New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-12-01
SKETCHES OF LECTURES.
Music.
BY WILLIAM HENRY FRy.

Mr.. Fry's first lecture at METROPOLITAN Hall
last evening, attended by numerous and highly
respectable audience, who welcomed the speaker with
appause as be walked forward amid the army OF the
chorus and orchestra who were to afford the musical
illustrations to his disquisition The orchestra com
posed of some eighty excellent performers under Mr.
Brstow was never surpassed by any assembled in this
City, and the chorus was ample for the purpose Mr.
Fry at fret lsborei under embarrassment but it
soon wore Of. His eocuton is distinct though some
what spasmodic but that fault also modified he
went on. He began by saying that
MUsci the language Of the Universe. Not Deces ssrly
allied TO fabricated words perishable idlOsls even
living tongue, requiring neither dictionary nor inter
prefer TO fetch back ia departed alusons Where gen.
une light and heat are there preexsts electricity and
there i musical sound AZ the snowdrop, poetic ines
sciger from the .kes, ala through tue air. II seems
nOseloss but though cannot perceive IL inelO
dy II mus sing on It's way with beauty az pure as the
stellar ioyohnes OF 1T form seen through magnuyng
mean. When shall have invented an instrument to
detect the minute world Of sounds, which now refuse
our comparatively large measure OF hearing, miniature
Nature TO silent shall teen with them the poor
worm ttst We tread upon shah wri,he with dying
moan; the fighting anInacue IL drop 81 water shall
have their battle chorus aud eventhe suDbeams az they
rush from their hot center the chilly Earth shall
carry with them lOvesOng
IN those things already gTasped by our senses. music
provsis In Gods great cathedral the forest with tower
Oale pnefpres branch yingbuttresses the circular
stained window If the setting sum- the altar drapery Of
tinted and eded clouds there is music; countless hosts
the insect choir hum their vcspers 20 the One SUI
prcne; little plumed wsrblers continually do cry hO-
s1unas in their delicate trebies hear-broken doves
chant with the tTins of the falling Leaf and chrOmatcs II
the heavBg breeze the notes OF the Merere; and the
Mockng Bird liens Of musical sound, mirace of vocal
trnnsformatOns-echOes and reechOes the universal
orison through al its moduatioDs Of untaught praise.
Or ~ enter upon the Iahara, where vegetation des,
Music ilOurshcs The hot haste Of the Monsoon "a it
Ide down horse and Arab tent and camel IL the Mar
seissc Of the Desert and that great whcreOn
l. PLAYED the Drama of DesoatiOn. walks the king
Of beasts with voice pOnderous, deep, rich and
lodiou TINT all else IN Nature silent II alone would
BE- the foundation for scientific musical pyramid
And there is weter-musc OF Niagara from n high
pch through the awful depths Of mutitudinous Oc-
iave where it beats time the rocks and, amid the
toany spray Of its variations, is clearly heard steady
Theme a Iymn tn the Eyer-CTeated-the Ever Exist
cnf-the lnefabe Being-the Mysterious Author Of all
So too when the cloud storm shuts out the hight sud
denly electric chord though torn from the celestial
instrument, dszzles the sight as It falls in zgzag down
the ey comes the music Of the tropics az the crashing
thunder pels forth, and then dies away, re- with bs
mutterings for poor humanity And over the ocean
Music hOyers spirit the dlapas0n OF Eternity Is
there in its fulness: bright strain Of masculine JOY
for the homewofted sailor or murky minor OF wrath
that hCwls his doom he SINKS INTO the wilderness Of
waters: Voice OF the Infinite running through the
scale from pole to pole The poetca figure OF the stars
singing was inspiration in advance VI the analOgca
revelations of Science for this globe, as 1t whirs on
it, axs aud darts forth the mystic ether, has voice
that ills the eclpc with eoon harmones, lyrical be-
ing OF its
The Music OF Nature is large theme for fact or i'm.
animation Il suggested to art what she has dilaed
upon In the contemplation OF so spiritual subject,
the artist feels the worth Of mis- calling lie perceyes
that be is no intruder trier, no mere minister to
amazoInent in the proiane Language OF the day, bu:
priest and prophet like those who welded the lyric OF
old the assertion OF this CHARACTER IN Art
that must open its doors 10 the generous The gifted
and the conscientious must make them sensible thet
their time is to be honoraby directed, and as available
10 society as more tangible thing.
Of all arts Music is the most sOulke. 1t records no
thing proves nothing cannot satrze hatter, count or
calculate Ii is the only art which in itself and disco
cisted from all others, il immaculate Painting SOUP
ture Poetry any oneo these by itselt can deceive pc
tray and debauch but Music alone is essentially divine
It's language IL Of Eternity seems 70 come from some
better world TO Tit the senses and be rendered
back TO itsathOmless home. Rightly viewed y IA never
JOYOUS Ii may summon to the gay dance ana set early
hearts and gentle hands IN rhythmic motion or may
be twisted into the comic grotesque but with the dig
nifty Of pure sound there always back ground OF the
Infinite world of the impenetrabe and unreyealed re
posing IN the awful depths OF untold being.
Mr. Fry then explained the elementary ideas and
technical expressions and rules of music in very sue
cnct manner the orchestra and chorus Illustrating as
he went along As an illustration of the ordinary ma
ior chord the Star Spangled Banner was performed.
The minor mode and chromstic scale were illustrated
by composition fol- the chorus and orchestra, repre-
senting a Roman who had embraced the Christian iath
led to execution amid the imprecatons OF the Pagan
mob The varieties Of musical quantity and expression
were the occasion for orchestral composition called
the Broken Heart, while common and compound com
mon time were exeinplifed by two pieces, the one
purely orchestral called DAY in the Country AMOS
troopers chorus by the choir and orchestra Az the
name Of the composer was not mentioned we pre-
sumo these were all OF Mr.. Fry's own composition.
They abounded in vigorous brilliant and characteristic
passages, and the Day in the Country was full OF
fresh and natural beauty Still we should have pre-
ferred ar extract from Beethovens PdaOrale could
that have answered the parpo:e OF illustrating the lee
ture The Breaking Heart also too long in the
process OF rendering.
The second part OF the Lecture was exceedingly in
ierosting 1t opened with some specimens of Chinese
music one ofthem the oldest choral composition extant.
This was followed by the overture to Der Frsysca'''
which marked all the advance OF Christian upon Pagan
civilization With some glowing and eloquent re-
marks on the portion OF Art and Artists in history, Mr.
Fry concluded.
Last evenings Lecture being elementary, the best
singers engaged were net required. They will how
ever appear al the second Lecture on Tuesday even