of Samaria ought to sing a song of conversion in the portion of the
cantata in which the new air is placed. It is clear from the original
preface[2] that he thought of her as an impulsive woman who would
naturally be carried from worldliness into the opposite extreme of
religious devotion."
The introduction of the air also gives more importance to the soprano
part and relieves the succession of choral movements in the close of the
work. The remaining numbers are the beautiful chorale, "Abide with me,
fast falls the Eventide;" the chorus, "Now we believe," one of the most
finished in the whole work; a short tenor solo ("His Salvation is nigh
them that fear Him"),--the only one in the oratorio for that voice; the
chorus, "I will call upon the Lord;" and the final imposing fugue,
"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel." The last number is a fitting close
to a work which is not only highly descriptive of its subject throughout,
but also full of feeling and devotional reverence.
[2] "With regard to the Woman of Samaria herself, it will be plainly seen
that the composer has treated her as a secular and worldly character,
though not without indications here and there of that strong intuitive
religious feeling which has never been denied to her. This feeling is
especially shown when she says: 'I know that Messias cometh; when He is
come He will tell us all things.' Also, towards the end of the
narrative, where she passionately exclaims to the Samaritans: 'Come,
see a man who told me all the things that ever I did: is not this the
Christ?'"--_Original Preface_.
BERLIOZ.
Hector Berlioz, one of the most renowned of modern French composers, and
an acute critic and skilful conductor as well, was born, Dec. 11, 1803,
at La Cote St. Andre, in France. His father was a physician, and intended
him for the same profession. He reluctantly went to Paris and began the
study of medicine; but music became his engrossing passion, and medicine
was abandoned. He entered the Conservatory as a pupil of Lesueur, and
soon showed himself superior to all his masters, except Cherubini,--which
aroused a strong opposition to him and his compositions. It was only
after repeated trials that he took the first prize, with his cantata,
"Sardanapale," which entitled him to go to Italy for three years. On his
return to Paris he encountered renewed antipathy. His music was not well
received, a
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