New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-08-10
THE MUSIC OF NORTHLAND.


LONDON, July Is.
Since my last letter have been over large part
of Norway, Sweden and GERMANY. The trip across
the 0stsee to Gothenburg was decidedly lively but
by no means musical The steamer was as small
a nutshell and exhibited anti-musica tendencies.
for as iovial quartet of Americans sat on the
padde-box extending musical invitations 20 come
where their love lay dreaming the wheel few on
its bearings and the singers for their lives amid
o perfect shower Of splnters of wood and frag-
ments of iron. Fortunately no one was hurt, and
after q delay Of two hours the boat went on. and
Gothenburg was finally reached
Do you remember the noble sentence Of lord Bur.
leigh TO his daughter in sheridan's Critic" where
after she exclams that she the approach II the
Spanish Armada, the decks running with blood, tho
fierce combat, etc. her father grayely asserts.
"The Spanish feet thou canst not see.
Because-it Il not yet In sight '
This il exactly my predcamcnt; | cannot describe
Gothcnburas music because II did not seem IT, have
any At tho Tvoli of that placid city the city band
played selections from the Beggar STUDENT I'm
Swedish at least I am sure that there were many
foreign Innovations in their performance. Bat IN
Christiania was more fortunate Here found. N
not any of the great scandinavian composers. at
least o touch of true Northern music. through tho
kindnca, of q friend was invited 10 a gathering ~
peasants few miles out Of Christiana. where there
was To be- music and dancing. was not slow 10 acs
copt this. even II Il was not u genuine Northern
ilnlling' The ore hostra VIA not greatly different
from what might have been found Ia similar gath
oring IN an American village bat thoro was far
moro life than | have seen 40 any dance save at y
similar gathering Ia Hungary. where tho frenzy
grew ~ Wild that feared for my safety Tho nfHt
dance done by single couples, aud looked llke
a Southern breakdown" Between the panHes IN
the dance | begged that might hear some OF tina
"A, laas fuiF han al
girs began to sing. unacoompanied The song was
one of the cattle songs of the North, one which
generally sung at evening while the were
driving home and in 10 the praises of each COW
were chanted and pet name given 70 each hays
heard music of the same purpOrt III Switzerland.
but it was not so tendery sweet aud melancholy.
All through the vocal music of Scandinavia there
runs a vein of inehable tenderness and of.resigna.
ton and this saddened calm is to be found Oh the
faces and IN the characters, too. very frequently
The music of Hungary IL as deeply minor, but there
the fury Of the " Friska" is put in vehement con-
trast with the tranquility of the Lassu,' while
here there are sudden contrasts and no attempts
at surprises. But the Ialling" is altogether
different and yet as thoroughly Norwegian as any
of the palntve songs In this the male dancer sim
ply attempts to kick higher and higher, and ~
spurred by the music growing more aud moro
emphatic the higher he kicks. 1t would remind of q
Tarantella but for the fact that / is less lowing
and the smooth rs time is replaced by a brusque "a
movement. The folkmusic OF Norway is perfect
NINE of wealth, for each province seems to have s
own songs, and each differs from tue other IN some
degree
In Copenhagen, on my return. | found sdison
morte musicians almost gone, KapemeIst'r
Svendsen on a sick.bed and the weather grown cold
as charity A Trebelli concert at the Tivoll. at
which Nine. Trebelli won respectable triumph if
the two terms are compatbleD, and NJ. DIVIDE Musn
played his usual MendelssOhu concerto, with numb
fingers 1t is allegOrcal fact in open-air concerts
that when Mercury descends the MUSES. fly ] also
sang like the vikings in the Fridjof saga
wir ziehen mach sudIichen zonen'
and packed my trunk and left Cop, nhagen for
Cologne In thus city was fortunate enouga to
find the NestOr OF German musc-Dr Ferdinand
liller-whO had not yet lett the held of ms musical
abors, although his post AS city director bas now
been assumed by DIR. wilmer, Of Dresden. because
OF Killers Increasing ase.
Dr. Hlller Is a larye, heavily bnilt man. with
HI, SLOW motions and his feeble gait make Il reasOn
able enough that lie should desire 10 resign from TOO
active musical service. vet IN his cleaning eve and
IN his animated yeTsItlOn there Is no trace OF
age He exhibited vivid interest IN American
musical affairs which feel convinced did not -prng
merely from desire 10 Halter his guest HIS Ainer-
can friends ut once inquired for: Dr. Dam
rO,Ch Mr.. Otto tlOersheun, Of New.lofk, aud
MesSrs Lang aud Dre-cl of Boston were cordially
on The state OF music IN America. England aud Ter
many, IN which the renowned musician and essay
ist gave many valuable OPINIONS.
"You are TOO gigantic IN music, said lie; =" 10 ~
a Natural fault 81 nation which likes 10 do things
en- grOg hut music will not allow Itself To- be "LOe-
sailed lie inquired about tho position OF opera IA
the United states aud gave him a condensed his
tory OF the lows and sorrows of the 'intu war Of
cw-Yorks last musical season. he expressed the
hope that German operas would not b gwen nntl
every detail could be- per ectly rendered uth"twiss
It will he misunderstood" sad he thr German
aal ln afu AZ
In the course of "A conversation uppn tie dleitnt
cpochs of composition. Ia oppressed The belief thai
Che golden past whan D%tocson H"n ,an .} hi
hi u water mark of music rs the era Oi Raphael
nul Ina contemporaries that ot painting w bonn
have we today IN thia held y Had Ia. y, ihups
iitAhn,a. but II now IN not the true epoch ~
ton IT IN nc least that of execution. and tho siuat
work, have never had 40 adequate representation
/ youturcd to exprcss The ihopc that our native
music might 10" partially familiar To mn bht hrtr.
nlaH. | experienced disappointment ITO knew h"tk'
Ing uf sweet Nulvth,' aud hu was entirely uuar'
quninted with dtlmOro's National llymh. wai
aoro sorry 90 hnd that such work, ~ faineH
" Edipusp aud "Spriug SYMPHONY htd not yet
penetrated into Germany. la parting asko' Dr.
Hitler II we might ever hope to nave nm in
America Alas, no. said he, ~ ~ now boo late"
hat he spoke again OF his pleasant American ~ ends,
and of the interest with which he watched Amerl-
can programmes and musical do ngs; Ana 80 leit
HIM feeling that had seen one of the strongest of
writers yet one of the mlldest at uicn, and one 81
the leading prophets of modern German pur'sm IN
music.
That night, BY invitation Of ono of the editors OF
the anische dchytckeH. attended one OF the m, 81
TeutOnic of German musical feasis. 1t was the Walt
Of the Scbubertbund OF vienna I" th" Co"ghe
Mannerg,.san gveren. The true nwardness Of such
an occasion can only be known tO your German
readers Those who have been in tue hall Of the
Led.rkranz of New-York Oh such an occasion will
under stand how wine and enthusiasm we're un-
cOrked during the evening. The hall-tho WOlken-
burg Casino was brilliantly lighted and az the
long tables sat lifteeu hundred of ibe mem
hers OF the club including of the lcadingmer
chants and musicians of Cologne On the large
stage were assembled The active nlcmbcrs number
ing some l5O-who sang songs of greeting a. the
club which had come hundreds Of miles, aud from
another cnuntry TO frat@rui1s the Of music.
,rhn .I1h sang rlnrnnslY VOL. IL rs NOT To be