New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-05-11
JAPANESE MUSIC.
,o,rss OF ATTEMPTS TO REFORM IT.
,ux scALEs--rRAciNa A hEsEM-
n'i', ,",,scr 10 ANCIENT eHtFE Music, IT,,

tpg the Amercaa 49, a, . neatly printed pamphlet
public eo"'''' rns,,.h translation OF p''u'" ~
-. ,ast wear by = 'Na"~' ,,..,,on Tb,s
.', ~ Music" 20 The Nhs', -. ,o.o reached I'm
forth the results when bv ora.r
report sets "''" .,ntae music undertaken " "iuoi
the Investigations OF Education at Toxic
Of the Govern -. opposition OF japanese music OF
Wheihef ,ho new spirit %; progress when mas OF
g. an o..e..ion OF the quaint people OF the
Hate 80. s.,,e orient this little pamphlet Is extremely
misFesunF. ,-,. .....,,, h,.,o,tau. have made In
-. pasic have yielded hut sparse ana nhsausiso-
- ,..ass some interesting data concerning '"o
~ :, a few mnnarchs toward the art a number OF
-. oasnlatng ia practice few Inquiries into tine
-, which showed Il 20 be almost hopeessy lnVo'Ved
h te mystical philosophical sys'en OF the Japanese
s.,st.tsns Of the musical INSTRUMENTS used' most o
Them extremely rude In principle With traces oil Oar
,,. origin Ia their mode Of constructon-'hese are
t rsnlts Of tae labors OF the historians who have
aeprnd largely on the descriptions Of travellers
hiea are generally unsatisfaotory u scientific inVesu-
e,ors Tue evidence that the art was an ofshoot from
ba OF China aud ana diner from Il essent ally in any
parcuar strung that IL went far toward es'oP
ming investigation or at least In divertng II TO the
p,ren, country II has yet appeared that much was
Lst by this In both countries investigators are con
rncd by the startling paradox I'm the whole Held
of nuacal inquiry. Chinese and Japanese music. CON
i.rs ~ and the thing presents the plaihest
OF arrested Developments ana Que 'ha' 10
osly eapicale ON the theory that minimum OF original
scal inclination aud inventive faculty was suned long
40, ~ the union of a luXuriant system " mental
obiosophy and strange conservatism in govern
,ueBt aud feeling which has kept the Chinese aud
Japanese living IN awOrd Of their own No Tar as tue
inquiry into ethical OF music IL concerned these
have stood for ages where the Greeks stood at the
nne Of Plato and. n their own chronology Ia 10 be
accepted their philosophers centuries before The Greek
pbnsopber lived distinctly enuncated principles which
Plato only echoed In these theories which are reflected
IN Mr. lsawas there much that Is fanciiul ana
unreal hut strong undercurrent OF truth which the
as hecans to-day cannot afford 10 despise or ignore
But thc refinement The art was all on It, metaphys-
al side The Chinese and japanese philosophers could
and fld publish principles FOR tho regulation % musical
composition which are golden principles IN the Occ
dental ART to-day. has when they % make music the
result was barbaric din In which sembance ~ melody
end be- discovered only by the keenest and best trained
ears The old barbarian upon Tits music STILL and
drums ana eongs and instruments 81 percussion
ororwuem music Of tho flutes, 81 which they have
variety and the soft-toned stngcd instruments ~ The
guur fsny Tho Instruments Of the viol tribe are s
IN their infancy with Them and of tho uo.t interest
tbs revelations u Mr. sawas report that attempts are
now making 20 develop the k1kiu IN japan
From tho report Ia question Il appears that change
IN the japanese system ~ instruction. made In 1871.
placed singing the curriculum OF stuies 20 be pursued
IN the Schools 10 not taught however. ami the
Iusiute Of Music established for the purpose OF
training teachers that they might carry the desgus
Of the Of Education Three views ~ the best plan
O. be- farsued presented Themselves First ~ was argued
that music beng oonfes.odly the natural language ~ the
emotions and the oons being identical IN all pcoples
music might also made Identical, and that European
music being tho music ought 60 be Introduced IN
japan through The medium ~ the schools This theory
seems 10 have had Ne advocates, but 80 vas met by
another which. In view Of strong influence day Of
The foik-sonss German music % must be confessed
well put by Mr. lsawa ~ follows
The says that there IA every country aud
patton their own languages customs and usagos' which
being tie natural ontgrpwh 81 The character OF the
bt knntn Efforts ~ music. which
had ~ nrsi origin In me ncinstons OF the human mind
ana has since been preserved by each nation We have
never heard OF country ia which the native mr-c
la been ehsn @ - ,. ,U 5, c,,'py
musi az least. be- useless attempt a. u adopt
fHssh language therefore 10 VII he Tar wiser
man % take aea.ufes toward the cultivation and i'm
pavement ~ our own music
Tho third Wow was that recommended by Mr Isawa
AMI adopted by the Government II was that new music
b. provided for the country by careful revision OF
Jatanose music a retention Of that which was rccor-
ngsi ne cool. sud TIE introduction Of good European
mlse How his a. % be- accomplished h told later on.
Bat dnonlt 10 reprcss admiration hero for the KEEN
Aaemment and excellent taste which prompted Mr..
I.wa 90 suggest that the European drafts be- made on
us popular songs. aud especially those written for
ehidren In the simple Totkaied Of Germany lies
folded the entire blossom OF the highly developed art Of
to-day.
Having resolved 20 institute this sweeping reform. tho
Japanese Government engal ed Luther W. Mason. Of
Boston 10 take charge Of tbs instruction Of the pupils n
the Musical Instituto Mr. Mason remained 10 Toxic
uue more than two years drOm March. 1850 ull
sammer tss2l. got system OF instruction under good
hoalway and then resigned his post which f. BOW filled
by F Eckert. a 0erman musician In The employ Of the
gavnl department. The fret work undertaken NJ the
In.fifute after Mr. Mason arrived Investigation
Of the Japanese scale The method pursued We anus
the Sauissn Ihi- T. three srugel banjo Witn 'ut
ffea Providing themselves VITA me familiar mine-
preparation OF vsra,iag string me G aoI I'Vael
acros. ~ uiark The places al which theoretically
the .tung ought b. oe stopped TO Irodace a." the sei
Nasuase s4uin. % blind Japanese musician. lie tuned
the instrument snd they had ocular Recommendation Of the
covered a. once 90 bis hearing thai ne three strings
worc tuned tonic hth aud octave ~ one mode tonic
minor seventh n stl another. The buud musician was
isaws ssya 20 our accomplishment finger never ran
any other position than those toualy marked THIS
tit The lonaty Of japanese music 4 not unlike that OF
Eurupean nusc but Mt lsawa con ie'scs that accurate
imuorceiou OF the StUgcn The scheno % tuning the
h'i' thir insirawent on we her isy'
second minor thrt hfth aud minor sixth OF Tie Euro
c1teudca into tho nature OF the japanese scales The
Io.us sot forth 30 the report are soihrwhu con
fiug the inference which seems olelresi Is that
there conception OF toualty at all ~ Japaucae
ana that the crudY OF the Instruments has hUd
10 natural effect Of preventing the development Of
sensttveness In the matter Of pitch Mr. inawa
O. nye been satisfied with the discovery that Hll the
uniss In the Japanese modes (which are divided m
Vay not clearly sci forth into Classical and Popular
T. lie found la cbrematic European The
Japanese melodies shat have found their INTO the
tnn ike Chinese. written In what called the
uenfaouic srale which Is the diatOuIc major scaic
emiifins the fourth seventh tones. 90 H. singular
and me laned that tins les also the
fcotch nsh meloiet on the pianofortC the scale
& rcpre-ented by tho black KEYS beguuiug with p
sl,rp The scale h Identical with one OF the oldest
scales ~ the ancient Greeks. and l. found sam aud