New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-10-30

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On thy colitEpy stones q Sea
WILL AMERICA EVER HAVE A MUSIC OF HER owNi
VIII there ever be distinctly American musicf When
the present forms OF national life nodded into
homogeneous American people. there will be native
music. All the natiOnatcs Of the earth are gathered
here lively France sends us her songs; sold England
brings CAROL Italy brings her wonderful power or
meodzng love and 10Y; the native melodies of Germany
Scotlaud and IrrlaId NH swarm into the New World
When all these characteristics are lost from view the
people 50 created will nave % that shall be ~ orig
| NAL rs man. The naiionall:icS are all welcome. This
cOuutry'S idea shall reduce hc al to harmony
their lfe.bnOd shall drop in new melodies wrung from
them by toll and tho land shall bc full Of melody.
mountain, and praires, aud by either sea
The reading of the essay occupied about an hour,
and 1t was subsequently discussed as tOllSws;
THE DISCUSSION.
THE REV. J. T. sAaGEST-IHR EFFECT OF MUSIC.
want to relate a simple event in my experience
as illustrative Of what Mr. Weiss has said touching the
emotional influence Of music AS have heard la years
past my good old rOher playing upon that harp (point
ing to the instrumenb, have sat in the little room
adjoining, writing and heard my daughter playing upon
the piano, IL TO else play IT, excite
emotions 1t has seemed 10 me II 1 was in another
world. could not explain why it should DO that WIN.
out any previous preparation Of spirit, heart or
s sc IN ooa 'nC Of teop n u once see Il now
Then there was another point III the essay WhIeh ~
my mind illustration in regard to the effect OF df
ferent classes OF music upon military troops. remem-
Der reading time that Napoleon 3onararte,
while crossing the Alps, found ms troops would Times
halt and lie down. He would then give orders for me
huge 10 strike up some lively tune, aud immediately
they would start up and go forward; ana II nc et
serious ohsacein the ascent. he would then sound y
charge and they would rush forward ASH new lie had
| been given them.
MRS HowE-MoDERS SCULPTURE.
should like to 20 back the essay far enough 10
quarrel with Mr. Weiss for sweeping out OF justified ex-
stence modern sculpture. think there Is good deal
of that sort OF sculpture Just rs there was Il suppose
there was) in the old Greek days too and that sort OF
uniuSuhed work exists Ia all arts But think there are
many modern statues that have very great merit anu
great interest. and which conld not afford at al 10
lose. think Mr. Weiss had been particularly thinking
! of Paluer's marbles they seem 10 have that effect
! MR. HIGGEsoN-THE POWER or WORDS.
think Mr. Weiss must got that hercsy before
came did not hear that, 40 that cannot fluid ma
teral to quarrel upon feas all felt, suppose
inundated with a Of delicious statement feel as
though belonging manner 10 another shop having
no connection with the musical shop over the way ana
feel not little of satisfaction in behalf OF the shop
where | counter and thar Mr.. Weiss Indicated the
power words after all think that after saying that
words could tell what music said he has gone on
ard told IL wonderfully we'll He has succeeded IN refu
| ING ms own statement more thoroughly than most
| speakers do l confess there point where
| thought he did not mean to do that, ana broke
of making q statement for pure musc-whcre he said
| Do You ask what docs music suggestG" thought he
wuud answer e will tell you in more musici" instead
OF which he told us IN words thought that was the
only point where the hand swcrvcd little. Ator all
the merit OF music if it has merit above words, dropped
aud ignored If you try to state II IN words ana mat IS
where II TO words have the advantage after oil
that il You to state compare. or crtcise or
euiOze any other art you have to do 1t III words You
cannot sound the praises OF words IN music or
| ptiltinc; but you can, and you have to sound
The nruses Of painting music words after all In
behalf OF words, satisfied with that result. We
cannot cricise, We cannot compare, master cannot
teach US music painting without using words There
persons in this who come as near To speaking ia
song believe, anybody in The world can speah-l do
not mean i'm words but In sOng-n taking human song
hy some poor poet perhaps ana maAihgl u more huna
describe the process or to state what hat process was ty
would have To the words after all And am not sure
which puts music above words. mean in the ordinary
sense. 1t to that those who eulogize music
must have TO call in for their aid the whole round OF
suggestions and inmatonsall that Is meant by music
| all that Is sought in cOmpOsltiOn-aDd an immensely
beyond all that has 70 be Invoked IN order to state the
results OF music and you used equal latitude in stating
the results Of words either prose OF verse am not
add Tcnny sons Poem all that intmated In 1t beyond
the words am not sure but you can make OUT as much
And to descend TO point little Hc sm nie mo
value OF association in the matter Of art because asso
citation entirely independent OF the quality with
which the thing associated possesses The trivial
thing may bear the sacred association and the
thing itself may be even more sublime ana sacred
thousand times than the association. Association has
Subordinate value certain philosopher violently
love- his early years with young lady who squnted
aud he never could Young lady afterward with
cast i'm the eve without e1perencing lively sensation
and still 1t does not prove that that physical peculiarly
is grace think all the senses have the same charm
not the ear only the eye; but nothing Is imne
date and overwhelming in the associations 1t suggests
than the scent which universally ranked lowest IN the
physical senses. Nothing brings back 20 us 80 mmed
aely the time long gone, or any delightful experience
should Think therefore, II would be better 10 leave
ASSOCIATION of view in stating the absolute value OF
any because association Is not thing indicative OF
superiority. / do not think. for one as Dir. Sargent
| said, that ever heard some associations about
Rs9 su s E SENSATIONS sas0a since qesd charles RR
chester, certainly, / have this morning; and the
felicity Of statement seemed to me wonderful always
have 10 say something about the Greeks before get
through llaughteT aud was not quite satisfied with
what had heard-at least. ouly heard the end Of it.
not entirely saTo that 1t is point OF superiority
that modern literature has over the Greek-that tho
landscape pursued for It's own sake but think
after all external life is secondary, not eternal and
primary, and when we state that We have said oil that
necessary vndicate the Creek because do not think
the literature OF the world beside his pictured
natural obiects-so many forest plotures-and stated
attic literature which FrOude denies 10 be possessed OF
| any such merit think that when Thoreau after all
diSry on the statement what is there be
the friendly life passing within IT, many ghts ana many
attitude and reafrmed the Greek attitude But stu
| likely may have Inexperienced
| Mr.. BAKToL-
The trouble IN the comparison which Mr. Weiss has
made, and which Mr. Hggnson has continued, between
music and words, arises from our not thinking what
word is. Do you mean written wOrd-a word on the
page-whch you read with your silently, do
mean spoken woTdf IL you mean wE{ WILLIE word oH y is
language 1t is only fair compare the literal word
the page with the printed musical notes. just all our
friends speak OF reading music rapidly IL Inherent
thing from singing 1t playing it upon instrument
fair comparison would I've between the printed words
and the printed music the words aud the spoken
words suppose If were closely to define should
say that the word the spoken thought and not the
thing The spoken word carries along with IL the Ian
guage OF tone, infection, and even yOn will say, what
ever OF motion In expression belongs
TO 10 and a part Of ta that il meant by word We
have fallen into conventional way Of thinking OF words
simply being arbitrary characters; but word prop
ery is something spoken. All that goes along with it
of sympathy OF love- OF expression OF manner b part Of
the word and, you will make fair comparison, you
must compare that with the note sung, the note
coming from friends mothers harp, or daughters
piano and see which will convey the most meaning
spoken word OF love has conveyed from soul TO
another than any musical note MeDdessoln, when de-
sired by lady to put into descriptive language certain
piece OF music, declined, not he says, because words
are difficult than music but more indefinite. Tho
| music which Will occur is so definite in my mind that
decline a vaguer form Of expression But In this