Litchfield enquirer., 1865-05-25
ABOUT MUSIC.
REPORTED BY OUR MUSICAL CRITIC.

The individual, who is accostumed to divert himself, by playing upon the brass instrument i in the immediate vicinity of the cordwainiug, sartorial, neurological shop in South street, pos sesses, without doubt, an exceedingly fine taste l for mus e. We regret that we are not in the possession of an equally excellent ear. It is, no doubt, owing to our unfortunate deficiency in this respect; that we are unable 10 appreci- ate, to it's full extent, the exquisite melodies, which the aforesaid gentleman (whom. in igno- rance of his real name we, will call )-Mr. Jem Baggs-is in, the constant habit of lavishing upon us its unworthy recipients. We wish it to be distinctly understood, however, that in the remarks which We shall make in this article l concerning music in general and Mir. Baggs music in particular, we are by no means and under no guise attempting either to ridicule or depreciate the performances of that distinguish ed amateur; on the contrary, so far as our lim- ited knowledge of acoustics enables us to judge, we unhesitatingly assert that, in our opinion, the above mentioned gentleman has arrived at the very topmost round of the musical ladder. We desire furthermore to state that we are not aware of any violent antipathy, on our part to that art which an eminent poet has declared " has power to soothe the savage breast.' h. deed We are now ard ever have been inclined to believe that music when not carried to ex- cess, has very active and powerful tendency towards softening and refining the human race. Music seems to us to bear the same relation to the mind that medicine bears to the body. The effects which the one produces on our physical are strikingly analogous to the influence which the other exerts upon our spiritual system. In readers of the evident narcotic effect of many of the most strenuous efforts of the village choir. Indeed it would not be difficult to con- struct an entire musical dispensatory. Martial music, for instance, mi ght be termed stimn- lant; church music, an opiat ballad music, a tonic operatic music, a cathartic; whisting might be said to partake of the nature of an astringent, while those solitary outporings to which many of our fellow citizens are addicted, may, for aught we know possess the virtues and perform the functions of moral physic.
 On returning again to Mir. Bags and his music we beg leave 10 apologize to that emi- nent performer for the suddenness with which we left him after his first intruductiou to the reader. h order that it may not be forgotton' 
 we here repeat the observation which we have previously made, viz ; that if in the course of this essay any dsparaging criticisms be made upon MT. Bagg's performances we do not doubt , that they may much more easily and properly be traced to errors in our judgement than de
 fciences in MT. Bags ability. Nevertheless, if you would not consider it impertinent, Sir, We should like, with becoming modesty to sug- gest that little more variety would add vastly to the pleasure which your music now produces both for yourself and others. As you have hitherto restricted your efforts to single tune, consisting, we believe, of very long, very sol- emn and very mechanically toot, followed by a very short, very aippant and exceedingly i'm pertinent one, as, we say you have heretofore limited yourself to this one, no doubt, admira- bic melody, we must of course be entirely ig
 norant of your capabilities when employed on a greater scale. It is true that our acquaintance with this peculiar combination of sounds (which for sake of distinction we may call Dundee)- thanks to your assiduity--hss now ripened into intimacy and we should therefore expect to feel some bangs at parting with so old and tried a familiar. But it should be remembered that the surest way to make two people hate each other IS to shut them up together and let them see no one else. Again, you should bear in
 mind that by reason of this very old acquaiu- tance, the pleasure which we derive from the performance of this tune has lost one of its most important constituents viz the element of surprise. No sooner have we heard the preliminary, well behaved toot, than we have already conceived, and are prepared to listen to the abrupt and impudent one which must inev- etably follow. ''5' .'
 The mild approximation given above was written in the early part of last week. Since that time the condition of matters has very materially altered. To day we shall change our tune. The reason why we shall change our tune is that Mr. Baggs has changed his tune. Formerly, we mournfully complained of the perpetual repetition of that, which was by courtersy called Dundee. Now however, we yehemently complain of the diabolieal arrange lnent of notes which has, superseded that sim pie air. Last "Wednesday, at about o'clock in the evening, Mr. Baggs entered his apart
 ment9 For about fifteen minutes after this event there was profound silence in and about the abiding place of J. Baggs: At the expira- ton of that time, however, the sound of his ,ad. uiirable instrument was heard by an attentive au- dience in'the neighborhood. But instead of the old, accustomed s' one long and one short toot,'
 we were upon this occasion, favored with di. reversion and variation of all the established I rules which had previously guided MT. Baggs
 performances First, we had a short and . long, then two shorts and a long, then two Ionps l and short, and finally two short toots. Some. I what alarmed at this singular behavior of MT, 1