New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-04
MUSICAL COMMENT.
AN EXPERIMENT ~ MUSICAL EXPRESSIVE
MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS.

min Ives Gilman widen tho scope OF music study oy
s,ibjec,;ne thinGs Which have heretofore oe'
looked uron In purely speculative ha''er W soi'"''
,r,,ysis since wo commented on his study Of the
nus,c n, ,he zrrt indians and o. som" chinese tunes
Transcribed from photographic records. Mr.. Gilman has
,, ornotn,cd Instruct or I'm Psychology In Clark Unit
vcrsiiv Ills duties IN the post hove In no wise
in,orfcrcd with The musical Investigations which nave
occupied his mind during the last year or TWO oh
tl. contrary they have stimulated lin 10 new cHorN
the most Interesting OF which axe recorded In pamp"ie
rnr,ntcl from "Tle American Journal OF Psychology.
entitled Report an Experimental Test OF Mu''ca'
Fxnrcssiycncss" Mr.. Gmans methods nre wholly
nov What has heretofore been merely III" subject
~ speculaon in which fantastic notions. which have
long been the musicians heritage and personal elun-
zion poy-d the leading roles. he is attempting to
subject TO investigation by scientific methods Inc
results Of his work thus far have not cohVincci us
that his methods are IN any sense exact, or are
indeed 10 b. looked rpon rs anything better Than VII
certain footsteps in the dark. Music Is so elusive,
90 subjective a thing that fix what NAV BE- termed
It's psychological element seems very much iR" Try
ing 10 determine the emotional contents OF SUNSHINE
or rain. But II may be that there are lew i'''"a-
mental laws that are dctcrmInablc and Mr.. Gilman
deserves pioneers hOnors laS h" will probably re-
ceIvo IN. pioneers reward Of nsratnd") Tor irving
10 widen the means OF acquiring the needed knowledge
The n.mphlet 10 which we have alluded records
the results Of novel experiment undertaken by Mr.
Gilman last sping in Cambridge, Mass. Before an
invited audience OF thirty persons he had set 81
mus,col n,eccs performed. pianOforte compost
uons others songs and airs with planofmtc accom-
ranlmcnt The vocal pieces were not sung. now
ever hut play ed up q violin. The purpose "i tl'
vns plan enough Mr. Gilman did not want MS
hearers 10 use the words as Il programme OF we
composers Intentions: he wanted the music TO sp'aN
for itself For his purpose Of comparative study
I. hc r,fpd
text choosing pieces In which he conceived that the
compocr had been happy I'm the choice OF his musical
vehicle. The listeners were then inv.t to VII" som
answers TO questions prepared by Mr. "iihla''
which again must say ~ he conceived the CASE
were directed 10 the exprcssional contents OF the
music performed. Thus In the case Of a Prrlud" IN
minor by Beethoven. the hearers were asked TO gve
the images suggested in their minds by the course OF
musIc. i'm the case OF portion OF
the same composers sonata in d. op. - t"PaSto-
ral"l record of the main Impression
was asked when Chopin's second Balade
In F. op. - played. the listeners were asked
TO tell what "dramac suggestion they found IN u
in other cascs tho general MOOD something not
commonly depicted in music the race Of which
popular song was a prciuct, were required to be
guessed at. and finally the question, Is the singer
OF the following melody II man or woman, ana on
OF what emotional experience would such SONG DC
born - was asked OF Garments song, in van per
evitar' from the second act Of Ilzcts opera Az
the end Of the experimental concert twenty"
sets Of answers collected by Mr. Gilman. sixteen
having been written by and twelve by women
There answers are printed in the pamphlet together
with the title Of each composition 10 which they
appy and n statement Of what Mr. Gilman, or some
body quoted by him. thought the emotional or "N
prcssOnal contents Of The music. In the second part
Of the REPORT" Mr.. Gilman attempts TO collatc the
answers and obtains something Hike Il consensus Oi
opinion
We're II not for the carncstncss OF re invcstlga-
tor and the possibilities which lie In the study which
N, is seeking to promote. should be tempted TO say
u.ut hi, proceeding reminds very forchly Of Mr.
(iilbert's recipe for making heavy Dragon:
Tnkc Of these elements all that Is fusiblc.
Melt 'em all down In Idplin or cruclble'
So, 'cm 10 simmer ard tnAc oil The scum,
And Heavy Dragon Is the rcsduuni.
We have tried hard to follow Mr. Gllmnn's con
cusons but In spite OF everything have failed to dis
cover ANYTHING tat differs essentially from the burden
OF the foolish rhapsodics which Is the sentimental
product OF so large a majority OF writers on music.
II IS true that he more drcum>pcctly, and
does not 50 obviously drop Into fantasies. but the
T4,ughts are after all the same. The element 81
repetition In music essential 50 ilS existence, beca
essential 10 form without which music could not d" M
art and therefore thing chiefly external. l. per
mt,ed to play large part In IT, cXprcs-vcncs, and
plotted In the most cxtrnyaeant manner. But It was
not our intention 70 critcse. but only to explain.
Mr.. Gilman's conclusions 10 the cXprcssiona con
tents Of the little prelude Of Beethoven. evolved
from o,c body Of opinion handed TO him. seem 10 sum
mp the result, of his experiment rs we'll 40 anything
can. lie says:
The indication Of the answers IS that this pre-
Jude expresses simply i"current activity without prog
res, whether gray" o. gay, intense or mia, PnF
pOsivc purposc.Ss- all beng lnd"t"rminHtc.
But II rccuircni ACTIVITY without progress Is all the
expression, import. spiritual content Of the piece. 1t 70
u question whether Ii shouid be- said have any cx-
pre,sivcncss at all for IT may he claimed that this
much is In the music Itself 1t /, rccurTcntlv active.
and least in the nfh bar from the end comes
round again to exactly the texture Cf that con
stitucs It's opening bar.
The Boston symphony Orchestra will be- with rs
tls week and add interest the local musical list
On Thursday evening the second New York concert
will take Place in Chlckcrlne Hail. The programme
Will consist Of Brahms, third symphony. C,opin's
Andantc Spianalo and Poonal,c played by Miss sula
Dcanc, suite for orchestra 10y Dvolak AMI Wag
ncr's "kaSermarsch.' On Friday afternoon nni
saturday evening tho orchestra will give It's second
public rclcaral aud concert In lIroohyn. under the
auspices Of Tic Philharmonic society Of Vat city
Tie programme will embrace Eccthovcns fifth sym.
phony y. Soharwcnhas first planofortc concerto
played by tie oOmposcr). two movements from
Berozs ELIMINATION Of Faust and the overture 20
" FIryahtlc.7 The kncSci Quartet, whose mem
bcrs oil belong 10 the orchestra have ANNOUNCED four
matinccs Of chamber music Of which, tie first will
take place "a Clckcrng Hall next saturday afternoon.
The quartet consists Of Franz Enci,cl. otto Roth.
l.. SV"ccnsk and Alvin Schro dr. Mr. NIki,ch
will assist al the frt concert PLAYING The panoforc
part Of Braims'S quartet In \. op. -.
Nine. Eugene Lincn's Russian choir Of Gny
singers, In national costumes. viii make its first
appearance In America on saturday evening. Dcccm-
Der TO- In concert Of national music Music Hail.
In order that the characteristic elements which have
INFLUENCED Russian composers shall be- appreciated
Mr.. II. 4. Krchbcl ha, consented TO give u brief
discourse on Russian music. ana comments on the
songs ~ they arc reached. The programme Of the
concert VIII be divided into three parts. The first
devoted to songs from Great Russia the second 10
songs OF III" Ikrana. lii," Russia and the third
10 what might bc tcfmtd the modern artistic rauslc