New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-01-21
Lectures on Music.

Mr.. Fry commenced by saying:
Before take up the subject which may be particu-
larry treated this evening there two points
in that OF the last lecture which has been suggested
to me, have sufcien, nteres, simiS of further
mark and calculation The questicn-whe,her the
English language In all thet rlsfes to It's genius TO ts
dsfects merits and capabilities for Musical alliances
has ever been anslytcsy and alphabetically studied
and expounde by any writer. This question is hardly
one Of doubt During msny years of special inquiry
well az of general reading It has never been my
fortune 70 light upon single sentence In any author
which touches the true technics the root and the pth
Of the matter, which ] essayed to explain and illus
trste at cur last meeting mean (not 20 be misua
der-tood the strictly lyrical character and capacity Of
our mother tongue The etymologist and philologist
may crafty their antiquarian snd critical tastes in
Horne Tooke, and in a host of his antecedenss and
Successors But the disciple Of Apollo OF That ideal
teacher whom the exquisite phiosophc and artistic
of the sncien,s, made once the God Of Flo
Queuce aNd of music--of r0rds and of 1siody-;he
in this department Of our own
language win, if may judge bymy proper experience.
ind his task almost fruitloss OF poecal compo-
sitions suggestive O. the symmetIc aud graceful
forms Of melody he Will discover, from the days of
CHANGER 10 our own, very few Ii any examples and,
OF rules for the construction Of such verse most as
suredly none at all And further it may be asserted
that to the end of time poetry left to itself would
have continued equally barren in this respect EE
niilO nal IT," There ia nothing in the nature of the
language to give spontaneous birth to OF this
species.
The lecturer proceeded to analysc at length the
English language in lie lyrical relations and then took
up Operate History, the subject OF the evening fol-
lows:
sketch of the history of the Opera cannot be dis
patched in a Jingle lecture for the details
Gus. This branch OF subject accordingly, win have
10 into the next lecture, 20 portion only OF Il can
be discussed TO night
We have seen at the previous lectures, by examples
taken from the notation of the times that music few
centuries hack in a harbarous condtion-that re
gous pieces of music with rhetorical form and meodc
interest had cxscnce--that harmony was unknown,
or the rules of il few and false To enter closely upon
the development OF the history of muscto afemptto
settle every obscure pcin,s not our purpose woret
possible; but simply 10 seize upon some OF the moro
salient portions OF the It would certainly not long
interest he audience were 20 read atreate har.
nony which recommends Onsccutive hfthsas beauties
or praises the chord of tho fourth pure and simple ~
individual beauty But yet out OF such Obscure mate
rails has gr the grand science OF composnon whose
most admired form well varied character Il
found in the Opera-House, which discuses equally In.
strumeu'a and vocal music, and claims all visible and
invisible creation for the subjects Of ia denestions
IL lie common 70 speak OF Musical Ast AZ Christian
Ant when found IN European Chratendom !. Tor one,
do not see what Theology has "a do with H. Phrases
may be heaped up say that Music has been developed
by particular creed and they may show the iervor OF
the writer but nothing more. In regard TO socalled
Chrietisn lyrical art the world has been deporabyig
norant The cultivation OF music has been assignee 70
Closters and Churches, while the Truth IS IT. hne hu
emit ethcrial godlike character came from the trouba
dours Whatever plentiful lack OF morals the trouba
dours had they certainly were no worse than theT
neighbors and most contributed 10 soften the SSperes
Of society II Ia not TO be expected that Histories 50
called, by merely literary should comprehend at
sill the influence OF the roubadours ON societyof now
their meodous breathings sottened its cyalrc aroci
ties and moDksh bgotries 70 understand the influence
of the troubndours must not be bred in our 40
called scots of learning which leave the eve aud the ear
uneucated and hence culture as Il styled no sec'
rity against cosrse excitement In after life.
go profound has been tho ignorance on the history
OF the drama-wiich was tho newspaper Of oden pc
riodstbe brief chroniclers OF the tmes shakspcre
says that wenty five years sgo IL was believed that no
dramatic pieces could be found anterior to the lih cen
iury belonging to the middle ages.
was thought that the Theater had gone 10 slecp dur
ing that period But II not Inc services OF the
Catholic Church are rehglo1sly dramatic: The Mass,
Christmas Fetes the Epiphany, Passion Week, and so
forth are certainly such The most sncient religious
drama known technically such is called The Hise and
Foolish Yirelas 1t Is found in MSS LIZ OF the LIB
raIy OF Psrs This precious relic contains tnroe ms
tinct mysteries religious dramas two complete mys'
teries the one entirely in Lain, the other in Latin with
the Language OF the day, and the third in lsn OF the
OF Shakspere and Mozart aud Rossln the musical
STAGE this Is the oldest relic OF the Middle Ages. AZ
number of diagrams of the Illuminated MSS. have al.
resdy been presented 10 the audience not necessary
to show any copy OF original page OF these works
The toddEng steps of bHby are not the LEES interest
ing because such SO the early attempts Al musicodre
matte writing must have brefintere for this auditory
will read translation hsye made NJ few verses of
the VIE and Foolish Vrsas Of the Eleventh Century
IL opens with chorus, lsncent Greek iashon) thus
The bridegroom, who Is Chlst Is coming. Watch, yr
gins Men rejoice and viii rejoice az has COMING for &c
Re who has last delivered from original SIN the human race
which the demons il ia ssduens rst mother
II he who called the Second Adam by the Prophet tie
pended the to eea for and rescue Us
iioIn the enemy OF mankind The bridegroom comes who
has washed out and s.Pstsd our crimes by bis DEATH and
tThe wise virgins advance and Gabriel thus addresses
them
Hear virgins what about to say;
Bear in mind v hat you shall hear
Watch for bride gooui who 10 called Jesus the sayior
Sleep not, for this BRIDEGROOM to day viii come .
And In this strain q drama Of 81 lines IL conducted
Poeticsl justice Il done the sinners In the mystory
who duly consigned 20 the internal regcns Ihsre
are others OF biblical origin somewhat drerenfly con
eeiyed.
hhss been roundly asserted, nnumerable times, and
universally believed, that the origin OF the modern
drama and opera due 10 these religious hystenes or
sacred dramas This Is not The people OF the
middle ages had their secular drama We have no rag
ment Of this drama before the 18TH century, but al
analogy shows that IL always existed during The dark
sQes The pieces composed by the Troubedoun were
PLAYED by the lsity and had great success; the mos
| ce!ebra;ed were by Adam de Ia Hal The dram1 were
accompanied with music, but IL Ma only sslght ac'
eessory The music has another character than the
religious music Ii 10 rhythmed and measured and u
conceived ia rtc modern t0nslty In one word haElng
sone claims form, i the reg music for what's
moot beautiful In Art the most sacred and no sane
tons can be given 10 the anttestsette. NOW have
shown tuss the religious music OF the Thlrteeafh Cenr
nv was merely miserable succession Of mites Of two
values without expression. But on the otner
hand the secular music had ryhn uaS learn by the
following Of the Eleventh Century. (Here piece was
performed in ilustraiion) Thu measured music WINCH
certs;ny existed in the Eleventh Century, VISA the osse
Of our modern operate music. A late a. toe tnle OF
Palestine 700 year. ago, religious muse found ~ interest,"
! IN chords bat not in measured meody Here sgsn We
ind relgiou music vet In the rear. But harmony wa
then subject certain rules producing AgfeeAD'e o.
/ fect- which yet bear repetition ,,...
ing mcre than an ignorant pretenrious res,rcon Of
~ .oT,ces of the musical scale, which the uozbs
Sc,. and seculsr musicians threw aside and hence
80 ,,rs;c beautiful or sacred Thst . ssered IN Art
70 me which 10 beautiful and al eise Fam VIZ 1e