The Present State of Music in France and Italy Book

Subtitle: Or, the Journal of a Tour Through Those Countries, Undertaken to Collect Materials for a General History of Music General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1773 Original Publisher: T. Becket Subjects: Music Musicians Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: M. Balbaftre introduced me to M. Cou periri, after the fervice was over, and 1 was glad to fee two eminent men of the fame profeffion, fo candid and friendly together. M. Couperin feems to be be-r tween forty and fifty; and his tafte is not quite fo modern, perhaps, as it might be; but allowance made for his time of life, for the tafte of his nation, and for the changes mufic has undergone clfewhere, fincc his youth, he is an excellent organ- ift; brilliant in execution, varied in his melodies, and mafterly in his modulation. It is much to be wifhed that fome opportunity, like this annual meeting, were given in England to our organifts, who have talents, and good inftruments Jo difplay. It would awaken emulation, and be a ftimulus to genius; the performer would be fure of being well heard, and the congregation well entertained. The The organ of St. Gervais, which feems to be a very good one, is almoft new; it was made by the fame builder, M. Cli- quard, as that of St. Rocque. The pedals have three octaves in compafs; the tone of the loud organ is rich, full, and pleaf ing, when the movement is flow ; but in. quick paflages, fuch is the reverberation in thefe large buildings, every thing is indiftinft and confufed. Great latitude- is allowed to the performer in thefe interludes ; nothing is too light or too grave, all ftyles are admitted; and though M. Couperin has the true organ touch, fmooth and connected; yet he often t...Read More