Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-01-04
THE ORIGIN OF MUSIC.

In the theory of Helmhotlz, music express
es different dispositions OF the soul by lmlta-
ting characteristic peculiarities of movement in
space, and by thus transating the forces and
impulses that produce the movement When
he admits that it may have been at first only
an imagination of the instructive modula-
tions of the voice corresponding with the diff
erent states of the mind, he does not consider
this fact contradictory to his definition, for
the natural processes of vocal expression are
being capable of being traced to the same ell
ements. "Rythm and accentuation express
directly the rapidity and vvacity OF cores
ponding physical movements; vehement ef-
fort causes the voice to rise the desire to pro-
duce an agreeable impression on another
prompts US to select pleasant tone; and
thus the efforts to initiate the involuntary
moduations of the voice, to enrich and make
more impressive the recitation of words, may
very properly have guided our ancestors III
seeking out means of musical expression"
This is probably the real origin of music ;
and it is in this direction that we should look
in investigating it's nature.
| Two elements closely connected, but quite
different and having each its peculiarfunctlon,
may be distinguished in the analysis OF spoken
language-the intonation and the articulation
of the emitted sound. No doubt they are
the Interpreters of the two great human fac
uties of intelligence and hearing. Speech,
then, is complex physiological resultant,
the double image of Il double inner condition.
The elements it represents cannot he conceiv-
ed as isolated from the other, any more than
we can conceive Il humia organization pure
intelligence. We all know the important part
| intonation plays in conversation, and how by 1t
| the general sense, the whole expression OF the
spoken words, may be varied indefinitely.
Having thus found the origin of music in
| the imitation of these instructive modulatons
of speech, it should be easy to draw from this
an exact idea of it's nature for without doubt,
to read verse well, to declaim with warmth
and conviction, is only to perform in advance
the work of the musician. We have now a
whole class of musical phrases which are only
exaggerations of spoken intonations; they are
our recitatives The music of uncultivated
people is mostly recitatiye ; so also was Z
large part of the music of the middle ages
The rules and grammar of music and it's partic
ular features are the growth of modern times
The conception of music and the language OF
sensibilty permits us to explain the character
iStic features of it's own action. We must
consider, first, that this language, like its twll
sister, the language of ideas, has suffered q
progressive evolution, and has with us reached
a great perfection, and consequently a great
compleXity i'll its laws and processes. Among
primitive peoples of few ideas, whose feelings
show variations Of shade in expression, music
is almost wholly confined to few modulations
expressive of the principal divisions of feel
ing-love, joy, sorrow, and warlike ardor
Civilization with its reinements, has produc'
ed music that has grown constantly richel
in shades and means of expression, to the
point which has been reached by the great
masters of our age.-M Hericourt IN PopulHt1
Science Monthly for December.
WILL READ EITHER WAY.-Our young
friends have heard of palindromes-words o.
lines that read and spell the same backward OF
forward The following sentences, printed il
the London Truth, simply make sense reat
word by word either way:
"Solomon had vast treasures-silver gold
things precious: Happy and rlch ana WIS.,
was he. Faithfully served he God.
"She sits lamenting sadly, often too mucl
alone.