al discipline and intelligence. The fourth, for chorus ("How lovely
is Thy Dwelling-place, O Lord of Hosts"), is in striking contrast with
its predecessor, being a slow movement, and very melodious in style. The
fifth ("Ye now are sorrowful, grieve not"), for soprano solo and chorus,
shows the composer's unusual power as a song-writer, as well as his
melodious attractiveness when melody answers his purpose. In the next
number, set for chorus with baritone solo responses ("Here on Earth we
have no continuing Place, we seek now a heavenly one"), the character of
the music changes again, and the resurrection of the dead is pictured in
fugal passages of tremendous power and difficulty. After the storm comes
the calm again in the finale ("Blessed are the Faithful who in the Lord
are sleeping"), which contains a reminiscence of the opening number, and
closes the work in a gentle, but deeply serious strain. It was the
"German Requiem" which first made Brahms famous; it confirmed all that
Schumann had said of him. Its great difficulties require an extraordinary
chorus and orchestra; but when these can be had, the power and beauty of
the work will always be conceded.

COSTA.

Michael Costa, the eminent conductor and composer, was born at Naples,
Feb. 4, 1810. Having displayed musical aptitude at a very early age, he
was placed in the Royal Academy of Music. Before his twenty-first year he
had composed several works, among them a mass for four voices, a "Dixit
Dominus," three symphonies, an oratorio, "La Passione," the ballet music
to "Kenilworth," and the operas, "Il Delitto punito," "Il Sospetto
funesto," "Il carcere d' Ildegonda," and "Malvina,"--the last for the San
Carlo at Naples. In 1829 he was sent to England by his master Zingarelli
to conduct one of the latter's compositions at Birmingham; and that
country thereafter became his home. The next year he was engaged at the
King's Theatre, now known as Her Majesty's, as piano-master, and two
years later became the musical director. He was the first to bring the
band to its proper place, though he had to make a hard fight against the
ballet, which at that time threatened to absorb both singers and
orchestra, and to sweep the musical drama from the stage. He succeeded,
however, and did much also to improve the composition of the orchestra.
While holding this position he wrote the ballets, "Une heure a Naples"
and "Sir Huon" for Taglioni