Music Trade Review
Issue: 1907 Vol. 44 N. 12 - Page 43
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THE:
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
of gospel light, where, even so early there dwelt
men of science and learning of their age and
people.
Though they may have been unacquainted with
letters they paid much attention to the order
and laws of nature, taught their youth the stars
and their motions, the size of the world and the
lands, and inculcated many very noble and valu-
able principles of conduct. To the bards of these
people, men who took rank with royalty, is ow-
Had Long Been Known..
ing their songs and poems. They were the oral
But centuries before any of these entrancing historians, the essential part of the Druidical
subjects had received attention in the Western hierarchy, that organized triad, consisting of
world the harp had enjoyed an assured stand- bards, prophets and priests by whom the land
ing in the musical world by reason of having was ruled.
been introduced in religious rites and caremon-
Among these people the harp was firmly plant-
ials among the cultivated Egyptians, a people ed by the princely Milesius, a Phoenician, who
more affluent, more poetic, more artistic than our carried it with him and his conquering hosts
own, and whose glorious day is almost lost in from Tyre about 1,260 years before Christ, at a
history. As early as 1800 years B. C. the first time when the instrument was enjoying full
lyre was made by a high priest of Osiris.
sway under the powerful Egyptian dynasty. The
The priest found an empty tortoise shell and harp was by him thus firmly planted in Erin,
noticed that it gave forth a pleasing sound. He and soon came to be used in religious cere-
then thought to make a musical instrument on monials, in war, at feasts and at the annual
the plan of the shell. And what time or clime congress at Tara.
more likely to inspire such a wish? Was it not
In the wealth of its romantic and historical
in the tideless nooks and upon the crystal sur- associations the harp is unapproached by any
face of the sacred stream where bloomed and un- other instrument. Its happy origin, providential
veiled its golden glories the unrivaled lotus blos- preservations, its travels and its evolution all
som, the lily of the Nile—the wondrous flower conspire to its spell. From a crude affair of
that flooded the air with its fragrance as it eleven strings the Druids advanced the harp to
breathed of all the passion of Egypt, all the an instrument of thirty-two strings. But their
poetry of the Nile, all the magnificence of the crowning achievement was the evolution of the
mystery of the Orient?
"pillar," which thereafter found almost univer-
From the Lyre to the Harp.
sal adoption.
From the lyre, the result of the observing
Decline of the Harp.
priest's happy wish, it was but an easy step to
When Christianity obtained a foothold in Ire-
the harp, now the most famous instrument in land, about 425 A. D., the decline of the harp as
the world, and whose glorious spell has held a sacred instrument began, although it was re-
sway over many lands. Then some few hundred tained for a time in the sanctuary. Its most
years later from one storied and romantic land stirring and romantic age was in medieval days,
to another, destined to become almost equally as it reached its climax of glory and fame about
storied and romantic, to the world's most famous 1098. Many minstrels and troubadours became
island and the one loved by all people for its very proficient players, and regaled the courts
heart history, the glorious harp traveled west- of Europe, and even those of the far East with
ward to Erin's distant shores, at that time a land its resonant melodies, frequently being occupied
tecture, had already begun. Paleatrina, to whom
we owe our modern melody, and whose har-
monies enchanted Mozart and Mendelssohn when
they first heard them in the Pope's chapel at
Rome to whom,, while yet adorning the high
noon of his career the Pope himself turned and
implored to reform and rescue the whole music
of the Church, was born just nine years after the
death of Raphael, the well beloved.
in teaching the harpist's art to kings, princes
and nobles. King James of Scotland and Mary
Queen of Scots were among the rulers who are
recorded to have mastered the harp. "Good
Queen Bess," however, made short order of both
harp and bards, as she instituted a crusade of
persecution against the whole fraternity of wan-
dering harpists, her purpose being to extermin-
ate the entire race of Irish bards. Thus was the
royal harp practically driven from the isle of the
Druids, but not until it bequeathed an immortal
fame to Tara's halls, although it had, since the
days of "Bess," secured a permanent place in the
field of Britain's royal standard, the only in-
stance recorded of a musical instrument being
so honored.
A period of importance in the history of the
instrument is that between the years of 1780
and 1810, when it was brought to the double-
action mechanism stage of development, which at
once gave it a leading place in the lead-
ing orchestras of Europe, and secured its
presence in the drawing room of the wealthy
and noted. This impetus toward popularity
brought out a line of master harpists, and also
secured the active recognition of the greatest
composers of the day, as well, as all music was
then arranged for both the harp and the -piano-
forte, the former rivaling in admiration and
popularity the latter instrument. Among those
achieving highest honors as performers may be
mentioned Robert Nicholas, Charles Bochsa, the
"father of harp music"; Elias Parish-Alvars,
Charles Obertheir, John Ludwig, Du Barry, John
Balsir Chatterton, Orlando Parry, Wilhelm
Posse and a number of others. All these have
been prolific composers of harp music, as well as
brilliant performers and instructors. Probably the
foremost woman who achieved generous celeb-
rity as a harpist was Madame de Genlis, who
studied with Gaiffre in 1759. Her skill on the
harp made the very brilliant writer and musi-
cian that she was a favorite with the Queen of
Naples, and gave her great popularity in many
other European courts, as in very recent times
was the case in the career of Esmeralda Cer-
The Strongest
The Best Toned
The Most Durable
Do
You
Want DURRO
STRING=
IF
SO, ORDER
THE STRING THAT WON THE PRIZE AT LEIPZIG
BUEGELEISEN & JACOBSON
113115 University Place, NEW YORK CITY
THE:
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
of gospel light, where, even so early there dwelt
men of science and learning of their age and
people.
Though they may have been unacquainted with
letters they paid much attention to the order
and laws of nature, taught their youth the stars
and their motions, the size of the world and the
lands, and inculcated many very noble and valu-
able principles of conduct. To the bards of these
people, men who took rank with royalty, is ow-
Had Long Been Known..
ing their songs and poems. They were the oral
But centuries before any of these entrancing historians, the essential part of the Druidical
subjects had received attention in the Western hierarchy, that organized triad, consisting of
world the harp had enjoyed an assured stand- bards, prophets and priests by whom the land
ing in the musical world by reason of having was ruled.
been introduced in religious rites and caremon-
Among these people the harp was firmly plant-
ials among the cultivated Egyptians, a people ed by the princely Milesius, a Phoenician, who
more affluent, more poetic, more artistic than our carried it with him and his conquering hosts
own, and whose glorious day is almost lost in from Tyre about 1,260 years before Christ, at a
history. As early as 1800 years B. C. the first time when the instrument was enjoying full
lyre was made by a high priest of Osiris.
sway under the powerful Egyptian dynasty. The
The priest found an empty tortoise shell and harp was by him thus firmly planted in Erin,
noticed that it gave forth a pleasing sound. He and soon came to be used in religious cere-
then thought to make a musical instrument on monials, in war, at feasts and at the annual
the plan of the shell. And what time or clime congress at Tara.
more likely to inspire such a wish? Was it not
In the wealth of its romantic and historical
in the tideless nooks and upon the crystal sur- associations the harp is unapproached by any
face of the sacred stream where bloomed and un- other instrument. Its happy origin, providential
veiled its golden glories the unrivaled lotus blos- preservations, its travels and its evolution all
som, the lily of the Nile—the wondrous flower conspire to its spell. From a crude affair of
that flooded the air with its fragrance as it eleven strings the Druids advanced the harp to
breathed of all the passion of Egypt, all the an instrument of thirty-two strings. But their
poetry of the Nile, all the magnificence of the crowning achievement was the evolution of the
mystery of the Orient?
"pillar," which thereafter found almost univer-
From the Lyre to the Harp.
sal adoption.
From the lyre, the result of the observing
Decline of the Harp.
priest's happy wish, it was but an easy step to
When Christianity obtained a foothold in Ire-
the harp, now the most famous instrument in land, about 425 A. D., the decline of the harp as
the world, and whose glorious spell has held a sacred instrument began, although it was re-
sway over many lands. Then some few hundred tained for a time in the sanctuary. Its most
years later from one storied and romantic land stirring and romantic age was in medieval days,
to another, destined to become almost equally as it reached its climax of glory and fame about
storied and romantic, to the world's most famous 1098. Many minstrels and troubadours became
island and the one loved by all people for its very proficient players, and regaled the courts
heart history, the glorious harp traveled west- of Europe, and even those of the far East with
ward to Erin's distant shores, at that time a land its resonant melodies, frequently being occupied
tecture, had already begun. Paleatrina, to whom
we owe our modern melody, and whose har-
monies enchanted Mozart and Mendelssohn when
they first heard them in the Pope's chapel at
Rome to whom,, while yet adorning the high
noon of his career the Pope himself turned and
implored to reform and rescue the whole music
of the Church, was born just nine years after the
death of Raphael, the well beloved.
in teaching the harpist's art to kings, princes
and nobles. King James of Scotland and Mary
Queen of Scots were among the rulers who are
recorded to have mastered the harp. "Good
Queen Bess," however, made short order of both
harp and bards, as she instituted a crusade of
persecution against the whole fraternity of wan-
dering harpists, her purpose being to extermin-
ate the entire race of Irish bards. Thus was the
royal harp practically driven from the isle of the
Druids, but not until it bequeathed an immortal
fame to Tara's halls, although it had, since the
days of "Bess," secured a permanent place in the
field of Britain's royal standard, the only in-
stance recorded of a musical instrument being
so honored.
A period of importance in the history of the
instrument is that between the years of 1780
and 1810, when it was brought to the double-
action mechanism stage of development, which at
once gave it a leading place in the lead-
ing orchestras of Europe, and secured its
presence in the drawing room of the wealthy
and noted. This impetus toward popularity
brought out a line of master harpists, and also
secured the active recognition of the greatest
composers of the day, as well, as all music was
then arranged for both the harp and the -piano-
forte, the former rivaling in admiration and
popularity the latter instrument. Among those
achieving highest honors as performers may be
mentioned Robert Nicholas, Charles Bochsa, the
"father of harp music"; Elias Parish-Alvars,
Charles Obertheir, John Ludwig, Du Barry, John
Balsir Chatterton, Orlando Parry, Wilhelm
Posse and a number of others. All these have
been prolific composers of harp music, as well as
brilliant performers and instructors. Probably the
foremost woman who achieved generous celeb-
rity as a harpist was Madame de Genlis, who
studied with Gaiffre in 1759. Her skill on the
harp made the very brilliant writer and musi-
cian that she was a favorite with the Queen of
Naples, and gave her great popularity in many
other European courts, as in very recent times
was the case in the career of Esmeralda Cer-
The Strongest
The Best Toned
The Most Durable
Do
You
Want DURRO
STRING=
IF
SO, ORDER
THE STRING THAT WON THE PRIZE AT LEIPZIG
BUEGELEISEN & JACOBSON
113115 University Place, NEW YORK CITY
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