MUSIC.
"Beauties of Byron." The Poetry selected from the Works of Lord BYRON; the Music composed by ALEXANDER LEE.
Mr. LEE has contributed, as much as any man living, to the inunda- tion of mawkish trash which depraves the public taste in music, and renders it an irksome task to perform the solid and somewhat difficult vocal compositions of the great masters. This is only so much the worse on the part of Mr. LEE, that the very handsome volume before us indicates powers superior to those which he generally thinks it worth his while to exert. The last song in the collection, " The Garden of Roses," is by far the best. Its melody is very expressive, and the ac- companiment is masterly. The accompaniments, indeed, are good throughout, even where the airs are trite and commonplace; which is the case with several of them. The second song, " There's not an eye will weep for me," is very beautiful. Its slight resemblance to the famous air of Count GALLENBERG cannot be considered as a fault. "Though the day of my destiny's over," is pleasing, and very effec- tive in its modulation. The others do not call for any particular notice.
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