The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1883-12-12
Husir Department.
For he Farmer and Mechanic.
Music---PracticaI, Critical and
Progressive.

evoke lu0u1ut ana eDnaHceu alpleCia-
ton Of usic in those who are indiffer-
ent to it. or fancy they are. as much.
or more, from want Of opportunity a. OF
taste. | Will use technical terms very
sparingly. In attempting this work, it
is due to myself. however, to say to
that class of readers. who guagc the
motives of others BY their own. that
neither self interest nor personal popu-
larity weighs one iota in my incentive
but am wholly impelled by love of the
art and a desire 10 etrecting a general
and proper cOgnition of it and its good
better and best ''exponents. may also
reader as on trial as iceU as the cTiter;
so that policy, if nothing better. should
constantly guard and check expressions
of the subtle workings and personal
feeling.
BY afterthought, it seems better to
make only few preliminary allusions
to general points in vocal music, for
the present,-in connection with a fur
ther elucidation Of the surface nature
and beneficient power Of music. as
needful preparation TO a clear and crlti-
cal consideration of the many elemental
ry processes and appliances, indispen-
sable to efficient vocal culture.
One fundamental ruth is that, the
art of singing and the art of reading
music with the unaided voice, are radi-
cally distinct. but intimately correlative
arts; then there is third art. equally
distinct in culture and intimate in CORE
lation. which is a clearly ineligible
Of rNY5iro1 II DtI
ing. The best regulated respiration.
the most exact musical reading. the
most perfect execution and, what is very
rare, the purest intonation are the chef
means of attaining a successful delivery
of the voice; but they are only means.
which combined many other important
details, fiom what is called the tech-
ni0ue; yet. ,riW tie these. but without
soulful expression. truly great singing
is impossible. Indeed, so pre-eminent
is expression, not simulated but real.
that under lis controlling power. flaws
in mere performance may pass unuotic-
ed. Simple as was the music of his
time, st. Paul gives the sum-total of
.he above by saying: II will sing with
the spirit, ami | will sing with the un-
derstanding also
Vocal music. produced under these
conditions, is. at once, the most elegant
and enhancing among social accom-
plishments and chief among the utilities.
for. as the latter, it is the art of correct
Jreathing, which under ordinary circum-
stances, gives health and longevity I!
and what is affluence but hollow mock
cry to the decrepit, dyspeptic invalid !?
Why so many eager, earnest aspirants
fail to attain these grand consumations
after eXpendng much time and money
under pretentious instructors. but in
stead, reach maturity in majority of
cases with ruined voices and impaired
health, will be clearly explained by a
diagnostic treatment in future chapter
At present / merely call attention to
the patent fact that a very small minori-
ty OF aspirants, even while their voices
are yet young and recupcrative. can
sing, in mellow tone and pure style.
with unaffected sentiment and distinct
enunciation, a simple ballad. ''.Simple
apparently; but. by no means, the least
difficult branch of executive vocal music
art. And a simple melody, with popu-
lar words, will transport a whole au-
dience, including true musicians, while a
finished performance. Of a profoundly
scientific composition. will only produce
a painful WEAKNESS of feeling in the lis
teners. The true nature and mission of
music is to please, not to astOnish. The
great DR.. Adolph Mari says: "a chas te
and feeling performance of the plaincst
ballad or the lightest waltz. is. to man
Of real musical knowledge. better
proof Of the abilities of both pupil ano
teacher, than are those prematurely
forced. and, and after all, exceedingly
cheap and merctricious artifices of varie-
ty." meaning musical fabrics of finger
exercises in velocity. This forcing pro-
cess is still more deplorable in the vocal
than in the instrumental school of
music; in the latter only loss of time
and money ensues, while in the for
mer the waste of time and money is
very often supplemented with the de-
plorable loss of voice and health. Du-
ring this process of undermining the
voice, quiet domestic circles are frc-
quently edited. or terrified by the coarse
bawlng. facial cOntortions. and dramat-
ic @esticulatiOns, copied from variety
theatre singers Of some notably ''prof-
cient amateur working herself into
foam and fury over some placid bal
lad, which she distorts with yoice-glides
or smothers with i'll assorted. second
hand roplades in uler-addition to this
musical rant, is such q complete hutche-
ry of the text, that it might as well
have been in any language. or no Ian
guage. as in that of the auditors. in so
far as any cogntion of its meaning is
made possible to them TO them. Now
as this sort of a performance is simply a
vain-glorious diplay as mere artificial
stimulation of feeling. bercft Of true
method and devoid Of pure expression
and as it is difficult to raise the feelings
of the hearers up TO those of the orator
or singer. aud utterly impossible to lift
them higher. what can be the impression
produced on the auditors by such an ex-
hibiton of the fustian and counterfeit
rhapsody o. vocal music: On careful
inquiry | think it would be found to con-
sist in very general conviction that a
great fuss had just been made about
somethinq, by Miss -. who. there
fore, must be considered somebody as q
singer. | leave it toreadcr to determine
whether the mission of music in the home
circle, or in any other. is fulfilled by
such absurd and transitory results a:
these. That | refer to the female sex
mainly. is due to the fact that the pro
per musical education of boys is too
generally and ill-advisedly ignored,
TO BE CONTINUED.