The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-07-10

auditory apparatus as perfect as our own IL
docs not follow that his musical talent was
the samo Tho understanding OF our highest
music needs not only an auditory organ and
an auditory ccntre. together with the lifelong
training OF these but something behind them.
namely. sensitive. i'm pre- ssionabls. and high
ly developed mind. A comparison between
the musical perception OF parrots brain and
that OF man convinces DR.. Weismann that
ono and the same auditory organ. together
with Its auditory centre. must produce an
entirely different effect upon tho mind
according as this is moro highly or
lowly organized. The soul" is, as It
1t were. played upon like an instrument by tho
musical nerve vibrations OF tho auditory cen
ire. The more perfect this instrument 10. the
greater IL the effect produced. II. then. prim-
itivo man did not possess mind like that OF
his descendant; II his intellect and every de-
pendent power became far keener and deeper
as tho struggle for life went on through tho
course OF ages. It follows that the faculty OF
percoivinG music must also have been aug
mentive We may, therefore. regard It as i'm
possible that lost Beethoven ever existed
among primitive men. and It Is even
doubtful whether one could be found
among existing Australians or negroes For
the production Of Beethoven there Is needed
not only highly organized auditory appa-
ratus. but also n rich. great, and intensely
sensitive soul. and we know by experience
that such nature Is only to DO found among
the very highest intelleots. Prof. Weismann
goes further. and denios that the child Of
primitive man. II he were slive to-day. could
DO raised BY education to the same level Of
musical understanding as that reached By our
own children. He would fail. It 10 averred. for
want Of inherent power Of mind.
Have We. however. any ground for assuming
that our musical talent is superior to that OF
the Greeks and Romnns2 Our musical
product Is superior. but 10 that fact due to q
diheroncs OF innate capacity or to difference
OF oxtornal condltlons2 We have seen. In
dood. that susceptibility to music must have
increased during the intellectual evolution OF
mankind; 30 long. In fact. as the essential
nature OF the human mind was capable OF be-
Ing raised. But at what precise period In
tho history OF certain nation. or group
OF nations shall We hold that the ell
max OF Intellectual evolution has been
roRched9 AZ moro suggestion. without
any prctence to exactnesA Prof. Weismann
suggests that tho people OF antiquity" viz.
tho ancient civilized nations Of the Mediter-
rnncnn. had already at the very dawn OF their
history attained the highest level Of intel
loctual development II any further growth
has occurred since then in European nations.
II has certainly beon 80 impreceptibly small
that It could onuse no sensible difference In
tho susceptibility Of tho human soul to music.
The times which produced such legislators as
Moses and Solomon. poets like Homer and
Sophoclos philosophers and men Of science.
like Aristotle, Plato, and Archinedes-
limos which created the Egyptian temples and
pyramids and the statues Of Greek gods
most undoubtedly display the achievements
of tho human Intellect at its best. And an age
which produced tho gentle and forgving
Christian philosophy shows US that as re-
CARDS character and feeling, the human mind
had attained the highest development 1t Is
therefore assumed BY the author OF these
essays that the nations Of antiquity" pos
sessed capacity for music equal to our own,
and TINT the times during which the human
intellect can be said to have been in process
OF elevation lc far behind them.
How. then. did it happen that tho music of
antiquity was by comparison with ours, go
poor? II the mental instrument with which
we mako. e., invent and eujoy-music has
existed for SO many ages. why did not man
perform symphonies and oratorios In the ace
OF the Pharaohs? The reply depends upon a
recognition Of the distinction between music
and musical talent: the latter is due and due
only. to the nature Of the individual body and
mind. while the former is also due to a slow
process Of development by means Of tradition.
Music considered as q product is an inven-
ton and rests upon tradition, the mower on
which depends the entire growth of culture
the DEVELOPMENT Of language. of the sciences
and their practical application. and Of every
kind Of art
1t does not fall within Dr. Weismann's prov
ince to follow the slow and gradual evolution
OF music since the era of tho building of the