Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1853-05-24

respective beauties; but music declares
herselfin language common 10 tho gen.
ersl ear Of humanity. There are but
few who are impervious to her influence
:nd those few are ashamed TO own that
they are deaf to the. 'voice Of the char.
mer.' Ii is we'll understood that among
the humblcst hearers of a concert are
some Of the keenest ju Iscs Of a true
melody or false intonation, Many n
one goes away from such places Of q.
musement with the chambers Of his mem
ory well s'orcl with the richest gems Of
the composer: exquisite snatchcs Of mel.
ody, which ever and anon gush forth
unbidden from his lips, lcssening the
fatigue of labor. and Ainging around
him charm which makes his society
courted by his rustic circle of neighbors
when evening brings the toll Of day to
its conclusion. The coolest heart could
scarcely remain unmovei at the beauii.
ful ballad of 'auld Robin Grey;' with
its plain,ivc minor breathing forth the
sorrow of the old mans wife, who no
longer dares to love the object of her
frs: affection. The tenderness of the
music here expresses as much pathos as
the poetry. But change the tune to
drops Of Brandy anI see what change
also passes over the faces Of the listen.
ere: those who sat so mute and motion.
less, with fearful eyes, to that true love
ditty, can scarcely constrain themselves;
even The aged cripple loves to star. up
and dance TO the joyful measure.
Tie delirious eliec, which is produced
by the tarantella on the Italian peas.
ants is well known, A man to this spe.
cics of music, will dance for hours, with
succession of partners, until he fails
prostrated by fatigue, npon the ground.
No doubt associations have much to do
with all our enjoymcnts: and fine and
energetic as is the music OF our nation.
al anthem. the wor.ls help the effect in.
spring US with love, and reverence,
for our land.
The 'Ranz DIES Vachcs' was prohibit.
ell from being played in the French ar.
my, when it was found TO p, 0 luce such
dangerous consequences to the men,
many of the Swiss sol tiers having de.
serted under its influence. When they
heard the strains that brou; ht back viv.
i'll recollertions Of their native homes,
their vast mountains AMI their peace.
full chaplets rose up before them, and in
their mad desire to be once more amid
the scenes they loved, they forgot the
duty they owed to their commanders,
and either ncl or became so broken.sp
tied that they hal no longer courage TO
act as became men. No one can form
an idea Of the magic of,hcir pastoral mu.
sic unless they hear it echoed from hill
10 hill anil the sublime scenery OF
Switzerland.
The first writer who treated the doc.
trinc Of sounds mathematically was Eu.
cid who live,l two hundred and twenty
seven years before Christ.
The Romans received the music which
they uscd at sacrifices and olhc' religious
ceremonies from the Etrusc ans; but that
performed On the stage was from the
Greeks; they made use Of fcapital letters
for notes. In public the song was ac
companiel with flutes, playing it is sup.
poscl, simple concorls, supporting AMI
heightening the voice as the subject re-.
quired. .... ....
DR.. Moseley has written a most inge.
NOUS paper on Greek Music, in which
he considers that the Greek chorus, like
the Russian band of present day,
might probably have been performed on
the principle Of "a note to each person.
However this may be, it is quite Ger.
tain that melody to the Greeks was un.
known.
The progress of music for me ny cen.
turies remained in darkness; but little
knowledge Of how she existed has been
handel down TO poslerity. 1t was in
the year 1929, that Guido, called in
France Guy d'Arreze, Benedic.ine
monk in the monastery Of Pomposa,
first invented the gamut as it now stands;
but it was not until the beginning ofthe
seventeenth century that time was intro
duced. This division Of bars has bro't
notes of great value into disuse, and the
rounl and maxim are no longer known
except by the musical antiquary; and it
would puzzle him to understand the
'Virginial Book Of Queen Elizabeth,
published in 1918.
To the trubaIours Of the fourteenth
century music owes her release from the
trammels Of crude theories invented by
the ancient composers, who yelled her
sweet voice in complex and discordant
sounds. Under her new masters all false
doctrines were cast forth; she was made
to initiate the gentle sounds Of nature,
and caught fresh inspirations from mur.
mu,ing brooks ana gushing springs, un.
til she inundated the vale Of France
with flood of melody. The romance
of that periol is still lowering in many
a falr da,nsel's soul, as she sings to her
harp the song Of the minstrel Of Ma.
'varre, 'et pleurs, ct plains ct soupirs. -
To these charming chansons were aided
in time, the art Of measure, molulation
and grace. @ *'i --''.t9 '.9 '''.. .'''
1t was in 1890, that schoomaster in
Lombnrly, Charles Monteverde, inven.
ted the harmony Of the dominant. and
was the first to use the seventh and even
the ninth Of the dominant; he likewise
Al