, 1874-08-23
Organ-Music and Organists in
Chicago.
Legitimate 0rgan-Musio va. Overture.
Playing.
The Two WetI-Marked Schools Of Organ.
Composition.
Creswold, Dudley Buck, Louis
F:l11, Flag1er, and
II. C. Eddy.

VI. e. b. AAIHkW3.
Notwithstanding the large sum Of money paid
annually in this city for nplaylnS. it may be
doubted whether auy purchase whnteyor is SO
isnorantly and unthoughttully made The av-
e1age man understands about IS much Of organ
music AZ he does Of Chinese. WHOM appointed
On Music Committee "a position for whicn his
ignorance and consequent impartiality 30 fully
lit him), he performs his duty with
USDLUsu1S1 CHEEK
development which would be genius If it wero
not 10 common. He dictates the choice OF music,
prcsides at trials Of organlHts, and discharges
the duties OF his Office generally in u
spirit Of entire uuconsciouAneas that there
NAV 10 questions in music that he il
incompetent to decide. Far be 1t from the writer
to be the il-fated messenger to break up this
pleasing trust Ho seeks merely to enlghteu
the average render somewhat az to the principles
that govern orsanists u selecting their music,
and to point ont some Of the points which dis
tinSuish excellent performance.
Probably very fos readers AFRO awa1o that the
last Elk years have seen
4 CHEAT ADVANCE
in the ideas Of Chicago churches in the matter
OF their music. ABOUT eight years ago, the F1st
Baptist organ was tho only large one in the city.
The one which had previously held the palm Of
superiority WIS small three-manuul one by
Erben, in st. Pauls Church, at the corner
OF Van Buren street and Wabash ave-
uue, This instrument Vas presided over
by Mr. G. c. kuopfel, then esteemed generally
to be the best player in the city. Tue First Bap-
tist organ was about twice as largo, and, from
the first, was presided over By 1ir. HayenB. who
is still orgauist of tho now LouseleBs church.
A1r. Havens was then quite young, OF great am~
bition, and very dligeut in practice. lie Lad al
ready begun to accumulate his large 1eperto1y of
the best orgau-music.
The pext largo organ Was erected oy the Hooks
in Centenary Church, then esteemed by all
South-Sldczs as very far ont on the prairie. But
space forbids me to trace the tiue organs succes-
sively erected by Grace and Clark Street Method
ist, Union Park, tho First and Plymouth Con-
grcgationai. the First and Second Presbyterian,
Grace Episcopal, the Jesuit Chnrch on Twelfth
street, etc. Tic great fire burned about $780, 900
worth Of organs.
CHICAGO 0HGAS1sTS IN 1867
we're either nero anlatcurs. having slender
stock OF legitimate orGan-u1lBc aud still Slen-
derer stock of execution. or piano-plavers WHO
treated the organ with 1cyity but ll!-suited to
lib grave natu1e. None Of tlcm were players Of
= high order.
Tic first decided 4irtuoso who came here WIS
Mr.. 4. J. Creswold. an EnSlishlnan. When ue
first came, he PLAYED chiefly tue legitimate school
of organ music But, being . OF really re-
sources, ho speedily confoTmea himself to tho
popular taBte auI behold Bach was DanlBhed
from Luis programmes. aud Flutow, Donizett1, and
Suppe took Lis Elace- Creswo!d carried the
art Of overture playing on the organ to the
highest perfection it has ever reached hero.
But to understand this fully requires digres-
sion on the nature Of
THE LEGITIMATE IN onaAS-arsIC.
That music IL legitimate to any instrument
Which il a:laptcdto the uature Of the Instrument;
that is. to its peculiar quality of tone Its
mechanism, and the circumstances under which
tho instrument Ii commonly used 4 march,
for instance, is eGitimate on 8 brass instrument
but not on t1utc,-tho tone Of the latter beiug
entirely wanting in the bold md aggressive
spirit Of the march, A piece requiring consider
able dlscritniDative enaphas,s, containing num-
Der Of ileas relatively Of different Importance,
progressing simultaneously, admits Of being
clearly performed on tue piano-forto. because
tho player can b7ng out tie scyet al threads Of
melody according to their importance, by means
Of discriminate accentuat1on nut, on the cabl-
net-organ, such dibc5imina,ive emphasis
thczefoIe, i1ies,tin,ate 1or that ipstr,,,
ment. Music Of an extremely bud
and aggressive character cannot be properly
given by the violin. It's tune being Of radically
unsuitabo formation On the other hand,
aud especially where a rocdt effect is sought.
cannot be given by the oboe or f1ute,--neithcr OF
these instruments admitting OF much variation
III power. Vocal effects can best be initiated by
the violin or corl,et.
TIE CHARACTER OF THE VARIOUS INSTRUMENTS
il ul,1cE, more perfectly understood now that it
was formerly In Bacll's time {1635-175O), many
things were written for the organ which We uow
regard as unsuitable and ineffective. A conf
poser at the present time, having such ideas,
them to hnseii). Sucl., Tor instance, seem to
He The prelude to the great o..au-fugne
i'll 4 minor, aud tho fusue in y
major. On the other hand, iu the
great B minor prelude and frguo, Bach
enters fully into the spirit of the organ, These
pieces l1npeTatlycly require full organ. When
played OIL q large organ with sufficient pedal,
they become grand and extremely expressive.
Played On single stop. they sound thin and old
fashioned It is to be observed that Bach laid
out his work very differently for organ from
What he did for piano. Ills piano .fuSucs a7o
small TIE countcr-subjccta have little individ-
uality. ! lie whole must DO brought under Tho
player'e two hands, aud the Individuality OF the |
parts must be shown by acccntuation. In the
On the contlary, the composer |
adds to his resources tho two octares of pedal !
Keys controlled by tie feet here, the iustru-
nlent having no power OF NATURALIZATION by |
means Of accents, the composer has giyeL tho |
jec:s widely different movement |
%A@oA1-Ns
70 that the can follow each ono in its wind |
Ing.
The tono ef the o7gnn is
.6NAvE AND DtdSrF1ED. ]
This sense Of dignity and gravity inhcres in the
form Gf The tone, which beE6 at its fiji power,
and continues undi,ninlnbed ana unchanged un-
til the moment Of ceseation- Such folm OF |
tone at once conveys the impression OF perna-
nence. Add to this the various octayes in which
The stops double tho sound above aud below the !
key tahen and wo hare no longer stronger cord |
II tone, but cabe. many times doubled and
twisted together. Such q tone imperatively
.sks Of tie player that he shall hare something
70 say. To shout nonsense to ch,1rcs. full OF
rco1,lc may not be unprecedented in Chicago; it
Is al least in questionable taste The o. g:lsl hae
little power OF marking rhythm. It ,s the OK
lct opposite OF the piauo-iorto.
The piano-forte has tone which begins loud
ind speedily dimiuishes.-so speedily THAI, on
many Instruments, one eau mako no ssngtng
Effect whatever It's tone-color il neutral but,
IN the whole, light aud cheerful. Wien every
Individual tone SO speedily dies awav, what can
esult but style cf music i'll which, the business
II the upper notes (whcre tue sound quickest
'aushee) is Of light and rapid natule. convey
pg necessarily an impression of ishtness and
The orchestra is
%Yy4fT%