The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1893-04-04
Il MUSIC HATH CHARMS"
Rabbi Levy's Eloquent Address Last
Evening.
A Rare Programme of Music Rem
dered at His Farewell
Benefit.

TO overlooking last night with refined
audience, which assembled to listen to
the address of Rabbi Levy on "Music,"
and also TO hear the musical programme
arranged by Professor Kinross.
The Rabbi was at his best, and he de-
livered in a clear voice and pleasing man
ner the eloquent and classical address
which he had prepared. He illustrated
the music of oriental times by singing a
few passages in Hebrew.
The musical programme was most ex-
cellently carried out. All the vocalists
and musicians were in harmony with the
spirit of the occasion, and almost per-
1ectly rendered their respective parts.
Especially interesting were the oriental
selections illustrative of the music of an
cient time.
To Professor Kinross credit is due for
the excellence of the entertainment. He
was assisted by Mrs. Percy Ross, Mrs.
Robert H. Hawley and r. II. Cohn OF
the Synagogue quartet; st. PauFS choir,
consisting of Mrs. w. II. kinross, Miss
Gussie Stevenson, Mrs. Il. +. Dollhouse,
Miss Sophie Jones, Miss Lena Gore, Mrs.
Robert Hawley, Miss Hattie W heat, Mrs.
i. Ii. kiefer, Miss Minnie Gore, T. +.
Dollhouse, DIR. G. Il. Millikin, NJ. X. Bar
rett, L. Ashworth, George Reynolds,
Ida Clinch and Mrs. b. +. Howard:
string quartet-Messrs. Franz, Noack,
Lindemeyer and Lewis: Charles J. Dun
ster, organist and accompanies.
THE RABBI's ADDRESS.
Rabbi Levy's interesting address was
as follows:
eff mankind is to-day better than ever
before, il is due to the influence of ethics
and esthetics. Both came 10 US from the
mystic East, the cradle of civilization,
and the greatest progress has been made
where men have recognized esthetics as
the handmade of ethics. Where you have
to be simple, religion without art, you
have asceticism. Where you have art
without religion, you have idolatry. Ii
is the commingling of the grandest ideals
of religion and art that gives birth to the
greatest possibilities of progress, mental
and moral.
THE branches of art that have served
the highest purpose in this direction are
poetry, painting and music. They are
the three great Interpreters of Nature
each disclosing some inner excellence,
some hidden beauty. But of the three
music is the mightiest, purest, truest
heavenliest.
Poetry is Nature speaking, whisper.
ing, laughing, crying. 1t is thought in
blossom; life in its intensest moods-the
essence and perfume of Nature. 1t is tc
prose what sunshine is to daylight.
painting is Nature smiling, rest.
ing, moving, 1t presents to the eye
what takes chapters of history tC
narrate and books of poetry to de
velope. The pictures OF Raphael
Carlo Dolce and Titans are poems, having
beginning, middle and end, all pre-
scented at once in full splendor to the eye
4
deep feelings which the other two are un
able to eXpress-nature singing VIVA
poetry says and painting seems. As
mere sensuous influence, il is the purest
least earthly and most impressive. As
vehicle of thoughts, motives. griefs anC
gladness, bridal joys and burial lamenta
ton, it is without an equal. 1t lives il
the memory, it soothes the heart.
Poetry and music touch the SAM
elements of nature by different processes
Poetry stirs emotion by means ofthought
Music rouses thought by means o
emotion.
1.-THE Egyptians have a legend tina
music was first introduced on earth b,
their god Thoth, who invented the Tyre
But the Greeks claim the distinction 70
HermeS TriSmegistus, who, willis
wandering by the riverside, is said t,
have found the shell of a tortoise dried il
the sun and to have used it as the frame
WOEh lOI inc l1I5I IiluSlCdl
fitting it with three chords formed from
the tendons of the animal. Anothe
claim is set up for Apollo, who invented
the flute, whilst the Bible tells us tina
Jubal invented the harp and organ, ant
thus music began.
"But there is an older instrument thai
all these, which represents the most won
derful organ, so wonderful, that all at
tempts to reproduce it have so far provel
a failure. | refer to the human voice
Hermes may have made the Tyre, Apoll
the flute, and Jubal the harp or organ
But God made the human voice, and til
instrument shares in something of tn
perfection of the Maker.
1.-The first choir was formed by sc
prano and a tenor, and Adam and Ev
probably offered in the Garden of EIDE
their tributes Of love and praise in Song
without Words
''In his work on History of Music
Rowbotham points out that in prehistori
times music passed through three stage
OF development, each characterized by
separate class of instruments. InStrU
ments of percussion are said to be I'll
Oldest wind instruments the next i'll OF
der of time and civilization, and strin
instruments the latest invention of ever
separate race. The clapping of hanC
and stamping of feet, to mark rhythm
eNemplify the first element OF music, All
the large family of drums, cymbals an
bells is a development of this principl
The ears of the unlearned sooner motto
time than tune, and it is probable TIL
this class of instruments is most ancien
1.-The signing OF the wind especial
when passing over q bed of reeds
natures suggestion of instruments
breath. This suggested the four methoC
of producing sound through pipes-L
blowing at the end as with the fageolet,
the side as with the flute, through
:. ooI in, ha Of OH
bassoon, and over a single reed as vii
the clarionet, and we might add by blow
ing over a collection of pipes as in ii
case of the organ. Examples of all the.
instruments are to be found among Il
nations of antiquity, and even in the ca
of the organ, tradition tells of Il
magrepha, an instrument which mu
have been the embryo organ found in Il
temple, and consisting of twelve pipes
closed in a case that emitted music
sounds when air was pumped in, the q
being controlled by a sort OF keyboard.
1.-The origin of the stringed instrume
is lost, but fable steps in handily VIII
history is in doubt, and tells the story
Hermes. This class includes the "
and harp, the viol and the dulcimer, d
forerunner of the piano.
''Music III its present complex form
only a few centuries old, but siml
rythmical melodies were sung and play
on these before-named Instrument
Even among savages that have new
come in contact with civilization, such a
known. But the most remarkable fact
that the influence that music has
arousing the emotions has been appre
ated everywhere.
1.-The story of Orpheus, who tanned wi
animals and moved rocks and trees wi
his singing and playing, is as significa
as if it were true, for it shows what es
mate the Greeks held of music. Plato he