The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1880-05-14
C0NDgSsED HISTORY OF nUsFc.

Music as a science may be said to have
been Graded with the Christian era, for
while men have sung with the birds
from time immemorial, and played on
rude instruments as far back as any his
tory takes us, just as David did, when
he said II will sing unto the Lord
new song, and praise him upon psaltery
and harp"
I was amused at an arrangement got
ten up last year by Chicago party oS-
tensibly to make music simple, ignoring
notes. laws and all of our musical char
acters except the bare letters for each
sound. and claimed in this way to be
teaching thorough-bass. He simply
retrOpraded to the time of st. Ambrose,
1900 Years ago. Any skilled musician
will see the ludicrousnesS OF trying TO
express thorough-bass, which is the
science of figured harmony, by any let
ter. In the sixth century, 59l, st.
Gregory did the next active work, but
regarded from our standpoint he did lit
tie of value more than write the Gre
oorian chants. some of which are in use
TODAY bv the Catholic churches, with
many changes He introduced one line,
where we now have five, around which
to arrange the musical characters. -
Singers had to do some tall guessing in
those DAYS. There was no harmony, or
no time thought of, as yet
In the tenth century Hucbald began
TO evolve some valuable thoughts on
harmony, which, though very faulty,
was a splendid step in the right dlTec-
ton. In looking over transcript OF
his work | found it full OF errors that no
modern composer WOuld dare TO make,
such as the double thirds, consecutive
ppt tay a
of which. the good monk says, were
very pleasing to the ear.
In the eleventh century an Italian
monk named Guido invented our pres
ent syllables, which are invaluable for
vocal music These were the first Sylla-
ables of some old italian verses. He
also improved largely on notation.
In the thirteenth century Franco de
( Cologne conceived the first 'tIme' the
| idea of expressing time by the shape OF
/ form of the notes. On this we have
since made no special improvement.
In the sixteenth century, 1902. one
/ Petruci invented the casting of metal
music type. This was sixty years after
/ the art OF printing books, etc, was dis
/ covered (14i2J and twenty years after
/ the first Bible was printed in 14IS.
There has been magnificent progress
Z
/ am taken back to the rude tom-tOm OF
/ long ago-a round hoop, with couple
/ of gut strings. making about as muct
/ music as Il salt box would. Some OF the
! Savages cling to This tom-tOm yet. They
/ have a legend like this An angel II
! heaven was sitting onthe clouds playing
on the tom-tom. and 50 entranced wa
/ he with its music that he forgot hilnsel
/ and dropped it-I think l should have
dropped it myself if l had to play it
! when savage found it, and has use'
the heavenly pattern ever since.
In the fourteenth century our organ
| began to assume valuable shape. Tn
/ pian0iOrte WAS invented about 1850. il
! about 1T17, at London, great crow,
went 10 a concert to hear wonderful
instrument called the pianOf0rte. =
! says a clipping which | came across
! short time since. We get some splendid
! conceptions of musical advancement
/ when we contrast the tom-tom with on
| matchless grand pianos of to-day, 0
with our mighty pipe organs, who's
| magnetic and powerful voices cause u
/ iuyoIuntarily to remove our hats ant
bow our heads, lifting lis by their influ
| ence almost into the presence of the ii
! luite.-Prgf. ). q. Rice.