MUSIC. .
"The Musical Forget Me• Not for Mi."
Mr. AcKERMANN, the father of the English Annuals, has now en- tered the lists with the 'nude-publishers. His present volume differs from, that of D'st s.acanes, and some other of its fellows, being ex- clusively devOWd to music ; but it closely resembles tbentin the Cha- leder of its contents, and in the list of its contributors. Messrs. RAYMOND, BAYLY, RYAN, VW/ft/VC, &C. seem to be the. Annual poets, _assisted by Mrs.. C., 13 Wmson, Miss Mze ream• and a few others. The getting up of this. Annual is prepossessing : it is. handsome, without being gaudy, and the embellishments are well executed. In these important points, it, was to be anticipated that Mr. Awce antaarsr would excel. His musical contributors are Bisnoe, Ronwsee, Anessox,„ Comte, PARRY, BARNET T—hlshort, nearly the same as those who fur. nish out the pages of the Bijou. Thesougs which have the greatest degree of merit are T. COONE'S " I'll come to thee," ADDISON's " Wedding Ring," and RODWELL'S " Refusal." Most of the others are meagre, com- monplace things. Mrs. C. B. AVILsON's " Lady and Pilgrim" contains at wearisome repetition of the same phrase twenty-nine times in three pages. The same dreary monotony pervades Mr. Macansely's " I thought of thee," and some others. Mr. T. H. BAYLY here appears as musician ite well as poet. He cannot do better than pursue this . occupation, for there is a complete assimilation between his voice and verse," such as no other composer can hope to attain. They certainly " run in a per feet parallel." Ramerres duet, " Come gently down," is easy 11114 pretty. 1:Imams's glee, " The Song of the Sea King," stands out in strong contrast to the tame, insipid character of the majority of the, vocal pieces. It discovers his masterly hand both in conception and. arrangement, and, for that very reason, will be the least admired and appreciated by the probable purchasers of this volume. Of the instru.. mental pieces, the most prominent one is " an original Theme with Variations by tleuz"—extending through nineteen pages, and display.. ing many characteristic features of the author's style, as well as de.. mending no common powers of execution.
This Annual exhibits no intrinsic marks of superiority above its fel- lows. Every thing in form, shape, colour, embellishment—in short, all that is on the surface—is good : but we take leave of its contents with. out a wish ever again to hear a repetition of more than two of them.
New System for learning and acquiring extraordinary Facility on all Musical Instruments, as well as Singing, &c. &c. in S very short space of time. By AUGUSTE BERTINI.
Fortunately for the public, they need only read the titlepage of this work to be satisfied of its author's incompetency to do what he pretends. It is utterly impossible that "an extraordinary facility" on any musical instrument, or in singing, can be acquired 'in a very short space of time." Patient toil and persevering labour are the necessary require. ments for him who wishes to excel in any art ; it must be " line upon line, and precept upon precept." Like his predecessor LOGIER, M. BERTINI deprecates the opinion of prejudiced or interested individuals ; but it requires no professional experience to satisfy any human being endued with common sense, that the promise which he holds out cannot be realized. No musical skill is required to combat a " system" at va- riance with those laws of nature which apply equally to music, to medi- cine, and mathematics. Like many other short roads," this is one of the longest—like many." simple and succinct arrangements," this is one of the most incomprehensible and roundabout.
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