Roman performers from whom I received the greateft pleafure, were, in the. vocal, Signor Criftofero, of the Pope's chapel, for voice and high finifhing; Sig- nor Mazzanti for tafte and knowledge of mufic ; La Bacchelli, commonly called the Miguatrice *, for brilliancy and va- riety of flile -, and the eldefl daughter of* the celebrated painter Cavalier Battoni, a dilettante, and fcholar of Signor Santa- relli, for art where no art appears, and for that elegant fimplicity, and truly pa- thetic exoreffion, which cannot be de- fined. The bed violin performers were, Sig- nor Celeftini, whom I before mentioned ; Signor Niccolai, a worthy fcholar of Tar- tini ; and Signor Ruma, a young man whom I frequently heard at Signor Crif- pi's concerts, who plays with great fa- cility and neatnefs. * Her profeflion is not mufic, but painting in miniature. The [ m ] The Abate Rofli is reckoned the neat- er! harpfichord player at Rome; and Signor Crifpi, without pretenfion, is a good performer on that inftrument. But, to fay the truth, I have neither met with a great player on the harpfichord, nor an original compofer for it throughout Italy*, There is no accounting for this but by the little ufe which is made of that in- ftrument there, except to accompany the voice. It is at prefent fo much neglected both by the maker and player, that it is difficult to fay whether the inflruments themfelves, or the performers are the worft -f. * It feems as if Alberti was always to be pillag- ed or imitated in every modern harpfichord leflbn. f To perfons accuftomed to Englifh harpfi- chords, all the keyed inftruments on the continent appear to great difadvantage. Throughout Italy they have generally little octave fpinets to accom- pany finging, in private houfes, fometimes in a tri- angular form, but moie frequently in the fhape of our old virginals ; of which the keys are fo noify, and the tone fo feeble, that more wood is heard than Wire. The beft Italian harpfichord I met with 6 for- I *»9 ] But with regard to the organ, I have frequently heard it judicioufly and fpi-< ritedly played in Italy. At Milan, San Martini has a way peculiar to himfelf of touching that inftrument, which is truly mafterly and pleafing. The firft organifts of St. Marc's church at Venice, of the Duomo at Florence, and of St. John Lateran at Rome (of whom I (hall have occafion to fpeak hereafter) are very fuperiour in their performance to moit others I have heard on the continent. But, in general, the beft organifts in Italy are the monks and friars, many of whom I have heard play in the churches for touch, was that of Signor Grlmanl at Venice $ and for tone, that of Monfignor Reggio at Romej but I found three Englifh harpfichords in the three principal cities of Italy, which are regarded by the Italians as fo many phenomena. One was made by Shudi, and is in the pofTeflion of the Hon. Mrs. Ha- milton at Naples, The other two, which are of JCjrkman's make, belong to Mrs. Richie at Venice, and to the Hon. Mrs. Earl, who refided at Rome When I was there. U ajid [ 290 ] and chapels of their own convents, not only in a mafterly, but a brilliant and modern manner, without forgetting the genius of the inftrument. And fome of the girls of the Venetian Confervatorios, as well as the nuns in different parts of Italy, play with rapidity and neatnefs in their feveral churches ; but there is al- snoft always a want of force, of learning,, and courage in female performances, occafioned, perhaps, by that feminine foftnefs, with which, in other fituations, we are fo enchanted. Having heard the moft eminent perform- ers £ converfed with the principal theorifts- and compofers, found many of the books, manufcripts, and antiquities I had fought * and explained my wants with regard to the reft, to feveral friends at Rome, who kindly promifed me their affiflance in fupplying them during my abfence j I fet off for Naples on Sunday evening, the fourteenth of October* NAPLES. [ 29i ] NAPLES. 1 entered this city, impreffed with the higheft: ideas of the perfect ftate in which I fhould find practical mufic. It was at Naples only that I expected to have my ears gratified with every mufical luxury and refinement which Italy could afford. My vifits to other places were in the way of bufmefs, for the performance of a tajk I had affigned myfelf -, but I came hither animated by the hope of pleafure. And what lover of mufic could be in the place which had produced the two Scarlattis, Vinci, Leo, Pergolefe, Porpora, Farinelli, Jomelli, Piccini, and innumerable others of the firft eminence among compofers and performers, both vocal and inflru- mental, without the moft fanguine ex- pectations. How far thefe expectations were gratified, the Reader will find in the courfe of my narrative, which is con- stantly a faithful tranfcript of my feelings at the time I entered them in my journal, U 2 imme- I 292 ] immediately after hearing and feeing, with a mind not confcious of any prejudice or partiality. I arrived here about five o'clock in the evening, on Tuefday, October 16, and at night went to the Teatro de Fiorentini, to hear the comic opera of Gelofia per GeloJia> fet to mufic by Signor Piccini. This theatre is as fmall as Mr. Foote's in London, but higher, as there are five rows of boxes in it. Notwithftanding the court was at Portici, and a great number of families at their Villeggiature, or country- houfes, fo great is the repu- tation of Signor Piccini, that every part of the houfe was crowded. Indeed this opera had nothing elfe but the merit and reputation of the compofer to fupport it, as both the drama and finging were bad. There was, however, a comic character performed by Signor Cafaccia, a man of infinite humour ; the whole houfe was in a roar the inftant he appeared ; and the pleafantry of this actor did not con- fill t 293 ftft in buffoonery, nor was it local, which in Italy, and, indeed, elfewhere, is often the cafe; but was of that original and general fort as would excite laughter at all times and in all places. The airs of this burletta are full of pretty parTages, and, in general, mod in- genioufly accompanied : there was no dancing, fo that the acts, of which there were three, feemed rather long. There are three Confervatorios in this city, for the education of boys who are intended for the profeffion of mulic, of the fame kind with thofe of Venice, for girls. As the fcholars in the Venetian Confervatorios have been juftly celebrated for their tafte and neatnefs of execution, fo thofe of Naples have long enjoyed the reputation of being the firft contra-pun- tijls or compofers in Europe. Wednefday 17. This afternoon I went to hear a mufical performance at the church of the Francifcans, where the three Confervatorios were to furnifli U 3 muflc t 2^4 ] mufic and muficians for a great festival of eight fucceffive days, morning and evening *. This is a large handfome church, but too much ornamented. The architecture feems to be good, but it is fo be-gilt that it almoft blinded me to look at it -, and in the few interftitial parts where there is no gold, tawdry flowers are painted in abundance. The band was numerous, confifting of above a hundred voices and inftru- ments. They were placed in along oc- caiional gallery, totally covered with gold and filver gilding ; but though the band feemed to be a very good one, and the leader very careful and attentive, yet the diftance of fome of the performers from the others, rendered it almoft impoffible that the time mould be always exactly kept, * It is by this performance that the Conferva- torios hold their charters ; and, in confideration of the boys playing gratis, they are exempted by the King from all taxes upon wine and proviflons, Which are paid by the other inhabitants of Naples. The I 2 95 ] The compofition was by Signor Gennaro Manni, and in many movements admira- ble; he attended himfelf to beat the time* The opening was in a rough /tile ; after- which this fpecies of overture was made an accompaniment to a chorus, which was well written. Several airs and a duet fucceeded, which pleafed me extremely ; there were fancy and contrivance; light and made ; and though the finging was not of the firft clafs, yet there was a counter-tenor and a bafe which I liked very much. The counter-tenor had one Df the moft powerful voices I ever heard 5 he made his way through the whole band, in the loudeH: and moft tumultuous parts of the choruffes. When he had an air to fi-ng alone, his make was good, and his ■ftile plain, but his portamento was a little deficient, and rather favoured of what we ■call in England the cathedral manner of finging, through the throat. The air which was given to the bafe was as inge- aiouily written as any I ever heard ; the U 4 accom- C 296 J Accompaniments Were full, without de* jftroying the melody of the voice parts : irtftead of fhortening or mutilating its paiTages, the inftruments feemed to con* tiniie and finifh them, giving the finger time for refpiration. In a duet between two fopranosi the accompaniments were likewife admirable j as they were in a chorus which had many folo parts in it. After this the author did not feem to be fo happy* There were fome trifling» and fome heavy movements j in the former of which there was no other no* Velty than that of throwing the accent upon the wrong note ; for inftance, upon the fecond inftead of the firft -, or, in common time, upon the fourth inftead of the third. This may have its merit m comic operas, where fome humour is feconded by it, but furely fuch a poor expedient is beneath the dignity of church mulic, where a grave and majeftie ftite fhould be preferved, even in rapid move* ments. But the fame rage for novelty, which t 297 ] which has occafioned fuch fudden revo- lutions in the mu{ic of Italy, gives birth, fome times, to flrange concetti. The national mufic here is fo fingil- lar, as to be totally different, both in melody and modulation, from all I have heard elfewhere., This evening in the ftreets there were two people finging alternately $ one of thefe Neapolitan Canzojii was accompanied by a violin and calafcione*'. The ringing is noify and vulgar, but the accompaniments are admirable, and well performed. The violin and calafcione parts were ince,f- fantly at work during the fong, as well as the ritornels. The modulation fur- prifed me very much : from the key of A natural, to that of C and F, was not dif- ficult or new ; but from that of A, with a (harp third, to E flat, was aftoniming $ * The Calafcione is an infirument very com- tnon at Naples ; it is a fpecies of guitar, with only two firings, which are tuned fifths to each other. and [ *98 ] and the more fo, as the return to the orginal key was always fo infenfibly ma- naged, as neither to mock the ear, nor to be eafily discovered by what road or re- lations it was brought about. Thurfday 1 8. I was very happy to find, Upon my arrival at Naples, that though many perfons to whom I had letters, were in the country, yet Signor Jomelli and Signor Piccini were in town. Jo- melli was preparing a ferious opera for the great theatre of S. Carlo, and Piccini had juft brought the burletta on the flage wiiich I have mentioned before. This morning I viiited Signor Piccini, and had the pleafure of a long converfa- tion with him. He feems to live in a reputable way, has a good houfe, and many fervants and attendants about him. He is not more than four or five and forty ; looks well, has a very animated countenance, and is a polite and agreeable little man, though rather grave in his manner for a Neapolitan poffefied of fo much [ 2 99 ] much fire and genius. His family is rather numerous; one of his fons is a ftudent in the univerlity of Padua. After reading a letter which Mr. Giardini was fo obliging as to give me to him, he told me he fhould be extremely glad if he could be of any ufe either to me or my work. My firft enquiries were concerning the Neapolitan Confervatorios ', for he having been brought up in one of them himfelf, his information was likely to be authen- tic and fatis factory. In my firft vifit I confined my queftions chiefly to the four following fubjects : 1. The antiquity of thefe eftablifti- ments. 2. Their names. 3. The numberof mafters andfcholars. 4. The time for admiffion, and for quitting thefe fchools. To my firft demand he anfwered, that the Confervatorios were of ancient {land- ing, as might be feen by the ruinous con- dition [ 300 ] the firft of whom fu- perintends and corrects the compositions of the ftudents ; the fecond the linging, and gives lefibns. ' That there are affiftant mailers, who are called Maejiri Secolari ; one for the violin, one for the violon- cello, one for the harpiichord, one for the hautbois, one for the French horn, and fo for other instruments. * I afterwards obtained, from good authority, the exadi date of each of thefe foundations ; their fixed and ftated rules, amounting to thirty-one j and the orders given to the Rectors for regulating the conduct and ftudies of the boys, every month in the To [ 3 01 1 To my fourth enquiry he anfwered, that boys are admitted from eight or ten to twen- ty years of age -, that when they are taken in young they are bound for eight years ; but, when more advanced, their admiffion is diflioult, except they have made a con- liderable progrefs in the ftudy and prac- tice of mufic. That after boys have been in a Confervatorio for fome years, if no genius is difcovered, they are difmifled to make way for others. That fome are taken in as penfioners, who pay for their teaching ; and others, after having ferved their time out, are retained to teach the reft; but that in both thefe cafes they are allowed to go out of the Confervato- rio at pleafure. I enquired throughout Italy at what place boys were chiefly qualified for fing~ ing by caftration, but could get no cer- tain intelligence. I was told at Milan that it was at Venice ; at Venice, that if was at Bologna -, but at Bologna the fact was denied, and I was referred to Flo- rence ; [ 3°* I rcrice ,• from Florence to Rome, and from Rome I was fent to Naples. The opera- tion moft certainly is againft law in all thefe places, as well as againft nature; and all the Italians are fo much afhamed of it,. that in every province they transfer it to fome other. u Afk where's the North ? at York, 'tis on the Tweed j (i . In Scotland, at the Orcades j and there, " At Greenland, Zembla, or the Lord knows where." Pope's EJf. on Man. However, with refpecl: to the Conferva- torios at Naples, Mr. Gemineau, the Britifh conful, who has fo long refided there, and who has made very particular enquiries, affured me, and his account was confirmed by Dr. Cirillo, an eminent and learned Neapolitan phyfician, that this practice is abfolutely forbiden in the Con- fervatorios, and that the young Caftrati came from Leccia in Apuglia; but, before the operation is performed, they are brought to a Confervatorio to be tried as to the probability of voice, and 2 then [ 3°3 ] then are taken home by their parents for this barbarous purpofe. It is, how- ever, death by the laws to all thofe who perform the operation, and ex- communication to every one concerned in it, unlefs it be done, as is often pre- tended, upon account of fome diforders which may be fuppofed to require it, and with the confent of the boy. And there are inftances of its being done even at the requefi of the boy himfelf, as was the cafe of the Graffetto at Rome. But as to thefe previous trials of the voice, it is my opinion that the cruel operation is but too frequently performed without trial, or at lead without fufficient proofs of an improvable voice; otherwife fuch numbers could never be found in every great town throughout Italy, without any voice at all, or at leafl without one fufficient to compensate fuch a lofs. Indeed all the mufici* in the churches at * The word mpfop. in Italy, feems now wholly appropriated to a finger with afoprano or contr alts voice, which has been preferved by art. pre- [ 3°4 ] prefcnt are made up of the refufe of th€ opera houfes, and it is very rare to meet with a tolerable voice upon the eflablifli- ment in any church throughout Italy. The virtuqfi who fing there oceafionally, upon great feftivals only, are ufually ftrangers, and paid by the time. I went again this afternoon to the Fran- cifcan's church, where there was a larger band than the day before. The whole Confervatorio of the Pieta, confifting of a hundred and twenty boys, all dreffed in a blue uniform, attended. The Sinfonia was juft begun when I arrived; it was very brilliant, and well executed : then followed a pretty good chorus ; after which, an air by a tenor voice, one by a foprano, one by a contr alto, and another by a different tenor; but worfe finging I never heard before, in Italy ; all was un- finifhed and fcholar^like ; the clofes flifF, iludied, and ill executed; and nothing like a make could be muftered out of the whole band of lingers. Th^ foprano forced the [ 195 ] the high notes in a falfe direction, till they penetrated the brain of every hearer; and the bafe finger was as rough as amaf- tiff, whofe barking he feemed to imitate. A young man played a folo concerto on the baffoon, in the fame incorrect and unmaflerly manner, which drove me out of the church before the vefpers were finished. From hence I went directly to the comic opera, which, to-night, was at the Teatro Nuovo. This houfe is not only lefs than the Fiorentini, but is older and more dirty. The way to it, for car- riages, is through ftreets very narrow, and extremely inconvenient. This burletta was called Le Trame per Amore, and fet by Signor Giovanni Paefiello, Maeftro di Capella Napolitano. The finging was but indifferent ; there were nine characters ia the piece, and yet not one good voice among them j however, the mufic pleafed me very much; it was full of fire and fancy, the ritornels abounding X in [ 306 J in new pafTages, and the vocal parts in elegant and fimple melodies, fuch asr might be remembered and carried away after the firfl hearing, or be performed in private by a fmall band, or even with- out any other inftrument than a harpfi- chord*. The overture, of one movement only, was quite comic, and contained a perpetual fucceffion of pleafant pafTages. ^Therewas no dancing, which made it ne- cefTary to fpin the a£ts out to rather a tirefome length. The airs were much applauded, though it was the fourteenth reprefentation of the opera, The author was engaged tocompofe for Turin, at the * This is feldom the cafe in modern opera fongs, fo crowded is the fcore and the orcheftra. Indeed Piccini is: accufed of employing inftruments to fuch exeeft, that in Italy -no copy ift will transcribe one of his operas without beingpaid a zechin more than for one by any other compofer. But in bur* lettas he has generally bad voices to write for, and ; is obliged to produce -all his effects with' in- ftruments ; and j indeed, thisr : kind of drama ufually abounds with brawls' and fquabbles, which it is neceffary to enforce with the orcheftra. next [ 3°7 1 next carnival, for which place he let out while I was at Naples. The performance, began about a quarter before eight, and continued till p aft eleven o'clock. Friday 19. This evening I went a third time to St. Francefco's church, and heard the performance of the Scholars of another Confervatorio, Santa Mara di Loreto. They appeared all in a white uniform, with a black kind of faih. The finging was a little better than the day before, but the instruments were hardly fo good. The firft air, after a fpirited overture and chorus, was'fung by an inoffenfive tenor; then another air by a* foprano, not quite fo j after which, a third air by a bafe voice, the direct con- .... / Dili* 7 :• , . i . j;- trary of inoffenfive. Such a bawling Stentor, with a throat fo inflexible, fure never exifted before. The divifions were fo rough and fo Strongly marked, that tney became quite grotefque and ridi- culous ; if it had not been for the ferious effecT: which his performance had on the X 2 melan- [ 3°8 J melancholy audience, no one could po£* fibly have fuppofed it to be ferious. A iblo on the coarfeft double bafe that was ever played upon, would have been melifluous, by comparison. After him, a middling counter-tenor fung, which even fo ftrong a foil could not make a- greeable ; and then another foprano, not at all a hopelefs fubject : his voice was well toned, and he had a little im- provable {hake. In fhort, this Was the only promifing finger I had heard for two days. But to the bad voices, fo flovenly, ignorant, and unfinifhed a manner was added, that the people were fung out of church as faft as they came in. There was a young man who played folo parts in the ritornels- with a kind of clarinet, which they call at Naples a vox humana j. another on the trumpet, and a third on the hautbois ; but in an incorrect and unin- terefting manner. The boys who fung had very poor cadences to their fongs, which, t 3°9 ] which, as they ufually had fecond parts, were always repeated after the da capo. Saturday, 20. This morning I heard, at the fame church, the boys of the Con- fervatorio of St. Onofrio, who wear a white uniform. The performance was much the fame as that of the other two. Thefe feminaries, which have heretofore produced fuch great profeiTors, feem at prefenttobebut low in genius. However, fince thefe inftitutions, as well as others, are fubjecT: to fluctuations, after being languid for fome time, like their neigh- bour Mount Vefuvius, they will, perhaps, blaze out again with new vigour. Sunday 2r, and Monday 22. were fpent in vifiting the environs of Naples. However, I arrived in town foon enough on Monday night to hear Paefiellos opera, a fecond time, at the Teatro Nuovo. It pleafed me full as much now as before, and in the fame places. The overture ftill feemed comic and original, the airs far from common, though in X 3 general f f 10 / general plain and fimple. If this com- pofer has any fault, it is in repeating paf- fages too often, even to rive or fix times, which is like driving a nail into a plaif- tered wall \ two or three ftrokes fix it better than more, for after that number, it either grows loofe, or recoils : thus an energy is often given by reiterated ftrokes on the tympanum ; but too often re- peated, they not only ceafe to make any further impreffion, but feem to obliterate thofe already made. I ftill think this opera too long for want of the intermezzi of dancing *. Tuefday 23. This evening hearing in the ftreet fome genuine Neapolitan fing- ing, accompanied by a calafcioncina, a mandoline, and a violin - 3 I fent for the whole band up flairs, but, like other flreet mufic, it was befl at a diftance ; in ■■■ « the room it was coarfe, out of tune, and out of harmony ; whereas, in the flreet, * I was afterwards informed that dancing is not allowed in any other theatre at Naples than that *>F St. C^rlo, which is the theatre royal. I it { 3" } it feemed the contrary of all this : how- ever, let it be heard' where it will, the modulation and accompaniment are very extraordinary. In the canzone of to-night they began in A natural, and, without well knowing how, they got into the moft extraneous keys it is poflible to imagine, yet with- out offending the ear. After the inffru- ments have played a long fymphony in A, the finger begins in F, and flops ia C, which is not uncommon or difficult; but, after another ritornel, from F, he gets into E flat, then clofes in A natural ; after this there were tranfitions even into B flat, and D flat, without given offence, returning, or rather jliding', always into the original key of A natural, the inftru- rnents moving the whole time in quick notes, without the lead intermiffion. The voice part is very flow, a kind of pfalmodyj the words, of which there are many itanzas to the fame air, are in the Neapolitan language, which is as X4 dif- different from good Italian, is Welfh from Englifh. It is a very Angular fpe- cies of mufic, as wild in modulation, and as different from that of all the reft of Europe as the Scots, and is, perhaps, as aftcient, being among the common peo- ple merely traditional. However, the violin player wrote down the melody of the voice part for me, and afterwards brought me fomething like the accompaniment ; but thefe parts have a ftrange appearance when feen on paper together. I heard thefe mulicians play a great number of Neapolitan airs, but all were different from other mufic. A little before Chriftmas, mulicians of this fort come from Calabria to Na- ples, and their mufic is wholly different from this : they ufually fing with a guitar and violin, not on the moulder, but hanging down. Paefiello had intro- duced fome of this mufic into his comic opera, which was now in run. Signor Piccinni promifed to procure me fome of thefe [ 3 T 3 3 thefe wild national melodies. Another fort is peculiar to Apuglia, with which the people are fet a-dancing and fweat- ing, who either have, or would be thought to have been bitten by the ta- rantula. Of this mufic Dr. Cirillo pro- cured me a fpecimen. Signor Serrao, in a difTertation on the fubjedt, and Dr. Ci- rillo, who has made feveral experiments, in order to determine the fact, are both of opinion that the whole is an impofi- tion, practifed by the people of Apuglia, to gain money : that not only the cure but the malady itfelf is a fraud. Dr. Ci- rillo affured me that he had never been able to provoke the tarantula either to bite himfelf or others upon whom he had re- peatedly tried the experiment *. How- ever, the whole is fo throughly believed by feme inocent people in the country, * This account may perhaps diminifh the honour Of mufic* by augmenting the number of fceptics, as to its miraculous powers } yet truth requires it jhould be given. 2 that [ m i that, when really bitten by other infects or animals that are poifonous, they take this method of dancing, to a particular tune, till they fweat ; which, together with their faith, fometimes makes them whole. They will continue the dance, in a kind of frenzy, for many hours, even till they drop down with fatigue and lati- tude. Wednefday 24. I went again this even- ing to Piccini's opera, but was too late for the overture ; the houfe was very full, and the mufic pleafed me more than the firft time. The airs are not fo familiar as thofe in Paefiello's opera, yet there is much better writing in them ; and there arefome accompanied recitatives, in the ritornels of which, though feveral different parts are going on at the fame time, there is a clearnefs, and, if it may be fo called, a tranfparency, which is wondeful. The fmging, as I before obferved, is wretch- ed ; but there is fo much vis comica in Cafaccia, that his fmging is never thaugrit I 3*5 ] thought of; yet, for want o,f dancing, the a£ts are neceffarily fo long, that it is wholly impoffible to keep up the at- tention ; fo that thofe who are not talk- ing, or playing at cards, usually fall afleep. Thurfday 25. After dinner I went once more to hear the boys of St. Onofrio, at the Francifcans church. They perform- ed a Litany, that was compofed by Durante * ; the reft of the mufic, which feemed to be that of a raw and inexpe- rienced compofer, was by a young man, who beat time. There was again a folo on the inftrument called la Voce Hu- * Durante, who has been dead fome years, was a long time Mafter to the Confervatorio of St. Ono- frio. From the character Mr. Roufleau has given pf this compofer, I had conceived the higheft ideas of his merit; and in the courfe of my journey through Italy, I colle&ed a great number of his compofitions for the church. M. Rouffeau's words in fpeaking of him are very ftrong : " Durante eft le plus grand harmonifte de rjtalie^ e'eft a dire du monde." DicT:. de Mufique, m ana % [ 3'6 ] mantfy it is of an agreeable tone, has a great compafs, but was not well played on. A concerto on the violin was like- wife introduced, where hand and fire were difcovered by the player, but no iafte or finishing. Friday 26. This morning I firft had the pleafure of feeing and converting with Signor Jomelli, who arrived at Naples from the country but the night before. He is extremely corpulent, and, in the face, not unlike what 1 remember Handel to have been, yet far more polite and foft in his manner. I found him in his night-gown, at an inftrument, writing. He received me very politely, and mads many apologies for not having called on me, in confequence of a card I had left at his houfe; but apologies were indeed un- necessary, as he was butjuftcometo town, and at the point of bringing out a new opera, that muft have occupied both his time and thoughts fufficiently. He had Jieard of me from Mr. Hamilton, I gave him i 3 X 7 1 him Padre Martini's letter, and after he had read it we went to bufinefs directly. I told him my errand to Italy, and mewed him my plan, for I knew his time was precious. He read it with great atten- tion, and converfed very openly and ra- tionally -, laid the part I had under- taken was much neglected at prefent in Italy - } that the Confervatorios, of which, I told him, I wifhed for information, were now at a low ebb, though formerly fo fruitful in great men. He mentioned to me a perfon of great learning, who had been tranflating David's Pfalms into ex- cellent Italian verfe; inthecourfeofwhich work, he bad found it neceffary to write a difTertation on the mufic of the ancients, which he had communicated to him. He faid this writer was a fine and fubtle critic ; had differed in feveral points from Padre Martini ,• had been in correfpon- dence with Metaflafio, and had received •a long letter from him on the fubjedt of lyric poetry and mufic i all which he thought [ 3>8 J thought neceffary for me to fee. He promifed to procure me the book, and to make me acquainted with the author. He fpoke very much in praife of Aleflandro Scarlatti, as to his church mufic, fuch as motets, maffes, and oratorios ; promis- ed to procure me information concerning the Confervatorios, and whatever elfe was to my purpofe, and in his power. He took down my direction, and allured me that the ihftant' he had got his opera' on the ftage, he mould be entirely at my fervice. Upon my telling him that my time for remaining at Naples was very' fhort, that I mould even then have been on the road in my way home, but for his opera, which I fo much wifhed to hear; that befides urgent bufinefs in England, there was great probability of a war, which would keep me a prifoner on the continent : he, in anfwer to that, and with great appearance of fincerity, faid, if after I returned to England, any . j . . . - k . . i. thing of importance to my plan occured, he [ 3*9 ] he would not fail of fending it to me. In fhort, I went away in high good humour With this truly great compofer, who is indisputably one of the firft of his pro- feffion now alive in the univerfe ; for were I to name the living compofers of Italy for the ftage, according to my idea of their merit, it would be in the following order: Jomelli, Galuppi, Piccini, and Sacchini. It is, however, difficult to decide which of the two compofers firft. - mentioned, has merited moft from the public ; Jomelli's works are full of great and noble ideas, treated with tafte and learning j Galuppi's abound in fancy, fire, and feeling ; Piccini has far furpaffed all his cotemporaries in the comic ftile'j and Sacchini feems the 'moft promifing com- pofer in the ferious. The Honourable Mr. Hamilton, the Britifh minifter at this court, whofe tafte and zeal for the arts, arid whofe patronage of artifts, are well kn'own throughout Europe, being out of town when I came to [ 3 2 ° ] to Naples, did me the honour, as foon as he heard of my arrival, to invite me to his country-houfe, called Villa Angelica, at the foot of Mount Vefuvius ; and this day, after vifiting Signor Jomelli, I wait- ed upon him for the firft time, and was received by him and his lady, not only with politenefs, but even kindnefs. I had the happinefs of continuing there with them two or three days, during which time, among other amufements, mufic was not wanting, as Mr. Hamil- ton has two pages of his houlhold, who are excellent performers, one on the violin, and the other on the violoncello. Saturday 27. This evening, though I had a violent head-ach, yet, in order firft to brave, and then to footh the pain, I determined to try the medicinal power of mufic at Piccini's opera, and found, that though it did not cure, it alleviated the pain, and diverted my attention from it. The houfe was very full, and the actors were in great fpirits. I went early f 3 21 1 early enough, for the firft time, to hear the overture; it is very pretty and fanci- ful, confirming of only two movements, in which the violins were confined to hard labour* With what plea-fed me before, I was more pleafed now $ it is impoflible not to be delighted with the Originality, and furprifed at the refources of this author. Monday 29. Mr. Hamilton being re- turned to Naples, in order to gratify my mufical curiofity, made a great concert at his houfe, where there was much com- pany, and where I had the fatisfaction of meeting with the chief mufical perform- ers of this city ; -among whom were the celebrated player on the violin Signor Barbell a, and Orgitano, one of the bed harpfichord players and writers for that inftrument at Naples. But Mrs. Hamil- ton is herfelf a much better performer on that inilrument than either he or any one I heard there. She has great neatnefs, ^nd more expreflion and meaning in her Y play- t 322 1. playing, than is often found among lady-players 5 for ladies, it mud be own- ed, though frequently neat in execution, feldom aim at expreflion. Barbella ra- ther difappointed me; his performance has nothing very furprifing in it now : he is not young, indeed ; and folo playing is- never wanted or regarded here ; fo that teaching and orcheftra playing are his chief employments. He performed, how- ever, mod admirably the famous Neapo- litan air, which the common people conftantly play at Chriftmas to the Vir- gin -, this he plays with a drone , kind of bag-pipe bafe, in a very humorous, though delicate manner. But as a folo- player, though his tone is very even and fweet, he is inferior to Nardini, and, in- deed, to feveral others in Italy y but he feems to know mufic well, and to have a good deal of fancy in his compofitionsy with a tincture of not difagreeable mad-* fiefs. It [ 3 2 3 1 It was here that I had firfl the honour of heing prefented to Lord Fortrofe, from whom I afterwards received many Angu- lar favours. I was likewife introduced to the French Conful, M. D'Aftier, who is a real connoifleur in mufiCj perfectly well acquainted with the different flilea of all the great compofers of Europe, pafl and prefent, and difcriminates very well in fpeaking of their feveral merits,; To him I communicated my plan, and with him I had a very fatisfadlory con- verfation. In order, I believe* that I might have more time for mufical difquifitions with this gentleman, and Signor Bar- bella, there was a fupper party feledted of about ten or twelve, and we (laid till near two o'clock in the morning, Barbella is the beft natured creature imaginable; his temper, as One of the company obferved, is as foft as the tone of his violin. By fitting next to him, I acquired much biographical knowledge concerning old Neapolitan muficians. Y 2 Mr. I 3H 1 Mr. Hamilton had offered to write to all the governors of the feveral Confervato- rios, but Signor Barbella very obligingly undertook to get me all the information I could defire of thefe celebrated mufical fchools. And Lord Fortrofe, whom he attends every morning, invited me to meet him at his lordfhip's houfe, when- ever I pleafed. So that from Barbella, and a young Englifhman, Mr. Oliver, who has been four years in the Confervatorio of St. Onofrio, I obtained a fatisfa&ory account of whatever was neceffary for me to know concerning this part of my bufinefs at Naples. Mr. Hamilton en- tered fo far into my views, as to take a lift of my wants, in order to conlider of the beft method of getting them fup«* plied. Wednefday, OSlober 31. This morning 1 went with young Oliver to his Confer- vatorio of St. Onofrio, and vifited all the rooms where the boys pradtife, fleep, and eat. On the firft flight of flairs was a trum- [ 3^5 ] trumpeter, (creaming upon his iivftru-i ment till he was ready to burn: ; on the fecond was a French horn, bellowing in the fame manner. In the common prac- tifing room there was a Dutch concert, confifting of feven or eight harpfichords, more than as many violins, and feveral voices, all performing different things, and in different keys : other boys were writing in the fame room -, but it being holiday time, many were abfent who ufually ftudy and practife in this room. The jumbling them all together in this manner may be convenient for the houfe, and may teach the boys to at- tend to their own parts with firmnefs, whatever elfe may be going forward at the fame time ; it may likewife give them force, by obliging them to play loud in order to hear themfelves ; but in the midft of fuch jargon, and continued dhTonance, it is wholly impoffible to give any kind of polifh or finishing to their performance ; hence the flovenly Y 3 coarfe- [ 3*6 ] coarfenefs fo remarkable in their public exhibitions ; and the total want of tafte, neatnefs, and expreffion in all thefe young mulicians, till they have acquired them elfewhere. The beds, which are in the fame room, ferve for feats to the harpfichords and other inftruments. Out of thirty or forty boys who were pra&ifing, I could difcover but two that were playing the fame piece: fome of thofe who were praclifing on the violin feemed to have a great deal of hand. The violoncellos pra&ife in another room ; and the flutes, hautbois, and other wind inftruments, in a third, except the trumpets and horns, which are obliged to fag, either on the flairs, or on the top of the houfe. There are in this college fixteen young caftrati, and thefe lye up flairs, by them-? felves, in warmer apartments than the other boys, for fear of colds, which might not only render their delicate voices unfit [ 3 2 7 ] unfit for exercife at prefent, but hazard the entire lofs of them for ever. The only vacation in thefe fchools 9 in the whole year, is in autumn, and that for a few I days only : during the winter, the boys rife two hours before it is light, from which time they continue their exercife, an hour and a half at din- ner excepted, till eight o'clock at -night; and this conftant perfeverance, for a num- ber of years, with genius and good teach- ing, mull produce great muficians. After dinner I went to the theatre of St. Carlo, to hear Jomelli's new opera rehearfed. There were only two acts. finiihed, but thefe pleafed me much, except the overture, which was fhort, and rather difappointed me, as I expect- ed more would have been made of the firft movement; but as to the fongs and accompanied recitatives, there was merit of fome kind or. .other in them all, as I hardly remember one that was fo indiffe- rent as not to feize the attention. The Y 4 fubject [ 3«« 3 fubjedVof the opera was Demofoonfe; the names of the fingers I knew not then, except Aprile, the firft man, and Bianchi, the firft woman. Aprile has rather a weak and uneven voice, but is conftantly fteady, as to intonation. He has a good perfon, a good fhake, and much tafte and expreffion. La Bianchi has a fweet and elegant toned voice, always perfectly in tune, with an admirable portamento ; I never heard any one iing with more eafe, or in a manner fo totally free from affec- tation. The reft of the vocal performers were all above mediocrity ; a tenor with both voice and judgment fufficient to engage attention ; a very fine contr' alto; a young man with a foprano voice, whofe linging was full of feeling and expreffion; and a feeond woman, whofe performance was far from defpicable. Such perform- ers as thefe were neceffary for the mufic, which is in a difficult ftile ; more full of inflrumental effects than vocal. Some- times it may be thought rather laboured, but [ 3 2 9 3 but it is admirable in the tout enfemble ; mafterly in modulation, and in melody full of new paflages *. This was the firft rehearfal, and the instruments were rough and unfteady, not being as yet certain of the exact time or expreffion of the movements ; but, as far as I was then able to judge, the compofition was per r fectly fuited to the talents of the per- formers, who, though all good, yet not being of the very firft and moit exquifite clafs, were more in want of the afliftance of instruments to mark the images, and enforce the paflion, which the poetry points out. The public expectation from this pro- duction of Jomelli, if a judgment may be formed from the number of perfons who attended this firft rehearfal, was very great ; for the pit was crowded, and many of the boxes were filled with the families of perfons of condition. * Jomelli is now faid to write more for the learned few, than for the feeling many. The [ 33° 3 The theatre of S. Carlo is a noble and elegant ftrudture : the form is oval, or rather the fe&ion of an egg, the end Bext the ; flage being cut. There are feven ranges of boxes, fufficient in lizeto contain ten or twelve perfons in each, who lit in chairs, in the fame manner as in a private houfe. In every range there are thirty boxes, except the three loweft ranges, which, by the king's box be- ing taken out of them, are reduced to twenty-nine. In the pit there are four- teen or fifteen rows of feats, which are very roomy and commodious, with lea- ther cufhion sand fluffed backs, each fe- parated from the other by a broad reft for the elbow: in the middle of the pit there are thirty of thefe feats in a row. November i, being All Saints day, I went, at leaft two miles, to the church of the Incurabili, where I was told there would be good mufic -, but I found it rniferable. From henee I went to feveral others, t 33 1 ] others, where I only heard bad mufic ill performed. Friday, Nov. 3. This day I vifited his Neapolitan majefty's mufeum, at Portici, where I had enquiries to make concern- ing ancient inftruments and MSS. which were of real importance to my hiftory. In the third apartment of this curious repofitory, where the ancient inftruments of furgery are placed, I met with the fol- lowing mufical inftruments ; three Syf- trums, two with four brafs bars, and one with three ; feveral Crotoli or cymbals 5 ^Tambours de bafque ; 2. Syringa, with fe- ven pipes -, and a great number of broken bone or ivory tibia. But the muft extraordinary of all thefe inftruments is a fpecies of trumpets, found in Pompeia not a year ago ; it is a good deal broken, but not fo much fo as to render it difficult to conceive the entire form. There are ftill the remains of fe- ven fmall bone or ivory pipes, which are jnferted in as many of brafs, all of the fame [ 332 ] fame length and diameter, which furround the great tube, and feem to terminate in one mouth-piece. Several of the fmall brazen pipes are broken, by which the ivory ones are laid bare; but it is natu- ral to fuppofe that they were all blown at once, and that the fmall pipes were unifons to each other, and octaves to the great one. It ufed to be flung on the fhoulder by a chain, which chain is pre- ferred, and the place where it ufed to be fattened to the trumpet, is ftill viiible. No fuch inftrument as this has been found before, either in ancient painting or fculpture, which makes me the more minute in fpeaking of it. This Angular ipecies of trumpet was found in the Corps de Garde, and feems to be the true mi- litary Clangor Tubarum. As no perfon is furTered to ufe a pencil in the mufeum, when the company with which I had feen it was arrived at the inn where we dined, Mr. Robertfon, an in- genius young artift of the party, was fo obliging I 333 1 obliging as to make a drawing of it, from memory, in my tablets ; which all the company, confirming of feven, agreed was very exact. In the ninth or tenth room are all the volumes as yet found in Herculaneum, of which only four have been rendered intelligible, thefe are Greek. One upon the Epicurean philofophy, one upon rhe- toric, one upon morality, and one upon mufic ; each volume appears to be only a black cinder. I faw two pages, opened and framed, of the MS. upon mufic, written by Philodemus ; but it is not a poem on mufic, as Mr. de la Lande fays, nor a fatire againft it, as others fay; but a confutation of the fyftem of Ariftoxenus, who, being a practical mufician, preferred the judgment of the ear to the Pythago- rean numbers, or the arithmetical pro- portions of mere theorifts. Ptolemy did the fame afterwards. I converfed with Padre Antonio Pioggi about this MS. it was he who opened and explained it; and he [ 334 ] he is now fuperintending* at a foundefy/ the calling of a new fet of Greek cha- racters exactly, referriblingthofe in which it was written, and in which it is to be published. Every lover of learning laments the flow' manner in which they proceed in opening thefe volumes. All that have been found hitherto were in Herculaneum. Thofe of. Pompeia are fuppofed to have been wholly deftroyed by fire. Saturday 3. At night I went to a Kttlei neat new play-houfe, juft opened ; there was a comedy in profe, a Turkifh ftory> ill told, and not well acT:ed. Sunday 4* I went this morning to $".• Gennaro, to hear the organ and to fee the chapel, and the pictures in it, by Domini- chini j after which I was conducted to the houfeofDonCarloCotumacci,maftertothe ConfervatorioofSt.Onofrio, whom I heard play on the harpfichord -, and who gave me a great number of anecdotes concerning the mufic of old times. He was fcholar to the 2 Cavalier t 335 1 Cavalier Scarlatti, in the year 17 19; ancl ftiewed me the Ieffons he received from that great matter, in his own hand writ- ing. He alfo gave me a very particular account of Scarlatti and his family. Signor Cotumacci, was Durante's fucceflbr. He plays, in the old organ ftile, very full and learnedly, as to modulation; and has com- pofed a great deal of church mulic, of which he was fo obliging as to give me a copy of two or three curious pieces. He has had great experience in teaching ; and fliewed me two books of his own writing, in manufcript, one upon accompaniment* and one upon counterpoint. I take him to be more than feventy years of age. At night I went to the firft public reprefentation of Signor Jomelli's opera of Demofoonte, in the grand theatre of San Carlo, where I was honoured with a place in Mr. Hamilton's box. It is not eafy to imagine or defcribe the grandeur and magnificence of this fpectacle. It be- ing the great feflival of St. Charles and the King I 336 ] King of Spain's name-day, the court was in grand gala, and the houfe was not only doubly illuminated, but amazingly crowded with well-dreffed company*. In the front of each box there is a mirrour, three or four feet long, by two or three wide, before which are two large wax tapers ; thefe, by reflection, being mul- tiplied, and added to the lights of the flage and to thofe within the boxes, make the fplendor too much for the ach- ing fight. The King and Queen were prefent. Their Majefties have a large hox in the front of the houfe, which con- tains in height and breadth the fpace of four other boxes. The flage is of an immenfe fize, and the fcenes, dreifes, and decorations were extremely magnificent ; and I think this theatre fuperior, in thefe particulars, as well as in the mufic, to that of the great French opera at Paris, * The fourth of November is likewife cele- brated as the name-day of the Queen of Naples and the Prince of Afturias. I The f 33? 1 But M. de la Lande, after allowing that * the opera in Italy is very well as to muiic and words," concludes with faying "that it is not^in his opinion, quite fo in other refpects, and for the following rea- fons ; " i. There is fcarce any machinery in the operas of Italy *. 6t 2, There is not fuch a multitude of rich and fuperb dreffes as at Paris. te 3. The number and variety of the actors are lefs -f. " 4. The chorurTes are fewer and lefs laboured. And " 5, The union of fong and dance is neglected" J, To all which objections, a real lover of muiic would perhaps &.y,Jbmue/i the better \ M. de la Lande, however, allows that the hands employed in the orcheflra * The Italians have long given up thofe puerile reprefentations of flying gods and goddeffes, of which the French are frill fo fond and fo vain. f ' If the characters are fewer, the drcfll-s mud bs (o, of courfe. X Voyage d'un Francois, Tom. vi» Z are [ 338 ] are more numerous and various, but complains that the fine voices in an Ita- lian opera are not only too few, but are too much occupied by the mufic and its embellishments to attend to declamation and gefture. With regard to this lair, charge, it is by no means a jullone; for whoever rememoers Pertici and Lafchi, in the burlettas of London, about twenty years ago, or has feen the Buona Figliuola there lately, when Signora Guadagni, Signor Lovatini, and Signor Morigi were in it; or in the ferious operas of part: times remembers Monticelli, Elifi, Min- gotti, Colomba Mattei, Manfoli, or, above all, in the prefent operas has feen Signor Guadagni, muft allow that many of the Italians, not only recite well, but are excellent aciors. Give to a lover of mufic an opera in a noble theatre, at leaft twice as large as that of the French capital, in which the poetry and mufic are good, and the vocal and t 339 3 and inftrumental parts well performed* and he will deny himfelf the reft with- out murmuring ; though his ear mould be lefs ftunned with chofuffes, and his eye lefs dazzled with machinery, dreffes, and dances than at Paris. But to return to the theatre of S. Carlo, which, as a fpectacle, furpaffes all that poetry or romance have painted : yet with all this, it muft be owned that the magnitude of the building, and noife of the audience are fuch, that neither the voices or inftruments can be heard dif- tinctly. I was told, however, that ort account of the King and Queen being prefent, the people were much lefs noify than on common nights. There was not a hand moved by way of applaufe during the whole reprefentation, though the au* dience in general feemed pleafed with the mufic : but, to fay the truth, it did not afford me the fame delight as at the fehearfal ; nor did the fingers, though they exerted themfelves more, appear Z 2 to C 34^ 1 to equal advantage : not one of the pre- fent voices is fufficiently powerful for fuch a theatre, when fo crowded and fa noify. Signora Bianchi, the firft wo- man, whofe fweet voice and limple man- ner of finging gave me and others fa much pleafure at the rehearfal, did not fatisfy the Neapolitans, who have beeni accuftomed to the force and brilliancy of a Gabrieli, a Taiber, and a de Amici. There is too much fimplicity in her manner for the depraved appetites of thefe enfans gates, who are never pleafed but when aftonifhed. As to the mufic, much of the claire obfcure was loft, and nothing could be heard diftinctly but thofe noify and furious parts which were meant merely to give relief to the reft y the mez- zotints and back-ground were generally loft, and indeed little was left but the bold and coarfe ftrokes of the compofer's pencil. Puring the performance, CarTarelli came into the pit, and Signer Gjraldi, who t 34-1 ] who was in Mr. Hamilton's box, pro- pofed to make us acquainted - y and at the end of the performance, he conduct- ed me to him ; he looks well, and has a very lively and animated countenance j he does not feem to be above fifty years of age, though he is faid to be iixty- three. He was very polite, and entered into converfation with great eafe and chearfulnefs ; he enquired after the Duchefs of Manchefter, and Lady Fanny Shirley, who had honoured him with their protection when he was in England, which, he faid, was in the end of Mr. Heydegger's reign. He introduced me to Signor Gennaro Manno, a celebrated Neapolitan compofer, who fat behind him. Signor Giraldi had been with him before, to fix a time for bringing me to his houfe ; it was now fettled that we mould meet at Lord Fortrofe's ; indeed it was to his Lordfhip that I was in- debted for this, and for many other op- portunities of information at Naples. Z 3 The I 34? ] The houfe was emptying very faft, andl was obliged to take my leave of this fire of fong, who is the oldeft finger in Europe that continues the public exercife of his profeffion -, for he frequently fings in convents and in churches yet, though he has fpr fome time quitted the ftage. In the opera to-night there were three entertaining dances, but all in the lively way ; the Italians are not pleafed with any other. Indeed, as I have before ob^- ferved, all their dances are more panto- mime entertainments than any thing elfe, in which the fcenes are ufually pretty, and the (lories well told. The fubjecl: pf the firft dance was Vifola difabitatai of the fecond, the humours of Vauxhall Gardens in England? in which were in- troduced quakers, failors, women of the town, Savoyard fhew-boxes, &C. and in the third dance, at the end of the piece, the people of Thrace figured at the nuptials of Creufa and Cherinto, cha- racters of the opera. The fix principal dancers [ 343 dancers among the men are git Signori Onocuto Vigano, Giufeppe Trafieri, Fran- cefco Rafetti ; and among the women, le Signore Colombo, Beccari, Anna Torfelli, and Caterina Ricci -, the firft man has great force and neatnefs, and feems to equal Slinglby in his a plomb, or neatnefs of keeping time ; and the Beccari's many twinkling feet are not inferior in agility to thofe of Radicate. Monday 5. This morning I went to the Confervatorio of St. Onofrio, to fee the boys take their leffons, and to hear fome of the beft of them play ; "they were all hard at work, and a noble clangor they made, not to be equalled by A hundred mouths, a hundred tongues, A hundred pair of iron lungs, Ten fpeaking trumpets, he. However, the ears of both matter and fcholar are refpected when leffons in fing- ing are given, for that work is done in a quiet room ; but in the common prac- Z 4 tinng [ 344 ] tifing rooms the noife and difibnance are beyond all conception. However, I heard in a private room two of the boys accompany each other - y the one played a folo of Giardini's on the violin, and the other one of his own on the bafe ; the firft was but indifferently executed, but the fecond was a pretty compoli~ tion, and very well performed. I find all over Italy that Giardini's folos, and Bach's and Abel's overtures, are in great repute, and very jufty fo, as I heard no- thing equal to them of the kind, on the continent. From hence I went to fee a great feftival at the convent of la Donna Regina, it was una belUJjima Funzione, as the Italians call it, on account of two Turkiin flaves, who being converted to the Chriftian religion, were this day publicly baptifed : feveral bilhops affifted at the ceremony, and the church was crowded with the beft com- pany of Naples. The mufic was com- pofed by Giufeppe da Majo, a Neapo- litan [ 345 1 litan compofer, brought up in the Con- fervatorio of the Pieta, and was excellent, though coarfely performed. Having the honour, tc-day, of dining at our miniiler's, I was very much enter- tained in the afternoon by the perform- ance of a fat friar, of the order of St. Dominic, who came there to fing buffo fongs ; he accompanied himfelf on the harpflchord in a great number of hu- morous fcenes from the burletta ooera3 of Piccini and Paeliello, which he fung with a comic force, little inferior to that of Cafaccia, and with a much better voice. Signor Nafci, who leads the band at the comic opera in the theatre de Fioreji- tint, played on the violin in the Domini- can's performance, and afterward iu feme of his own trios, which are ex- tremely pretty, with a very uncommon degree of grace and facility. After this Mr. Hamilton was. fo oblig- ing as to (hew me his charming pi&ure, painted f 346 ] , painted by Correggio ; the fubject is a naked Venus who has taken Cupid's bow from him, which he is flruggling for, while a fatyr is running away with his quiver. It is a wonderful performance, and reckoned equal, for the number of fi- gures, to the St. Jerome, at Parma. The curiofities both of art and nature in Mr. Hamilton's poffeffion, are num- berlefs and ineftimable. The examina- tion of his immenfe collection of Etruf- can vafes, and other rarities of the higheft antiquity, was of the utmoffc importance to the fubject of my enquiries. But by thefe precious remains of art I was not more enlightened, concerning the mufic and instruments of the ancients, than by his converfation and counfel. When we returned to the apartments which we had quitted, in order to vifit the library, we found a Neapolitan Prince and Princefs, two or three ambaffadors, Lord Fortrofe, the French conful, a number of Englifh gentlemen, and much other com- t 347 1 company -, in the evening there was more mufic, and at fupper a feled: party, which did not feparate till two o'clock in the morning, when I took leave of Mr. Ha- milton and his lady with infinite regret, as the countenance and affiftance with which I was honoured by them, during ray residence at Naples, were not only of the utmofl utility to me and my plan, but fuch as gratitude will never fuffer me to forget. Tuefday 6. This day I had the honour of dining with Lord Fortrofe ; the company was very numerous, and chiefly mulical. BarbellaandOrgitano wereinvited; there was likewife the French conful, M. D'Af- tier. After dinner, a complete band was af- fembled in the gallery, and we had mu- fic till pad eleven o'clock. Barbella pleafed me much more tp-night than he had done before ', he is very certain of his tone, and has a great deal of tafte and expreffion ; if he had a little more brilliancy and fullnefs of tone, and a greater r 348 ] greater variety of ftile, his playing would be unexceptionable, and perhaps fuperior to that of moil players in Europe : as it is, there feems to be a drowiinefs in his tone, and a want of animation in his manner. Orgitano played the harpfichord, and Signor Conforte, a mujico, was there to ling -, there was likewife a pretty good folo hautbois. The whole company had given Caffarelli over, when, behold ! he arrived in great good humour ; and, con- trary to all expectation, was, with little entreaty, prevailed upon to ling. Many notes in his voice are now thin, but there are ftill traits in his performance fuffici- ent to convince thofe who hear him, of his having been an amazing fine linger; he accompanied himfelf, and fung with- out any other inilrument than the harp* fichord ; expreffion and grace, with great neatnefs in all he attempts, are his cha- racterises. Though CarTarelli and Bar- bella [ 349 1 bella are rather ancient and in ruin, yet what remains of them is but the more precious. Caffarelli propofed our fpend- ing a whole day together, in order to difcufs mulical matters, and faid it would even be too little for all that we had to fay ; but when I had acquainted him of the neceffity I was under of fetting out for Rome the next night, immediately after the opera, he offered to meet me again at Lord Fortrofe's the next morning. After fupper, Barbella played extreme- ly well feveral Calabrefe, Leccefe, and Neapolitan airs, and among the reft, a humourous piece compofed by himfelf, which he calls ninna nonna ; it is a nur- fery tune, or lullaby, excellent in its way, and was well expreifed. Wednefday 7. I vifjted by appointment, Padre della Torre, to whom I had let- ters ', he is librarian to the king, and keeper of his majefty's cabinet of rari- ties at the foot of Capo di Monte. I never [ 35° I iiever faw one of a more cheaf fully obi jg* ing character. He cannot be lefs than 70 years of age, and yet he is as live* ly, and even fportive, as a young man of 20. He and his affiftant had been hunting with great diligence in the king's library, which formerly belonged to the Farnefe family, and was brought hi- ther from Parma, for materials relative to raufic. He (hewed me, among feveral books and MSS which I already knew, fome curious inedited traces which are no where elfe to be found *. After this, he (hewed me his micro- fcopes and telefcopes, which are famous all over Italy; this father beeing faid to have made great improvements in both, butefpecially in microfcopes, by means of a very fmall drop or globule of pure chryftal glafs, the«fmaller the better. * There is a diflertation upon found in his own works collected and publifhed in 9 vols. 8vo. under this title — Elementa Phyfic I believe, emboffed blue and filver, I ever faw. She had on a large ftage hoop* and a great quantity of diamonds ; the train of her robe dragged full two yards ©n the ground -, me feemed rather a pret- ty fort of young perfon than a beauty. When me firft appeared, me looked very pale, and more dead than alive ; me made a moft profound reverence to the cardinal, who was feated on the fteps of the altar in his mitre and all his rich veflmentSj ready to receive her. She threw herfelf upon her knees at the foot of the altar, and remained in that pofture fome time* while other parts of the ceremony were adjufling ; then me walked up to the cardinal, who faid, Figlia mia, che do~ mandate ? My child, what is your re- queft ? She faid, that me begged to be admitted into that convent as a lifter of the order of St. Urfula : Have you well* faid the cardinal, confidered of what yoti afk? r 3*t 3 &fk r She anfwefed, chearfully, that md had ; and was well informed of all (he Was about to do. Then me kneeled down again, and kiiTed the cardinal's hands, and received from him a little crucifix, which fhe alfo kifTed ; after which fhe retired again to the foot of the altar, where fhe threw herfelf on her knees, while the cardinal faid mafs, which was fung at the fame time in the organ loft. After this, there was a fermon in the Italian language, and that being over, the cardinal led the nun-elect into the convent, where fhe was diverted of all her gorgeous attire and worldly vanities, and had her hair cut off. She then came to the gate in her religious drefs, to receive the white veil, with which fhe was inverted by the lady ab- befs, the cardinal and the other afliftants rtanding by. After this there Was more pretty mufic badly performed. The organ, by execut- ing all the fymphdnies and accompani- ments, [ 362 ] ments, overpowered the violins, and had a bad effect, though neatly played. When her veil was on, the new fifter came to the convent door, to receive _the congratulations of her friends and of the company ; but firft, with a lighted taper in her hand, fhe went round the convent to falute all the nuns, who had like wife tapers in their hands. When fhe was at the door, with the veil and crown on, but her face uncovered, I, among the reft, went clofe to her, and found fhe was much prettier than I had before imagined. She had a fweet mouth, and the fineft teeth in the world, with lively fparkling eyes, and a genteel fhaped vifage; fhe would, any where elfe, have been fliled a very pretty woman ; but here, fo cir- cumftanced, a beauty. At the altar fhe changed countenance feveral times, firft pale, then red, and feemed to pant, and to be in danger of either burfting into tears, or fainting ; but fhe recovered be- fore the ceremony was ended, and at the convent [ 363 ] convent door affumed an air of great chearfulnefs ; talked to feveral of her friends and acquaintance, and feemed to give up the world very heroically.—— And thus ended this human facrirlce ! In the afternoon I went to the Chiefa Nucva, to hear an oratorio in that church, where the facred drama took its rife. There are two galleries ; in one there is an organ, and in the other a harpfi- chord - 3 in the former the fervice was be- gun by the matins in four parts, alia Pa- lejlrina ; then the Salve Regina was fung a voce Jola, after which there were prayers ; and then a little boy, not above fix years old, mounted the pulpit, and delivered a difcourfe, by way of fermon, which he had got by heart, and which was rendered truly ridiculous by the ve- hicle through which it paffed. The ora- torio of Abigail, fet to mufic by Signor Cafali, was then performed. This drama confifted of four characters, and was di- vided into two parts. The two firfl move- [ 3^4 ] movements of the overture pleafed me very much, the lafr. not at all. It was, as ufual, a minuet degenerated into a jigg of the moft common caft. This rapidity in the minuets of all modern overtures renders them ungraceful at an opera, but in a church they are indecent. The reft of the muilc was pretty common place* for though it could boaft of no new me- lody or modulation, it had nothing vul- gar in it. Signor Crillofero fung the principal part very well, in Guarducci's fmooth and polimed manner. He made two of three excellent clofes, though they were rather too long -, this fault is general throughout Rome and Naples, where fuch a long-winded licentioufhefs pre- vails in the cadences of every finger, as is always tirefome, and often difgufting ; even thofe of great performers need com- preffion, and thofe made by performers of an inferior clafs not only want curtail- ing, but correction. A few felect notes with [ 3 6 5 ] with a great deal of meaning and ex- preffion given to them, is the only expe- dient that can render a cadence defirable, as it fhould confift of fomething fuperior to what has been heard in the air, or it becomes impertinent. This abufe in making clofes is not of very ancient {land- ing, for in a ferious opera of old Scarlatti, compofed in 17 17, there is not a fingle place for a cadence ad libitum to be found, Between the two parts of this oratorio, there was a fermon by a Jefuit, delivered from the fame pulpit from whence the child had defcended. I waited to hear the lafl chorus, which, though it was fung by book, was as light and as un- meaning as an opera chorus, which muft be got by heart. With refpect to a true oratorio chorus accompanied with inftru- mentsin the manner of Handel's, I heard but few all the time I was in Italv. When this performance was over, I went, 6 as C 366 ] as ufual, to the Duke of Dorfet's con- cert. Monday 12. I viiited the Pope's, or Sifline chapel, and being a day in which there was no fervice, I had permiffion to go into every part of it, which I was curious to do on many accounts. Firft, as it was the place in which the famous Miferereot Allegriis performed; fecondly, as it was here that church-mufic firft had its rife, and was brought to its higheft perfection; and thirdly, where, at the altar piece, is fo wonderfully painted the laft judgment : it is the greater!: work of Michael Angelo, and perhaps of man. Nothing can be conceived more aftonifh- ing and dreadful than the ideas and fi- gures which his dark imagination has produced : neither the Inferno of Dante, nor the hell of Milton, can furnifh any thing more terrible. But this amazing work is greatly difcoloured, and the ceiling, by the fame painter, is in many places [ 367 3 places broken down two or three feet in breadth. The fides are painted by Pietro Perugino, and are the bell works I have feen of this famous matter of the divine Raphael. I went up into theorcheftra withrefpecl:- ful curionty, to fee the place facred to the works of Paleftrina. It feems hardly large enough to contain thirty performers, the ordinary number of ringers in the Pope's fervice ; and yet, on great fefHvals, fuper- numeraries are added to thefe. There was nothing in the orcheftra now but a large wooden defk, for the fcore book of the maeft.ro di Capella, and marble feats at the back and fides : it is placed on the right hand in approaching the altar, facing the Pope's throne,whichisnearthe altar on the other fide. There are feats or flails for the cardinals at the fides of the chapel and a fmall place for ambaffadors to fland in, juft within the rails oppofite to the altar; but no other Grangers are ever admitted ; nor are anyperfons, except the performers, fuffered [ 3«8 ] fuffered to enter the orcheftra during the, fervice. The grate, or baluftrade, which is in diamond fquares, gilt, feems to take off one third of the whole room, which is very lofty and magnificent, but now very dufty and much out of repair; the floor is in beautiful Mofaic of marble. From hence I went to the Pauline chapel, which is ufed only once a year, at which time it is illuminated with many thoufand lamps. In the afternoon I had the pleafure of feeing my very good friend Signor Santa- relli, who had not only bufied himfelf in feeking curious things forme during my abfence at Naples, but had employed feveral perfons in tranfcribing them; the Abate Elie had done the fame at the Vatican j and the Cavalier Piranefi, my Englim friends, and feveral eminent an- tiquaries and artifts had been active in fearching ancient inftruments, among the bajji rilievi and beft fculptures of antiqui- ty, and copying them ready for me at my return. t 369 ] return to Rome. Signer Santarelli wis fo obliging as to accompany me to the Cavalier Battoni's, where his fcholar, the Signorina Battoni, fung with noble fim- plicity, and a truly pathetic expreffion, feveral fongs of HafTe, Galuppi, Traetta* and Piccini. From hence I went to a great con- cert, at the houfe of M. Scbovelhoffe, the Mofcovite general j and there I al- most fancied myfelf in London ; for, except three or four, the whole company, confiding of near thirty noblemen, gentle- men, and ladies, was Engiilh. The little Mignatrici, Bichelli, was there to fing, and another girl ; the former fung very well, and the other will fing, , fome time hence : there was nothing extraor- dinary in the inflruments. Tuefday 1 3. I had but jufl time to ftep into the beautiful little church of St. Andrea della Noviciata, built by Bernini, at which there was mufic com- pofed by Oriiicchio, and led by Nicalai ; N B b but, [ 37© ] but, though my flay was very fhort, I heard zjinfonia or overture, and a chorus a due cori, which were excellent*. Friday 16. In a vifit I made Signor San- tarelli this morning, I found with him three or four of his brethren of the pope's chapel -, among the reft, Signor Pafquale Pifari, who had with him the original fcore of a mafs in 16 real parts, which was full of canons, fugues, and imita- tions : I never faw a more learned or in- genious compofition of the kind. Pa- leftrina never wrote in more than eight real parts, and few have fucceeded in fo many as thofej but to double the number is infinitely more than doubling the dif- ficulties. After three parts, the addition of another becomes more and more diffi- cult ; all that can be done on thefe oc- cafions, is to adhere to a fimple melody * Signor Orificchio ranks fo high among the prefent Roman compofers for the church, that upon any feftival wherever he is Maefcro di Capella, and has compofed a mafs, there is fure to be a very great crowd, and t 37* 1 and modulation, and to keep the parts ag much as poffible in contrary, or at lead, diffimilar motion. In the compoiition of Signor Pifari, every fpecies of con- trivance is fuccelsfully ufed. Some- times the parts anfwer or imitate each other, by two and two •, fometimes the fubjects are inverted in fome of the parts, while their original order is preferved in others. A century or two ago, the au- thor of fuch a compofition would have had a ftatue erected to his honour ; but now, it would be equally difficult to find 1 6 people who would hear it with pati- ence, as that number of good lingers, in any one place, to perform it. Befides vocal parts in this mafs, there is a part for the organ, often on a regular fub- jec~l, different from the reft: the ground^ work, upon which all is built, is cantq fermo j and, in fome of the move- ments, this canto fermo is made a fub-? ject of imitation, and runs through all the parts, Upon the whole, it muu; be Bb 2 ah [ 37 2 1 allowed, that this work, which eonfifts of many different movements, and is of a very confiderable length, though it may be thought by fome to require more pa- tience than genius to accomplish, feems fuflicient to have employed a long life in compofing, and to entitle the author to great praife and admiration. During this vifit, which was . my laft to Signor Santarelli, he and his brethren of the pope's chapel, were fo obliging as to execute feveral beautiful compofitions of Paleftrina, Benevoli, and Allegri, in order to give me a true idea of the. deli- cate and exprefllve manner in which they are fung in the chapel of his holinefs. In the afternoon I went to Signor Crifpi's accademia; I arrived late, while fome new ^uartettos of his compofition were per- forming , but he was fo obliging as to defire the band to begin again, and to go through with the whole fix. I think thefe pieces have great merit, and are fuperior to any of his other productions. Sunday [ 273 3 Sunday 18. I went this morning with Mr. Wyfeman to the church of S. John Lateran * j it is the moft antient church in Chriftendom. I here heard high mafs performed in the Colonna chapel, by two choirs, and faw it played by Signor Co- liila, the celebrated organifl of ! that church, on a little moveable organ. The mufic was by Signor Cafali, Maeftro di Capella, who was there to beat time. I was introduced both to him and to Sig- nor Colifta, after the fervice - y and the latter upon being entreated to let me hear the great organ, very obligingly confented, * Mr. Wyfeman is a worthy Englifh mufic- mafter, who is well known and efteemed by all the Englifh at Rome, where he has fo long been an inhabitant, that he has almoft forgot his na- tive tongue. He now lives in the Palazzo Rafa- ele, without the gates of Rome j where, during the firft winter months, he has a concert every week till the operas begin. It was here that the great Raphael lived, where there are ftill fome of his paintings in frefco ; and where the late Duke of York, the Prince of Brunfwick, and feveral other great perfonages, gave concerts to the fir# people of Rome. B b 3 upon L m j tipbn condition that Monfignore il Pre- feito of the church was applied to f which is a neceffary ceremony in confe- quence of fome injury formerly done to the inftrument, by the malice or ig- horance of a ftranger who had played upon it. This application was readily undertaken, and the permiffion obtained, by Signor Cafali. I was conducted into the great fcrgan-loft by Signor Coliila, who did me the favour to open the cafe, and to mew me all the internal conflruction of this famous inflrument. It is a thirty- two feet organ, and the largeft in Rome. It was firil built in 1549, and has under- gone two repairs fince j the one in 1600, by Luca Blah* Perugino; and a fecond, a Few years fince, under the direction of the prefent organifl. It has thirty-fix flops, two fets of keys, long eighths, an octave below double F. and goes up to E. in iuihlimo. It has like wife pedals -, in the &k of which Signor Coliila is very dex- trous o t 375 ] troiis-. His manner of playing this instru- ment feems to be the true organ ftile, though his tafte is rather ancient; in- deed the organ ftile feems to be better preferved throughout Italy than it is with us ; as the harpfichord is not fuffi- ciently cultivated to encroach upon that inftrument. Signor Colifta played feve- ral fugues, in which the fubjects were fre- quently introduced on the pedals, in a very mafterly manner. But it feems as if every virtue in mufic was to border upon fome vice ; for this ftile of playing precludes all grace, tafte, and melody \ while the light, airy harpfichord kind of playing, deftroys the fofienuto and rich- nefs of harmony and contrivance of which this divine inftrument is fo peculiarly capable. It is very extraordinary that the fwell, which has been introduced into the Englifh organ more than fifty years, and which is fo capable of expreflion and of pleating effects, that it may well be faid B b 4 to [ 376 ] to be the greatefl and mo ft important improvement that ever was made on any keyed inftrument, mould be ftill utterly unknown in Italy*. The touch too of the organ, which our builders have fo much improved, flill remains in its heavy, noify ftate ; and now I am on this fubjedt, I muft obferve, that moil of the organs I have met with on the Continent, feem to be inferior to ours built by father Smith, Byfield, or Snetzler, in every thing but fize. As the churches there are often immenfe, fo are the organs ; the tone is indeed fomewhat foftened and refined by fpace and diftance y but when heard near, it is intolerably coarfe and noify; and though the number of Hops in thefe * It is the fame with the Beat upon the unifon, octave, or any confonant found to a note on the violin, which fo well fupplies the place of the old clofe-fhake : for this beautiful efFec"r, if not wholly- unknown, is at leaft neglecled by all the violin performers I heard on the continent, though fo commonly and fuccefsfully practifed in England by thofe of the Giardini fchool. large [ 377 1 large in dm merits is very great, they af-» ford but little variety, being, for the moil part, duplicates in unifons and octaves to each other, fuch as the great and fmall 1 2ths, flutes, and 1 5ths : hence in our or- gans not only the touch and tone, but the imitative (lops are greatly fuperior to thofe of any other organs I have met with. ; Immediately after dinner I went to St. Peter's, where there was a great Funzione for the*feaft of it's foundation. The vef- pers were faid by Cardinal York, affifted by feveral bifhops : there were Mazzanti and Criflofero to fing, befides feveral other fupernumeraries, and the whole choir. The fat Giovannini, famous for playing the violoncello, as well as for being one of the maejiri di capella of St. Peter's, beat time. The folo parts were finely fung by the two fingers jufl mentioned, and the chorufTes by two choirs, and two organs, were admirably performed. Part of the inufic was by Paleftrina, part by Benevoli, and the reil modern, but in a grave and majeitic I 37* ] ftiajeftic ftile. I never heard church mil* fie, except that of the Pope's chapel, fo well performed. There were no other inftruments than the two organs, four violoncellos, and two double bafes. Some fugues and imitations in dialogue between the two choirs were performed, which had a very fine effect. The fervice was in the large canonical, or winter chapel on the left, in which is the largeft organ of St. Peter's church*. Cardinal York faid mafs likewife in the morning, when there was a great congre- gation. At night I went to the oratorio of Jonathan, at the Chiefa Nuova ; but not being either well fet or well fung, I quitted that performance at the end of the firft part, in order to hear another at the church of St. Gerolamo della Carita* * There arc no other organs, nor indeed choirs at St. Peter's than thofe in the fide chapels ; fo that the diftance between the weft door and the great altar, is wholly a free and unbroken fpace. 6 which t 379 ] which had only three characters in it : this oratorio was called the Judgment of Solomon : the tenor finger in it was ad- mirable; he had great tafle, and a very- uncommon facility of execution : a eu- nuch likewife, who performed the part of one of the mothers, had a fweet toned voice, and fung in a very pieafing man- ner. The fubject feems to be extremely well adapted for mufical expreflion : the flernnefs of the judge; the indifference of the falfe mother -, and the tendernefs of the true, are feverally fufceptible of dif- ferent mufical colouring and expreflion. The mufic, which had merit, was by a young compofer who had begged em- ployment in order to have an opportunity of difplaying his talents : his name is Giufeppe Maria Magherini. Tuefday 20. I went this morning to vifit the famous Podini gallery, in the Ve- rufpi palace. All the accounts of Rome are full of the praifes of this mufic gal- lery 1 or, as it is called, gallery of inftru- mehts ; [ 38° ] ments j but nothing (hews the neceffity of feeing for one's felf, more than thefe ac- counts. The inftruments in queftion can- not have been fit for ufe thefe many- years -, but, when a thing has once got into a book as curious, it is copied into others without examination, and without end. There is a very fine harpfichord, to look at, but not a key that will fpeak : it formerly had a communication with an organ in the fame room, and with two fpinets and a virginal ; under the frame is a violin, tenor, and bafe, which, by a movement of the foot, ufed to be played upon by the harpfichord keys. The or- gan appears in the front of the room, but not on the fide, where there feems to be pipes and machines enclofed ; but there was no one to open or explain it, the old Ciceroni being juil dead. Wednefday 21. This morning I went to the Kirkeana mufeum, founded about the middle of the laft century by Father Kircher, author of the Mufitrgia, and of feveral [ 3»» 1 feveral other curious and learned works. Mr. Morrifon, who had obtained permif- fion for me to fee it, was fo obliging as to accompany me thither. The mufeo was (hewn us by a young Irifh jefuit, Fa- ther Plunket, I think, who is likewife a young antiquary ; but Mr. Morrifon, who is undoubtedly one of the firil and moil fagacious antiquaries in Rome, fet him right in many particulars. Ancient paintings, urns, vafes, jewels, intaglios, cameos, and other antiquities, are here in fuch abundance, that I could have fan- cied myfelf at Portici; but the curiofities I chiefly went to fee, were Father Kir- cher's muiical inftruments and machines, defcribedinhisikf^rg - /^: they are now al- moin all out of order, but their confiruction is really curious, and manifefts the inge- nuity as well as zeal of this learned father in his muiical enquiries and experi- ments. In vifiting Rome a fecond time, I took a view of the theatres, of which there are 7 feven I 38; ] ^*cn or eight : the principal are the Ar«* gentina, the Aliberti, the Pordinone, and the Capranica : the two firft are very large, and appropriated to ferious operas, The Pordenone theatre is ufed as a play^- houfe for tragedies and comedies ; and the Capranica for burlettas, or comic operas. There are no public fpeclacles allowed in Rome, except during carnival time, which lafts from the feventh of January to Afti-Wednefday ; nor are any women ever iuffered to appear upon the flage, the female characters being reprefented by eunuchs, and frequently fo well, from their delicacy of voice and figure, as to deceive perfons unacquainted with this prohibition, Rome is the pott of honour for com- pofers, the Romans being the moll faftidi-^ ous \ udges of mufic in Italy. There is like^ wife in this city more cabal than elfewhere, and party runs higher. It is generally fuppofed, that a compofer or performer who [ 3«3 ] who is fuccefsful at Rome, has nothing to fear from the fe verity of critics in other places. At the opening of an opera, the clamour or acclamation of the com- pany frequently continues for a conlide- rable time before they will hear a note, A favourite author is received with fhouts of Bravo ! Signor Maejiro. Viva ! Signor Maejiro. And when a compofer is con- demned by the audience, it is with dis- crimination in favour of the linger, by crying out, after they have done hilling, Bravo ! pure, il Guarducci * I and on the contrary, if the performer difpleafes in executing the mufic of a favourite com- pofer, after they have exprefTed their difapprobation of him, by hilling, they cry out Viva I pure, il Signor Maejiro. It was with much regret that I quitted this venerable city, which is no lefs de- lightful to ftrangers for the innumerable rarities it offers to their view, than for * Bravo ! however, Guarducci. die- [ 3«4 ] the eafy and focial manner in which they live with the natives, as well as with each other. I have now given an account of the ftate of mufic in the principal cities of Italy j there are, however, many places which I either was unable to vifit, or in which my flay was too fhort to obtain much information j however, the fol- lowing particulars feem worthy of being mentioned : at Loretto there is a confi- derable mufic fchool : at Siena there are curious mhTals: at Pifa, muiic is in a flou- rifhing ftate, as I was informed, upon the fpot, by Signor Lidarti, who lives there; Signor Guaiberto Brunetti is Maeftro di Capella at the cathedral; and Gherar- defchi, Renzini, Lidarti, and Corrucci, are eminent compofers in that city. At Perugia Signor Zanetti has long refided ; but he loft his place of Ma- eftro di Capella to the great church there, lately, by having appeared on the Ali- berti flage at Rome, as a finger in an ope- ra t 385 1 fa of his oWn compofition, and that, merely to fupply the place of the princi- pal tenor, who had run avvay^ and to prevent the piece from being ilopt : he is fince married to a pretty woman, who fings well, and is likely to indemnify him for the lofs of his place. At Parma, Signor Poncini is compofer to the great church, as is Signor Colla to the prince; and Signor Ferrara, brother to the famous violin player, who is a remarkable fine performer on the violoncello ; together with the celebrated finger Baftardini, and Signora Roger, a great harpfichord player, who was miftrefs to the princefs of Anu- rias, are all in peniion at the court of Parma. The theatre there is the largeft in Europe ; it is capable of containing four thoufand people, and has water un- der the ftage fufficient to form a great liver, or for the reprefentation of a fea- fight j but this theatre has not been ufedr fmce the death of the laft duke. C c Im [ 5«6 J In arriving at Genoa, I found no other public mufical performance than an in- termezzo, in which Piatti, a young linger who had juft returned from England, was principal. From the number of mufical eitablim- ments and performances mentioned in this journal, the Italians may, perhaps, be accufed of cultivating mufic to excefs ; but whoever continues a fhort time in any of their principal cities, muft perceive that other arts and fciences are not neg- lected : and even in travelling through the country, if the Ecclefiaftical State be excepted, the natural fertility of the foil does not appear to be the only fonrce of abundance in the neeeffaries of life ; for I can venture to affirm, that, throughout Lombardy and Tufcany, agriculture is carried on with fuch art and activity, that I never remember to have feen lands better laid out, or lefs frequently fuffered to lie idle: the poor, indeed, are oppref- 4 fed f 3*7 ] fed and rendered worthlefs by the rigour of government; but were they lefs fo un- der their Gothic tyrants, when arts and fciences were not only neglected but ex- tirpated from among them ? Perhaps the cultivation of the peaceful arts may con- 1 - tribute as much to the happinefs of the prefent inhabitants of Italy, and, indeed, of the reft of the world, as the conquer- ing kingdoms did to that of their martial anceftors ; who, when they were not bulled in cutting the throats of each other* employed all their time and talents in plundering and enilaving mankind. But mulic is now thought necelfary in every country in Europe ; and if it mujl be had, why mould it not be excellent ? The fuperiOr refinement of the Italian mufic cannot be fairly attributed to the great number of artificial voices with which Italy, to its difhonour, abounds; for Vocal mufic feems at prefent in its high- eft ftate of perfection in the confer vatorios of Venice, where only the natural voices Cc 2 of [ 388 ] of females can be heard ; fo that the greater! crime of which the Italians feerii guilty is the having dared to apply to their fofter language, a fpecies of mufic more delicate and refined^ than the reft of Europe can boaft. It is now time to clofe my account of theprefent flate of mufic in Italy, in doing which I cannot dirTemble my fears that the reader will think it prolix ; as, upon reviling my journal, I am forry to find that the further I advanced into that country, the more loofe is the texture of my narrative ; for in proportion as I had more to hear and to fee, I had lefs time to fpare for reflection and for writing : indeed, the mere matters of fact concern- ing mufical exhibitions, will, I doubt, af- ford but fmall entertainment to the reader; for they are fo much the fame, that an account of one is, in many particulars, an account of all ; fo that a circumftantial narrative of things, perhaps not very interefling in themfelves, might be tirefome t 389 J tirefome even in fpight of variety : all I have to urge in my defence, is, that the re- lation is faithful, and that, if the places, through which I paffed had afforded more entertaining incidents, they would have been given to the public. After a very fatiguing and dangerous journey over the tremendous mountains of Genoa, and through Provence and Lan- guedoc, during inceffant rains which had rendered the roads intolerable, I arrived at Lyons in my way home, Dec. 3d, where, in vifiting the theatre, I was more difgufted than ever, at hearing French mufic, after the exquifite performances to which I had been accuftomed in Italy. Eugenie, a pretty comedy, preceded Sil- vain, an opera by M. G retry : there were many pretty paffages in the mufic, but fo ill fung, with fo falfe an expreffion, fuch fcreaming, forcing, and trilling, as quite made me lick. I tried to obferve, on the road, by what degrees the French arrive at this extreme C c 3 de« [ 39^> j depravity in their fpufical expreffion ; and I find, that in defcending the Alps, it does not come on all at once. In Provence and Langaedoc, the tunes of the country people are rather pretty : I prevailed on them to fing me fome wherever I ftopt, which they did in a natural and fimplq manner. The airs are lefs wild than the Scots, as lefs ancient, but I rather think the melodies of Provence and Languedoc are older than any now fubfifUng that were formed upon the fyftem of Guido. From Lyons I travelled night and day to Paris, and arrived there on Saturday, Dec. 8th; but I mall detain my reader no longer with obfervations upon French mulic, of which the exprefhon is notori- ously hateful to all the people in Europe tut themfelves : however, in the midit of this feeming feverity of decifion, it is but juft to own, that the French have as long known the mechanical laws of coun- ter-point as any nationinEurope; and, that atprefent, by means of M. Rameau's fyftem and [ an 1 and rules for a fundamental bafe, they are very good judges of harmony. It mufr. likewife be allowed, that they have long been in porTerlion of fimple and agreeable Provencale and Langue- docian melodies, to which they continue to adapt the prettier!: words, for focial purpofes, of any people on the globe 5 and that they have now the merit of imitating very fuccefsfully the mufic of the Italian burlettas, in their comic operas, and of greatly furpaffing the Italians, and, per- haps, every other nation, in the poetical compofition of thofe dramas. During my laft refidence at Paris, I had the honour of conferring with many men of letters of the firft clafs, whofe opennefs and politenefs to me were fuch as merit my moft grateful and public acknowledgments; and I cannot refiffc the deiire of mentioning two, among thefe, of a very diftinguimed order^ M. Diderot, and M. RoufTeau. With M. Diderot, I had the happinefs. of converting feveral times ; and I was C c 4 pleafed L 392 ] pleafed to find, that among all the fci^ ences which his extenfive genius and learning have inveftigated, there is no one that he interefts himfelf more about, than mufic. Mademoifelle Diderot, his daughter, is one of the flnefl harpfi- chord-players in Paris, and, for a lady, porTeffed of an uncommon portion of knowledge in modulation; but though I had the pleafure of hearing her for fe- veral hours, not a Angle French compo- sition was played by her the whole time, all was Italian and German •> hence it will not be difficult to form a judg- ment of M. Diderot's tafte in mufic. He entered fo zealoufly into my views concerning the hiftory of his favourite art, that he orefented me with a number of his own MSS. fufncient for a volume in folio on the fubjedt. Thefe, from fuch a writer, I regard as invaluable; sc Here, " take them, fays he, I know not what f? they contain; if any materials for your f purpofe, ufe them in the courfe of " your [ 393 1 ** your work, as your own property; if (i not, throw thern into the fire." But notwithstanding fuch a legal transfer, I mall look upon myfelf as accountable for thefe papers, not only to M. Diderot, but to the public. I regarded the meeting with M. Rouf- feau at Paris, as a Angularly fortunate completion of my perfonal intercourfe with the learned and ingenious on the continent : I was fo happy as to converfe for a confiderable time with him upon mufic, a fubjecl: which has received fuch embellimments from his pen, that the dryeft parts of it are rendered interefting by his manner of treating them, both in the Encyclopedie, and in his Mufical Dictionary. He read over my plan very attentively, and gave me his opinion of if, article by article ; after which he made enquiries concerning feveral Italian compofers of his acquaintance, and feem- ed to intereft himfelf very much about the prefent ftate of mufic in Italy, as well [ 394 J well as the acquisitions I had made there towards my future work. * * * ^ The reader of this journal will now be enabled not only to form an idea of the prefent ftate of mufic in the countries through which I have pafTed, but like- wife of the opportunities with which I have been favoured of confulting the li- braries and the learned, on whatever is moft difputable and curious in my pro- jected hiftory. I have mentioned fome of the materials which I acquired, and to thefe may be added a great number, which I colle&ed during many years in JEngland, and near 400 volumes of fcarce books on the fubjecT: of mufic, which I procured abroad. I have alfo fettled a correfpondence in every great city that I vifited on the continent, by means of which I hope to be fu mimed from time to time with the ne well: intelligence concern- ingmodern mufic, as well as with further par- I 395 3 particulars, relative to the ancient -, and as I am certain that no place abounds more with men of found learning, or with . collectors of curious compactions and valuable materials neceffary to my intended work, than my own country ; I humbly hope that I mail alfo be honoured with their counfel and commu- nications. But with all thefe requifites, refpect for the public, for the art about which I write, and even for myfelf, will prevent precipitate publication : a hiftory of the kind I propofe, muft inevitably be a work of time -, for after confulting the moll: fcarce and valuable books and MSS. and conferring with the moft eminent artifts and theorifls - y to felect, digeft, and confolidate materials fo various and dif- fufed, will not only require leifure and labour, but fuch a patient perfeverance, as little lefs than the zeal of enthufiafm can infpire. It is not the hiftory of an art in its infant ftate, whofe parents are ftill living, [ 39 6 ] living, that I have ventured to under- take -, but one coeval with the world ; one whofe high antiquity renders its origin as doubtful, as the formation of language, or the firfl articulations of the human voice. N D E X. jCCADEMIA,^i.^. 107. - / -* Accompaniments, loud ones cenfured, 104. Aclors, Italian, why loud, 200. Albani, Cardinal Alexander, 261. Allegri, account of his famous Miferere, from 275 to 281. Amant, M. de St. his opera, 17. Ambrofian Chant, 76. Library, 84. 108. Anneufe, organ ift of Lifle, 12. Antonio, St. church of, at Padua, 128. 134.' Applaufe and Disapprobation, how limited at Rome, 383. Arnaud y M. L'Abbe, 43. 46. Baffa, Signora, a noble Venetian lady, and fine harp- fichord player, 170. Baglioni, fix lifters, fingers, 90. 108. 233. Balba/lre, organift at Paris, 36. Ballet Heroique, 29. Baretti, Signor, of Turin, 72. Barbella, Signor, 322. 347. 349. Beccaria, Padre, 73. Benevento, Count, 62. Bertoni, compofer," at Venice, 141. Bezozzi, of Paris, 24. Bezozzis, of Turin, 62. 67. Bibliotheque du Roi, at Paris, 27. BiJJioli, Matteo, Brefciano, 130. 135. Bcccbirini, INDEX. Boccherlni, 43. JBologna, 191. Account of it's theatre, 19& Books on mufic, unfatisfa<5tory, 6. Bonaveri, finger, 233. Bonellii, Abate, no. Bofcovicb, Padre, 86. Beys, where qualified to fing not to be found, 3©** Boulevard, 14. Brav Orbi, or blind fidlers, at Bologna, 220. Brescia, hi. Brillon, Madame, a fine harpfichord player* 42* Cadences or Clofes, long ones cenfured, 365* Caffurelli, Signor, 340. 35 1* r Gala/done, 297. Calliot, an excellent a<5tor and finger at Paris* ig» Cambray, 13. Campioni, compofer at Florence, 251. Canto Fermo, 10. Caratoli, a finger at Milan, 96. Carnival, 63. ■ -■ Cafali, Maeftro di Capella to S. J. Lateran at Rome^ 373* Cafati, a finger at Padua, 130. CeleJlinU a violin player at Rome, 258. Ceremony of a nun taking the veil, 358. Chiefa, a compofer, 109. Chiefa Nuova, an oratorio there, 363* Ciprandt, 96. Cirillo, Dr. 313. Clajficsy none in mufir, 33. Coffee Houfes on the Boulevard at Paris, 1^* Colijla, famous organift at Rome, 373. Colombo, Padre, 124. 127. Confervatorios, at Venice, 139. 141. 143. 147. i^r. ' at Naples, 293. 299. 304. 307. 309. 3»5- 324- Concert Spirituel, 23. 43. Come die Franpife, 44. Contif I N p EX. Cenl't, Laura, a finger at Venice, 172. Converfations, with the Abbe Arnaud at Paris, 44* Abbe Rouflier, 45. M. de Voltaire, 59. M. Serre, 54. Padre Beccaria, 73. Padre Bofcovich, 86. Signor Galuppi, 176. Abate Martini, 154. Con te Torre Taxis, 165. 181. Padre Colombo, 127. 134. Signor Valloti, 130. Padre Martini, 193. 229. Signor Farinelli, iq6. 202. La Dot- torefla M. Laura Bafli, 217. Rinaldo di Capua, 283. Signor Piccini, 298. Signor Jomelii, 316. Padre de la Torre, 349. Signor Santarelli, 267. M. Diderot, 391. M. Rouffeau, 393. Cafaccia, an excellent actor in the comic opera, 292. Comedy, Italian, at Brefcia, 114. at Florence, 247. at Naples, 334. Corbell, organift at Milan, 77. Cotumacci, matter of the Conlervatorio of St. Onofrio, at Naples, 334. Couperin t organift at Paris, 39. Crij'pi, compofer at Rome, 259. Crijlofero, finger at Rome, 364. Dances, in Italian operas, defcribed, 342. Dancers names, in the great theatre at Naples, 343, Dancing and finging together, 35. De, Madame, a finger at Milan, 97. Demofoonte, opera of, rehearfed 335. performed 339. Devillers, organift of Lifle, 10. Diderot, M. 39 1 . Dream, Tartini's, 122. Duomo of Milan, 77. 103. Durante, 315. Echo, an extraordinary one near Milan, 98. Eleftricity, 3. 1 18. Elie, Abate, 262. Ettori, il Cavalier Guglielmi, finger at Padua, 133. Fabio 9 I N D E t. Pablo, leader of the great opera at Naples, 352. Farinelli, Signor, 196. Building a houfe at Bologrfa,- 202. A collection of harpfichords* 203. Sketch of his life, from 205 to2i7< Ferney, the feat of M. De Voltaire, 56. Ferrarefe, La, a finger at Venice^ 143. Fioroni, Maeftro di Capella at Milan, 77* Florence. 230. its early fame for mufic, its libraries 254- Ficline, a jubilee there* from 235 to 240. French mufic, ftill in its infancy, 30. • Partifans for Italian mufic, 35* Excel in gay, fecial, and fentimental fongs, . 390 Fritz, M. a performer, and compofer at Geneva, 52. Furlanetti, compofer at Venice, 139* Funzione, at St. Peter's, 377. Gabrieli Francefca, a finger at Venice 162. 172. Galuppi, compofer at Venice, 137. Maeftro di Ca- pella of the Incurabili, 147. Becomes more animated by age, 166. , Vifited by the author^ 176. His definition of good mufic, 177* Games at Figline, 237. Gafman, Signior Floriano, compofer, 80. Garibaldi, a finger, 90. Gafparini, Don Quirico, organift, 62. Geneva, 52. Genoa, 386. Gennaro Manni, Neapolitan compefer 29^. Gervats, St. mufic in the church of, 39. Giardini, his folos much efteemed, and practifed throughout Italy, 344. His fchool,, 376* Giufeppe, Maria Magherini, a Roman compofer^ . 379-. . . Giovanni e Paolo, church at Venice^ 144. Greek church, at Venice, 140. Gregorian chant, ufed in France, 9* Grela, Signor, librarian at Turin, 75* Gretry 3 INDEX. Gretry, M. a French compofer, 46, 49. His opera of Silvain, 389. Guadagni, Signor Gaetano, 130. 134. 338. Guarducci, 255. Guglietti Tromba, violin player at Padua, 128, 137. Handel, the fuperiority of his choruffes with inftru- ments, 157. 365. Harpfichords, bad in Italy, 288. — — — — — Farinelli's named after great painters, 137. Jefuits, 89. Jmprovvifatrice, Signora Maddalena Morelli, her ex- traordinary talents, 250. Incur abili, confervatorio, at Venice, 139. 147. Johanni in Monte, church at Bologna, an account of its annual exhibition, from 222 to 228. yomelliy 101. 316. Italians, their politenefs to the author, 266. Their paflion for mufic defended, 386. Jubilee, terns de, 12, Intermezzo, at Turin, 65. Kircher, father, joo. 142. Kirkeana, mufeo, 380. Lampugnani, 1 1 . Lande, M. De La, his account of Tartini's dream, I2i. Of the opera in Italy, 337, Laura BaJJl, La Dottorefla, from 217, to 220. Laudijli, or pfalm fingers, 232. 247. Laurence, St. church of, at Venice, 156. UAttilla, compofer at Venice, 147. Leo, X. his reign favourable to the arts in Italy, 3, Library, at the college des Quatre Nations, at Paris 3 160 the King's at Paris, 27. — at Turin, 75. Ambrofian, 84. 108. i St. Mark's, 188. Padre Martini's, 194.— » Magliabecchi, 234. Vatican, 262. Thar of the King of Naples, 349. D d Llgni INDEX. Ligniville, il Marchefe, 252. Linley, 1\7> Lisle, 91 Locatello, Signor Domenico, organift at Padua, 135. Lotti, Venetian compofer 145. Zucchini, violin player at Milan, 82. 93. Luini Bonetto, the finger, 115. Lyons, 50. Lyric Poetry, reflections, on, 47. Mark's, St. church at Venice, 137. 141. Library, 188. Marco, Piazza di S. 143. Manzoli, 245. Maria Maddalena, convent, 103. Mar fili, Dr. 130. 134 Martini, Signor Batiifta San, compofer at Milan, 76. 95- I0 3- — — — Abate, a perfon of great erudition at Venice, 154- 155- Padre, his Hiftory of Mufic 191. His amiable character, 193. His immenfe library, 194. A great compofer of canons, 230. ' Marchefini, a finger at Milan, 96. Mattei, Camilla, finger at Padua, 133. Mazzanti, a finger of great lafte at Rome, 281. Menagatto, Signor, a Venetian prieft,and compofer, 150. Mendicanti, confervatorio, at Venice, 139. 141. ■ account of a concert there, 183. Metajiafio, the beft lyric poet, 47. Mignatrice, Bichelli, finger at Rome, 369. Milan, 76. Molicre, and Marivaux, 44. MONTEFIASCQNE, 255- Montefquieu, 3. Monza, compofer at Milan, 93. Mofart, 228. Mcfcberti, Carlo, finger at Brefcia, 112. Mufic, more cultivated now than in any former age, 3. of public utility in England, 4, — «■ — why not permanent, 33. 1 Mufic I N D . E X. MufiC) in the ftreets at Brefcia, 115. at Venice, 138. by what degrees it degenerates in the way from Italy to France, 389 Muficians, itinerant at Turin, 71. Mar -cello >, 159. Naples, 2gr. Nardini, firft fcholar of Tartini, 123. 125. 249. Nazari, violin player at Venice, 158. Neapolitan Mufa, reflections upon, 355. Nun of St. Urfula, profeffed at Rome, from 358 to 3 6 3- Nuns performance at Milan, 104 eight, take the veil at Florence, 245. Oltrocchi, Signor, 109. Onofrio, confervatorio, 309. 315. 324. Opera, at Paris, 28. At Milan, 80. 90. At Florence, 233. 240. At Naples 291. 305. 309. 314. „ 32?- 335- Oratorio, 363. 379. The firft at Rome 270. Organ, at Lifle, n. At Notre Dame, 21. St. Rocque, 36. St. Gervais, 41. At the Duomo, Milan, 77. At St. Anthony's, Padua, 134. Giovanni e Paolo, Venice. 144. At St. John Lateran, Rome 373. Organs, in Italy deficient in tone and touch, 376. on the continent compared with the Lnglifli, 37 6 - OrganiftS) feveral good ones in Italy, but chiefly among the monks and friars, 289. Orgitano, mufic-mafter, at Naples, 321. Orifichio, compofer for the church at Rome, 369. Ortolani, finger, 148. Ofpidaletto, confervatorio, at Venice, 139. 143. 171. Ottane, finger, 64. Padua, 120. Paefullo, 305. JPagin 9 M. vioJinift, 42. P d 2 Paintings i n r> £ x. Painting and fculpture, attention to them of tife t<2 the author in his mufical enquiries, 163. Palejlrini, 243. 270. 337. Paris, 14. Parma, 385. Pa/qua RoJ/i, finger, 148. Pafquali Pifari, compofer and finger, 370. Peter's, St. church illuminated, 260. Philharmonic fociety's annual exhibition at Bologna? 222. Piantanida, vrolinift at Bologna, 224. Piccini, 298. Pieta, confervatorio, at Venice, 139. 161, — at Naples, 304. Piranefl, 266. Plain Chant, 10. 52. Poetry of the French comic opera fuperior to that of the Italian, 65. Pilgrims, 1 1 9. Pope's chapel defcribed, 366, 368. Portici, mufeum at, 3 31 .3 34. Potenza, 133. Prefs-gang, religious, 119. Preville, a&or at Paris, 45. Prefer, 21. Pugnani, 61. 72. Rameau, 29. 38. Reflecliom on the want of permanence in mufic, 32, On lyric poetry, 47. On loud and bufy accom- paniments, 105. Upon difcord, 152. On the Italian? drama without mufic, 200. On rapid minuets, 364. On long clofes, ibid. On organ playing, 375. On the exceffive cultivation of mufic in Italy* 386. Rinaldo di Capua, a Neapolitan compofer, 283. 284.' 286. Rehearfal of an opera of Jomelli's at Naples, 327. Rizio, David, 75. Rome, 257, 358. The poft of honour for performers and compofers, 382. Rota t INDEX. JHota, 148. Roujeau, M. 45. 1 26. 393* Rouffter, M. L'Abbe, 45. Saccbi, Padre, ill. Saccbini, compofer, 133. 143* ! 5^' Santarelli, Maeftro di Capella to the Pope, 267. Santi Apojloli, church of, gran funzione, 26a. Scarlatti, Alexander, 285. 335. 365. Domenico, 203. 215. Schobert, 43. Serpent, an inftrument ufed in the French churches, 1 1. .22. Serre, M. 54. Sienna, 254. Simonetto palace, echo there, 98. Singers in the ftreets at Milan, 107. Street mufic at Naples, 310. Summary account of the prefent ftate of mufic in feyeral towns, 384. Swell, none in the organs of France and Italy, 375. Symphonies, thofe of Bach and Abel much efteemed in Italy, 344. Tallis, not the inventor of the Englifh chanting, 10. 22. Tarantula, account of, 313. Tartini, fketch of his life, 120. 134. Tafte, the want of it at Naples accounted for, 325. Taxis, Count Torre, 124. 165. 181. Teflori, Signor Carlo, author of a mufical treatife, 76. Theatre, Italian, 16. 49. At Turin, 64. 70. Milan, 81. Brefcia, 113* Verona, 11 6. Padua, 132. Bologna, 198. Florence, 233. Parma, 385. Rome, 382. Naples, 292. 305. 330. Tragedy, an Italian one at Bologna, 198. Todini gallery, 379. Torre, Padre de la, 349. Turin, 61. Triuhi, Don, 109. Turkijh flaves baptifed, 344. 2 Valloti, IN D E X. Valloti, Maeftrodi CapelJa at Padua, 125. 130. 134* Vandini, Antonio, 130. 135. Vatican library, 262. Venice, 137. Muflc more cultivated there ' than elfewhere, and why, 187. Venetians, begin to live at midnight, 150. Veronefe, Paul, his famous pi&ure of the marriage of Cana, 164. Vercelli, 76. Verona, 116. Vicenza, 118. Vinci, Leonardo da, 84. 1 1 0. Voltaire, M. de, 49. 54. Wyfeman, Mr. 373. Zanetti, at Perugia, 384. Zanotti, the Abate, 224. Zarlino, 142. 253. Zocchi, Signora, finger at Venice, 180. FINIS. ADVERTISEMENT. sf General Plan of the author s intended Hiftory of Mufic, with Prop of ah for Printing it by Subjcription, will be fub- ?mtted to the public as foon as the work is fufficiently advanced to enable him to fix a time with any degree of certainty for its appearance. p "«r S& 22% m 53