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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
I
f THE PLAYER-PIANISTS' DEPARTMENT
1
But to most people probably the music 01 merri-
ment will be more pleasing and attractive at this
time of year. And, fortunately, there is plenty of
material at hand. Po r Mozart always managed to
be jolly somehow 7 and his music is shot through
and through with the spirit of pure mirth. Take
the overture to the Marriage of Figaro, for in-
stance. How it trips along, gayly and merrily,,
without a hesitation or pause from beginning to
end! It is just one great laugh. Nobody can hear
it without perceiving that this is the prelude to a
merry, jolly opera. It is pure mirth, purely ex-
pressed by a mind masterly and pure.
Mozart's music is full of such merriment. And
THE MUSIC OF JOY AND MIRTH.
there are others. Even poor Schubert could be
happy. Surely the Scherzo of his Ninth Symphony
The emotion which we call joy forms by no is merry. And what shall be said of his setting to
means the most frequent subject upon which music "Hark! Hark! the Lark?" Gruff old Beethoven
voices her tones. For various reasons this may be himself could write comic absurdities like the
seen to be perfectly natural. Sin.ce the form of
rondo "Anger at the Loss of a Penny.'' And no
music is adapted to the expression of the deepest one will doubt that the Allegretto of the Eighth
mental states, however, it follows that it expresses Symphony is pure humor.
itself best of all when engaged in the depiction
Some people will be unable to see where humor
of joy, which is, in its true sense, the highest and can be associated with the name of Wagner. Yet
holiest of emotions. Joy should not "e considered what is Die Meistersinger if not a huge joke? And
ag synonymous with mirth, since the latter is but not only is this so, but the scene in the second act,
the external sign and indication of the former. where the apprentices and Beckmesser have their
Joy is the most profound of emotions and music general riot is a roaring farce. Wagner had his
rises to its greatest heights in giving expression humorous side, and when he wished could be as
to it.
witty as anybody.
Again, however, the emotion of joy should not
To come down to modern times, what composer
be confounded with humor. Joy is not always has ever better expressed the spirit of true humor-
humorous, nor is all humor the offspring of joy. ous comedy than Arthur Sullivan? The operas-
The quizzical attitude which can look at a world which he composed, with Gilbert for his librettist,
often sad enough through spectacles which expose are masterpieces of comedy. Of course, Gilbert
the ridiculous side of everything, is not necessarily was a librettist of the highest order, an inimitable
joyful. So in the expression of joy we need not genius, whose delightful fooling and profoundly
expect either mirth or humor as essential elements. humorous satire combined the utmost expression
In music we. see the distinction quite clearly. No of the comic with a vision that was clear and in-
one would deny that Moskowszki's piano concerto tense.
in E minor—at least, in its first movement—is .
Arthur Sullivan fitted himself perfectly to Gilbert
supremely an expression of pure joy. But it cer- and his music is wonderful. Consider the score
tainly is not humorous. On the other hand, of the "Mikado!" Such hits as Koko's song "I've
Mozart's Overture to the Marriage of Figaro is Got 'Em on the List," or the "Mikado's" solo,
the very tonal embodiment of laughter; the expres- "Make the Punishment Fit the Crime," are in their
sion of joy in mirth. Beethoven has given us the way quite perfect. And then think of "Patience," or
Ninth Symphony, which rises in its Choral Finale "Pinafore," or the "Yeoman of the Guard," or the
to dizzying heights of rapture and ecstasy. That "Pirates of Penzance;" inimitable masterpieces of
Finale voices Schiller's Ode *o Joy. It is an ex- humor and satire both in music and in libretto.
pression of joy, but of joy which is in itself far
The literature of music is full of the joyful, the
deeper than mirth.
merry and the quietly humorous. One may find in
Music which is expressive of joy may be divided it everything that expresses any sort of joy, from
therefore into three classes: that of pure exalta- the most ecstatic to the lightest and merriest.
tion and ecstasy, that which is sheer light-hearted
One need but look. Music is not wrongly called
merriment and that which is the irrepressible out- the universal language. In its wide circle shall
burst of the comic spirit. A glance at some ex- you find, all that you can think or conceive, will
amples of the three classes will be interesting and- you but look for it sincerely.
valuable.
Too bad it is that so many of us refuse to think
For the first class one takes, naturally, the Finale of music as aught but an external form of enter-
of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony as the supreme tainment, looking not towards the interior, where
exemplar. Here, united with a tune of almost so many treasures are spread out to the gaze.
bald simplicity, we have a combination of the grand
orchestra and the human voice which is almost ap-
palling in its majesty. The means are simple, yet
the treatment is of such tremendous power and the
conception so highly exalted, that the listener is
On Musical Thinking.
moved to a sort of ecstasy that nothing can ex-
The only difference between musical thinking and
plain, no words describe and no soul wholly com-
prehend. It must be heard to be known. Once any other sort of cerebration lies in the fact that
the former is specific of one thing. In other words,
known there is no more to be said.
Again, what words can paint with satisfying re- musical thinking is simply thinking about music
sult the overpowering influence of the great Hal- and towards musical ends. This does not seem, at
lelujah Chorus in Handel's'Messiah? Here is a first sight, to be sufficiently non-obvious for the
great company of people rejoicing that their Lord building of a discussion. But in practice one finds
is come, the Messiah who shall save the world that nothing is more needed to be emphasized than
the simple fact that musical thinking is really a
unto everlasting life. Again, note the simplicity of
the means. Note further that the orchestral treat- process of cerebration. For people, when they
ment is less involved even than Beethoven's. Note, begin to think about music, begin at the same time
too, the transparent clarity of the voice parts. And very often to stop using their brains. To so many
then ask yourself what else save joy, pure, ardent people music is something about which one ought
and ecstatic, could have gifted Handel, master as not to think. The fact is curious, but susceptible
of explanation.
he was, with such extraordinary power!
lit is in every way eminently desirable that a publication
which undertakes to give so much space and so authoritative
a treatment to the great player industry, as does The Re-
view, should not neglect what is after all the real excuse
for the player's existence, namely, the music that is evoked
from it. Recognizing the extraordinary importance of do-
ing everything possible to spread more widely appreciation
and love for music among player-pianists, The Review s
Player Section for the present month contains below, and
will in future regularly contain, a department devoted to
the musical interests of player-pianists and of the player-
piano. Each month one musical article of general interest
will appear, together with useful hints, notes and comments.
This is in addition to the regular sub-section of the Player
Section which analyzes the monthly issues of music rolls.
Professional demonstrators, salesmen and player-pianists of
every degree will find each month on the "Player-Pianist's"
page of the Player Section much valuable information. And
the Editor of the Player Section will at all times be glad
to answer inquiries on any and all musical player matters.]
A HEART TO HEART TALK
For various reasons, it is customary in America
to take an attitude of tolerance towards the fine
arts; an attitude often also not unfaintly tinged
with contempt. A people who have been busied
during nearly the whole of their national life in
wresting an empire from the savage forces of
nature may be pardoned for not having had time to
reflect about the finer things of life. But that
period has passed and we are beginning to have
leisure and means to cultivate the arts. In course
of time, appreciation and love for beauty will take
its natural place in the national consciousness. At
present such a condition of affairs is too much to
ask or expect.
But that is no excuse for failing to point out
obvious defects in the American point of view. The
idea that art is effeminate arises from the feeling
that prompts men to dislike anything they do not
understand. There is neither reason nor sense
in the mental attitude, yet all of us unconsciously
assume it from day to day in a thousand and one
details of life. And so it is with music. If we
are unable to understand music of the higher sort
that is not because it is either unintelligible or
wrong. It is rather because we have never been
brought to look at it in the right way. Consider
the whole matter of melody. The common man
defines melody as the kind of simple 4 or 8-bar
rhythm which he hears every day and which, by
its continual and monotonous repetitions of the
same theme, forces itself on his ear. So when he
hears a more complex rhythm and a less obvious
division into equal sections, he proclaims that this
sort of music has no melody. And he is often
quite arrogant about it.
The fact, of course, is that the bald tune has long
ago ceased in any sort of way to stand for melody
as the musician knows and loves it. A child who
is learning to read and who has progressed so far
as to stumble through little tales written in words
of one syllable, may look at a great scientific work
and be so bewildered by the big words that he will
turn away, thinking that those are not words
at all and that the printed page makes no
sense.
But that will not cause you to
throw away the great scientific work. It will
only cause you to smile at the ignorance and ar-
rogance of the childish mind. Precisely the same
line of argument is germane to the case of the
man who says that "this classical music has no
melody." He simply does not know what melody
is. He knows the first reader sort of melody and
that only, and immediately jumps to the conclusion
that the sort of melody which he does know is the
only melody; all else being some sort of incom-
prehensible drivel which long haired persons, too
lazy to work, pretend to like and to understand,
and which silly women pretend to want to hear the
aforesaid long-haired ones play. Of course, the
hard-headed business man who talks that way is
really the driveler. But he does not know this and
no power under the sun can compel him, generally
speaking, to know it. Sometimes he wakes up and
discovers that for a long time he has been making
a sublime and arrogant ass of himself by talking
about things that he never understood. If only
the awakenings would come somewhat more fre-
quently !
The plain fact is that the habit of musical think-
ing can be put within possession of any brain not
inherently unsympathetic. It is largely a matter
of practise. Music suffers, more severely than
from anything else, through the absurd attitude
taken towards her art by otherwise intelligent
people. This attitude really centers about the defi-
nition and understanding of melody. And the
moment that one, through the practise of hearing
good music and analyzing it, becomes sufficiently