Sea, sitting on the poop of his vessel, was playing the Lyra. Passing under the windows of the famous Ibrahim Pacha, he attracted the attention of the Sultana. Ibrahim Pacha sent for him, made him play to his favorite Sultana, and dismissed him laden with rich presents and favors.

The feasts of the Greeks are always concluded with songs, reminding one of the Skolia of the ancients, and in which still glow the embers of that fire which inspired Anacreon and Sappho.

The Lyra and the Lute are their favorite instruments. They generally sing and play together. Their lyre is very similar to that which is described in the sixth book of Virgil's Eneid, as the lyre of Orpheus. The strings are either struck pizzicato, or with a sort of bow, taking the place of the plectrum of the ancients. They have also the lyre (vielle), tymbals and the tympanon. The shepherds play the bagpipes, lyra and flute.

Their predilection for the art does not however go so far as to induce them to make it a profession. They have only amateurs; and this is, no doubt, the reason why the art is so far behind that perfection which it had reached with their ancestors.*

They know as little of the theory of music as the Turks. Their whole science is limited to learning by heart the tunes and accompaniments of their songs, and sometimes to repeating the songs which they have heard from Italians. Whoever has the talent to invent a tune, finds it difficult to teach it to others; for they have no other means than to repeat it until it is learnt by heart. There are very few who know how to put down a melody in writing; and whenever any one does it, he does it in characters of his own invention, and which he alone understands: for they know neither the notes of our music, nor the letters of the ancients. They sometimes use the accents; a mode of notation which, however, only shows the situation of the notes, but not their duration.

If they play or sing in chorus, it is always done in unison with the exception of the bass, chords are unknown to them.

The Greeks also confess to have lost the Rhythm, or the "Metron" of the ancients; and that what they call Rhythm, is only the measure of the time of their melodies.

* Edward Dodwell, in his "Classical and Topographical Tour through Greece, 1819," does not give a more favorable report of the present music of this people; but Pietro della Valle's " Viaggi in Turchia," Lady Montague's "Letters on Turkey," and Guis and Obson's "Empire Ottoman," speak better of it.

ON GRADATION IN MUSIC.

[TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN FOR THE MUSICAL MAGAZINE.]

We mean by gradation, in music as well as in the other fine arts, the progress from low to high, or from piano to forte, according to the laws of nature; which do not allow any sudden leap, but require a gradual and regular development. This gradation has become a law, which no composer or player can pass by; since all truth and probability in musical representation depend upon it. It is double; either external, physical; or internal, spiritual.

The first is the gradual rising and falling in the external appearance of musical pieces; the second is the rising and falling of the same, as affected by and corresponding to the rising and falling of our internal life, our feelings and passions. Music being considered not only as a play of sounds, but as the language of our feelings, must correspond with the claims which we make on language; that is, its contents must answer to the quantity and quality of the feelings which are represented; they must be distinctly perceived by its expression; in short, there must be truth in its representation, and the external form of music must correspond with its meaning. In our internal life nothing is done by leaps, but each succeeding sentiment is gradually developed from the former by defined laws; unless an external excitement removes the existing feeling, giving suddenly to the powers of the soul another direction; and in like manner musical thoughts must be gradually developed from the preceding ones, and have the same relation to each other that the affections of the soul have.

We further observe, that our emotions change every moment, being now stronger and now weaker, according to the importance of the ideas or images which pass before our souls; and to this also the musical expression must correspond, in order to be true and really effective. A piece of music thus composed and represented, may, in composition and performance, truly be called expressive.

But even if we do not lay this high standard on music, but consider it merely as a play of tones, calculated and designed, by change and variety, to excite our senses, and by a gentle irritation of our nervous system, to create a feeling of pleasure and delight, we require of it this gradation, without which it would become tediously monotonous. For instance, the Eolian harp, which can only be

considered as a pure play of tones, would soon tire us out by its monotony, if it did not give a constant rising and falling, an uninterrupted gradual change from low to high, from piano to forte.

[We have been politely favored with the subjoined extract of a letter, which we are very happy to insert for the sound advice it contains. EDTS.]

Extract of a Letter from a distinguished Professor of Music in London to Prof. L. Mason of this city.

"It gives me much pleasure to hear of the progress of music in your country. Young people and young nations are always energetic. Much I am sure may be effected with the rising generation of Boston, directed and animated as they are by your zealous yet chastened judgment. Keep your choralists to the long holding notes, and solid fugues of Palestrina, and Leo, and Handel; they will then be equal to any thing—except, perhaps, the florid style of the modern Italians, which assuredly cannot long survive. Mere dexterity, without the charm of grace, or natural expression, soon palls upon the senses.

HANDEL AND HAYDN SOCIETY.

This Society has taken a long lease of the Lion Theatre, and fitted it up as an elegant and commodious saloon for Musical Performances, and as a Lecture Room. The pit, or rather arena, has been raised and seated; and the scenes and partitions on the sides of the stage have been all taken away, making that part of the hall as wide and as high as the audience part. This arrangement leaves the atmospheric vibration free and unobstructed, and will undoubtedly give the house decided advantages over any in the city for musical performances. The stage part of the house is fitted up with seats, rising in a semicircular form, for the choir and orchestra; in the midst of which, at the end, is to be placed the Society's large and excellent organ. Their first performance in it will take place on Sunday evening the 29th current, when they will perform Handel's Messiah. We congratulate the Society on their new and superior accommodations.

TO OUR READERS.

The present number completes a year since this periodical was first offered for the patronage of the pub. It therefore closes the first volume; and we furnish not merely a table of contents, but a full index; in the hope that our readers have found the work of sufficient value to be preserved for future reference.

It has been our aim to fill our pages with matter that was both instructive and interesting at the same time. We have wished not to furnish matter for momentary amusement merely, but to contribute to extend our musical literature, to give valuable information on musical subjects which could not be obtained among us from any other source, to show the true value of the art, and to point out the proper course to be pursued in order to give it its proper influence on our happiness; in short, to give our readers a work which they would not merely read and lay aside, but which they would like to keep for reference as containing information that should always be useful.

If in the prosecution of this design we have been led into error, we think it must be a tendency to make the work too utilitarian, and to extract too little amusement from the musical occurrences of the day. We confidently hope and believe, that our readers accord to us the merit of having made the contents of the magazine instructive without being void of interest; and that they have found our remarks to be influenced by a high public aim for the improvement of the art among us, and not by any personal or party considerations. Such, at least, has constantly been our aim.

We have received but very little assistance in making up the contents of our pages; much less, indeed, than we had reason to hope. We regret this, for contributions especially on the state and prospects of music in the different localities around us, would have contributed much to enhance the interesting as well as the useful character of the Magazine. For articles of this kind we must be mainly indebted to correspondents.

Those gentlemen who have been so kind as to furnish articles for our pages, will please accept our warmest acknowledgments.