The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-12-13
d - d! + o. II4-
CITY.

The New PArH.-The December number
contains Science and Art (concluded), >, the
jAttist's Fund EoSiety;g NAacAl1Mstc; .
Heritic Squelched; Art and Photography;
Leaves from Note Book. 4
The article on National Music. considers
the query: 'swhence comes che phhtite ele'
ment of American popular airs and songs"
the writer says: =
aAmericsH shasis, like the, Americanp people,
shows traces of most of the leading races of
Europe, in such degree, as to bury all other
influences beyond the sight of the. ordinary
observer. The one class that Has at present,
and promises for the future, the most inhu-
ence ON American music, is the Irish"
He then examines the music of various ma,
tionalitieGe re &EEtET !
The Italian (real, not German opera),
Swimming lightly over the notes, rather dwell
ling on the languor;-expressing, softly,
dreamily, dying infections, often Light aud
lively; playful but with reserve of expires
SION, asif It's Joy, though natural Wa under
some controlling influence; the JOY of full
ripeness, and the mellowing stagein power,
Ofa different mce, Gilman, land country,
the Scotch rises quickly, and easily, as on the
memory of great things bat loves to dwell on
the falling, weary infection, as of great things
accomplished, as of rest for the great, and
none to repeat their work; in this feeling 81
having lived to 'sthe days of little men,"
Ossian expresses perfectly She feeling and
expression common to both Scotch and ltal-
ian; feeling that neither ever shakes COM
pletely off for any length of time; and ala
though the Scotch melody contains different
humanity, a more social hllousieelihR, sort
of lie-close- and keep-warm expression, this
is very prominent feature, and enc Gifts
greatest characteristics, and peculiar charms.
The Spanish has much Of the sadness of
the Scotch and Italian, but it has
also self.dependence and pride, strength
and dignity, and innate vim, more marked
than in the others and which sspeaks race
life either more fall and strong, more intense
aud energetic than Scotch or italian: or else
less passe.
he Irish comes to us, on the contrary. I'M.
like the Scotch and Italian with their melau.
choiy repose; it is wild, mournfll, hut hope
FIJI, energetic; It's widest regret and sorrow,
IS expressed on the rising infection the swell.
hing sound passes from lower TO a higher
noe, increasing in life and emphasis, ride
The Last Rose of Summer, The whole
bearing OF the thought Is expressed on the ris-
ias part Of the sprine, the highest part of the
lean a. not yet attained.
The energy Of the Irish. is n point of con.
nection or similarity between that and the
Spanish; but the rising Eolan swell, and the
absence of any decaying mellowness of any
thing pdsse, is the Irish par excellence, the
pecnar charm of the "wake;r it tells of a
race life still IN its younger day, vitality that
has more in the future than in the past.
he German or Central European music,
from lyrol to Bohemia, presents several va
rletles, but all agreeing in their characters
tlcS they hop and Jump, from note to note,
Ike the mountaineer, from crag to crag, with
some little energy, though often weary, for
the notes he strikes are as hard as the crags
he leaps upon; and stranger to such life soon
footore, and longs for silence; truly, the Ger
man music seems fond of cutting capers over
rough ground, of showing its ability, not grace,
ana consists more in movement than in sound.
We have only space for bis characterization
of the French:
be French music swells, and fades easily;
It's characteristic is, grace of motion, comb.
ned with sweetness of sound, full, with little
or no reserve, though some self-control.
When plaintive it yearns for the existing,
though absent or unattainabe; its past is for.
gotten, its future unheeded; rising and falling
with equal grace, but little .Eolian swell OF
the Irish, little Scotch longing regret, but
perhaps more of the latter than the former,
especially IN the airs OF Normandy; the airs
OF provence should be even lighter, more
elastic, more like the Italian; the whole is
the voice OF a race life, self absorbed PEASANT;
rich IN fancy and feeling, but of less energy
than might have been expected.