New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-07-07
MUSIC-THE DRAMA.
MUSIC IN THE CHINESE PLAYS.


cometbing hes,des mere diversion and the sa'iS-
faction OF idle curiosity may be found at tne mhuSo
Theatre this week by those who 90 10 sec 'ho N"i'
actors and take their inteects with thenl' III eP'o
Of the wide departure from our theatnca oo -, A.
the obvious seriousness Of purpose eAhio'"" - -
players the gorgeousneSs OF their costumes az a..
simplicity and drectness OF the means oinP.Os1
the attainment of dramatic ends not onis 'onlpV
absurdities OF the performances, but actuaiy me-
,hon, With serious interest and even charm tna'
q, srs, blpsh one would scarcely think possible.
grandloouent and bombastic manner OF inc a0'oi' III
the heroic portions of the plays "n"h oo"so.s
stran eelv with their falsetto Voices thelr so" P
et,es and solemn struts ard kicks, are iuhny 0ioue
n e tr,e. but after all they eAhipb wha' - ="
d,ference of kind rather than Oh oeeroo ""o" 'o-
n.rad With some of the conventonahtes OF our own
pe'e1 .nd the naralel is emphasized by the fact
that the comedy scenes seem u po p"ssu WV"
nsturalness both of tone and gesture ~
1. s,ndent Of the stage ought to see the OhlnoSo
=, :, Cor no other purpose than to OBTAIN Ni'ai
.os,or NJ what the drama was ike IN ih inAioS
Everv opera-lover ought to see IL 80 d. oo,"i " "
h,. IN understand the genesis OF the lyilc urs"A
poradoxical as It may sound, 1t Is nevertheieSs
that the Chinese actors in the bo"ery van u0 ~
80 ahow students how Richard Wagner touches hanus
-, .oecbvlus than all the essays on music ana inc
-. chat have been written. Everybody who has
,.sted himself at all in the matter knows mat the
,racs,v OF classic antiquity was not spoken hAc .
rodern plsy but chanted or sung 10 the acoonP~n
mani of instruments. Ii was recognition OF his
, and AN effort to restore the old mode OF uuerance
which led group Of enthusiastic scholars IN florehce
~ .ent the Italian opera about three hundred years
AGO The Greeks believed that the highest mission
NJ music was to intensity speech Do
d,d and do believe the Chinese. The
rlorentine antiquaries threw the curious
coptrapuna art of their period overheard and adopted
plain recitative, heightened at times TO something
closely approaching melody, as the musical language
OF their plays. similar application Of music ana
similar subordinaton of 1t TO poetry characterize the
dramas Of the Chinese We do not know hali as ihueh
as we ought about their music simply because 1t SOUNDS
barbarous Musical scholars have failed 10 see that
IT'S highest value object Of study comes from the
Intellectual beauty Of its philosophy and theory ana
the primitive rudeDess Of its practice Inc progress
Of this wonderful people was arrested thousands VI
years ago. but not until they had developed a system
of musical metaphysics and aesthetics surprisingly Ike
that of the Greeks, and theory which in It's essentials
lies at the base Of modern tonality. Yet their prac-
ce of music is that of people IN the infancy Oh lts
civilization Now If their instruments be compared
with those of the classic Greeks the advantage
will be found TO be with the Chinese
Why. then. are we not justified in going to the
Chinese theatre for that practical knowledge VI anch'
music which the Greek theorists fail TO give u.s. The
paradox between theory and practice, which has
hitherto discouraged students from this step, contains
the very argument which should have induced them
TO take it,
The Chinese plays at the Windsor Theatre illustrate
the classic belief in the purpose of music the theories
held by the Forentnes who invented the operas the
principles of Guck who sought 10 reform the abuses
int oduced by the Italian composers who thought
melodIc beauty the be- all and end all of the opera
and the convictions of Richard Wagner whose reforms
rooted in the old philosophy have amounted in ou
day 10 an artistic revolution But In order TO sc,
this one must look beyond the music itself, and study
| the manner in which IL ID introduced In the plays
What is obvious enough is that It is one integra
element Of them. Except In the comedy scenes
nearly all the dialogue Is sung, aud al every
emotional climax the ordinary style of utterance which
resembles the accompanied recitative OF our opera
Abandoned for the exalted form of melodiou!
song The instrumentalists almost constantly oc
cuDicd A din of the procession instruments and TIT
quent combats; rhy thmical beats the drums gong
and cymbals punctuate the pauses in the spoken da
lOgue and apparently intensity the erect OF tho word
that have just been uttered The scenes are invariably
connected with music In which, barbarous as II sound
| to our ears may yet hear either an echo Of III
scene that has just been enacted or an anticipation
Of the spirit OF that which is TO follow In principle
the between music IS the same as that compose
| the performers are not giving us an example OF Tit
earliest form of the opera they are occupied In al
| Illustration of that species of melodrama whos
| inve1ion is attributed in classical tradition tt
Archilochus Always they enabling us 10 realize
the essentials of the classic dramas OF antiqy Inc
Circumstance that the crashing Of the drums anC
gOngs offends and the music OF the Other
Instruments and the voices is monoton0us In rhythm
and melody has nothing 10 do with the argn
ment appreciation of those things is a matter oil
heredty and training.