'TIS THE LAST ROSE OF SUMMER. A song written by Thomas Moore to the tune of 'The Groves of Blarney'; this again being possibly a variation of an older air called 'The Young Man's dream,' which Moore has adapted to the words 'As a beam on the face of the waters may glow.' Blarney, near Cork, became popular in 1788 or 1789, and it was then that the words of 'The Groves of Blarney' were written by R. A. Millikin, an attorney of Cork. The tune may be older, though this is not at all certain: it is at all events a very beautiful and characteristic Irish melody. We give it in both its forms, as it is a good example of the way in which Moore, with all his taste, often destroyed the peculiar character of the melodies he adapted.[1]
The Groves of Blarney.
![{ \relative d' { \key g \major \time 3/4 \tempo "Slow." \partial 16*5
\repeat volta 2 {
d16[ g8. a16] | b4 g'8.[ fis16 e8. d16] |
d8.( c16) b8.[ g16 g8. a16] | %end line 1
d8.[( d16) c8. b16] a8.\trill g16 | g4.. }
d'16[ e8. fis16] | g4 fis8[ e fis8. e16] | %end line 2
e8.[ d16 b8. d16] e8. fis16 | g4 fis8[ e fis8.\trill e16] |
e4.. fis16[ g8. fis16] | e4 d8.[ c16 b8. a16] | %end line 3
b8.[ g16 e8. d16] g8. a16 | b8.[ d16 c8. b16] a8.\trill g16 |
g4.. \bar "||" } }](http://upload.wikimedia.org/score/f/z/fzdto9r0238zf8iwykl8epto8mbsi6b/fzdto9r0.png)
The Last Rose of Summer.
![{ \relative e' { \key e \major \time 3/4 \tempo "Feelingly." \partial 4 \autoBeamOff \override Score.Rest #'style = #'classical
e8. fis16 | gis4 e' \slashedGrace dis8 cis8.[ b16] |
b8 gis4. e8.[ fis16] | %end line 1
gis4 \slashedGrace b8 a[ gis] \slashedGrace gis fis8.[ e16] |
e4 r e8. fis16 | gis4 e' \slashedGrace dis8 cis8.[ b16] | %eol 2
b8 gis4. e8.[ fis16] |
gis4 \slashedGrace b8 a8.[ gis16] \slashedGrace gis8 fis8.[ e16] |
e2 b'8.[ gis16] | %eol 3
e'4 e8[( dis)] \slashedGrace dis8 cis8.[ b16] |
b4 gis b8.[ gis16] | e'4 e8[ dis] cis[ bis] | %end line 4
\afterGrace cis4\turn { bis8[ cis dis] } e4\fermata e,8. fis16 |
gis4 e' \slashedGrace dis8 cis8.[ b16] | b8 gis4 r8 e8.[ fis16] %e5
gis4 \slashedGrace b8 a[ gis] \slashedGrace gis8 fis[ e] | e2 }
\addlyrics { 'Tis the last rose of sum -- mer. Left
bloom -- ing a -- lone; All her love -- ly com --
pan -- ions Are fa -- ded and gone; No
flow'r of her kin -- dred, No rose -- bud is
nigh, _ To re -- flect back her blush -- es Or
give sigh for sigh. } }](http://upload.wikimedia.org/score/n/u/nuzey20xg5npp6rm13evtt7a3yllc14/nuzey20x.png)
Beethoven (20 Irische Lieder, No. 6) has set it, in E♭, to the words 'Sad and luckless was the season.' Mendelssohn wrote a fantasia on the air, published as op. 15,[2] considerably altering the notation; and Flotow has made it the leading motif in the latter part of 'Martha.' Berlioz's enthusiasm for the tune equals his contempt for the opera. 'The delicious Irish air was so simply and poetically sung by Patti, that its fragrance alone was sufficient to disinfect the rest of the work.'[3]
[ G. ]
TITZE, or TIETZE, Ludwig, member of the Imperial chapel and of the Tonkünstler-Societät, and Vice-Pedell of the University of Vienna, born April i, 1797, died Jan. 11, 1850. Possessor of a sympathetic and highly-trained tenor voice, with a very pure style of execution, Titze was universally popular. He sang at the Concerts Spirituels, and acted as choir-master, Karl Holz being leader, and Baron Lannoy conductor. Between 1822 and 1839 he appeared at 26 concerts of the Tonkünstler-Societät, singing the tenor solos in such works as Handel's 'Solomon,' 'Athaliah,' 'Jephthah,' and 'Messiah, 'and Haydn's 'Creation' and 'Seasons,' associated in the latter with Staudigl after 1833. From 1822 he also sang at innumerable concerts and soirées of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde. His special claim to distinction, however, was his production of Schubert's songs at these soirées. He sang successively, 'Rastlose Liebe' (1824 and 31); 'Erlkönig' (1825); 'Der Einsame' (1826); 'Nachthelle' (1827); 'Norman's Gesang' (March 8, 1827, accompanied by Schubert on the PF., and 1839); 'Gute Nacht' (1828); 'Der blinde Knabe,' and 'Drang in die Ferne' (1829); 'Liebesbotschaft,' and 'Auf dem Strome' (1832); 'An mein Herz,' 'Sehnsucht,' and 'Die Sterne' (1833); besides taking his part in the quartets 'Geist der Liebe' (1823 and 32); 'Die Nachtigall' (1824); 'Der Gondelfahrer' (1825); and the solo in the 'Song of Miriam' (1832). At the single concert given by Schubert, March 26, 1828, he sang 'Auf dem Strome,' accompanied on the French horn by Lewy, jun.. and on the PF. by Schubert. These lists show that Schubert's works were not entirely neglected in Vienna. His name appears in the programmes of the Gesellschaft soirées 88 times between 1821 and 1840.
[ C. F. P. ]
TOCCATA (Ital.), from toccare, to touch, is the name of a kind of instrumental composition originating in the beginning of the 17th century. As the term Sonata is derived from the verb suonare, to sound, and may thus be described as a sound-piece, or Tonstück, so the similarly formed term Toccata represents a touch-piece, or a composition intended to exhibit the touch and execution of the performer. In this respect it is somewhat synonymous with the prelude and fantasia; but it has its special characteristics, which are so varied as to make them difficult to define clearly. The most obvious are a very flowing movement in notes of equal length and a homophonous character, there being often indeed in the earlier examples but one part throughout, though occasionally full chords were employed. There is no decided subject which is made such by repetition, and the whole has the air of a
- ↑ The writer is indebted to Mr. T. W. Joyce for the above Information. See too Mr. and Mrs. S. C. Hall's 'Ireland.' i. 49, and Lover's 'Lyrics of Ireland.'
- ↑ Of the date of this piece no trace is forthcoming. It probably belongs to his first English visit. Its publication (by Spina) appears to date from Mendelssohn's visit to Vienna, en route to Italy.
- ↑ 'Lettres intimes,' p. 283.
