The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-02-04
MADRIGALS.
Aneir History and PrActice-The Re-
Daissance In Music.
From the ". Y. Eponinn post.

nalssance In Music.
FROM the ". Y Evening Post.
Nothing Is shorter lived than modern popular
melody. Written in a moment, without care or
Evaporation, 1t often hits the popular taste meets
WIN WIN general accePtation, is whistled hummed
ana sung, and then dies like the snowy insect
" tle nouf. Twenty years ago the better class
al Englsh ballads were in favor. Then arose
.nc era OF Wnat we falsely call negro melodies
% %uunes otten pretty and meritorlous, but always
EoatOn EEritten and sung by white men, Tue late Mr..
roster was the best of the innumerable COM
posers OF this class, and some of his songs show
refinement and delicacy that under more
favorable inhuences-say under italian skies,
surroundings and tuition-might have made
nm composer the Bellui or DOnizetu style.
better because more muscian-like yet equally
mmeIoolous' are many OF the songs OF j, X.
Lhomas, some of winch are in their sphere
really perfect. George f. Root and Henry Work,
and many others whose names are familiar
enough in the music stores, have added in a
Cre9ltable manner to the list of American
But Foster aOd Work have passed the zenith
Ol their popularity, and at the present moment
popular taste seems divided between the French
Ohenbach and English LiDgard. The former
SHOWS talent which seems TO be capable of
greater things than its pOssessor has yet done.
In La PCTiChOe,' for instance, there are traces
OF capablity which may yet lead OHenbach
rom the irivolity of opera bouffc to q higher
standpoint IN musical art. AS TO Lingard, he
must be endured for a season, but Captain
Jinks" and Walking down Broadway will
very soon follow that car taking nuisance
champagne Charlie - to the dark abodes of OBJ.
lvioD. Not that Mr. Lingard is 10 be blamed
for setting popular melodies to rdiculously
amusing words; only he must know himself that
his entertaining trifes are but for q day.
The era OF negro mtuslresy, so called, is
nearly over, and the programmes at the min
strel halls now possess few of the features
which once characterized them. One promi
Dent troupe in this city, containing probably as
much If not more varied talent than any other
has succumbed to public Indifference in the
metropolis and started on a travelling tour
Opera boUtfe, even Is shrewdly suspected 10 be
on the wane Public musical taste IS appa.
rently seek ne some new phase OF entertainment
THE MADRIeAL.
Just at this critical period a company of anna.
n1Haurs give concert OF the glees and madrigals
written several hundred years ago, and uneX-
pectedly TO the performers themselves their
performance suddenly becomes the town talk
Everybody in New York at all Interested IN
musical matters is talking about them. The
obsolete word 'madr5aln becomes familiar
household word, and dictionaries and encyclo-
pe0Ias are in sudden demand.
A madrigal-speaking OF the words-is
short, terse amatory poem OF four or more
lines. There is no rule as to the rhythm or
thyme, or, in some cases, even to the sense.
The older English poets delighted to strike out
these little love strains, and their originals may
be found in some OF the Greek writer's. As a
general thing, the names of the writers are
forgotten, and those OF the composers alone
remembered.
For these amatory lines speedily suggested
three, four, five. even six and seven parts
The old tugue aud canon styles were preserved
IN these compositions, which first saw light in
Italy, enistUg the services OF many composers
the most illustIous OF whom were P4lestrna
and Alessnpdro Scarlattt rnese composers
often used the sonnets OF Petragch on which TO
base their musical thoughts.
The earliest madIigals were written about
l540 and it was nearly half century ater that
they appeared in England. From the fftceutb
TO the eighteenth century they were in great
no 0I!TlnU tu
10 take part in madrigals was necessary fea-
ture of polite education. The music was printed
In an Oblopg quarto size and without bars. In
quaint old volume-Morleys "Introduction to
Practical Music"-wrltlen in dialogue form, one
of the characters says
''Supper being ended, and musicke books
according to the custome, beng brought TO the
table the mistress of the house presented me
with part, earnestly requesting me to sing; but
when. af er many excuses, protested untainedly
that could not, evere one began to wonder:
YEA some whispered to others demanding ho "
was brought up. SO that upon shame OF
mine ignorance, goe now TO seek out mine old
friende, Master Gnorlmus, TO make myself his
Madrigals were the precursors of the modern
opera. AT first they were sung without accom-.
paniment, then one instrument was introduced
and subsequently Others, and then longer poems
used, till sort of dramatic form followed, anG
out Of this grew the opera. of course, in the
gorgeous display and intricate harmonies of the
7Buquenots' or the .PrOphete' the opera-goel
would never suspect that to the unpretentious
madrjeal are traced the magnificent combina
tions that &c present the most elaborate type O
modern musical art.
SPECIMEN BRICKS.
Of course there must have been myriads o
madrigals that have been popular in their day
but are now forgotten. Among the most ad
mired of those that have survived is down il
Flowery Vale" composed in lj4l by C. Festi
TO these words:-
Down IN a fow'ry vale, all on a summer morn
ing
Swiftly on wings OF love flew to meet her;
Coldly she welcomed Inc when did greet her.
warbied thus my ditty:
90 Shepherdess, have pity
And hear faithful lover
His passion true discover.
All why art thou to me so cruel W
Then straight replied my jewel
sIf gold thou hast fond youth, twill speed til
sueing:
But if thy purse be empty, come not TO m
"a a.wOoiUgP
"A .sTbe Silver Swan" was composed by Orland
Gibbons In 1908. 1t reads thus:-
The silver swan, who living had no note,
Al When death approached, unlocked her sel
N throat:
Leaning her breast against the reedy shoar,
Thus sung her brst and last, and sung no NOR
"Farewell all joys! death, come close n
eyes:
More geese than swans now 1--we, more foe
than wise"
In BEFORE this in l595-Morely had written {
II following. which at tanned wide cele5nty:-
Now is the month Of Mayng
When merry lads are playing
Fa la la.
~ Each with his bonny lass,
A dancing on the grass.
L.