young musician, the warmth of his style, the liberties which he sometimes allowed. himself, called forth against him all the invectives of the musical monastery. They reproached him with errors of counterpoint, heretical modulations, movements too daring. Happily all this disturbance did no harm to the rising genius: one thing, only, could have injured him—the silence of contempt; and the debut of Haydn was attended with circumstances directly opposite.

You must know, my friend, that, before Haydn, nó man had conceived the idea of an orchestra, composed of eighteen kinds of instruments. He is the inventor of prestissimo, the very idea of which made the old square-toes of Vienna shudder. In music, as in every thing else, we have little conception of what the world was a hundred years back: the allegro, for instance, was only an andantino.

In instrumental music, Haydn has revolutionized the details, as well as the

* Les Pacômes.

masses.

It is he who has obliged the wind

instruments to execute pianissimo*.

* To assert that we owe the introduction of prestissimo, and pianissimo (for an invention it can scarcely be called), to Haydn, is saying little. Our author's skill was much more shewn, by the variety of notes, of different lengths, which he introduced into his inimitable adagios. Before his time, few movements were constructed with notes of more than four degrees duration, the shortest being to the longest as 1 to 8; but we have now whole bars, where $2 notes are played in the time of 1 in the other parts.

We may also mention the extension of the scale into the heights of altissimo, as another improvement, which has had a wonderful effect upon melody, and by increasing the number of harmonic combinations, has enlarged the boundaries of thorough bass. For we are by no means of opinion with the doctors of the old school, that all chords are to be found in the septave, but are advocates for the new theory, which acknowledges the chords of the 9th, 11th, and 13th. Indeed, we think it not improbable that our harmonic nomenclature may be extended even to the chord of the 35th, which would be an admixture of all the tones and semitones of the scale.

In the time of Lulli, shifting upon the violin was unknown; and whenever the note C upon the first string occurred, it was looked upon with great terror, and in order to put the performers upon their guard, it was the practice of the leader to cry out "GARDE L'UT," mind the C. The difficulty was then got over, by an exertion of the little finger!!

G

It was at twenty that he produced his first quartett in Bb time, which all the musical amateurs immediately learned by heart. I do not know for what reason Haydn, about this time, left the house of his friend Keller; but it is certain, that his reputation, though rising under the most brilliant auspices, had not yet raised him above poverty. He went to reside with a M. Martinez, who offered him board and lodging, on condition that he would give lessons on the piano-forte, and in singing, to his two daughters. It was then, that the same house, situated near the church of St. Michael, contained in two rooms, one over the other, in the third and fourth stories, the first poet of the age, and the first symphonist of the world.

Metastasio, also, lodged with M. Martinez, but, as poet to the Emperor Charles VI., he lived in easy circumstances, while poor Haydn passed the winter days in bed for want of fuel. The society of the Roman poet was, nevertheless, a great advantage to him. A gentle and deep sensibility had given Metastasio a correct taste in all the

arts. He was passionately fond of music, and understood it well; and this singularly harmonious soul appreciated the talents of the young German. Metastasio, dining every day with Haydn, gave him some general rules respecting the fine arts; and, in the course of his instructions, taught him Italian.

This struggle against want, the early companion of almost all artists who have arrived at distinction, lasted, with respect to Haydn, for six long years. If some rich nobleman had brought him out at that time, and sent him to travel, for two years, in Italy, with a pension of one hundred louis, nothing, perhaps, would have been wanting to his talent; but, less fortunate than Metastasio, he had not his Gravina *. At

* The abbé Gian Vincenzo Gravina, was born near Cosenza, in Calabria, in 1664. He was the most distinguished civilian of his time, and wrote some profound works on the Roman jurisprudence; but, his generous patronage of Metastasio, says Tiraboschi, is alone sufficient for his eulogium.

He died at Rome, in the arms of his grateful pupil, in 1718.

T.

length, he obtained a situation in a family; and, in 1758, left the house of Martinez, to enter the service of the Count Mortzin.

own.

This nobleman gave musical parties in the evenings, and had an orchestra of his Chance brought the old Prince Antony Esterhazy, an ardent amateur, to one of these concerts, which happened to commence with a symphony of Haydn, (that in A. time.) The prince was so charmed with this piece, that he immediately entreated the Count Mortzin to give up Haydn to him, whom he declared his intention of appointing second leader to his own orchestra. Mortzin consented. Unfortunately the author, who was unwell, was not present at the concert that day; and as the intentions of princes, when they are not immediately executed, are subject to many delays, several months elapsed before Haydn, who was very desirous of entering into the service of the first nobleman in Europe, heard any more of it.

Friedberg, a composer attached to prince Antony, and who admired the rising talents of our young man, sought an oppor