ither his letters nor his
biographers throw much light upon the history of "Christus." Lampadius
says: "The oratorio was laid out upon a grand scale. It was to be in
three parts,--the career on earth, the descent into hell, the ascent to
heaven." This plan must have been subsequently changed, for the fragments
of the oratorio are included in two parts, though they entirely pertain
to the earthly career. There are in all eight complete numbers,--three
from the first part, and five from the second. The first part opens with
a soprano recitative ("When Jesus our Lord was born in Bethlehem"),
leading to a strong trio for tenor and two basses ("Say, where is he
born?"), the question of the Wise Men from the East. The chorus replies,
"Then shall a Star from Jacob come forth," closing with the old German
chorale, "Wie schoen leuchtet der Morgenstern" ("How brightly shines the
Morning Star!"), in plain, flowing harmony.

The fragments of the second part are in the form of the passion-music,
and include five tenor recitatives, narrating the dialogue between
Pilate, the Elders and the People, and his final order, "Take ye him and
crucify him, for I cannot find a fault in him," and several short, angry
choruses of the Jews, accusing Jesus and calling for his death, leading
to a beautiful chorus for mixed voices ("Daughters of Zion, weep"), and
closing with an effective chorale for male voices in the genuine Bach
style:--

"He leaves his heavenly portals,
Endures the grief of mortals,
To raise our fallen race.
O love beyond expressing!
He gains for us a blessing,
He saves us by redeeming grace.

"When thou, O sun, art shrouded,
By night or tempest clouded,
Thy rays no longer dart;
Though earth be dark and dreary,
If, Jesus, thou art near me,
'Tis cloudless day within my heart."

MOZART.

Johann Chrysostomus Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, one of the most remarkable
musical geniuses the world has produced, and the only one of his
contemporaries whose operas still hold the stage with unimpaired
freshness, was born at Salzburg, Jan. 27, 1756. He was the son of Leopold
Mozart, the Salzburgian Vice-Capellmeister, who gave him and his sister
Nannerl their earliest instructions in music, and with such good results
that the children travelled and gave concerts with great success. Before
he was seven years of age, he had composed several pieces for piano and
violin