, 1875-04-24
LITERATURE.
aa,teIcal TEXTBOOK:

aria Brothers. Irlcr, T..
Tloao who hAvo read MISE lft'ei on'ol'
tno sketches Of tho painters OF motllnsa! anu u
.us t,,nca viii be prepared to fud tue pros
~. na,no "A It IL, worry attractive reading. IL
"s..,,. ~, ncco,lrt-of Inore or !caa fu'iness
.saar,,Inc 10 tho rIchness OF tho materials OK
.nns-nr ss.ty musical composers. Not nan1o
- .,v noto Ia infused from tho Ilt1mbor. "li'lo
~,o,v nre included That nrD almost wholly Sn-
,.no,u ayen to tho educated public. Tho lsss 10
rims with punBtnbfo, M English muelciaa' 10
whom tho invention OF cohnsnrpoint has n'e'.
crroocously nacribod, and who died Ill laos, "''a
.n,,u with Hcharti Wagner, Whose erfato COM
noot;oug nre believed by Ills al'nirora 10 iofe-
e,udpw "tho music Of tho future. !" ''ae'i's
tha oaraer of tlIiB long tuo OF musclana arranged
In c1,touo,oricnl prter, the history OF nodofn
mustc, whoao beginning uulal' dases IN l49'. III
very fairly developed. ~.
On exa,niung lilo biographical dntn thna con-
vcplently maasetl under the eye, oho IS etf''eA
will, tho eAriy ago It which many OF tho a'oat
amj,,ens musical composers ha'a heen cas ON.
stratlolla died at 20 th!s was violont DEATH
hownyor. ho being assasatnatel At tito Instiga-
Inn of Venetian nob1c,nan wl.oso lhdy-love ho
Ind won and marrioa); Schubert died Mt 81:
1,aliul at "a; Mozart, at So; afondeisaotll,, at
IA: Purcell, at 81; Chopin, ut 80; Wolar, at 10
Behunaun, 1t 40; Humnlo1, ut A9; Donizctai. At
6o, and Uocthoyon, al 57. It Ia easy to account
sar tl,ia lack Of longevity. Tho artistic tc1u-
,,erament Ia apt to bo allied with doll
cata constitution, while tho strain OF
4hn facuItiaB iu tho work OF CON-
poaitiou. tho excltemcnta Of ambition tho fro
uuept trana.tons from hopo to dcBpals, Tie
an1ioup, d,strass!ng struggle with pouurr and
attye,Be circumstances that rnAny DO co1npe!!e1
10 undergo and, In s1nlo cnsoH, excessive alaSl-
thln uuF,aIU u
su,o DEATHS among muatcal gentnsoH. Oh tho
ollor hn,ld, a0ue of the most famous tnastesh III
thig department. Of nrt have roached resHona-
bio old ago. Sebastian bach liyed to 10 20 20;
ID: : iia1ln, Vi, and Chcrublpl, 81. We might
auegoyt III nomo explanation Of castain Of these
INSTANCES Of longevity. that Bach. Aanae!,
anple, oarnost devout men. who iu tue con.
femplauon ot aacrad thon,eu kept their livas
tuKs and their intclloctB aud passions Calm.
iot. aftor al Is said on either sidc. tho b'olo-
eiBtB will declare tho wolo question OF longevity
10 30 matter Of moro ltoradity..
:. Mies Iyslor docs not pretend to furnish any
nov facts il, her Aletcllos. They aro simply
borrowed from more volusntnouH biographies
llenaivoness, tho selection and disposition OF its
details, anl In = happy faculty for narrat!on.
Tho recent r1omuir Ut MuHcAoleH. the fascinating
aotters Of McnlelasoLn, tha several piographiss
made tho lives Of tleBo worthless goucrally To-
t,,lIas. I.eaa Ia kuovn of Sebastian Bacl. IN
whou as tho father Of tic fugue, groat deal
OF musical interest centres.
This great composer came not morely Of
family, hut ct q race, ot musiclaua. In hts day
tls Hacls dated tho origin Of tllelr musical talent
full century aud half buck to 1lunRaEi mn Ill
eeHtor WHO gfouna WHEAT ' for y;ns , ana ~ aang
living III 1926, down TO tho Graudsons Of sobas-
ttan BACH, living in 17Cu, oqary malo tnhoritor
ut The uama followed music as d profession.
Tho family worc prolific, and ecascoly town lu
for al 0rgnt1ist or 1niAic-toRchor. Bcsidc9 their
nuatcalproctivitiea, tho Dacbs wero dstingntalod
for their adhoreuco to tho Reformed Church
and their use Of tho Christian nAmo JohaDn
Thla was protlzod to tho namo by which they
%ara known; as, Johann Chrstopl. johann
+. Ernost, Johann Michael, and Johann sebnatian,
tho grentost Each Of them al. Sebastian was
botn in Elsonacil In 1855. His father was QUO
Of twin hrotllors who 10 closely rosombled each
other that tI,oir Intimate acquafutanccs could
tlRrdiy distinguish ono from thu otlaor. Their
wives oyeu wure oston puzzled 10 say which WAS
tllntr husband. 30 .groat sympathy in body
xud mind existed between tho twin trotl!ora
th.t when one was Ill tho other WAS Ill sno.
I1elr deaths followed on ouch other closely.
When Sobaatian vas still = cl,lll ho proved him
selt legitimate Bach by copytog surropsitiona-
ly-borrowed volume OF mrstc, by nloonllGht.
Tho task took linn Bi1 mouths, for he darod rot
bst1ay l,ia occupation to his guardian brother,
ho hsd forbidden It, BY attempting the w9I n
cloao Of Lis life. Sebastian Was punished for ths
youthful udiacretton by tho loss Of Eis oyoB!ght.
Fer long titne Ao was totally blnl but lon
days before Lis donth Aia aigiit uaY restored 10
hiu. 1t ta said Of Dacll that 'hla character had
not SPOT lLB lifo was perfect His industry
<as EXTREME aud aa composer he was severely
conscientious. His works wore not largely
Ia Chiefly through tho instrumontality of Mou-
lolssuhn that III tho pr1suut century Ais true
rink III Lis art Inns boon acknowledged. BY hts
two wives, Dach waa tho father Of tWeuty chil-
aseu.
Au Incident in Bach'a lifo, In which tho cccon-
trio l.umor Of Frederic tho droat shines out, IL
reported BY Alss Tyler. 4 son Of Bach was In
&tle scrytco Of tho piusAian King, and his duty
forio tho Kiut;'h perfoEmauco on tho flute. One
plight tho loyal concert TaB ut itH heiKlE, the
Mng had taken up hia flute. to play tie solo,
which wnB to bo llatonod to with 10 much admit a,
ipt Of tie asrangors arstyine that slny iii the
town wts hnulel to Frederic. In t1Io oaAo oi
his prorogatiye, hia Majesty nrrestod tho couce1t
that ho might glanco ovor tho list, when hs sud
canla.lou, " 0entlosnoi, old Bach ia como |" Nc
bud al slrsady 81 ~ fes;stsd Sesrt la1itat!oas
.a,, saa 1ss s s,ba.sD ske to S2a
potmittel, to alIgitt fro1n Ills long a,ls
iatigung jonrnoy 1t hs suns houHa ore Le va.
put into carEiage aud driyon to tho palace
Ihsze "oll Back" wi.h the dust ef Tue reas
tho sudden glaro of light, stops iuto tho midH
Of thls lord!y company Of powdered wigs ant
aoubleta, and diamond tlaraa aud swori-lilts
Ills alalesty, aftera warm aud unceremoniou
greeting, bcaonghs the great contrapnuttat t.
tmpEoyise 70 the coEapnng aud Bach passed. tA'
romainder Of tue evolving goiug FROM room l.
room, followed by troopa Of admirlng Court Ia
Gee , I'D muslclaus. and trying ptanotortoa mad