The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1862-06-28
Chinese Music.

The musical scale of the Chinese con-
sists OF only five notes, instead Of seven.
ana their music Is not written on fiyo
lines like ours, but in perpendicular CO.
1umns, like the characters in their books.
The elevation or depression of tones is
indicated by distinctive names. They
have no semitOnes, 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, Scottish music in the DAYS of
Ossian must have been much ruder than
1t has ever yet been represented, for Of all
uncarthiy sounds Chinese singing is the
most unearthly. There is no noise like
1t. Those who have attended a genuine
Chinese theatrical performance have had
| specinlen n Of how the men acquit them
selves in song; but Chinese music can
only be heard to perfection by strolling
| through the narrow streets of a Chinese
town. Men, women and children strain
| their voices TO Its utmost pitch, and give
| double fortified squeaking falsetto. The
| singers are accompanied by the viola, and
sometimes by the pig skin drum likewise.
Ones tympanum throbs and thrums as
though dozen fairies were beating upon
1t. Yet the Chinese have their Jenny
Linds, Crisis and Sontags their Lablaches
and Iamburinis They have their "infant
phenomena, too, who, il they keep their
lungs whole until arriving at mature age,
certainly deserve the name. You arc
frequently called upon 10 admire ehat in,
any other place than chinese town YOU
would suppose to be an imitation of the
piteous complaint Of a pig iammed under
a gate! being all the time in state of
nevOus excitement, lest the singer should
break a blood vessel in your presence.
oulIke our private singers at home the
Chinese need no pressing to favor q COM
pany with song. On the contrary, the
performance is generally voluntary, and
the performers never give the excuse Of
cough or cold. In truth, slight cold is
an improvement upon their style The
Willingness with which they entertain you
In this respect is only equalled by the
evident vanity of the singers, or the ex-
alted pride OF the by-standers of celestial
origin. That pooty p one will ask and
others, how you lIkee dat 2 What you
tinkee dat?' "Merican side can sing so
pooty| To all of which it must be your
invarable rule to give the expected an
swers, or you will Immediately find your
self involved in a discussion in their horri-
bic lingo, called Pigeon En- glish, of which
you are sure to have the worst, for the
odds are too strong against YOU
So long as Chinese songstress can
keep herself surrounded by listeners she
will sing and | really believe that sinsin.
in Chinese town, is like the revelle and
tattoo of Great Britain around the world,
never ceases. Their favorte hour is iuit
at the close OF twilight. When all else is
still, and silence would reign with dark
ness, howls and squeals begin TO float on
the air; at first low and indistinct, but
soon loud, confused and piercing Almost
every doorstep is thronged with noisy
musicians (your pardon, Euterpe y and
admlring listeners. From windows and
easements comes the tones of more deli
cate and retired singers, beatifyinga select
party within. Every group has at least
one Infant phenomenon" the gentle
cadence of whose voice may occasionally
be heard, followed by exclamations of as
tonishment and delight, repeated perhaps
for the hnndredth time. Be the theme
Of any song plaintive or gay, the tune
seems to he much the same, and at times
a hideous chorus would startle you into
the belief that fends were let loose upon
the earth.