New-York tribune., 1876-05-20
THE CENTENNIAL CANTATA.
up 1AN,ER,s EXPLANATION AND DEFENSE.

A,orica IN field OF inquiry whose results. though as yet
martial arc so that cannot but believe some
logical account Of them will be at once OF genuine
rvice Ia American art aud interest TO your readers
probably there are not five Engishspeakng persons
who have ever given hours systematic thought TO the
following question What changes have been made In
the relations Poetry TO Music By the pfodgious mod
ern development OF the Orchestral
tits probably known most even OF nonmuScal read
ers that Of to-day compares with the early
orchestra much a railway-train with stage-coach
Many OF the oil instruments have been vastly improved
new ones have been invented; improved schools OF
technique have brought about that passages which
would once have nrsted only to solo artists
now written without hesitation for the ordinary orches-
tr playey This extension of orchestral constituents has
been accompanied by q corresponding extension
OF the province OF orchestral effects. To tile
modern musical composer, the human voice is sim
ply an orchestral instrument; while on the
other hand each orchestral instrument has
becom a genuine voice with its peculiar role OF ex-
preston composer. therefore, Of the modern school
In setting words music Will no longer az OF Old write
solo for the human voice with accompaniment Tor
the orchestral he will write for the orchestra proper
bringing prominently forward in his harmonizatlon only
those voices (whct human or merely instrumeutaD
whose peculiar expressive appear TO be required
in order to interpret the conceptions of the poetic text
Now what purely intellectual conceptions tfor clearly
not AID are capable of snch orchestral interpretation
This question intended TO leave wholly untouched the
author believes the power Of music TO be supreme and
unlimited The inquiry, strictly stated, is now What
common ground exists to conventionaly significant
words and the unconvenonally significant tones Of the
modern orchestral
Before advancing state some very unexpected prin
cipes which viii result from tas inquiry, 1t Is here
necessary to observe that the attitude Of American
criticism toward a poem OF the authors, known
as the Centennial Cantsta-an attitude varying De-
tween the extremes OF enthusiastic admiration and OF
brutal abuse-has clearly revealed the circumstance that
the fundamental question herein mooted baS not even
occurred 20 than two either OF those VINO
blamed those who PRAISED though would seem tlat
not only discussion but definite solution OF that
question necessarily proccde anything like an in
teiligcnt judgment Of the poem.
1t is necessary aso to state final consideration
which makes it the plain duty Of this author to begin
that discussion person Much of his praise has com
from the section in which bOrn and there Is rea
son TO suspect tnat it based often sectional pride
rather than any genuine recognition OF those artistic
theories of which his poem sso far as lie now Knows
tile first embodiment. Any triumph OF this sort is cheap
because wrongly based and earnest artist Is into
erably painful. Here Is situation which leaves me no
resource except to make systematic declaration OF
the principles unler in ths matter, so that Whatever
praise blame they deserve may be meed out TO theh
rather than to the wholly immateria matter OF the
locality of the authors birth.
desire therefore, first 10 prOp0und three principles
which appear TO result from that attitude OF poetry
toward music brought about by the modern extension
OF the orchestra; secondly to verify these PtoJ7 DC
dncoIs by facts posiori, that IS to say by examples
of the prec sort OF ideas which have been actually
selected by the greatest masters OF modern music 10Y
representation in tone; ana thirdly having thus sup
ported theory by fact TO call attention in the brieiest
manner to tle minute particularly "ith wilton these
principles are followed out in the poem alluded TO-
In any poem offered by a poet to ToGern musical
composer the central idea, well as ercry important
subordinate idea suOud be drawn only from that class o.
Intellectual conceptions which is cauaOlc OF being
adequately expressed 10y orchestral instruments The
possibility of such expression, emerging from the bean
full soul of Gluck has down 10 the modern artist
strengthened by occasional holy sanctions from Schubert
and Beethoven, by startcg combinations from befIo1
and sz and Saint and even by occasional reeo
nitios from Meyerbecr tnctaby in his Interpretation of
ghost With the bassoons and from Rossn ts II The
william Tell overturel Finally the gigantic hust:a-
tions OF Richard Wagner. while thcy refer more
particularly to the Interpretation OF Ideas 10y tones "th
the additional assistance Of the stage properties
e. the musical drama-have nevertheless widened the
provinec Of orchestral effects to such magnificent hor-
ron that every modern musical composer whether con-
scousy wagnerite is necessarily surrounded wth
anew atmosphere which cOmpes him to write ior Inc
whole orchestra and not for tGe human voice as SOLO
instrument and for the orchestra subsidiary one This
principle (q would therefore seem 70 be selieydent IN
asmuc as every part OF text which does not conform
to is naanestly available for the musical com
poser, ard mach waste matter qeocd music.
o. Inasmuch as ONLY general conceptions are capable
of such Interpretation, poem for SAY q caniati
should consist Of one general idea anihaHug the whole
esies this il should be composed Of subordinate related
IDEAS each Of these subordinate ideas should he the
central idea OF n separate aEZa or movement; each
Eanza should be boldly courasted in sentiment with its
neighb,r stanzas in order 10 permit those broad outlines
OF Ytonecolor which constitute the only ueans known 10
music for dcrentiatrg ideas and movements from each
ofhe nd
these sujOfdInare sianZas movements should not run
into each other but be- and end abruptly.
An attentive consideration of this principle ) will 90
far toward erecting a complete reversal of the Gener
ayrecefyed opinion that poem for musical representa-
ton ought necessarily to be perfectly clcar smooth ana
natural For consider without now having the space
TO detail an exhaustive list Of such conceptions az can
be reproduced ia music is sufficient To say bst those
conceptions arc ec sary always large always general
always abruptly outlined wien in juItaposition. An
illustration drawn from the art Of painting wall at once
max, ts plain TIC Illuminating power OF music (f one
may so express III IT, when compared with that OF the
ponnusica infections OF the human voice in pronOunc-
ing words about as moonlight when compared with
sunlight Now fancy that capricious sovereign should
order hs painter TO execute picture when was 10
bo looked AT only By moonlight; wha. would be the
artists JroceIurel the first place he would choose
mystical subject; fcr moonlight, with its vague and
dreamy suggestions would be favorable to its treatment
He would next select gigantic figures for the same rea
son; aud while thcso figures woaid have to be eV"h
Lsrshly outlined in order 10 make them distinct the
paiter would permit himself indcduite liberty ~ 10 the
background and the spaces between separate hs-
ure IN order to these far possible with 'he same
vague and dreamy subtlCGes appropriate 70 moonlight
The poet, called on 10 write can.ataext ior music,
is precisely IN the position Of painter called on to paint
picsare for moonlight ard the author desires that tAis
ion slould DO kept in ulnd when ne comes 20