Page:The Library, volume 5, series 3.djvu/362

 348 REVIEW. The second volume includes a catalogue of the authors of the librettos in the colleftion, another of the composers, and a third of the songs in- cidentally mentioned. Mr. Sonneck has done his work exceedingly well. His system of arrangement is lucid and business-like, and his annotations, so far as we have been able to check them, are as erudite and comprehensive as we should expeft from a historian of his reputation and ability. At some future time Mr. Sonneck may see his way to putting the world of music still more in his debt by bestowing upon it an index of plots, such as Riemann attempted on a much smaller scale in his < Opernbuch.' At present if one wishes, let us say for instance to trace the operatic history of the legend of the c Golden Fleece,' one would have to search in Mr. Sonneck's title-catalogue under a number of different headings, ' L'Argonaute in Colco,' ' II Velio d'Oro,' c Giasone,' 'Medea,' 'Teseo,' and, for all we know, others as well. But Mr. Sonneck has given us so much that it would be unjust to blame him for not giving us more. His catalogue will be a priceless possession to students of the history of opera, and we trust that the example of the Library of Congress will spur other libraries possessing fine collections of librettos to emulation. R. A. S.