New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-28

,ot,ernrcss in which both authors coopera'cu' was
originally designed as catalogue OF inc 'us'"' -.
s,mments collected by Mrs. John CNspy Bowl anu
recently given by her to the Mctropoh'an MUSEUM |
81 A., of this city The scope OF the conecuoh anu
- % ,s uniaue features have already been referred
10 in the public prints and there Will DC a"np'e w
noytunitv TO speak fully on the SUBJECT "he''
tbe instruments shall have been placed on puo'' ca
bibItion. That the collection contains many interest
ing and valuable specimens Is indica'cu Ill 'hi' :"
markable catalogue by the list of names ana thc
enumeration OF the countries whence the! coe ,a'"o
than by the drawings which, IL may do VIC" "
remarked at the outset, are likely 10 Dc uSaPpo'uNs
to those who take up the book for study purposes
AS a collec tor Mrs Brown has for years cnJoyeu 'no
sensation of being practically alone in her choice Oh
q dcnartmcnt With the opportunities OF largo
wealth and wide acquaintance. which were nerS' "
would have been but natural mad sno
devoted herself to tho ace"nu,as.on ,,an
Instruments with an artistic rather than
, scientific value She did not do this however,
and when the instruments are placed In their future
home the public will discover that they open NE"
fields of chronological study. Had this TACT WIN all
It's bearings been constantly before the minds OF the
compilors of the book fancy some features OF IL
would have been treated differently. The pen and INK
sketches and the patient literary collaboration OF
mother and admirable memorial OF the ienhc
ment and gentleness Of the Brown household but
book given TO the public under the unusual circun-
stances surrounding this work-a book unique IN SUD-
iect ard MAGNIFICENT and mptuOus In size ana attire
should first of all be designed to emphasize inc
scientific value of the collection Had The authors
been actuated in things by an appreciation OF the
scientific principle, they would have known that the
Illustrations should have been much more accurate
and minute than they That in the case OF
fretted Instruments the number Of fres and their
relative distances from each other in fue instruments
the number of finger holes in keyed instruments the
number of Keys and the Character On
the action which sounds tho strings, IN
reed instruments the kind of reeds and III
strlnced instruments the number Of strings and the
manner of their disposition are the details when ought
first of all to have been made plain by the pictures
We refer to this because in nearly every one OF inc
plates and in the descriptions besides, we have met
with disappontments in an ehof' ~
study the nature of tho instruments in the book,
or even to assign them to the various classes anu
subclasses in which musical instruments are commonly
divided We cite few instances: The ang- hih'
of China, IS called foreign harpsichord in tho
plate a name entirely misleading because the picture
and description both show that the instrument belongs
TO the dulcimer kind the descriptive letter press
It is assigned, with equal inconectnesS, TO "'he
either family" Now the strings OF the " iang-hln
are sounded by being struck with bamboo hammers,
while those of all instruments of the haipsichord
kind (such as spincts, virgnals, ctc) were sounded
by being twanced by various kinds of plektra, set
In lacks. The either Is also wanged by the thumb
armed with metallic plektrlm and the unarmed
fingers. In the Chinese instrument moreover Jas
specimen In the possession OF llo "rl'cl SHO"S'
diagonal b.idge Is placed between the two outer
bridges across the sounding board that each string,
or group of strings tuned In unison, gives out two
tones which stand related each other as the first
and fifth Of the scale, fact of great importance
TO an understanding of the theory Of Chinese music,
In which the circle Of fths" plays quite as signihcah
part as ii does in Occidental music. But
of this division Of the strings no mention
is made in the book and II could not be learned from
the drawing Again. in the plate devoted to instru-
ments from Germany, what is obviously an old piano
forte is called clarchor and fagott' is described
as e. kind of bassoon" when these two instruments
arc the same Instruments which look like clarinets
are In some places called oboes and in Others clarine
plainly In ignorance Of the fact that the essential
difference lies in the mouthpeces, that Of the oboe
having double, that of the clarinet a single reed
glance at the Instruments themselves should have
shown to which class they belong the picture can
give no clew. Other Shortcomings are due to the
same want of scientific method and lulowledge. One
Of the most interesting instruments OF the Chinese
is the "Cheng.' 1t consists Of bowlshaped wind
reservoir in the top of which placed row OF
bamboo pipes having in their lower end brass
tongue which through slot. This brass
tongue arranged is known to Observation-Disclosures as
free reed7 and its principle Is that applied in the
manufacture of Harmonious, accOrdeons, mouth
organs 1t IS also used In few stops OF the
grand organ, having Icon introduced by Russian
builder, but this fac does not by any means justify
the statement: The principle embodied in this instru-
mcnt IS really tndl VI our STdnu oledh' IL" pun
ciple embodied in grand organ, the fundamental
principle is that of the penny whistle. The reed
stops striking and free" used only TO obtain
certain In the account of the Chinese
flute an Interesting subject IS touched upon in the
following paragraph
1t has SIX fncerholcs and two holes for the breath.
The pitch varies according as the wind passes
Rs aae o mot i p u eo Covered with thin
Ircmbrane. Page 12J
Tho use Of what seems second embOuchure on
ytny IN
but 1t seems to US needlessly so. If one were to
take the trouble simply to get new flute from China
It would be found that the mole between the embon
clure proper and the finger holes Is covered as inc
paragraph above quoted says, with thin membrane;
and that this membrane has a good deal to do With
determining the quality OF the Instruments tone
Nearly all Chinese Instruments are sceechingiy iond
and the vibration of the membrane gives to the Chi
nese flute rccdy tone that ecctuay accentuatcs lis
voice when played either singly or In concert WITH
other instrl nens. When the writer once asked a
Cbnaman why the hole was covered he was told
that It was make the flute i" boiler bettcr' which
was his naive and circumscribcd manner OF saying
that the membrane had purpose other IMAM inc
nero closing of the hole. still the fact that on
the writer's flute the Of tho second hole as An
en,bouchure raises the pitch Of the Instrument eX-
aotly third may be evidence In favor OF the theory
that change of pitch, as suggested may at least DO
secondary purpose though then tho characteflS"c
quality of tone would be lost.
We do not cite these Shortcomings from what we
consider the truest and best purpose OK book OF
this character. simply to be critical, or IN order 10
depreciae the book Itself. In its beautifully printed
pages there Is enough OF value TO justify II many
times over. despite the blemlshes which We feel IN
duty bound to set forth. Tho enthusiasm to which
the collection bears witness IS Of so rare quality ana
It's object is much locr than that strivcn for by
tollccaors generally that It must challenge tln
heartiest admiration from every one interested either
in music ethnology. The book is an equally
In enthusiasm.
the music Of China. Idia. JAPAN Africa. the Arabs,
Turks Persians and the Indians Of North America
show great patience and diligence in research and are
really valuable compilations. Concerning them We