Glen Collection of printed music > Printed music > British minstrel, and musical and literary miscellany

THE BRITISH MINSTREL; AND
Auber, Meyerbeer, Cherubini, Rossini, Bellini, &c.
ice., while you hear on the continent the alto parts
of Handel's compositions performed, unaltered, by
females or boys. Every great foreign composer
who has been in England (Cor on the continent,
with the exception of some French provinces, no
one knows anything about male counter tenors, the
last male counter-tenor in Italy having died in 1644),
and particularly Carl Maria Von Weber, expressed
a very strong opinion against male counter-tenors,
and every writer of authority whom I have consulted
about this matter speaks in favour of the female
voice; while, on the contrary, I have not found a
single one in favour of the other mode. I beg to
subjoin a few authorities: —
\. J. J. Rousseau's Dictionnaire de Musique, 1782.
— " Hautecontre; eontretenor. This part, which
the Italians call contralto, is nearly always sung by
female voices. Indeed, the countretenor sung by
male voices is not at all natural, it must be forced
to bring it up to its proper pitch ; and you may try
it how you like, it will seldom be in tune, and
always sound disagreeable."
2. Gottfried Weber's Theory of the Art of Com-
posing : Maintz, 1830. — " Voices are divided into
male and female, the latter of which are equal to
boys' voices. They are subdivided into four prin-
cipal kinds. 1st, High female or boys' voices; 2d,
Low female or boy's voices, alt, alto, its compass is
from G to D ; 3d, High male voices, tenor, tenore,
taille, compass C — G; 4th, Low male voices. There
are many intervening voices in existence. Finally,
you can find, especially in France,male voices which
crom up io the height of the alto; they are called
haute-taille or haute-countre, countre-tenor."
3. Musical Conversations Lexicon, by Gathy:
Hamburg, 1840. — " Tenor, taille, the highest natural
male voice; its compass is from C to G; sometimes
to A or B, but then seldom a chest voice."
4. Mainzer's Musical Graminar : London, 1843.
— " Tliere are two different sorts of voices, male
voices and female voices. The higher male voice is
called tenor, the higher female voice soprano ; the
lower voice of men is called bass, and of tvomen,
alto. The general division is therefore reduced to
these four. This classification comprises every
existing voice. Choruses in general are written for
these four voices."
5. Lahlache's Singing Tutor : London. — " The
extent of the sounds usually produced by the human
voice is completed by six species of voice, — three male
(the bass, tlie baritone, and the tenor) ; and three
female (the counter-alto, the mezzo-soprano, and
the soprano)."
6. Burnett's Singing Tutor: London. — "There
are four distinct kinds of voice, viz.: — I, Treble, or
soprano ; 2, Countertenor, or alto, or contralto ;
3, Tenor; 4, Bass. The contralto is the second
species of the female voice, but lower and richer
than the soprano. There are contralto among the
male voices, but they are not so pure as the former."
7. Edinburgh Observer, 3d Oct. 1843.— "Edin-
burgh Musical Festival. Nor can we subscribe to
the propriety of having a male soprano, when so
excellent a one as Miss M. B. Hawes could easily
have been secured."
8. Musical World, No. 42: London, 1843. —
" Edinburgh Musical Festival. One thing provoked
me, viz. the lovely song, ' Oh thon that tellest,' irbich
has such a heavenly effect when calmly warbled by
a counteralto or a mezzo-soprano, was given to
Mr. Hawkins, a counter-tenor, and thus unneces-
sarily spoiled."
9. Treatise on Music in Chambers's Information
for the People, written by George Hogarth. — " The
male voice of the highest pitch is called tenor, of
the lowest, bass. The female voice of the highest
pitch is called treble or soprano, of the lowest pitch,
contralto."
In conclusion, I think it necessary to add, that a
great many teachers of music in England, and also in
Scotland, andamongst those the most talented, have
exerted themselves against the use of male counter-
tenors. And it is to be hoped that it may soon be
universally acknowledged to be better that the part
of counter-tenor, or alto, should be sung by female
voices, and that in this way it should be introduced
in all places where vocal music is performed.
101, Fife. Place, Glasgow, 1844
THE CLOSE OF THE YEAR 1843.
CARE SOLILOQCISETH.
Life! dazzling pageant ! plumed with hope;
Thy flaunting banners, feverish dreams ;
Thy shows unreal as meteor gleams
That flash awhile, then die;
'Tis but a moment and shall drop
From this year's glass the ebbing sand
Which Time holds with unsteady hand,
Bow'd head, and tear-dimmed eye.
VIRTUE ADDRESSETH CONSCIENCE
What tale does miser memory hoard.
Which pure hearts laugh'd.to see begun.
Which joy can banquet gaily on,
And conscience still approve.
Didst thou e'er heap the needy's board.
Or comfort to the mourner send ;
Did justice with thy dealings blend,
And single hearted love.
Did no vain glory prompt thy deed,
Nor appetite for vulgar praise.
No wish to court the approving gaze ?
A bright reward tliou hast.
Pure memories hover round thy head ;
A fount of happiness is thine ;
Reflection thence will ever twine
Thy future with thy past.
HOPE SPBAKBTH TO THE BEREAVED HEART.
Have ties been rent which friendship bound
Or hearts divorced which love had knit.
Are bosoms cold which heaven had lit
With empyrean light.
Look from thyself above, around,
See nature labouring full of bliss.
Think of that pure world after this
Where balm awaits thy blight.
THE OLD YEAR COUNSELLETH.
A truce to care. Act well thy part^
For see how young Time presses on
With brighter suns than ever shone
To grace the coming year.
Again shall bound the aching heart,
To greet the wanderer's glad return.
Then, ah, awhile forget to mourn,
Love ! Hope ! and banish fear. . J. M