NEW MUSICAL PUBLICATIONS.
A Guide to Theory, or Practical Thorough-Bass. By A. DE.• VAUX.
It is often said that music is a hard study, rendered more difficult by many who have endeavoured to impart the knowledge which they have acquired. We fear Mr. DEVAUX'S book will not tend to remove this impression. It is the work of a man who understands the subject he professes to teach, but not the art of communicating the knowledge which he has acquired.
Let us begin with him at his first step.
"ois CLOSES AND CADENCES.
" Music, like every language, has its phrases and paraphrases, the termina- tions of which are called Closes and Cadences : they seldom or ever occur on the unaccented part of the bar.
" Closes are of four kinds, viz, the full close, half-close, deceptive close, and dose delayed. " The full close is that which ends on the tonic or Do; and may be preceded either by the chords of the dominant or sub-dominant. The halt-close is that which terminates on the dominant or Sol ; and is preceded either by the tonic or sub-dominant. The deceptive cadence terminates on the sub.dominant or Fa; and is preceded by the tonic or the dominant. All these may have their transpositions from the major to the minor key." Now, what is a learner to gather from this accumulation of unex- plained technicalities : some of which are (as far as we know for the first time) substituted for terms of similar import in general use ? In an elementary work, nothing is so necessary as the employment of clear and definite terms—terms which leave no doubt or confusion ott the mind of the learner, and the meaning of which cannot be mis- taken ; whereas such as those which abound in the above extract im- part no ideas to the learner : and the power to explain such a passage as this presupposes the possession of the very knowledge it designs to impart. He who can construe Mr. DEVAUX'S book, therefore, has no need of it.
With the help of a master to explain what is enigmatical, and to correct the scoring or playing the exercises which occupy the greater portion of this volume, it may be found useful.
The Coronal ; a Collection of Songs. By Mrs. A. KERR.
In her preface to this collection, Mrs. KERR expresses her hope of "disarming censure if not of escaping criticism, since it is but as an amateur composer she solicits attention to a work which has been the solace of some mournful hours." Thus appealed to, we are reluctant to give such an opinion of her publication as stern justice would de- mand. The songs are such as any lady who has proceeded a very few steps in the study of harmony might write ; and it is pleasing to find that a practical use of even this limited knowledge has sufficient interest to beguile some mournful hours of their weariness. The mistake is in thinking it necessary to publish such compositions. If Mrs. KERR, and the formidable array of lady composers who figure at the end of her volume, did but know how little the discreet professor publishes compared with what he writes, they would probably hesitate before they despatched their unsifted productions to the engraver. SPOFFORTII printed a collection of six glees ; having in his possession at that time more than a hundred, which his executors, unwisely, published. Ile bad estimated the relative value of his productions more rigorously, and more accurately : the six live—the hundred are forgotten.
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