Music Trade Review
Issue: 1898 Vol. 26 N. 6 - Page 9
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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
EVOLUTION IN MUSIC.
From the first savage attempt at making
music, there have been two classes of instru-
ments; first, the stringed instruments, illus-
trated by the harp, which may be called the
father or mother (or perhaps both) of the
piano; second, wind instruments, beginning
with the crudest attempts—even an ordinary
whistle made from a bit of wood belongs to
this class. Wherever you find a nation that
has begun to make musical instruments, it
must have been in existence a few centuries.
In the age known as the stone age, all
implements were of stone. There was no
attempt at music then, nor for centuries
after. We must skip several periods and
come to the time when music began to be a
science as well as an art. Now, there is a
curious analogy to be noted. When you
take the instruments you begin to note the
relation of the organ to the voice. The
simplest form of organ was a collection of
pipes blown by a bellows; as long as the
wind is kept in, so long will the pipes speak.
Now, in the evolution of music, how much
did the voice affect the organ and how much
did the organ affect the voice? It was
evidently made to accompany the voice,
but the idea of an accompaniment was not
at • all like ours. The resources of the
instruments were very limited, only half
a dozen pipes for the simple chants and
melodies called Gregorian, and the per-
formers were not organ players but organ
beaters. The keys were enormous, and
the hand, encased in a stuffed glove,
something like a boxing
glove, was
obliged to strike with all the force of
the clenched fist. The vocal work at this
time was all very dignified and serious. The
best of the German chorals (written some-
times in the so-called church key) were all
extremely solemn ; though youth and joy must
have existed, there is no trace of their ex-
pression in the music of the day. The humor
of the thing is that some of these solemn
church hymns were love songs of about a
century before. Joy bursts into song quick-
er than sorrow; all nations are full of it in
their folk-songs. The voice now began to
affect the organ from the stand-point of velo-
city; it being possible to sing so much faster
than the organ beaters could play, the in-
strument was modified accordingly. Now we
find, especially in Italy—sunny Italy—partly,
no doubt, from the influence of the climate,
vocal music began to develop in the line of
velocity, until in 1850 a rapidity of vocal
execution was attained such as the world
has never seen since. Take Rossini's operas
and see what was required of some of the
singers. It would take a very good player
to execute rapidly upon the piano the runs and
shakes. The fault of this school was empti-
ness, too much musical froth; but these
works remain in use as studies. In the
meantime, the organ' player had given up
the attempt to keep up with the voice in
the matter of velocity, and things were at a
standstill, though many great organs were built.
Bach never saw or heard a piano, as we call it.
Most of the instruments he knew were harpsi-
chords. By that time the organ had been
immensely improved, but necessities of the
ornamental and elaborate style of singing led
to the invention of the piano. The two styles
of music, instrumental and vocal, were now
clearly separated, and a sub-classification was
made in instrumental music — organ and
piano. The time of Bach was a doubtful
time; things were written for the organ that
were only suitable for the piano. Now come
in various improvements in the piano, in
modes of stringing, in compass and in action.
The violin in its form is" very old, it has hard-
ly changed at all. Paganini brought the
violin in music, as Liszt brought the piano,
up side by side with the voice work of Ros-
sini. Now comes another change in our
day. The rapid and elaborate vocalization,
the "skyrocket" music, is not so much in
demand. The "shower of pearls" and
"shower of diamonds" period is passing
away. The improvement in the piano, espe-
cially in sonority, makes other kinds of
gives morning musicales, has lectures on the
history of music, goes religiously to .concerts,
and—wonder of wonders—does not talk at
the opera, even on Wagner nights. How
long this will last is, of course, more than
any one can tell. The chances are that it is
merely a passing fad, and that by next season,
when the operatic favorites return, society will
turn its back on concerts. But it is making
a harvest this season for the musicians.
©
The testimonial concert tendered J. A.
Schnecker, organist of the West Presbyterian
Church, on Jan. 13 in the Mendelssohn Glee
Club Hall, was a tribute from his many friends
of which he can well afford to feel proud.
The quartette of the church and the Mendels-
sohn Quartette contributed a delightful pro-
gram and the audience, which wqs composed
of New York's elite, was most enthusiastic in
its appreciation.
©
Moriz Rosenthal, the famous pianist, has
arranged to go to London in March next, and
on the 10th of that month will play at the
Queen's Hall at the opening concert of the
Philharmonic Society's new season. He will
also give three miscellaneous pianoforte re-
citals at St. James' Hall, and will likewise
play in several leading provincial towns.
©
DUDLEY BUCK.
Sig. Devivo, in an article in last Sunday's
Sun, says that the credit and honor of intro-
ducing the first Wagner works in this country
belongs to Manager J. C. Freyer and that
well-known and versatile conductor the late
Adolph_Neuendorff.
©
The Chicago orchestra under the direction
of TheodorejThomas will give its first con-
cert at the Metropolitan Opera House, this
city, on the evening of March 1st. Joseph
Hoffman will be the soloist. He will play
Rubinstein's concerto for piano No. 4 D
minor opus 70.
music possible. One effect of this has been
to revive Beethoven, because it is possible to
©
carry out his musical ideas. Vocal music is
The
well-known
Russian
composer, M.
working along the dramatic line, with less of
Rimski-Korsakoff,
has
completed
the score
the ornamental. Evolution in nature goes
of
a
new
opera,
"Mozart
and
Salieri,"
the
on forever, and who knows what will be
libretto
of
which
is
founded
upon
a
poem
by
evolved in nature? We do not reject the old,
Pushkin.
but use it for what it may give us, and pass
©
on to newer forms.
Dudley Buck.
Henri
Marteau,
the
French violinist, has
©
been
playing
for
the
past
two weeks in
Mrs. Laura Danziger-Rosebault>'s concert
Western
cities.
at Mendelssohn Glee Club Hall on Thursday
night, Jan. 27th, attracted a friendly audi-
ence. In the interpretation of the program,
Season 1898.
a very catholic one, by the way, the pianist
showed a distinct progress since her last ap-
pearance in this city and demonstrated anew
that she possesses taste, intelligence and
artistic ability of a high order. Her selec-
ON TOUR OF THE
tions from Handel, Bach and Scarlatti were
UNITED STATES ..
admirably played. She was assisted by
David Bispham, whose singing aroused con-
siderable enthusiasm, and William Ebann,
'cellist.
o
It has been remarked by one of our writers
on musical affairs that one of the phenomena
DIRECTION OF
of the social season in New York has been
the sudden devotion of society to music. No
CHICKERING & SONS,
one knows the exact cause of this devotion,
791 Tremont Street, Boston, Mass.
but it is unmistakable. The "smart set"
:. FRANZ RUMMEL .:
Chickering Piano Used
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
EVOLUTION IN MUSIC.
From the first savage attempt at making
music, there have been two classes of instru-
ments; first, the stringed instruments, illus-
trated by the harp, which may be called the
father or mother (or perhaps both) of the
piano; second, wind instruments, beginning
with the crudest attempts—even an ordinary
whistle made from a bit of wood belongs to
this class. Wherever you find a nation that
has begun to make musical instruments, it
must have been in existence a few centuries.
In the age known as the stone age, all
implements were of stone. There was no
attempt at music then, nor for centuries
after. We must skip several periods and
come to the time when music began to be a
science as well as an art. Now, there is a
curious analogy to be noted. When you
take the instruments you begin to note the
relation of the organ to the voice. The
simplest form of organ was a collection of
pipes blown by a bellows; as long as the
wind is kept in, so long will the pipes speak.
Now, in the evolution of music, how much
did the voice affect the organ and how much
did the organ affect the voice? It was
evidently made to accompany the voice,
but the idea of an accompaniment was not
at • all like ours. The resources of the
instruments were very limited, only half
a dozen pipes for the simple chants and
melodies called Gregorian, and the per-
formers were not organ players but organ
beaters. The keys were enormous, and
the hand, encased in a stuffed glove,
something like a boxing
glove, was
obliged to strike with all the force of
the clenched fist. The vocal work at this
time was all very dignified and serious. The
best of the German chorals (written some-
times in the so-called church key) were all
extremely solemn ; though youth and joy must
have existed, there is no trace of their ex-
pression in the music of the day. The humor
of the thing is that some of these solemn
church hymns were love songs of about a
century before. Joy bursts into song quick-
er than sorrow; all nations are full of it in
their folk-songs. The voice now began to
affect the organ from the stand-point of velo-
city; it being possible to sing so much faster
than the organ beaters could play, the in-
strument was modified accordingly. Now we
find, especially in Italy—sunny Italy—partly,
no doubt, from the influence of the climate,
vocal music began to develop in the line of
velocity, until in 1850 a rapidity of vocal
execution was attained such as the world
has never seen since. Take Rossini's operas
and see what was required of some of the
singers. It would take a very good player
to execute rapidly upon the piano the runs and
shakes. The fault of this school was empti-
ness, too much musical froth; but these
works remain in use as studies. In the
meantime, the organ' player had given up
the attempt to keep up with the voice in
the matter of velocity, and things were at a
standstill, though many great organs were built.
Bach never saw or heard a piano, as we call it.
Most of the instruments he knew were harpsi-
chords. By that time the organ had been
immensely improved, but necessities of the
ornamental and elaborate style of singing led
to the invention of the piano. The two styles
of music, instrumental and vocal, were now
clearly separated, and a sub-classification was
made in instrumental music — organ and
piano. The time of Bach was a doubtful
time; things were written for the organ that
were only suitable for the piano. Now come
in various improvements in the piano, in
modes of stringing, in compass and in action.
The violin in its form is" very old, it has hard-
ly changed at all. Paganini brought the
violin in music, as Liszt brought the piano,
up side by side with the voice work of Ros-
sini. Now comes another change in our
day. The rapid and elaborate vocalization,
the "skyrocket" music, is not so much in
demand. The "shower of pearls" and
"shower of diamonds" period is passing
away. The improvement in the piano, espe-
cially in sonority, makes other kinds of
gives morning musicales, has lectures on the
history of music, goes religiously to .concerts,
and—wonder of wonders—does not talk at
the opera, even on Wagner nights. How
long this will last is, of course, more than
any one can tell. The chances are that it is
merely a passing fad, and that by next season,
when the operatic favorites return, society will
turn its back on concerts. But it is making
a harvest this season for the musicians.
©
The testimonial concert tendered J. A.
Schnecker, organist of the West Presbyterian
Church, on Jan. 13 in the Mendelssohn Glee
Club Hall, was a tribute from his many friends
of which he can well afford to feel proud.
The quartette of the church and the Mendels-
sohn Quartette contributed a delightful pro-
gram and the audience, which wqs composed
of New York's elite, was most enthusiastic in
its appreciation.
©
Moriz Rosenthal, the famous pianist, has
arranged to go to London in March next, and
on the 10th of that month will play at the
Queen's Hall at the opening concert of the
Philharmonic Society's new season. He will
also give three miscellaneous pianoforte re-
citals at St. James' Hall, and will likewise
play in several leading provincial towns.
©
DUDLEY BUCK.
Sig. Devivo, in an article in last Sunday's
Sun, says that the credit and honor of intro-
ducing the first Wagner works in this country
belongs to Manager J. C. Freyer and that
well-known and versatile conductor the late
Adolph_Neuendorff.
©
The Chicago orchestra under the direction
of TheodorejThomas will give its first con-
cert at the Metropolitan Opera House, this
city, on the evening of March 1st. Joseph
Hoffman will be the soloist. He will play
Rubinstein's concerto for piano No. 4 D
minor opus 70.
music possible. One effect of this has been
to revive Beethoven, because it is possible to
©
carry out his musical ideas. Vocal music is
The
well-known
Russian
composer, M.
working along the dramatic line, with less of
Rimski-Korsakoff,
has
completed
the score
the ornamental. Evolution in nature goes
of
a
new
opera,
"Mozart
and
Salieri,"
the
on forever, and who knows what will be
libretto
of
which
is
founded
upon
a
poem
by
evolved in nature? We do not reject the old,
Pushkin.
but use it for what it may give us, and pass
©
on to newer forms.
Dudley Buck.
Henri
Marteau,
the
French violinist, has
©
been
playing
for
the
past
two weeks in
Mrs. Laura Danziger-Rosebault>'s concert
Western
cities.
at Mendelssohn Glee Club Hall on Thursday
night, Jan. 27th, attracted a friendly audi-
ence. In the interpretation of the program,
Season 1898.
a very catholic one, by the way, the pianist
showed a distinct progress since her last ap-
pearance in this city and demonstrated anew
that she possesses taste, intelligence and
artistic ability of a high order. Her selec-
ON TOUR OF THE
tions from Handel, Bach and Scarlatti were
UNITED STATES ..
admirably played. She was assisted by
David Bispham, whose singing aroused con-
siderable enthusiasm, and William Ebann,
'cellist.
o
It has been remarked by one of our writers
on musical affairs that one of the phenomena
DIRECTION OF
of the social season in New York has been
the sudden devotion of society to music. No
CHICKERING & SONS,
one knows the exact cause of this devotion,
791 Tremont Street, Boston, Mass.
but it is unmistakable. The "smart set"
:. FRANZ RUMMEL .:
Chickering Piano Used
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