Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-03-23
Peculiarly aud Monotony of the Chinese
Music.

Music.
The musical scale of the Chinese consists
of only five notes. instead of seven, and their
music is not written on FIVE lines like ours,
but in perpendicular columns, like the char
acters i'm their books. The elevation or de-
preston of tones is indicated by distinctive
names. They have no semi-tones, and hence
arises a tedious monotony of sound. There
is said to be resemblance between the
Chinese melodies and the ancient Scottish
airs. If this be so, Scotch music, in the days
of Ossian, must have been much ruder than it
has ever yet been represented, nor of all un-
earthly sounds Chinese singing is the most
unearthly. There is no noise like it. Those
who have attended genuine Chinese theatre
cal performance have had aspecimen of how
the men bcquit themselves in song; but
Chinese music can only be heard to perfec-
tion by str6lling through the narrow streets of
u Chinese town. Men, women and children all
strain their voices to the utmost pitch, and
give out q sort of double fortified squeaking
talSetto. The singers are Usually accom-
panied by the viola, and sometimes by the
pig-skin drum likewise. Ones tympanum
throbs and thrums as though dozen fairies
were beating upon it. Yet the Chinese have
their Jenny Linds, Griskis and Sontags; their
Lablanches and Tamberliks. They have the
infant phenomena, too, who, if they keep
their lungs whole until mature age, certainly
deserve the name. You are frequently called
upon to admire what in any other place than
a Chinese town you would suppose to be an
imitation of the piteOus complaint of a pig
iammed under gate; being all the time in a
state of nervous excitement, least the warbler
should break blood-vessel in your presence.
Unlike our private singers at home, the
Chinese need no pressing to favor company
with song. On the contrary the perfor-
mances are generally voluntary, and the per-
formers never give the excuse of cough or
cold. In truth, slight cold is rather an i'm
provement upon their style. The willingness
with which they entertain you in this respect
is only equaled by the evident vanity of the
singers, or the exulting pride of the bystand-
ers of celestial origin. That booty2 one will
ask; and others, "how you likee dat2" "What
you tinkee dat?" 'Merfcan side can sing SO
booty2o AL of which it must be your invari-
able rule to give the expected answers, or you
will Immediately find yourself involved in
discussion in their horrible lingo, called
Pigeon-English, of which you are sure to
have the worst, for the odds are too strong
against you.
So long as a Chinese songstress can keep
herself surrounded by listeners she will sing:
and believe really that singing in Chinese
town, like the reveille and tattoo of Great
Britain around the world, never ceases. Their
fayorite hour is just at the close of twilight.
When all else is still, and silence would reign
with darkness, howls and squeals begin to
float upon the air at first low and indistinct,
but soon loud, confused and piercing. AL
most every other doorstep is thronged with
noisy musicians (your pardon, EuterpeD and
their eager and admiring listeners. From
windows and easements come the tones of
more delicate and retired singers beautifying
a select party within. Every group has at
least one infant phenomenon, the gentle
heard, followed by sxclamations of astonish.
ment and delight, repeated perhaps for the
hundredth time. Be the theme of any song
plaintive or gay, the tune seems to be much |
the same, and at times hdeous chorus will |,
startle you into the belief that iends are let
loose upon earth