The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-08
it were composed by German; nor, in com

measured dignity. The people however. with
whose character it is in perfect harmony, is the
English and were it not originally theirs. 1t now
belongs to them by force of prescriptire right as
we'll as by virtue of divine law which gives to
melody home in the heart OF that people win
which it is in accord. The Engishmans music
is not chromatic, nor is his disposition Jared oy
accidentals He may be we'll noodles, as he
ever remains Interchangeable, IN thought ana 0e
pertinent
Germans music being always more or less
chromatic, is difficult and generally CLASSICAL
Accidentals with him are the rule, not the eX-
cepton. In his ''Wacht am Rheln" they are on
duty And what is particularly striking in this
regard is that the half-tone falls upon the word
'Deutsehen"-the word, by the way
which is the key TO the whole nation
al song. That the accidental occurs
where it does is not the result of mere chance.
On the contrary it was placed where it is just
because the real German delights in such
sounds. Hence, he accords it in this song the
word of all words by him the most loved. Rob
the melody Of that harmonious discord and IL
would at once languish and eventually perish.
To hear the melody of the Austrians one would
know that if they were beaten--as at Ladoya-
they would surrender aud for peace, and
soon again be joyous and happy. One would
need no other information than that gained
from their songs, to be satisfied that If the
French were defeated-as al Sedan-they would
be madly desperate to continue to fight turlousiy
and without reason, and thereafter dream only
of revenge And SO, Also one could be convinced
alone by her music that after the Germans were
overpowered-as at Jena-they would at once
reorganize the shattered remnants of their nation
into disciplined battalions and proceed to win
an honorable peace at the lannon's mouth.
The music of Austria is the waltz. There the
waltz is accorded the first place in the hearts of
the people: indeed. it may be said to be lndlgen-
Gus to Austrian SOIL 1t is thus honored for the
reason that it is the true musical representative
of peace and pleasure 1t would be impossible,
save by the joined melody and Rhythmic move
ment, to accurately image by sound, the wonder
full tranquility, the surprising happiness and the
matchess courtesy of the Austrians as nation.
Surely no stranger can ever visit them without
feeling that he has there found people who
have contentment to the full, loyousness to
REPETITION and kindness to Overlooking.
The observant cannot well fail to note the sim
ilarity between Swiss songs and Switzerland her
self. Thus, as the Alps spring abruptly from lovely
lawns to sunlit pnnacles, SO, Also do these songs
bound in breath from base or baritone to
notes blrdhke and enchanting, and, too those
songs, like the Alps, formed according to no
law seem ever in strict keeping with the words
divine No wander through
Swiss wonderland, and hear the sounds leap
from vale to crag, and from crag to peak with
out absolutely knowing that the Alpine song is
the vocal imitation of the echoes heard by the
mountalneers during the ages gone by.
The difference between the characters of the
French and Austrians, to speak generally, is of
degree rather than of kind. But, in regard to
the IarlSlanS ana V16nneSe this OluerenGe
amounts to almost positive divergence. If
one should say of the Viennese that they
joyful, he would meet with a universal nod of
assent IT,. however. he would declare the
same of the Parisians, smile of
incredulity, ACCOMPANIED by genuine
Galhc shrug. would be the sure response. For,
indeed, the Parisians are not joyful. So full, so
deep term would be inapt applied to them. To
say that they are gay-using the word in no
equivocal sense-would be to speak truthfully.
pppbanc ha i,,ct
Their pleasure never quite rises into JOY; it
stops just little short of that divine glow.
They as nearly approximate to joy people
may to whose language the word home is an
utter stranger AS would be expected, the
music of the French is gay, sensual, difficult,
| eccentric 1t is always pleasing, but rare'y so
much so as to win for it a permanent Judgment
| in the hearts of other nations. Outside of the
"Marseillaise' and the jewel song, there is
scarcely French melody known in America to-
day French music is not classical, for the
son that to be so it would be nee
essary for it to portray all the emo
tlons of the soul, whereas it is
scarcely ever more than merry, passionate and
tragic. The two great masters of French song
are Offenhach and Gounod They express in
their compositions the two extremes of the char
acterlstics of the French people Though dis
similar, the same spirit of lightness and sensual
ity and of eccentricity imbues the works of each.
Thus, take Offenbach's masterpiece, "Orpheus
in He'll In it the characters are unnatural. just
as our Frenchmen, when measured by any
standard save their own. He personifes the
phantasms of mythology. and then puts words
and melody into the mouths of those humanized
myths, aptly illustrating the gayest and most
immoral phases of French character and life
Grant that this IMPOSITION is meritoriousy
merry it will hardly be claimed that it ascends
to the plane of genuine humor. or that it
aspires to be anything more than merely
merry Then take Gounod's masterpiece-Faust.
The composer in pirating the plot of his opera
IL
duce for him a suitable subject but because he
found In the matchless work of Germany's giant
minded Goethe n weird creation marvelouslv
calculated to gain the favor of his people. No
one can well fail to note the similarity between
Faust" and Ofenbach's "Orpheus in He'll" for
they are truly kindred compositions, each being
shockingly unreal. They differ only in Gounod
being typical of the better and Offenbach of the
baser qualities of the French peoje
After speaking at some length of the MAR
selllalse' and its composer, Rouget de LIse,
and the causes which led to its composition, Mr.
Griggs said: 1T is apparent by the melody that
the composer had deeply partaken of the
inspiration of the times, and knew full
well the hearts of his countrymen, for the
Marseillaise' is a true and complete musical cpl
tome of all that the French are now or have
been for centuries past. No who hears it
sung in France will ever wonder that it has
awakened tears, excited wrath, provoked tu-
multi caused sedtion. controlled armies achieved
victories, and ruled millions. In it's native home
it's every note is an impulse, it's every tone a
resolve, AMI in its entirety it is an exutant
shout of reveneeful triumph, made noble and
patriotic by sheer impeJuosity"
The lecturer said that the greatest popularity
of the Italian character is its tremendous inten-
stv. When he is joyful his joy is like the ANA
Zon, broad, deep and mighty when he is in love.
he would sooner plunge poiguard to his charm
ers heart than see her the prize of rival;
when he is enraged. he would gladly destroy the
object of his wrath, even though he knew that
the suspended sword of justice was ready to re-
venge his stiletto's deed. The music of such. to
be in unison with their character must be largely
datonc and abound in the rarest chords, and
such, indeed. it is.
The basis of the colored mans songis the third
of the musical scale, joined to the first and fifth.
These constitute the basis of his entire musical
structure. The other notes of the scale are used
simply as connecting nl1nshs-never to give ALSO