New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-09-01
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
NATIONAL MUSICAL CONGRESS.

NATIONAL MUSICAL CONGRESS.
p.prRs BY THEODORE +. SEWARD, 5. ID. TILL
MAN, CARLYLE PETERsHEA, AND JOHN
O'NEILL.
The National Musical Congress resumed its
session IN stenway Hall yesterday morning at 10 o'clock
About GO ladies and gentlemen present L. H.
Southland presided, and, after organ voluntary
PLAYED by himself, introduced Theodore f. Seward OF
Orange n j. who proceeded 10 read paper discussing
the question, what this Association do to revive
on interest elementary musical Instruction. "r'
reward while admitting that in the higher forms Oh u
sica the progress of this country during tne p
twenty-five years has been truly wonderful; ssid ''
She foundation OF the superstructure has peen So
uay crumbng away till there is scarcely snytae ~ he
20 BY this foundation mean knoMieuS Gch OH
ad fp must be based The results may
be observed on every SIDE Many anaIyze the sim
pest tune and give an intelligent d of the
Gers by which 1t rs represen that The old Fashioned
singing passing out OF exlstehee' anu th
has arisen TO take ts PLACE. a Tss bad vet
there was, vithal, much thoIough PRAGUE, anu 50
knowledge Of the subject was finally gained as result
Of prolonged experience. The remedy is the holding
OF short continuous courses OF insuSu9h IN alnefeht
places in which meetings shall be held every nt:nt
oT two weeks or such time may be found most prac
toable Such courses are termed Musical institutes.
The advantages of the system are-lst Jhat cOmHuhl
ties can be thoroughly aroused and interested oy
such a special effort than by an ordinary weekly Singing
school Cd Ii has been demonstrated by actual exper-
encc that al least onehalt more can le taught Ny d
given number of daily lessons than by the same mum
her OF lessons occurring but once week 3d. Inc renu
neraton OF the teacher will he greatly increased one
great reason for the lack Of elementary teachers Is ne
Door nay they receive They leave that department Ior
the more remunerative one OF private lnsuueuo9nn
II teachers of elementary mnse aS am peter h induced
O cultivated class OF people VIII pe Inut te
20 engage in the work Auother gIea NV Az .ho f
Of the proposed plan OF short musical ,o et ~
huence II will have upon tne tnportaMt eIg ssic "a
congregational singing. Instead OF regarung %
mere accessory the Chue reon and must treat
the subject upon that basis. The only way IN when con-
gregaonal singing can De ou uR seSvice of thor
oughly competent musician, VINO is siso an edinvs
congregation committed his just as its spiritual
interests given into the care OF the pastor Leu the
TIM NAV he necessary for the training Of and OF
individuals Let ii be understood that this Arrange
good results will follow just as surely as mar
vests follow seed sowing. He proposed that a
eical institutes, tue chairman Of such committee 70
institutes held during the year the of the work
over the preceding year, the num0er Vi persons
Of me ' institutes. or Of the hackers conducting
them, to lead the music ot the ChuIch Vi
the Sunday-schoo and any other items OF interest.
discussion ensued upon the relative advantages OF
Class practice and individual teaching, and II was recon-
mended that the pupils classes be called upon at in
teryas 10 sing by seats quartette sngy in order
TO cultivate sefreance and develop INDIVIDUAL inusca
talent. Mr. Seward moved the appointment o. a com
mittee OF three, from Boston, one from New-forK
and one from Chicago TO promote and sustain musical
his paper. Dr. wentworth doubted the feasibility of
this enterprise, for who would pay the teachers ne
recommended bureau OF correspondence III NeW-lork
Boston for the purpose Of establishing communication
between such communities as desire lhuscI
and such teachers as desire enpoyment' mI. sewaru
Mr. O'Nei, Mr.. TouTj6e Mr.. Emery and others shared
IN the discussion and the motion finally referred 10
FmCry, and Df. Wentworth.
Prof s. d. Tllman of tins city explained an improve
ment IN the sOeggio being proposed change in the
syllabes used in sOlmiZatiOn The change consisted
of do employed 10 TO- This slight change pro
yides the desired vowel terminal and gives to these
Of which the vocalist enabled to determine at the
harmonic relations Of any sound To is invariably ne
being the first, third and NTH SOUNDS known as the
Chord In the S b E1ne Gb S4SfGs
Of figures which are not now properly applied IA
70 denote similar sounds The complete SERIES with the
changes now proposed, consists OF 10, rd, m'' a.
Prot Tlman also read paper on New Musical
Notation, already delivered before the recent meeting
Troy Of the American Association for the Advance
ment OF Science.
Carlyle Petersiea of Boston read paper ON Reform in
the Method Of Teaching the Pianoforte" He depre-
Gated the want OF systematic arrangement OF acc uey
and OF order, in our piano-forte instruction books
The contrast between a mechailcai nhger,stio0kes
the important matter in the Whole course OF IN
structOn The mechanical touch Is simpe-the
touch complex The former, therefore, Is naturally ana
absolutely suitable 70 the beginner, while the latter
Onglt TO be taught at more advanced PeIl0d oI 1e
IL Is hence inudciOus 10 awaken feeling for me!Odc
expression early by selecting such pieces for study
and insure certain success should not be despsed.
Tho hdHd-rcst is one OF them-the metronome an
other Another great error seriously interfering
with a good mechanism is the neglect OF the mem
ory There doubt that without the power or re-
taining musical ideas, correct conception OF the "AOe
piece and, OF course, correct performance Is lp"ss-
be In teaching never expect too much OF Degnner
Do not crowd different things together. Everything
must be simple perfectly understood and zone, before
another step bC made There is no need OF perpeG-
ing child with the name OF every note and even dlher-
emit cles. Everything is TO he Learned, Tut Only at
At the close OF his paper Petersilea asked to
give example OF hs method ana responded by playing
LISTS concert paraphGase OF Mcndelssohns wedding
plause.
class and individual instruction, Mr.. Southland, by re-
quest gave an interesting OF the foundation and
operations the Academy OF Music connected with the
Peabody Institute al Baltimore. The Chairman an
nOunced the Committees on Finance Resolutions and
Nominations - 90.
"The Voice Considered 8s the Organ OF Estheu' Feel
ing I'm Art" The speaker aptly compared the human
VOICE organ which perpctnaly shifts its sound
board, aud ADJUSTS itself to the true position and
proper degree Of tension for every note IN the scale
And here We find philosophical analysis OF the
musical scale afforded by other instrument, and based
on the nature operation OF the passions All pro-
found emotions OF the heart tend 10 the exclusion OF OBJ
jectiye imagery and are suIJecvey absorbed m the
contemplation of Themselves while the passions OF JOY
and pleasure abound in al the outward Illustrations
which nature and the intellect afford Hence the brilliant
high Of the vocal scale s1und In the direction Of the
head the seaof fancy and thought while the grave deep
notes, excluded 10 were from the dverting Influence
organ 90 seek their natural dwelling in the breast tho
scat Of the heart and the passions Here then, per
philosophical explanation OF the use aud import
ascending and descending series of notes in the
musical scale and this Is the first step 10 the understand
ing OF the voice the organ Of feeling. 1t is very i'm
portant 10 comprehend the effects OF passion the
human body and the human voice, II would acquire
the power OF giving vocal expression 10 esthetcal
feeling
THE QUARANTINE QUARREL.
nun TTtr AU no