New-York tribune., 1875-02-24
MIJSIC-FINE ARTS-DRAMA.
MUSIC.
ORGAN EXHIBITION.

ORGAN EXHIBITION.
large organ, just built by Henry Erben
FOR the new 81. Pstnck's Cathedral at Newark N j.
Vas exhibited at the factory yesterday. and number
OF prominent performed upon II. The insru-
eut has three banks OF keys besides pedals ana con-
tans u speaking stcrs divided as follows Great organ
II; swell 10; choir. g. pedal. There Is avox numana
stop but this and the 10 be SET up
the outer front OF the are not yet In place Besides
the 80 speaking registers there are mechanical siops
and eomposition pedals. The compass of the manuals
a from &C TO A. 81 notes. aud Of the pedal organ from
CCc In p 80 notes. Every register runs through.
Whois number OF pipes, l.sls The organ has the ne
balanced swell ami improved bellowsscton driven
by a small sead isng hY Ydraulic engine which can be
managed from the orgduists bench. The Keyboard Is
brought forward about eight feet in front Of the organ
and the intervening space ia to be occupied by the
singers. The Organsi. however, sits with his face TO
the instrument thus c0nronts the choir. Nowtth
standing the great length OF the iraekers and the in
creased number OF levers made necessary by this
arrangement the action wonderfully easy even with
all the stops and couplers drawn The organ being ex-
hibited without case, the good Workmanship for
which Erbens mechanism has always been dlstln-
guished Is very well displayed.
The tone OF the instrument Is full, round, clear,
and majestic. There are not many brilliant solo
stops find IN many grand organs Of the present
day. bur for cathedral music this is admirably voiced
MR. RICHARD GRANT WHITE ON ABSOLUTE
MUSIC
TO the EditOr OF The FrfbWne.
SIRi l read with interest your remarks upon
Mr.. Grant Whites arucs Absolute Music" in the last
number OF The GALAXY and having the article itself
and its predecessors seemed to that you had mis-
appreheDded his meaning. or perhaps had conveyed one
hich you hardly intended yourself You could hardly
have supposed that Mr. Grant White was ignorant Of
Gucks reiOrmatO-y efforts n music Of their declared
purpose particularly referred TO IN the
first belcvel Of this series OF papers What under
stood Mr.. White to mean by dependent music" was
any such Gluck wrote, but such as Wagner, by
methods which you admit differ from Glucks, produces
in those when least creative, and most
Of conforming TO the requirements of his
theory. MOI did understand the newness OF this dis
tnctOn between absolute music and dependent music
70 set forth than this Wagner
school, with which certainly, and am inclined TO
think Mr. Waite and yourself, would hardly
class either in purpose in effect, work Of Gucks
And even OF Guck's music it seems to me true
that all of that has kept place in the worlds mem
DRY done because Of its absolute character its
leauy as masf Informed although it may be. like the
one faro with profOundest emotion. SO far from ex
cuding tue expression Of emotion from the requisites
Of the highest music, II seems to that Mr.. Grant
White insists upon this the highest function OF music
its peculiar Characteristic quality hut be insists that
this expression should be through forms intrinsicay
beautiful which, whether they express emotion or are
dependent not, shall be absolute music" so at
least understand him; and certainly did net sup
pose him to have passed by Gluok aud his attempted
reformation although perhaps 1t would have been bet
ter him have mentioned this at risk OF repe-
tuon. But OF his faults Is am inclined TO think.
an assumption that every one else must exactly
through his medium and take for granted what he has
IN mind. Yours, obedienty,
FEB. d, 1876. c. SHARPE MISER,