William Gardiner. The Music of Nature;

or, an attempt to prove that what is passionate and pleasing in the art of singing, speaking, and performing upon musical instruments, is derived from the sounds of The Animated World. Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green, and Logman and T. Combe and Son; and A. Cockshaw, Leicester, London 1832. 23 x 15 cm. 12, 530 S. With curious and interesting illustrations (Noten und einer Farbtafel). Leinenband der Zeit (beschabt und bestoßen, Rücken eingerissen, Deckelbezug mit Fehlstellen).- Erste Ausgabe.- William Gardiner (1770-1853), composer and author, was born in Leicester on 15 March 1770. His father, a Leicester manufacturer, was an amateur musician and composed at least one hymn tune (preserved in the first volume of his son’s Sacred Melodies, 1812), yet he did little to encourage William’s precocious talents, and judged that the smallest possible amount of general knowledge would be sufficient for a career in the hosiery trade. However, the young Gardiner’s enquiring mind led him to the meetings of the Adelphi Philosophical Society, formed in Leicester by Richard Phillips. This 1832 book by the innovative English composer William Gardiner (1770–1853) combined natural history, personal observation and historical anecdotes with his passion for music. Gardiner aimed to explain the ‘true principles of musical taste and expression’ by listening to the ‘germs of melody’ in nature. The English composer and concert producer William Gardiner (1770–1853) published this work in 1832 in order to explain the ‘true principles of musical taste and expression’ by listening to the ‘germs of melody’ in nature. Here he musically notates the sounds of oxen, a Newfoundland dog, a blackbird, a cooing dove and even an angry child in an attempt to combine natural history, personal observation and historical anecdotes with his passion for music. Notable for introducing Beethoven’s music to Britain, Gardiner sets out his general beliefs about the adaptability of the human ear, the differences between noise and sound, singing and oratory, and the musicality of ordinary language. He also discusses many noted singers of his day and delves into the different techniques used by singers and instrumentalists to elicit emotion in their audiences.- Ordentliches Exemplar.