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THE
When people realize that what appears to be un-
intelligible to them in music depends, nevertheless,
upon the same laws that govern the construction
of the simplest tune, they will begin to realize that
the difficulty which they have had in appreciating
the more complex does not exist because the latter
are unintelligible, but because their dependence
upon the fundamental laws has not been per-
ceived. This, in turn, will be likely to lead to in-
quiry as to the nature and meaning of these laws.
Thus a great step forward will have been taken.
The new conception of music, therefore, toward
which we are aiming is certainly to be based upon
principles identical with those which are taught to
the ordinary musician. The difference, however,
will lie in the manner in which they are im-
parted. To make the average man understand
that there is anything intelligible about the art
of music, we must give him some standard or
criterion whereon he may erect some basis for
comparison. This standard can be found easily
enough. It is based solely upon comparison of
expression through musical terms with expression
through language.
In the next article we shall develop this idea
and show how a complete new conception of
music, abolishing the necessity for dependence
upon the present style of notation, may be had
through a species of parallelism based upon the
laws of literary expression. It will be shown that
by means of such a comparison a novel and effec-
tive conception of musical art can be obtained by
the uninstructed layman. We shall continue the
discussion in the January number of this section.
(To be continued.)
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
mendous power of Handel thlan the fact that in
less than three weeks he composed for chorus,
soloists, organ and orchestra an oratorio on the
subject most sacred to the Christian, comprising
an overture, an intermezzo or pastoral symphony,
sixteen recitatives, seventeen arias, one duet and
twenty choruses. - Add to this the fact that Handel
himself chose his words from the Bible, and that
his choice is in every way dignified and noble, and
we should begin to realize the extraordinary nature
of the task which this man conceived and accom-
plished. In spite of the extraordinarily high
pressure under which he must have worked, there
is not a dull p(age in the whole score, while in
places his inspiration rises to a height of grandeur
simply overwhelming. Every music lover, without
reference at all to religious feeling, should make it
his business to hear the "Messiah" at least two or
three times in his life. No one can listen to the
tremendous outburst of praise in the Hallelujah
Chorus without feeling uplifted, ennobled and
purified. The "Messiah" stands (absolutely alone,
and in all probability there will never be anything
like it again.
Our Taste.
It is unfortunate that, comparatively speaking,
there has been little of Handel's "Messiah" ar-
ranged for the player-piano. The most unfor-
tunate thing about this poor showing is that it in-
dicates a decadence in public taste. It is not the
fault of music-roll manufacturers that they do not
see fit to make larrangements from a sublime work
like this, for they would only be too glad to do so
if there were any sale for them. Glancing over a
catalog of music rolls, we observe twelve arrange-
ments from the "Messiah" which were published
in the days when 65-note players were all that
were available. Not one of these twelve has been
republished by the manufacturer in the 88-note
music, which clearly shows the wretched state of
public taste to-day. How unfortunate it is that
the present generation, to say nothing of those
who follow, prefer the inanities of the musical
show or the popular song to a work like this,
which from end to end teems with the most beau-
tiful melodies and is inspired throughout by the
noblest and grandest sentiment.
Gulbransen
Piano Platpr
Obtainable in the Piano of your choice
A HEART TO HEART TALK
Oratorios.
This is the season of the year when the oratorio
societies, to say nothing of the choral clubs and
church choirs, are holding their final rehearsals
for the annual Christmas festival. Such hold as
oratorio 'has gained upon the minds of the Ameri-
can people is an indication that something at least
of the old-fashioned English remains in us. Eng-
land is the home of oratorios, the land where the
music of Handel is universally familiar and uni-
versally 'beloved. In the Midlands, or in that mar-
velously grimy, marvelously busy and marvelously
wretched district of the Potteries, which have re-
cently found a modern prophet in Arnold Bennett,
everybody (belongs to a choral club or society.
Miners and pottery workers sing in the great
choruses from the "Messiah" or sit in the string,
•brass and wood sections of the orchestras which
play Handel's music. A love for oratorio is char-
acteristic of Protestant rat/her than of Roman
practice in 'Christianity. The words and music of
•the "Messiah" from end to end are as familiar to
all classes in England as the latest rag-time atrocity
is here. Yet oratorio has a certain hold on us in
•this country, especially at Christmas time. Thou-
sands of people go every year to concert halls in
the great cities to helar the "Messiah " sung, with
world-famous soloists and huge choruses to the
accompaniment of grand organs and srhphony or-
chestras; while in smaller towns everywhere
choruses of a few dozen, with local soloists and
the good old church organ, do their best enthusias-
tically to render Handel's inspired work.
The Messiah.
Handel's "Messiah," however, should not be re-
garded as something which we hear because it is
"good" for us, in the sense that medicine is good
for us. Happy the man or woman who can realize
the marvelous sublimity of the Hallelujah Chorus,
the heart-breaking pathos of the air "He was
despised and rejected," or the tender sweetness
of "He Shall Feed His Flock." Written more
than 150 years ago in the space of twenty days,
Handel's "Messiah" remains an absolutely over-
powering monument of sublimity and musical in-
spiration. Indeed, so high does the "Messiah"
•tower over every other work in the same form
that, nineteen people out of twenty, when the word
"oratorio" is mentioned, instantly think o'f that
one word. Nothing, could so clearly show the tre-
Mr. Piano Dealer, How Is Your Player Business ?
How many player-pianos did you sell in 1912? How many
complaints did you receive? How did the player manufacturer
back you up?
Are your customers satisfied? Do they pay promptly and buy
more music-rolls? What help in closing sales and in satisfying
customers did the manufacturer give you? Are you troubled with
big allowances and too many used pianos?
Mr. Dealer, ask yourself these ques-
tions and write down the answers.
Then you will knozu where you stand
on the player business. You can
stand a lot better at the end of 1913
if you adopt the Gulbransen Player
and use Gulbransen selling methods.
No need to change your relations with
your present piano manufacturers un-
less you want to. They will be glad to
furnish their pianos containing Gul-
bransen Players if you say the word.
Or you can have your pianos shipped
to us first and we will install our
players ourselves. Yes, the Gulbran-
sen Player can be installed in any up-
right piano, large or small.
If you adopt the Gulbransen as your
standard player in every piano you
handle you w'ill do a much Trigger
business in 1913. You'll find selling
easier, complaints fewer. You will
know what a real guarantee means.
Payments will come in promptly and
you'll do a big business in music rolls
with happy, satisfied customers.
You can make your used pianos read-
ily salable by changing them into
player-pianos. You can install play-
ers in pianos whose owners will not
trade them in for player-pianos, or
who want too much for them in trade.
You can do a lot of money-making
things you are now shut out of.
Wake u p ! Ask our price for install-
ing a Gulbransen Player in one of
your used pianos. Then you can try
it out for yourself. Write us to-day
and get our special price.
GULBRANSEN-DICKINSON CO.
Address: The Display Rooms, 1215 North American Bldg., Chicago
Factories at Chicago and New York City