The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1837-12-01

From fAs National Gassfe.
THE NEw YoRK KMcKERBocKER, AND THE SCIENCE
or MUSICAL COMPOSITION.
Mssrs Editors As friend Of the Fine Arts and
one who wishes therefore, the grades OF profess
sional merit perfectly well established, ! propose to
make few observations through your columns. The
New York Knckerbocker for November, contains
engraved portrait Of singer, Mr. Henry RUSSELL TO-
geiher with biographical sketch and Mandatory notice
or the original from the pen Of the editor In this
sketch tho editor claims for Mr. Russell absolute and
unqualified supremacy as composer and singer--has
his advent the Of reformation in the false and
yitiated musical taste OF the whole Union and expects
delightful art How far the editor has been in this
matter led astray by his good nature and his ignorance
Of music, ] will endeavor TO show.
shall not In this place examine IN detail the strange
contradictions Of opinion and confusion OF terms, which
the article embodes criticism for they would require
very extended analysis and one perhaps, not interest
ing to the generality Of readers. must hint to the
editor, however, that wrrer should understand sub
ect before no attempts to public taste IN it, and
that without this knowledge he must be blind guide.
would refer him feelings dalectic chapter where
the author shows that writer will treat theme all the
better from acquaintance with it, Dr. Beddoes said
that every knew ntuitiyey three things; politics,
medicine, and how to mend bad fire. He might have
added fourth-music.
shall, before touching the musical dicta Of the
noICt uc fdSeS uieiSih iau
down. they tend to give preference to mediocrty
and charlatansm in Of the fine arts at the expense
OF genuine desert and true taste
assert that il Mr. RUSSELL the subject Of the odto
rial biographical sketch, was, it says g a pupil Of
Rossini for three years." and studied under Generai
Meyerbeer, and other masters then those composers
teach style Of practical aud scientific music which
their works and fame belize And assert, too, that if
the same individual the editorial sketch likewise
says, received gold medal from the hand Of royalty
for the best composition at the Conseryatoro at Naples
then the professors Of that venerable and renowned ns
tuition have so degenerated to be ignorant oil the
primary rules Of the science Of composition which they
profess to teach.
would Impress on the mind Of the editor Of the
knckerbocker truth which he and others do not heed
1t is, that, owing to the imperfect knowledge of this
country in relation to the abstract science Of music, aud
the total absence Of national schools establish grades
of merit in musical professors and composition, people
here deluded by foreigners laying claim TO great
musical endowments and requirements They take, in
these instances, egotislical assumptions Of cultivated
genius on trust, instead Of requiring proof
In the production Of the painter, the educated man,
though not strict connosseur can greater less
degree, estimate the merit Of the artist The editor Of
the Knickebocker, make bold say, can, when gaz
ing Vests picture Of Death on the Pale Horse,
readily Judge Of its superiority, and thus appreciate the
genius which produced it; but, place before him the
score Of one Of Beethoven's sublime symphonies, and,
perhaps, he might well be asked to decide on the
merits of the last Chinese Court Prize Poem And,
the for critical knowledge in the case, and abb
solute ignorance in the other is obvious the painting
is an expressive tangbility-the symphony pure abb
stracton. The represents nature herself: the other
is but conventional signs rcqurngto be realized through
great number Of competent musicians, unless read by
capable Of hearing in his minds the musical ef-
fects does the composer in writing his compositions.
But until the editor Of the Knickerbocker is least
well qualified to Judge of musical composition from its
mute notation he is Of painting and is able 10 say
caihedra what is right and wrong good and bad and
give his therefor he ought not to attempt to lead
public taste, to set up by his authority living mo-
del Of excellence in musical composition and national
taste, to speak sighngly Of technical knowledge and
contradict himself in doing and treat in of
fppancy and contempt what is regarded in Europe and
America as the height Of excel.-nce. He should re-
fleet that musical composition is science and one Of
difficult appreciation a4s
To place this point in perhaps clearer lght--the
cant about simple music and . natural music" is like
talking about simple logarithms and natural finance.
Harmony in its very name shows complexy 1t is not
identical with melody the editor OF the Knckebocker
toimagne To be able to speak Of music cri,i-
caly requires thought study and practical knowledge,
and consequently is thing Of which the public at
large not real Judges, any than they Of the
merits Of Isaiah or Homer in the originals without
knowledge Of Hebrew or Greek The editor of the
Knckerbocker would call in from the streets,
who can neither read nor write, to pronounce defn-
lively the merits Of literary article Can he him
self read music! Can he write it Neither, | might
undertake to say Does he not then perceive that he is
in regard to music, precisely the man who can ne
Their read write is to literature! A person unac-
quanted with music say with perfect propriety
like such ballad it is beautiful, pleases my ear-but
grand overture which people admire CRATES on
my ear seems to mo chaotic noise, affords me no plea
sure and even puts me to sleep" This is what might
be said without offence by the uninated in music 1t
conveys insane at higher taste profound
th, aInf,
comprehend something But if The same person would
pretend to say on his critical knowledge that
composition is more correctly conceived and expressed
than another, that snch person has exact science
than his fellows, that the national taste requires one
style of music in preference another it would be
rant presumptiont And therefore, repeat, the crt-
cism of the knckebocker is farcical it is laughed at
by every who knows any thing ofmusc or any thing
Of logic.
This cant about simple and natural music deserves
further remark which will here attempt to give. Ac-
cordng to the usual accepation OF the term it is
entity The poor little ragged sweep who bawls Di
tamil paipta, from the chimney top, has far as it
goes, to all intents and purposes, musical education
There is no nature in his tones. Mozart's re-
QUEEN is not more the work of art than they
But Black Hawk or Keokuck could more relish
sing does the sweep the air question: than he could
trace and feel the mysterious windngs Of Bachs ugues
The sweep took musical lessons from the military band
in the street the savage has not had that advantage,
and remains Ignorant OF music the buffalo which
he hunts. The exquisite modern melodies of the pre-
sent day. which the heart and are called natural
music and admired through "naural taste" are
the result of the musical advancement Of ages For
nearly eighteen hundred years Chrsendom knew them
not hundred years ago melody was vastly inferior
to what it is At the time Handel wrote, the rules
Of harmony the subject Of fierce discussion and
bitter feuds. Not so now they fixed. Some mu-
steal instruments were then imperfect, and some I'M
known. Orchestral effects were then very limited
Some Of Handers music rcdressed by Mozart to
suit the improvements Of his time. The Grccan music
Wanted by Wranrers who forgot the present in the
past, probably little than monotonous simple
sound There is evidence whatever that the anccns
knew harmony a. ALL and the right deduction from what