New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-01
SELECTIONS FROM THE MAIL.
u,,,v p,1ovoGRAPH AND PRIMITIVE MUSIC.

THE PHONOGRAPH AND PRIMITIVE MUoiO'
m the Editor Of The Trlbnne'
Sir. Chance would have it that was IN
Franl,fort-on-the-Man yesterday, when
Tribune of August 3, containing MI Gilmans
ts.or on vour review of DR. Fewkes's experiments
With the phonograph as an aid 70 the study OF
,oll,-music. reached me. ! read the paper while
IN the grounds Of the Electrical Exhibition, and
embraced the opportunity offered by the various
dsnlays of Photographs to test some instruments
with a view 10 their serviceability In such study
and especially TO discover what ground Mr.. VlL
man might have for his belief that the phonograpn
brings out delicacies of intonation that the cor
cannot retain" The results were startling 30
startling indeed, that the skcpticism touching the
prevalence Of fractional tones in the music OF the
Zunians. expressed in your review of the journal
Of Etbnology and Archaeology" in which l shared
has been changed into complete unbelef While
listening to music repeated by an instrument OF
German invention and construction in which q
rotating disk is used instead of the cylinder OF the
American instruments, observed that the pitch
Of the music several times descended suddenly
nearly If not quite semtone, and then as sud-
denlv returned to the standard The Instrument
was obviously a crude device, though it gave out
the sounds distinctly and with loudness which
made the usual ear tubes unnecessary. since
the rotary motion was supplied to the disk oy
electricity / attributed the changes in pitch 10
irregularity Of speed when the record was made.
The reas0nableness of this theory was strlklngy
demonstrated by a series Of experiments UNDER
taken with the help of Mr.. Graham Hope, manager
in the department devoted TO the Edison phono-
graph There I discovered that melody can he
rendered utterly unacceptable by Irregular
pedalling and that by shifting the regulator on
the instruments supplied with electrical motors
a single tone can be run through a large portion
of the gamut, producing a tone similar TO thao
which a vionist produces by sliding his fingers
along string | then sounded a pitch-pipe CIV
ing the Of the French diapason nOmal into the
funnel of the instrument while the cylinder Which
received the record was making first ten then
twelve, then fifteen revolutions in i've SECONDS,
that period of time being chosen as being moso
practicable The record complete, the lnstru-
ment was made TO repeat the note nc UNIFORM
speed throughout OF fifteen revolutions. Inc re-
suit was q sequence of three intervals, as near
as l could determine hastily and with the unaided
ear a fourth second and first of the tone given
ont Nv the ptch-pipe The last tone was q
trihe sharp but not enough TO deceive musical
ear Evidently it was one of Mr.. Giman's
delicate intonations,' for which he could ma
no symbol. In repeating the tones at the lowest
rate of speed it was found that the tone was
lowered at each increase of speed made while TAX
ing the record the operation bring the reverse Of
the first The lowest of speed in recording
yielded the highest tone In the repeu-
ton at the highest rate: the highest
rate in recording yielded the lowest tone lin one
case full fifth below in repeating at the lowest
rate Whether or not the variations follow
rule which can be formulated with eXaotness, l
cannot say: the circumstances did not permit the
scientific accuracy and fulness of investigation
and record which such determination would
demand.
| believe that the photograph is destined to
become a most valuable aid In the investigation
Of savage music, but it must be used scientifically,
not empircally. A simple device to secure alb
solute regularity Of motion should be applied to it
and the record and transmission should be made
at absolutely the same rate of speed and with
that the instrument has other vagareS which
ought to admonsh an chronological. or musical
student to study its voice cautiously. / confess
that ! part with regret from the Iuni melodies
which DR.. Fewkes imprisoned on his photograph
cylinder and Mr.. Gilman Transcribed for US Those
quarter-tOne opened up such delightful field for
speculation but since tOyed with a photograph
and pitch-ppe NJ the Frankfort exhibition yester-
day they are banished from my collection. Ii
is not proved that the Iunians are first cousins,
musicaIy with the HindoOs. Arabs and ancient
Greeks H. h. kREHBlED.
Ruedesheim the Rhine, August Is, 1891.