Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-05-26
THE MUSIC or mARpI.
Instruments of HIS Day Contrasted
with Those of the Present.

aroand the familiar haunts. preparatory
TO setting sail for this great and glorious
republic i've years ago. ] made great
discovery In the British Museum. I found
the mummy Of Anche Harpi, musician
OF ancient Egypt. No doubt you wonder
how ] could find what was not lost. All,
that's the point. Did you never hear II
said by man who had come from listen
ing TO a grand opera, or q grand con-
cert, Il must confess that that music was
too deep for meg" lie heard the music,
but he did not find the meaning Of the
composer. Now / had seen time and
AGAIN this dried corpse. wound about with
brown end yellow cloth, but only on this
occasion did / find the mystic key which
unlocked the chambers OF the past and
Jet me see vaguely in the distance the
home and bronzed complexloned friends
OF Anche Harpi, musician.
How much do you think we should en-
Joy his music? More than he would like
ours probably. His ear. never having
been subjected 20 the great variations OF
temperature which put such a strain on
the tympanic membranes Of US northern
ers. would be more sensitive than ours.
Our harmony, our polyphony, would baf-
ne him. The oboe would be the instru-
ment most sympathetic to him. as all the
nations Of antiquity were partial TO the
recdy tone. But these cyclopean artists
knew very little about acoustics, II one
is TO Judge OF their knowledge from their
musical instruments. Their stringed in
struments are often made OF thick bone.
The wonderful results 10 be obtained from
spruce pine and maple were left 10 be
discovered by the Cremona masters. OF
course this IL all superstition. Because
who knows but that the most beautiful
Of their instruments have persisted.
The sculptured remains cannot be relied
on altogether for accuracy. What kind OF
an idea OF our orchestra would future
generations get II the only instrument
that remain were the eXcruciating
steam organ OF Barnum's show? No
doubt Anche Harpi was a man Of imagi
nation, and one who saw with poets
eye tho beauty Of old Egypt. No doubt,
as he sat in the shade Of a palm tree
and looked up at the summit OF the
great pyramid, which was at that time
dazzlngly bright in the tropical sunlight
| by reason Of It's white enamel, his pa-
triotic bo9om swelled with Egyptian pride.
No doubt, he has floated down the Nue,
or has culled the lotus flower and strum-
med forgotten serenade for his vanished
| beloved one. But / question If ever IN
| idea that many centuries after his death
he would lie on a shelf as a mere curl
| Osity I'm a land which was all but I'M
| known, and which was inhabited by semi
\ NEUROLOGICAL savages.
Next TO the case in which the body Of
Anche Harpi lies is the mummy Of Cleo
patra, Queen Of Egypt-Cleopatra, whose
charms enslaved Marc Antony; Cleopatra,
Of whom Shakespeare wrote:
| Give me some music; music, moody food
OF US that trade in love.
Wen to the river; there
| My music playing Off, / will betray
| Tawny-nnned fishes; my Bonded hook
shall pierce
| Their Shiny Jaws, and as I draw them up
| I'll think them every one an Antony.
And say. All, ali! you're caught.
-(Antony and Cleopatra, Act H., Sc. W
1 cannot blame Marc Antony" for al
| lowing himself to be caught. DO my best,
/ cannot help falling in love with her
| myself II I could unwind her burial
| robes. put nervous life again within her
| awaken passion, and rekndle fire in her
dark eyes-but, then. she might be one
Of the ordinary women ! meet every day,
who have far less power over my affec-
tons than have the . 1-2-odd feet Of the
cassia-scented remains Of CLEOPATRA" |
hope that my lady friends will not de-
spise me for this. Their turn Is coming.
They may some day themselves be mu-
scum relics. over which the progeny Of a
South Sea Islander will wax poetic in the
centuries that are to come. But OF me,
less will remain than does of Anche
Harpi.
Some time ago there was a complaint
IN an English musical journal concerning
the scanty Technology In music-review-
| ing. Thus you have few synonyms. A
singer sings. or as some say. delivers"
an air. For performance some say de-
| livery; they that know no better, use that
| hldeous term, rendition" When there
| IS a rendition" you may be sure that
| the singer or player received a perfect
ovation" and yet the performer did not
enter on horseback except occasionally
| IN opera, nor was he crowned with a
wreath of myrtle: nor was there sheep
sacrificed. neither were there shouts Of
| o. o. O!
There is very genuine reason in this
| complaint. Take the announcement Of a
programme. How sick does one become
Of the phrase, 'The programme was as
| follows" Do you prefer "the programme
| included"? If you put II here is the
| programme" there Is a sort of take-this-
| and-be -hanged-to-you that may irritate
| the reader No wonder that when you
CONS to try TO convey just idea OF a
| performance TO one who was not present
| you pilLage the verbal storehouses OF other
| arts.
| Yet there are grotesque uses Of words
| that should not be encouraged. How
many use the word "artiste" thinking
| that they thereby pay a compliment anC
point out the sex. But. artistic in Eng
lish. as well as in French, may be use'
| Of either a male or a female. Some Oh
ject to the employment of the word AR
fist" IN speaking Of musician, but al
far back as 1880 we find this sentence
| Argues a bad care and a bungling ar
tist." In 1914 Playford wrote: IF al
instrument be sounded by another VIII
is an artist" In 17l2 Addison wrote
That excellent artist, having
shown us the Italian music in its per
fection."
Now. "artiste" was a reintroduction o
the French word, Gin consequence OF III
! modern tendency to restrict artist 1
| those engaged in the fine arts, and espe
| clally painting" II is thus defined:
public performer. who appeals 10 tn
aesthetic faculties. as professiona
! singer, dancer. etc; also. one who make
a "nne art" Of his employment, as a
artistic cook, hair-dresser, etc. The ear
Hest mention Of artistic on record Is !
1882.
DO you turn up your nose at the ide
OF an artistic cook? Nay, but there Is
decadent cookery. surely. II the questio
OF sex is so important, why should no
the reviews say "artistess," as did HC
race Walpole over a century agoY s.
too. misguided people think when the
use the term "planiste" the goodies
stands revealed; but on. ye foolish! 'piar
iste' means simply a pianist, male
female.
, Now, there is a fashion I'm the advei
, usements OF concerts There was tim
, when. i'm the announcement Of a concer
Il was thought sufficient TO say IN
, Jones, the pianist, viii assist; or, IN
! Jones. pianist" When the "sassiety
, editor reviews a concert we learn this
Professor Jones presided at the instr
menL" To such reviewers every piar
ist is a professor, and every piaT
: an instrument In a recent programn
, there appeared this information in n
advertisement Of a strinSquartette col
4 ! cert: "Nr. ---. at the piano." l SUI
/ pose this is the correct thing, yet. no
{ vague is the announcement! Being II
: terpreted. tho phrase may mean that NJ
| Blank will Pc the pianist az the said col
! cert, OF, that he viii there play the pian'