"Thy valley, sweet Devon ;" a Ballad. The Poetry by
Captain CHARLES GRAY; the Music composed by JOHN MAY.
These verses are sweetly written ; and there is a melancholy tender. ness in them which indicates that they were written under the infiu. ence of real, and not fictitious feeling. The composer has done his part very creditably : the air, though not original (but when have we an original air ?) is smooth, and well suited to the poetry. The pianoforte accompaniment, though simple, is judicious and effective. A fastidious critic might object to one or two slight deviations from strict purity ia the harmony ; but they are not such as to be sensibly felt.
CARL CEERNY'S Practical Pianoforte School, for two per- formers ; consisting of Sixty Progressive Exercises.
CARL CZERNY is one of the greatest performers of the day—probably the very greatest, in so far as manual dexterity is concerned. He has condescended to write a set of exercises, level, at the commencement, to the capacity of the very youngest pupils, and gradually advancing in difficulty ; and has so constructed them as to initiate learners pro. gressively in the niceties of fingering and time, while their ears are accustomed to pleasing effects in melody and harmony. We have only seen the first of the four books of which this work is stated to con. sist ; but, judging of the whole from this part, we axe convinced that, when used under the directions of a teacher, (for unassisted practice, at first, will teach nothing but bad habits,) it will be found one of the most valuable works of the kind that has appeared.
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