MUSIC.
Chants Poionais, Nationaux et Poptilaires; avec Accompagne- ment de Piano on Harpe. Par ALBERT Sourtivsxt. Paris, 1830.
These popular airs have been collected and arranged by A. SOWINSKI, the celebrated pianoforte-player. Most of them possess the peculiar features of traditional music; but they are at the same time distin- guished from others of the same class, by the prominent or marked character of the rhythm ; so that they are well calculated to make good dance-tunes ; and in fact many of them are sung and danced to, at the same time. The song called the " Duma Ukrainska," which is sung with great fervour, appears to have more originality about it than the rest : It is in the key of 0 minor, and from the sentiment of grief and despair which pervades it, is connected by the people with their political con- dition. The following simple and lively air is constantly sung by every body in Poland, and verses are improvised- to it without end. We give it without the accompaniment.
Vivace.
The strain in the second and third bars is repeated seven times, in the example given in the work.
M. SOWINSKI'S harmonies are correct, and generally simple and ap- propriate, both in the accompaniments to the original airs and in hi a own symphonies.
A French 'translation of each song is printed opposite to the Polish words, so that we may understand what they are about. The Poles have lost their political existence; it is some consolation to see them living in the world of literature and art, and adding their cons tribntions to the sum of human enjoyments, though their hopes of nit. tional regeneration seem to have abandoned them for ever.
Previous page
