The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-06-16


Sagadahoc. ......... Jos. M HAYES. N-i'
Somerset ....... ....JAMES BELL. aaai4.l itii 4
Mashinston MalSG ...s..;S; IS K K nasakFN, Hdb4kF
fork...............J. .J.E BUTLER. Ut afliI sN
n E4 5ftgias. Republican State CommIfss.
.........r-------
zaydn's Creation and Mendelsshon's
20. Paul.
The citizens of Portland and vicinity have
recently been made acquainted with the
Creation. Those who attended the rehears-
ais and public exhibitions of this grand COM
position understand the nature and character
it of so well that little need be said touching
its peculiar characteristics. That it was ad-
mirably rendered by our singers, and given
with the spirit and the understanding also,
there can be no doubt in fair and honest
minds. The mnsic of this Oratorio is the
more easily understood and appreciated be-
cause it is really of a discriptiue and not of a
Suggestive character. Descriptive music is
more readily comprehended than Suggestive
but it never wears so well among accomplish
ed musicians. True, the Creation is still very
popular music and will always remain so
among the masses, and for the very good rea-
SON that it can be more easily comprehended
and appreciated than music of more sug-
gestive character like st. Paul.
Musical critics sometimes make asses OF
themselves by attributing thoughts and ideas
to great composers which never entered their
heads. One writer says-and says truly
taat hearers are compelled to translate music
into words whilst the composer translates
words into music. This is true. Mendels-
shon has been many times amused, as well as
eamazed" by such critics. He writes: "Man3
persons consider MelusinG to be my best
overture; at all events it is the most deeply
felt; but as to the fabulous nonsense Of the
musical papers about red coral and green sea
monsters, and magic palaces and deep seas,
this is stupid stuff and fills me with amaze
ment." Now these exceedingly wise and i'm
aginative critics could see all those remarka-
BILE creatures and things in Melusina oi
which Mendelsshon never had the faintest
glimpse while comp osing this overture. So
of Beethoven's Sonatas. Musical critics have
called them Moonlight Sonatas" because
they imagined they saw in them the silvery
beams of the inconstant moon, but the com
poser never had such enchanting visions ant
never called them Moonlight Sonatas. HI
never thought Of moonlight when he compos
ed them. The critics were 'smoonstruck" ano
not Beethoven. NJ ad5 lsol aa To-
Many of Mendelssohns works have beer
chrlstened with names which he neve
thought Of. A writer in the London Musica
Times very properly asks, @Can anybody say
why the AndGnte in his Italian symphony il
called the Pilgrims March? Supposing it i
a Marcia matter not definitely settled
what in the name of wonder have pilgrims t.
do with it? True, it is one of his most beau
tiful compositions, and written in the brill
liant city of Naples, but then he he neve
thought of pilgrims when he was composln,
it. We don't believe these critics, enthusias
tic as they are, were ever admitted into Men
delssohn's confidence when he wrote it, O
had been furnished by him with privat,
pass-key TO his innermost thoughts as th,
writer aforesaid suggests. - y. ~
| But let these matters pass. We have sal,
that large portion of Haydn's Creation
initiative or descriptive music, and especial
the instrumental parts. The writer in tn
Times thinks initiative music belongs to
much lower order of the art than that of
suggestive character. If this position be
sound one, then st. Paul is music Of highe
order than the Creation. That it is NOR
deeply religious and less descriptive, all goo
judges will admit 1t is true, as the write
alluded to above suggests, that wheneye
reality obtrudes itself where realistic idea
are not sought for, it Immediately depresse
the art it is intended to raise. And here il
this connection the statue, of Daniel Webste
near the State House in Boston comes up i
memory. Now, how would this image of tn
great Expounder show of in an artistic ga
lery Of sculpture?' There is nothing sugge:
tive about it, but it is altogether too realistic
and the manufacturer ventured quite beyon
the legitimate province of art. WheEsye
we gaze upon this colossal image we confes
our ideas of sculpture are more depresse
than elevated. 1t always seems to us NOR
/ like caricature than work Of art.
Il -
1.s;,s @ e,s 49, ~ : a.e - a " .s M DCS'o
.,1,e,. . soou as'aH ~ sAaA0 sn0 LUZ
the many anvils win be quite realisti
an. .su.n.u soMo aea'e'' " 1,a.A
'. suOps nv.e 'nan - uOe' :, 'ne oivln
oa = a. -, sarn ;.I aa,au.'s WIN y qa'.s as nac !.
peyonu ~ 'ss'''maes p'Vslnce :, at' = q
sna. D.o"n voss WIN Di'sns buttons, %
pun ves' ana ~ nting 1owsefs 90 on WEI
s.s. ssa.ue no uouDs tne SOUNDS Oh 'ne al
~, ~ uEs ,,:,
! .a .,'.,-..r - u.s..r ~ t,,a col;sa,,',
anu siiaAe rooi anu ,a''e' - 'ne oo''0ean'
but how much VIII all sucn demonstration
| do in elevating the divine art and cultvatin
and refining the taste Of the community p
NJ -. ;-o1;,,oa ., Relieve .ho .o.ao,,,,r
we -. 'n.'u ~ Ss.'s'e Aenue,i
Mendeissonns pureiy suggestive overture
| the Midsummer Nights Dream" would
! | more towards eleyatine the feelings and RI
-
L inning Cne td6tc 0l tQc puDilc t1au SUCH Ecd