The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1879-04-24

- "hiSu OOulu Ouiy uhVC Dte0 SQQH.tt
}, in its excellence by the heroic v,rs
1 which has In mortAhzed him. The poet
d and musicians OF Greece durine il
= heroic age were treated and regarded 90
!. unlike the Celtic bards OF an estly a.,
. and mlnstrels Of later period in th,
i north Of Europe. They went from on,
{ great city to another singing tn,
= praises of love, Of virtue and of nativ,
land, and he who had won In the lyris
D contest the laurel crown at ths Pythi
: an games was treated as an honored
guest in the palace OF the prince and
as one endowed with Inspiration.
The perfection to which music had
attained in Greece can Only be con.
} lecture, but when 8 nation 90 refined
! ss the Greeks IN the age of PericIes
regarded 1t - disgrsce not to be able
to play upon aome muslcal instrument
and considered Instruction In music rs
necessary to education, We cannot
doubt its great progress in that remote
period. The writings OF Euripides
and the Greek poets furnish proof of
the variety and refinement OF the pas
sions OF that remarkable race. Love
OF country and OF virtue, reverence to
the gods, and devotion 10 duty-these
were the themes which digni6ed their
verse. A. Face 90 elevated and subject,
to the variety of passions 10 which
their poets appealed could only have
appreciated music :uli OF harmony,
and anding expression In that, variety
of modulatiOn which can alone
give pleasure to cultivated minds.
During one OF the brightest eras in
Grecisn history the passion for flute
playing was almost universal; three
talents (or nearly three thousand dol.
lars OF our money! wAs given for sin
gle hute fortunes were realized in their
manufacture; and those who specially
excelled lived In Q splsndor and mag
nihcenee which O modern pTiAaa don ad
might envy.
ITS CULTURE In ROME
AT Q later period tho Gu uvAtinn of
music In Rome, prior to t,:e Ausustin
age, though not so mn ked As at
Athens, Was nevertheless encouraged.
la the beginning it was restricted to
sacred rites and obseTvsnces, except the
stern music wich sounded the charge.
10 Rome, as In, Greece, music and the
drama were almost inseparable, but
their brightest era was during the Pc
riod which followed the Augustin
age and which preceded the downfall
Of Roman supremacy in Europe. That
event, 80 fraught with sad consequent
ces to mans progress for centuries, in
duced the fall OF sculpture and archi-
lecture and music, which had moved
hand in hand with the other arts in
cheering and HxAfting, during the ages
of heroism, OF freedom and Of Grecian
and X lman conquest, foil with the
rest. Scarcely su evidence remains
that she was honored, during the
dark ages which followed, save In the
lay Of the troubador and wandering
minstrel. But song stin fingered in
Italy, though the glory which inspired
it was no more. From Rome, Its chosen
home, It came forth Ata later day to
delight and refine the descendants of
those who from the north OF Europe
had once .overthrown its affairs, and by
conquest checked Its inspiration.
PROGRESS OF MUSIC IN GERMANY,
Like all other nations Of modern
timea Germany u much indebted to |
Italy for its music, though now the |
pupil has become the master, and mu- |
sic and song seem to have almost left |
their ancient home to abide with |
those Whose ancestors once sconrged |
the civilization of Southern Europe.
Ipassat once to the events early in |
the present century, to which we |
must look for the causes which have
made the Germans race of singers |
and musicians. From the ninth year
of the Christian era, when the Ger
mana under Hermann trampled the |
itnSylsdiag t9Sls legions Of Y.rus under their |
fact that the very Centre Of Germanic
territory was DIVIDED up in the weak
est and psttiest principslities. When
the marshsls Of the first Napoleon,
after the abdication of Francis In
1906, had pressed the German
people to the very esrth by
their rspseity aud txactions, spirit
OF universal resistance ,was reused and
which WA encouraged 6y the priDes1,
who were theniiberal 10 promises. But
those promises were never performed.
No sooner was Germany relieved from
the French invader by the coalition
between Peussis, Russia, Great Britain
and the other powers than the divine
| right Of kings again suppressed the as
pirations OF the people which the
rulers had encouraged in their days OF
misfortune. Whenever the people OF
Q single State attempted to secure free
institutions the German Diet found
some means of interfering In favor of
kingly power, aud thus about 1920 the
rulers, feeling themselves sgaia strong,
ventured on resctiousry move
against the growing feeling for q
united Gormauy. During this period
the aspirations Of the people found
voice In patriotic song! The desire
fer freedom, when once encouraged by
q ruler IN the people, is never subdued,
and In Germany, between 1920 and
\ 1880, the stateeman, the poet and the
singer. esch in .his sphese, helped to
keep allFs the desirs Tor freedom
| Il is safe to ssssrt In the light Of
history that nothina cLhtributed more
to keep alive this feeling than the
French Teyoiutien OF 1885,. After this
period the formation OfsinginR societies
went s.Pidly t.Exari, at which the
ASPIRATIONS Tor German uoity, and q
larger political liberty found express
SION in patriotic song. Open denuncia-
tion OF the goYefhmeat would not be
tolerated, but even the prince could
not condemn the songA which, appeal
ing to mans higher nature, inspired
the German with patriotism. with hope
, for the union Of the States, and high
or elevation aud sdsyelopment Of his
race. Soon, after the revolution OF
July, 1880, several Of the rulers Of the
smaller states sonceded written consti-
tutions TO their people, bat in Austria,
every effort ief PeHtical and social
! progress Was scrushed BY Che IRON rule
? of Mettnraich.
From 1880 10 is40s the voice Of pa
. triotic song found An echo in every
singing club estAblished through0u.
Germany, and thas through the lspss
: hof years, musicsa md song sided to ele-
) vaie the national character and give
direction 70 popular hope. Insult
: gsrt, the old home Of song. the firs'
singing aasociation mas formed In 1924
! and In 1883, n HGmbnfg. 6incs ther
! they have beea oggA1issd all over Ger
; many, snd scarcely . village can b
4 found in which their choruses are moi
: heard and their banners seen. No
4 only in Germeny but whsrevef Ger
: man settlement is found, from the n
. Der 70 the North SsA, end from thi
4 centre Of Europe 10 the western Goes
a A-l~. kk~aA nfmain0 rlaanAn A.