" Swiftly sailing on the ocean." Air by BELLINI ;
adapted to English words by H. R. BISHOP.
" BELLINI," says a late writer in the London Review, had a genius for melody." This Song may be taken up as an apt illustration of the remark. It consists of a sevenfold repetition of the same phrase ; one half of which phrase is but the scale of G, with the most meagre and commonplace accompaniment, adapted to words. Our ground of corn- plaint against BELLINI is not that his melodies are simple; but that simplicity, the handmaid of elegance, is with him only the attendant on dulness. The first kind of simplicity may be illustrated by Mo- zaaT's " Ah perdona :" those who wish to see the second exemplified, may turn to the present song ; and if they desire to pursue the inquiry further, let them examine and compare the respective operas of these masters.
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