Arizona silver belt., 1894-04-07
rnIlls AND snAKrs.

! practiced and least condemned.
 The liberties taken in musics com pass would be intolerable in the do main of any other art, and it is deeply to be regretted that the general public do not exercise as guarded discrimina- tion in muslcal matters as they do in matters appertaining to the sister arts, It is an undisputed fact that the major ity of people applaud and tacitly en- courage the efforts to dehase music. Many who play at music flatter them selves on their ability to play inter- minable variations, they pride them. selves on a ''kuack" of interpolating few run and cadenzAs, their faces shine with pleasure when they are told that their tcuch is strong and their tone loud, and they go into ecstaeies of de- light when informed that they interpret music well, But, at what sacrifice is this vanity satisdedf What portends these monotonous yariations2 Surely they do not add lustre to tho name of the composer nor honor to him whose poverty of musical ideas is so con. spiouous that it needs must filch in- spiration from master mind, and, falling to recognize the beauty of the stolen thought, despoil it Why is 1t that one so seldom is favored in hearing the sweet, old songs as they came from the fount of genius? Why should Home, Sweet Home, Annie Laurie, rbe Old Oaken Bucket, and host of other songs be robbed of their senti- ment and so ruthlessly changed that in hearing them sensation of pain and anger arises where tender associations might be summoned up? It is pity that musical expression, taste, and con ception should be abandoned; that the false should replace the true, and that the meretricious shonld dominate the meriiorious. The tendency to this end, however, is constantly becoming more marked and pure melody is almost the exception now instead of the rule.
 But it is not the peoples as unit that eensurs Is most applicable to; the re- sponsibility rests primarily at the door of a class of alleged musicians whose aims in the field sf art appear akin to piracy We refer to the class of musical iobbers who do nothing but construct variations. They have never been known to compose anything orig inal nor to apologize fer piilagiDg the storehouses of gifted musicians. The pathos that permoates lovely song IS crushed ont by these jobbers in order that q seuseless brayura passage might be dove-tailed in; the delicacy of shading is stamped out that double forte effect may be secured, the flash light spark of divine flame that gave the song it's warmth of feeling and en- deared it in the love of those whose hearts respond to it's subtle charm is q1euched so that the musical quack may amble in the shadow of his own miserable ideas When he is through there is nothing of the original song left but yestige of it's identity. If this could be obscured the dissertation would be moro pardonable, but it is not obscured; it is made Co bear the bruut of the fight and ct the finish it is mangled, it's dress rent and torn, it's features smeared and blemished by the tone daubing it has been subjected to. Thus is the identity kept alive, and the quack with superlatiye conceit iuagines he has given to musical literature some. thing creditable, and the peope--well, they say bravo. An, but would the people say bravo should color painter instead of tone painter invade the aanctity of AIichaal Angelo's sphere and add variations to the Madonna, or inn part circus color hues to the paintings in St. Peters Cathedral at Rome? Would the people condone the crime of i adding variations to 5hakespeare's plays, or would they sit calmly by and witness the beautiful imagery in Shel- ley's poems dismantled. or see the wealth of simplicity and sympathy that | Burns bequeathed to his fellowmon stricken from tho list of the worlds treasures and in their place substituted 1 Q few jingling rhymes?
 We think not, but VIC know that but few raise protest when the sweetest sentiment of song is shattered to sub gerve the purpose of one who makes variations for fhe money that accrues from their sale, and for another who plays them because the little quirks and runs meet all the requirements of a vanity that will hesitate at nothing | that tends to satisfy it's craving.
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 My wife was confined to her bed for