Rossini and his School (" The Great Musicians"). By H.
Suther- land Edwards. (Sampson Low and Co.)—We cannot say that Rossini's life is comparable in point of interest for the general public to many biographies of men of less eminence, but Mr. Sutherland Edwards's easy style and flowing narrative make it pleasant reading. He gives us the familiar facts of Rossini's parentage and early debut, the dates of the production of his operas, with their casts. As the schoolboy said of the geography, "There are a heap of proper names, but they are not meant to be remembered." Mr. Sutherland Edwards rightly insists on Rossini's indebtedness to Mozart, in re-
&Icing the predominance of the sopranists, assigning leading parts to bans singers, accompanying recitative with the full band, and per- fecting concerted finales. Some of the anecdotes in this book are really amusing, particularly that of the first production of the Barber. An untuned guitar with which Garcia, the tenor, has to serenade Rosins, makes a had beginning ; and when it is followed by a string breaking during the tuning, the fall of Don Basilio over an open trap, his being obliged to sing "La Calunnia " with a handkerchief to his mouth, there is nothing wanted to com- plete the absurdity but the appearance of a cat, which, chased one way by Figaro, another by Bartholo, finally takes refuge in the skirts of Rosina's dress ! A brief examination of the merits of Bellini, Donizetti, and Verdi occupies two chapters, and appropriately finishes a work in which the subject will please musical people, and Mr. Edwards's curiosa felicitas the general reader.
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