The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-01-28
HOW eReAr MUSIC IS wRIr1ss.



which gave birth 10 each work and un-
der which it was put together, not for
getting the sources laid under contribu.
ton by the master for the accomplish
ment Of his task. The supplementary
volume Of this edition, published in the
autumn Of last year, contains a collec-
ton Of earlier pieces which served as
soun,cs for several portions for the
Israel in Egypt" 1t is from this vol
ume and It's notes that Julius Stock
hausen, writer in The frankfurter
Zeitung. draws the materials for brief
but interesting communication.
One hears often the complaint that this
or that piece Of music is not original
1t is charged against the composer that
he has borrowed from others, sometimes
even from himself. If we had the cur
rent criticisms Of the preceding periods
we might be amused OF surprised by
finding similar diatribcs on the contem-
porary musicians and their works. Trac-
ing up the history Of musical compost
ton into the Middle Ages we find that
even the most distinguished composers
had neither difficulty nor scruple as to
borrowing from the works of those who
had gone before them.
One Of the great facts Of the history Of
music is the free use, the very much too
free use, made Of popular tunes by the
composers Of church MUSIC down into
the Sixteenth century. Themes neither
reverent nor edifying were made the
basis of mass, developed into fugues
or canons, so that the less devont mem
bers of a congregation might have their
pleasurable faculties fully gratifed.
,hanted by the choir or rolled ont by
he organ while they were assisting at a
religious service. Even the great re-
rOrmer himself. Palestrina, borrowed in
more than one way. He himself wrote
,hurch music on proper themes: he re-
constructed, if we may sly so. more
than one work of a former composer,
Just rs Shakespeare iudiciously edited
m already existing play, and he directly
borrowed. as when he turned the ave
Maria" Of the Spanish composer, Fer
lando de las Casas. into a piece for sew
raj voices. No one dreams Of imputing
IS a fault 10 Palestrina or the other
EARLIER composers Of church music this
sree use Of materials ready to their hand.
my more than we should now censure
VI. Gounod for developing a theme Of
3achs into a we'll known religious piece.
Stockhausen, proceeding on the infor
nation and the actual cases given by
'hrysander, puts before bis readers o
list OF the pieces from which the best
Known and most favorite passages Of the
Israel in Egypt are borrowed. Han
lei was a great admirer and diligcnl
student Of Italian music. This is not 10
be wondered at, seeing that there was
little other music at the time,
Il least in so advanced and organized a
condition. 1t is not, then, surprising
hat a "Magnifcat" OF Er5a. published
about 1890, and a serenade Of Stradella.
who lived about the same time, have
been pressed into the service for the
Israel. The editor Chrysander. also
,ites a "Te Dcum" by Uric as having
furnished material But the "Magnif
at" and the sercnadc are published in
Inc edition Of IIandel's works as an ap
Dendix. while the "Te Deum" has not
vet appeared. 1t will be new and pos
ibly disappointing to many lovers OF
Handelian oratorio 20 be told that no
.ess than fifteen numbers Of the "lrael
in Egypt" have been taken from the
Magnificent and the serenade, as any
me may verify by comparison. The
writer gives a list Of the passages en-
)loyed in the oratorio by Handel. Nine
numbers have been taken from the
'MagniGcat." Among them are:
The chorus: "He is my God"
Soprano duet: The Lord is my
strength"
The chorus: Gle rcbuked the Red sea.
The fragment: Thy right hand, o
,ord."
The great duet for two bases; The
ord is a man Of war;"
The chorus: Thy sendest forth thy |
wrath.
Chorus "And with a blast Of thy nos
rils"
Duet: "Thou in thy mercy"
Chorus 1.-The earth swallowed them.
Six numbers are taken from the sere-
lade. But there is this difference, that
while the passages from Erba's "Magniii-
at" are usually transferred with little
hange, Stradella's music furnishes ordi-
larily only the theme or suggestion which |
Iandel works out. Among these are:
Chorus: lie led them forth like sheep;
nd the chorus: ale spoke the word"
The "Hailstone' chorus seems to have
zen taken from both authors. ChTys-
nder shows how Handel took more than
he suggestion Of his italian chamber
uets" from an Italian composer, Steff-
nj; and again, copying from himself,
orrowed from those very duets some Of
horuses in "The Messiah;" among them.
For unto us a child is born, His
oke is sweet" He gives an astOnlsh-
lg list Of pieces by great composers
lken from a plain Gregorian amen,
mong them a "Gratias Agimus.' 10y
ZACH; Il will sing 10 the Lord, from
Israel in Egypt" the "Hallelujah' cho-
us. almost note for note, in 1.-The Mes
ah:" the Chorus of the Furies, IN
ilucl's "Orpheus." the opening of the
Kvrie," in Mozart's Requiem And
e cites a set Of duets by Durante, pub
shed by Breitkof, of Leipsic. which are
.ken with little change from Scarlatti.
nut he also invites musical readers to
ote the magnificent work Handel has
reduced out of the slender materials
hich he found ready for him, at the
lose Of the Gladstone chorus and the
net, The Lord is a Man of War. Surely
ne great master who produced such work
an never DO charged with merely copy
~. because he made such splendid use
his materials. Nor should 1t ever be
,rgotten that Israel in Egypt was be-
um and completed in twenty-four days.
nv composer who can do likewise need
,ar 10 criticism. Saturday Review.
English electrical experts say that all the
ain trunk and teegraphing wires in Eng
nd could be put under ground for S0OOo,-
0. and that although the sum IS large one
..... Ill fr,rt 70 nvr,ani IL