The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-05-30
MUSIC THE DIVINE ART.
ia WIS WORKS the FIRST INCEN-
TIVE TO MUSICAL PROGRESS.
In the Middle Of tho Last Century the
Flower aud Glory Of siu.icaI Genius
Culminatcd In the Opera.

Among the lno arts music takes high
rank. the order being. Poetry, FIRST; mu-
sic, second: painting. third sculpture,
fourth. and architecture. nth. or these,
music is conceded to be the most ideal.
Tor nothing Is 70 indisputably included
within tho circle OF the aesthetical or
beautiful. az finely struck harmonles.
melodies or c0ucords Perhaps this ac-
counts for its comparatively slow covci-
opment. in a world whore the more ma
fcrlal delights were the immediate OBJ
iccts OF regard and pursuit. Not until
David. with his harp and psalms, employ
&c music in his Inscriptions and pSt-
lions 10 the Deity, does 10 appear 20 nave
made progress. The encouragement OF
the Christian church gave an impulse
that carried 10 forward. but SIS free &C.
VelOpmcnt cannot bc set earlier than the
sixteenth century. when tne organ TOOK
the place of other instruments In d.
vine worship. and in the eighteenth cen
fury. when oratorios became the most
inspired and effective kind Of musical
composition.
ST. Cecilia. "thc inventor OF the organ
suffered uartyrdom in Rome. a. j.. ~
because she refused 20 sacrifice TO IDOLS.
The legend says that an angel Tell IN
love with her for her musical skill, and
nightly brought her roses from Paradise.
Raphael D0mOnichinO, Dolce, and others
have represented her on canvas, ana
Chaucer. Dryden, and Pope have ceie-
brated hcr in poetry, while Tennyson ID
that matchloss creation. ''lhe Palace OF
Art" has inscribed in niche OF pearl
devoted 10 her this cpitome;
''Cr I'm a clear-walod city on the sea,
Near gilded organ pipes. her hair
Wound with white roses, slept So. Cecily.
An angel looked at her.
DRYDEN AND PORES CONTEST OF oDFs.
Not a little Of the poetical fame OF
Dryden and Pope IS due to the contest OF
Odes, penned in her honor by these de-
voices at her shrine 0t different periods
OF time. Dryden concludes his ode Tor
the feast OF ST. Cecilia, thus.
'Iot old Timathous yield the prize,
or both divide the crown:
Jde raised a mortal TO the skies,
she drew an angel down.
And Pope thus.
"Of Orphcus now. no more let poets tell
To bright Cecilia great power is given
His numbers raised a shade from hell,
Hers lift the soul 10 Heaven
TO DRYDEN was conceded the victory.
The organ was succeeded by the harp
sichord for general use and, in the oigh-
teenth century. that was superseded by
the piano-fOrtc. one OF the most conve-
nient and most expressive Of modern IN
strUmcnts. Specimens of the former
which IS n keyed instrument, similar IN
shape TO a grand plano forte, though now
becoming rare, are still 10 be found IN
good preservation. 1t was introduced into
England in the seventeenth century, but
Teached its perfection under the hands
Of famous makers in the eighteenth CEN
fury. There is one sull standing IN the
quaint, Old drawing-rOom at Mount Yer
non. and, no doubt. supplied Nellie Custis
with the means OF entertaining the IL
lustrious French patriot. La Fayette
when the guest OF Gen. Washir gton. The
piano-foite has the advantage OF the
larpschord I'm a mechanism which en-
ables tho player 20 modify at Will, the
intensity of sounds as its name. piano
SOTO. forte Qoud), implies.
Three persons, "a German, French
man. and an Italian; Schrotcr, Marius.
end Cristofah conceived the idea of the
piano-forte, Independently, about the
Same time: priority Of invention is due TO
the Italian, -- la4-
THE PIANO.
No other instrument represents the or
chestra so well. with the advantage that
Hhe various parts adapted 10 H. are
brought cut by the same hand. A COM
nlcte orchestra consists OF stringcd and
wind instruments. and instruments OF
percussion. as violin. violoncello etc,
flutes, bassOons. horns, and trumpets,
&c. and kcttle-drums. cymbals, and tri-
angles. Gluck who died near the close
Of the eighteenth century. was the first
COMPOSER who showed that they could
be effectively combined. With tho pro-
cress OF music and the porfocting Of mu-
steal instruments. which went to form
the orchestra, the lyric drama began.
and. towards the middle of the last
,cntury. the flower and glory of musical
genius eliminated in the opera, which
constitutes the contamination Of art and
the highest aesthetic enjoyment In the
opera we have the Tyre Of the poet: the
measured rocitative Of the dramatst,
the grace Of sculpture in the array Of
living forms; the colors of the painter
10 delight the eve; the orchestral har-
monies and the divine melody Of the hui
man voice in song TO s0othe the car ana
elevate the soul.
The opera is. in the realm OF Euterpe,
What the Victoria Regia Is I'm the horal
Kingdom. what The precious opal Is
among gems; what love IS in the group
of passions. nay, superior even 10 that,
Tor love was crowned, but music won the
cause" and opera is her highest achieve
ment Zach, Handel, Chuck Hayden, Mo
cart. and Beethoven form the diadem OF
stars which crowns the cichtoenth CEN
turv. already known as the "Augustan
Age of literature ana science, and also
+he most illustrious in the history Of mu-
DIn