, 1873-01-26
nine GREAT MUSICIANS.

nine GREAT MUSICIANS.
Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, ucc,
thovcu, Weber, Spohr, Schubert, nzad
mendelssohn.'
Detghfs Journal qr Ausic.
Bach, Handel, Haydn, Hfozart Beethoven, ART
! the FIVE men to whom would especially poin
as having an undoubted right to the title o
| Kings Of Music" and to their works and con
! Bequent influence the art Of music ia indebted
for the position it occupies. Il to these na1nee
| Mendelssohn, there will be a total OF nine, aud
do not think shall be accused Of ezaggazatior
| it / assert that it is to these nine great mer
that the world is indebted for the greater pari
| have been derived from the practice Of music
| eince Bach first became known, at the commence
ment Of tho eighteenth century. II it is asked
why name only nine great men, aud why al
those should be selected from one nation,
would reply that, though in France Chorubini,
England has produced Purcell, Bope, Arno,
Webb, Callcott, VIM. Horsley; though Italy was
as much the cradle Of music as OF painting, and
| can boast, besides her be- glorious church COM
and others, and though evoh Germany
will never forget Gluck, spontini, Meyer
beer, Marschner, ETC., yet these men,
great as. they we're. havo exclusively de-
votod themselves to one style OF composition !;
in France, Germany, and Italy to operatic
whereas the nine I have selected applied them
selves to and succeeded in every known form OF
musical composition, from the sublimest sacred
works to tho lightest dance music. This great
versatility therefore, entities them to more con-
sideration than those who havs only been distin-
euished in QUO branch of thair art and it is for
this reason that would urge their claims to the
high position in which I conceive they should
be placed: and il it has happened that Ill these
nine mon were from one nation, Bach,
Handel, 6pohr, and Mendelsaohn, from
the north and Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven,
Schubert, and Weber from the south Of Ger
many, it can only be replied that art has no
country, and that musicians must be judged by
the minds OF their hearers, without reference to
the nation from which they sprang. 7 should
be far too long in arriving at the immediate OBJ
iect Of this paper, it I allowed myself to dwell
at any length on the individuality OF each Of the
nine compositors have named; !; but it will be
necessary to relate any Of the extremely happy
circumstances under Which AIendeIsgohn lived
and worked, so will it not be out Of place to re-
fer to the painful struggles and difficulties Of at
least five Of his compeers, the beauty of whose
troubles under which they we're pro-
duced. John Sebastian Bach, by far tho
most scientific musician the world has yet seen,
commenced his career under the most painful
circumstances. His elder brother endeavored
and, By denying him light Mt the only period Of
the day which ho could devote to self-instruc-
ton, 1aid the foundation OF an eye disease which
ended in total blindness. In addition to this his
worldly means wero Of the smallest, and the
added to his pecuniary anxieties. In spite Of
these obstacles, he lived the most Industrious OF
lives, and not only produced the most incredible
number Of works, all Of which, be thoy large or