Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-12-02

/ INK often exists, between the stage and the
>ttingS, In regard Ia the ability to please.
ON the one hand, or the aptness to apprs-
ciate on the other. If the performance be
too classical, complicated or technical To
| call forth the admiration and applause of
the audience, then the latter is denounced
! as bOurish and OF uncultiyated tastes
Many of these sharp criticisms upon the
average listeners are unfair and unreaSOna-
bic. The same principle aS applied in de
termining the character of audiences would
scarcely ne allowed in regard to any other
than a musical entertainment
Take for instance a public Grafton. Its
object is to please and instruct. The ora
tor is presumed To be a learned and scholar
ly man, who has spent his whole life. from
early boyhood "a mature age. in the study
OF language. Greek. Latin. French and
German: and.ot rhetoric. metaphysics and
natural science. and is skilled in the ready
use Of technica! terms. - As To run over all
these branches Ot learning as rapidly and
glibly as the ordinary scholar repeats his 4
Il {, or multiplication table. And vet,
what would be said of such an orator,
should he spend whole evening in
speaking 10 what may Justly be regarded
As highly Intelligent assembly of. SaV,
English people, and at the same time inter
| lardlng all his sentences with Greek. Latin
or French phrases and scientific techniculO-
Ky. 50 that none but the most COnsummate
scholar, or adept in the subject. could keep
in mind even the thread of his discourse, t.
say nothing of understanding all the parts
and shades of thought expressed. We ask
again what would be said of such an orator?
lie would be denounced as a pedant. who
was trying more to show his learning and
dialeciic abilities than 10 please or instruct
the people. He would be- severely criticised
for his inOrdinate vanity. and would receive
but little credit for what he really did know.
Ii would be little excuse for him 10 say.
as was once said of a certain distinguished
public speaker that his father before him.
was also a great orator. who had made him
rigidly practice eiOcutiOn two hours each
iay. the wear around. from the time he was
seven until he was twenty-One years of
age. A man who had been drilled to this
extent. perhaps all his life, might have but
little patience with listeners who were So
ine1cuSabIy uncultivated as not to appre-
ciate his Grafton, or who should not feel
happy and delighted for whole evening
whilst trying 10 comprehend him. Even 10
Al auditor sufficiently learned and quick of
comprehension To catch and fully under
stand every word and sentence of the
speaker. it would he apparent that the lee
ture was composed and delivered with the
primary object of giving fine display OF
verbal pyr0technicS, high-soundng words
and iingling sentences. with secOndarey,
or sven more remote object. of giving OK
preston to noble thoughts.
We claim that in the abOve-named in
stance the unfavorable criticism Of the pei
| formance wOuld be just and righteous: and
! that too. for the simple reason that the
| Grafton failed tO please, or in any way to
benefit. what may have been very intel
| ligeut audience. So with tho artist who
may be seated al the piano. II the whole
piece played be very complicated. rapid and
| stunning. the attention of the listener iS
almost entirely taken up with the skill of
! the performer He can scarcely think of
anything else. In fact, the performer himself
seems To be thinking OF little else. The gen
sral effect upon the hearer is that of surprise,
uueasiness and confusion, rather than of
! pleasure. Another person is about 10 play,
or the same player selects another piece
| one thai is full of melody and of harmoni-
| Gus. happy expression. The music begins
! TO touch the heart, stirs up the nObler feel
! ings, and soon gives wings to the soul.
! After while, as the delightful liquid
| strains proceed, you begin 10 lose sight of
! the performer: aud what is more. you be
come ubliyiOus Of self. and give attention
10 the music alone. After such perform
ance is over, the impressive presence of the
PLAYER again flashes upon your conscious
nc<S and silent, hearty benedictiGn rests
| upon the one whose pure and true music
has 80 entranced you.
Music may he regarded as the natural
l,r Of tho Enul. aHIFasspU itself
directly to the emotions and passions than
do verbal expressions. 1t is q language
that needs not to be translated into Spanish,
Turkish or Chinese. in order 10 be appre-
ciated and delightSOme to persons OF those
various natiOnalties. Good music. but not
necessarily the most complicated and diili-
cult, addresses itself, alike in kind, to civ
ilized and savage men; and apparently 10
irrational animals as well.
Music should be estimated or valued &C
cOrding 10 the amount OF good il does in
the world. Whilst the complex, operate,
OF So-Called classic music may tickle the
fancy and serve As surprising exhibition
of digital gymnastics upon the diatOnlc
scale il only serves TO entertain the curious,
who. with perhaps equal Zest would enjoy
any acrobatC performance on the rope,
spring-bar or trapeZe. According TO the
writer's notion Of the highest and most aC
ceptable style OF music, especially for the
popular concert, 1t should possess very
large proportion OF harmony and melody.
and much less of those elements calculated
to startle and daZe the listener, and thus
distract and disorder rather than delight
the human mind and heart.
An Oc .aSional sprinkling OF this fantastic
music through concert programme, like
little pepper and salt upon EOurishlng Vi
ands. would certainly give q relish for the
feast; but too much of such seasoning il
neither pleasant nor hcalthful. OF those
who pretend to delight in this rattle-ta-
bang sort OF music, One-haif do not really
like it, and One-fourth have an excessively
stimulated. not 10 say morbid, taste. We
skll admit for the sake OF avoiding eX-
tremes. that the remaining fourth may
have been seundly educated up to the en-
ioyment of transcendental, or to most NOR
tails. incOmprehenSible, sounds, call them
musical or what you please.
That it is not altogether absurd to claim
that there are many hearers, especially in
our large cities, who have acquired per
verted and unhealthy tastes, in relation to
music may fairly be inferred, at least in
part. from the acquired irritable, cranky
and umamiable dispositions, so prOverhial of
those most distinguished and experienced
professionals in that line Of art. who have
habtually catered 10 that taste. The afOre-
said theory does not rest entirely, nor even
mainly upon this. possibly fanciful argu
ment. but we would thus earnestly suggest
what has seemed TO us as the direct and also
the reflex influence OF that which is some
times called music, but which certainly does
not c0mpOrt with the highest and best
definition Of that divine art. In this SEEM
ingly imvidious application OF the principle !
that like btgetS like" some of our readers |
might feel sensitive, but nothing would 20 |
50 far III neutraizing or setting aside this |
theory as a simple, good natured counter |
statement from interested parties who are !
Of contrary opinion.
1t cannot be denied that, at many of our |
concerts, there is an excess of that kind of |
music. in which the principal and most |
noticeable elements are loud noise, rapid |
movement, and stirring mOdulatiOns, with |
Surb an iniulppDpa in frauuRnt abruut !