New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-10-30
THE BOSTON RADICAL CLUB.
MUSIC.

BOSTON, OcI. 81 ne haQlCal OlOD OF DOStOn Nho
court circle of radical thought in America has re-
sumed its monthly meetings for the season. The irst
meeting took place, as on former occasions. at the
house of tho Rev. John Il. Sargent, No. 10 Chestnut
st. which is ever open to the the literary and charlt
able objects of the cultivated coterie which bears the
name Of the Radicals, The attendance was
very good. though neither Emerson Alcott, nor
Mr. WATSON was present and the elegant parlors oil
Mrs. Sargent were well filled. The members OF tne
Club are privileged 70 introduce their friends to ther
monthly literary festivals and there rs always I'D
eral shrinking of famous visitants at the meetings
Among those present were Miss Ellen rockingham,
Mrs Matte Griffith Brown. Mrs. Howe Mrs. Cheney
Dr. Bartol, Col. HigginSen, and Dr. Rogers and
among the listeners were the wcll-known Mother
Biekerdyke.D and Mr. aud Mrs. VIM. Crafts of anti
Slavery fame.
The Rev Rowland ConnOr opened the meeting in
his capacity as Secretary. 1t is the custom of the
Club TO listen TO an essay, by some Of its mem
bers upon a subject of his choosing, and after
ward TO discuss it; and on this occasion the Rev.
John Weiss of Waterfowl. the biographer of Thco-
dOre Parker read an essay upon Music" Blr
Weiss is faithful wOrshiper of nature, and is
possessed Of an ear finely sensitive to the undertOnes
in which she is forever whispering her secrets to.her
waiting devotees. He did not attempt any analysis
of that which is so infinitely beyond the reach of in
tellectual comprehension, but told of effects and
associations The essay seemed to possess the same
general characteristics which he ascribed to music
Much of the language was melody itself, and the
deep. rich information of the speakers voice gave an
added rythm to sentences which seemed TO blend
into each other. and to rise and fall on the waves of
their own music
The following is an abstract of the essay:
THE REV. JOHN WEISS on MUSIC.
Every pcrod in which vital race attaus to positive
manners characterized by its style OF art 1t is the
blossom Of lis particular style of intelligence The Pyra
mids the Temple Of solomon, and the Haeuahs OF the
Ievto priests. the Parthcnon that overlooked land
crowded human statues, whose consciousness mas
never yet eQualed, all acccntuate the condition TO
which each human race had arrived. This we'll I'M
derstoOd shat may incur the suspicion of beng tedious
If he relates it, bat it is not well understood that
each style of artistic development passes away 1t is not
possible TO immediately recall IT. the precise mental aud
spiritual conditions cannot be restored. New sentiments
are awakened and more complicated notions OF love aud
influences which affect art in the different epochs
Mr. Weiss said that almost all of our modern statuay
just about 10 deterOrate into the eXpressOness
quarry from which it first dug The Arab and Turk
might burn our statues IOr he Ihey TAKE coId ana De
gin To sneeZe directly they are bOr ana they rant ahd
shuttle IL il for our Interest as early as possible to find
ont claim universal genius is to betray consider
able fatuousness. The marbles OF the Greeks were not
grindStOnes 10 out. Their works rank with the
original SCRIPTURES But the modern world plays ana
sings more feeling than All the temples ana statues ever
thrObOed With H0 defined music as the artistic result
consciousness INTO which moods have passed more sub
tile and elusive than any that the Greek knew II You
modern. you find It almost never account Of the
forest but for the mans sake The Greek pen the day
In the open country children do and il only in
the forest depths that deep feelings overlook him. Ma
tuTe eeGan VIII aavahtaggs 0eeIi ana y WHS zoo
Independent personality upon her Spiritual anal0gies
cannot be invented till the mind has liberated itself from
the tyranny of nature. Ulysses in the odyssey is
always the victim OF the elements. S0phOcles
only makes the maidens regret in death tile loss
air The Greek was cOntcnted To personiiy some OF
natures sounds and movements and report in stone his
hrst superficial impressions The Greek was Dot self
conscious enough 20 see that by mpresng upon nature
all these names otBymphs and dryad ne impressed
hnsef upon her. The modern poet has bccOme 50 much
better ACQUAINTED Win nature at no Gan aoI 20 iahS
oOnrade OF Her. THIS poetic insight mas gradually col
ieCted many emotions that some OF them have been
found TOO subtle Ioi speech Soy anu sGrTo" DeSn 70
man borrowed the key Of its emotions from
nature Man inprnts forever his presence all lifeess
things The Winds his faithful voices never sense
less gust now man Is born All the trees have tones
which differ, aud which become translated through the
winds with the songs OF the people Mr. Weiss depicted
working Of the influence Of nature in the inspiration
that Beethoven and Moz1rt had together attained the
highest musical expression Of the soul in modern times
What did they express
WHAT'S MUsIci
Is there anything beyond the power of language which
Is the time worthy of expression provided you
can find way to do it, What this wonderful thing
which words fail to reach Is 1t in nature in
Tie sentincut must be very subtitle that cannot
he traced by TenuysOn's diamond pen The ocean
must be very deep in which Dante's plummet
begins 1oat before gains the bottom Music treads
the paths OF language but treads them further and
buOyanty and penerates toward the interior Of thought
and feeling The great composer may be an exceptional
but what his composition expresses IS as universal
the hearts OF his brethren The speaker enuncated
some things which does and express
cannot mimic anything Its range Of imitation Is
eeedngy narrow. When man, III keen sympathy with
nature borrowed her tones and laid the foundations both
Of language and song, music have been UMPIRE
tending repetition Of her keys; but to-day, far as
Imitation is concerned, the key Of nature and the
elements of her harmony the only things
initiated Separate Instruments r can initiate me
sounds OF nature as the violin ana tbe harp Double
bases get together aud portend something But music
cannot describe anything 1t cannot describe storm or
battle or aSuhrlse' or coupe seOiulng lhere are
single passages music that seem 60 represent some
terrible In the last Of Giovanni, but Of
feelings really described they only limited
at. They are sound symbols Of what they are said to
describe and are only expressive than the and
Of algebra sounds are more expressive than signs
satirzed the musical criticism OF the day, aud
fempts at analyzing music The more ambitious
ls the less 10 Is like music. IL words can be made sub
symphony the symphony itself becomes superfuous. II
music merely plays the part Of language In wagner way
would be right % Danish music as means OF culture
There are places where all gifts combined cannot carry
there music carries u.s. Beethoven and Mozart or
aspiring, loving suffering. wOrshping human SOUL not
special hopes special beliefs and ASPIRATIONS but the
p gSn S e9pres: DiS Beethoven ever deber
dtl0n Of his original life On the contrary his spiritual
condition clothed itself In musical expression uneon-
scOuSiy AZ Ine WHEN ~ ,S VEL
can very often mention his mood, person Is unden
ably cheerful brave, pathete but you cannot tell
what he means. He does not mean anything. He was
not exclusive but Inclusive like all the great natural
minds OF the race What does he sayf Nothing. What
does no embodyi Everything. than you knew you
had within yOual the nObler parts Of yourself, the
finer impulses have been lying dormant lii this
hour perhaps He tells you that you are better than
you know and that your ordinary life has been keeping
under and throwing into submission all the impulses that
belong 70 you.
RHYTHM.
The speaker referred to the ythm which obtains
In the oyeuents OF natural forces and said that what