The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-05-12
Recent Publications.

iao'oiy III THESE Gays OF distorted and expert
mental musical theory.-The book is clearly
the result OF long acquaintance with the needs
| OF students of harmony; and is unencumbered
| by unnecessary matter, whether speculative or
the acoustic alculations-which, interesting to
the scientist, are of little actual use to the com.
poser. As an example Of Mr.. Horsey's clear
| and sensible thought may be quoted his So
luton OF the difficulty in regard to the inter-
val of the fourth. whether it should be consid-
cred as consonant or dlssonant. "My own opin.
| ion" he says, 'is that it may be considered az
both; namely, consonant when placed among
the other intervals and dissonant when 1t is
used as suspension" That in the second in
version OF the triad, the fourth is to be consid.
cred discordant, is, however, scarcely an ad.
missible theory-notwithstand the desira-
billty OF the preparation of the SCUM lis
rather to be regarded as an essential mt
of the triad, undoubtedly less perfect il Is
harmonic relation to the keynote than
the third; and which, when by its posl.
tion as the lowest sound of the chord IL
becomes prominent, needs the support of
preparation. 1t is readily understood that the
fifth of the triad (which In the second inyer-
sion is figured A. is far weaker in its effect than
the tonic or third, the latter indeed determining
the major or minor mode of the chord while the
| fifth is common to both Of these. This nom
commttal character, so to say, of the fifth full
ly justifes the need of preparation for it in the
| second inversion, without so violent an expedi-
ent as the dsowning its harmonic relation to
the chord Mr.. Horsley's remarks upon the
nature OF the minor scale have much interest;
and his theories of the chords Of the seventh
and ninth are exceedingly good. Some must.
clans will differ from him in his explanations of
the added sixth and diminished seventh, which
though very clear, require exceptional depart
ure from the usual laws Of harmony, and seem
to demand too much of the ear in supplying an
imaginary foundation of the chord. Still ss
these chords are very useful and effective, it is
desirable that any theory be adopted which
leads to their suitable employment-and that
of Mr. Horsley is at least Ineligible. In con-
clusiou 1t may be said that this is an exceeding.
ly valuable, pleasant and reliable textbook of
harmony and does credit to the study, the prac-
tical experience and musical understanding of
Mr.. Horsley, whose death in 1876 was genuine
loss to the art to which he was devoted.
Messrs. Harper & Brothers have issued In
the course of their half Hour Series two vol
umes of English History; the first embracing
the period up to the Norman conquest, written
by Frederick York Powell; the second includ-
ing the years between 1O66121O, by Louise
Creighton. They are written in an agreeable
style and give brief but spirited accounts of
the times which they describe. The Half Hour
books are for sale in Portland by Messrs. Lor-
ing, Short & Harmon.
Lady Leonora. or the Fathers Curse, BY
Carrie Conklin IN. Y. Carleton s. Co.: Port
land Loring, Short & Harmony is all that its
name would imply Of the most sensational
kind. tits moreover somewhat Objectionable.
The sixth volume of the Annual Record of
Science and Industry, edited by Spencer f.
Baird, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institute,
assisted by eminent men Of Science, has been
issued by Harper & Brothers, New York, and
is for sale by Loring, Short & Harmon. 1t con-
stitutes the sixth of the series and presents an
Ineligible and popular account OF the more
important facts of progress in the varieus de-
partments Of the physical and natural sciences,
and their applications to the conveniences and
luxuries of mankind. The volume is prepared
for general public, who desire to become ac-
quainted with the more prominent steps of ad-
vancement during the year without the trouble
OF resorting to the sources of original informa-
| ton. To the general reader it is work of
value for study and reference
Notes.
The International Review for May is in
a second edition.
1t is stated that 3,4OO,OOO copies of the
Moody and Sankey Gospel Hymns have been
sold.
Mr.. j. 81. Green has, it is stated, nearly COM
pleted the first volume of his revised and en-
larged History of England.
Two important popular scientific books may
shortly be expected, both from the press of
Harper & Brothers; one Reconciliation of
Science and Religion, by Professor Alexander
Wnchell of Syracuse and Vanderbilt Universe
ties; the other on The Origin of the World, BY
Principal Dawson of Montreal, which is spoken
of as his most important book.
Mr. W. Fraser Rae, who visited the United
States and the Canadas last year, is engaged
upon work to be entitled Columbia and Cam
ada, which, in the form Of notes on the Repub-
lie and the Dominion, will embody his impress
sions of men and things during his stay, and
will note the changes which have taken place
since the publication of his Westward by Rail
Among forthcoming volumes in the Harpers'
little Half-Kour Series are Primer of Greek
Literature, by Mr.. Eugene Lawrence, the we'll
known historical writer, and reprint of the
lectures on University Life in Ancient Athens,
delivered at the University of Oxford by w. W.
Capes, reader in history. In these lectures Mr.
Capes has drawn so close parallel between
ancient and modern university life as to startle
his hearers and Call general attention to his
lectures outside of cellege walls
Some years ago an interesting series of letters
by Charlotte Bronte were printed in Hours at
Home, the predecessor of Scribner's Monthly.
They were furnished by Miss Ellen Nussey,
her schoolmate and lifelong friend, and it il
chiefly from the fresh information furnished BY
her that 7. .Wemyss Reid has obtained the new
material for his monograph on Charlotte Bronte,
Miss Wooler, her teacher, has also furnished
matter as to her school life, and Lord Hough-
ton as to her visits to London and her relations
to literary society there. The matter printed In
Macmilan's Magazine by Mr. Reid has been
much extended for bis forthcoming volume, in
reprinting which Scribner, Armstrong s. Co.
Will ILLUSTRATE IL Win tno interesting BrOnt6
cuts which appeared in an article in Scribner
Afterglow will be the next No Name Series
volume published by Roberts Brothers,
The Appletons will have ready shortly Lieu
tenant Payers book, New Lands within the
Arctic Circle, in which he describes with maps
and copious illustrations, the discoveries made
by the Austrian Arctic expedition of 1928;
Miss Woolson's poem of the war, republished
from Appletons Journal in volume form; and
. little French book, Petites Causeries, or Ele-
mentary English and Freuch Conversations for
Young Students and Home Teaching" by
Achille MoCteau.
A Modern Symposium is the title of an arti-
Gle now appearing in the Nineteenth Century
IN which number of persons discuss the SUBJ
iect of The Influence upon Morality of De-
cline in Religious Belief, each writer having
the privilege of seeing all that has been written
before his own remarks, but Except the first,
who is to sum up at the end) nothing that fol-
lows them. Thus far Sir James Fitzjames
Stephen, Lord Selborne, Dr. Martineau, Mr..
frederic Harrison, the Dean of St. Paups, the
Duke of Argyll, and Prof. Clifford have spok-
en-, and others are to succeed them. As soon
as the article is finished, Henry Holt & Co. will