Omaha daily bee., 1896-11-01
MUSIC.


Z MUSIC. &
'isI iS ~ II 81 ~ ji iSj 81 iSi 'igJ i2J ~
Music has many uses. The earliest
legends tell us of its important place in the
service OF religion and worship. The gods
themselves are credited with skill as players
upon instruments and even the forces of
nature are added to the immortal choir, as
when it is said: THE morning stars sang
together" In the present upheaval OF public
feeling known as "the campaign" music has
had a place and has been used as an arsu-
ment in favor of each candidate Not many
days ago Mr. Jules Lumbard was in Chicago
and sang The Battle Cry Of Freedom" be-
fore an audience of 10000 enthusiastic Citi-
zens of our great country. In 1861 Mr. Lum-
bard edited musical journal for the firm
of Root g. Cady in Chicago. 1t was at this
time that the song was written by the late
George f. Root, and Mr.. Lumbari was the
first one to sing it. He has been so good
as TO furnish The Bee with its history, Mr..
Root was lying on lounge at his brothers
house when he heard of President Lncoln's
second call for troops and he says that the
words and music of the song flashed across
his mind
Yes, Wen rally round the flag, boys. well
rally once again,
Shouting the battle cry of freedomm
II was hardly dry upon the paper when
Jules tried IL over and that evening he and
his brother Frank sang 1t at a meeting
called I'm the court house square for the
enlistment of soldiers. The crowd took up
the refrain and felt its magic power. It
went into the army and was sung by thou
sands OF boys in blue as they marched to
death. The Lumbards sang thousands of
soldiers into the army and Jules has been
at Il ever since. working for his cOuntry's
without m
fetal recognition or hope of reward.
The campaign song achieved its most i'm
portant place in politics in 1916 when lIar-
r!son and Tyler ran against Van Burcn and
two nominees for vice president. Van Buren
was defeated a few days will tell whether
or not two tails are at the present time an
advantage to a kite. The whig emblem
represented Harrison standing before a log
cabin. gourd of cider in his hand-a bar
rel OF 1t before the door-and a coonskln
literally sung into office. Here is one of
when this old hat was new
The people used to say,
The best among the democrats
Were Harrison and Clay"
Mr.. Lumhard furnished the writer with
tho following:
"oh, what has caused this great commo-
tion our country through?
1t is the ball rolling on
For TippeCanoe and Tyler too.
With them Wen beat little Van, Van,
Van,
He's used up man.
These verses seemed to represent the popu-
lar feeling and were able to sway a nation.
Away back 500 years Is. c., and away off in
China the sage COnfucius said: If man
were permitted to make all the ballads of
nation he need not care who should make
its laws.
Music is something which cannot be
learned while somebody else does the work
II the teacher does it the pupil never be
comes independent of his or her aid To
be a musician one must know the routine
so well that 1t is automatic. Music is the
soul in action. 1t appeals to other souls
but not as a problem of mathematics. 1t
cannot be figured out and the final result
set down as a positive and unalterable CON
ClusiOn. 1t implies a relationship between
beings who can feel, and part of a musical
education is the development OF ones ability
to feel and also to apprehend and apprc-
ciate the feelings of others. The music
student should study people He should try
to read in their actions and the infections
of their words what is really going on in
their hearts He should try to place him
self where he can feel as they feel and
realize as they realize. Suffering is the
greatest of music teachers. A study of
the lines of the great composers and great
artists always reveals the sad melodies
played upon bleeding heart strings. What
agony must Nine. Nordica have suffered
after her husband asCended in his balloon
on that fatal voyage from which he never
returned What hours and days and weeks
and months OF awful suspense; what longing
for a word, sign that he would return.
Who shall say that she did not in that
valley of sorrow learn to feel as Elsa felt
as she waited for the coming of her knight of
the trail and his magic swan to give her
new life and hope. Who shall say that the
intoXication Of such grief as only the un-
known can produce, as only the pictures
which the Imagination draws when the truth
Is hiddea, did not reveal to her the real
madness OF Isolda as the power of the love
potion seized upon ID very soul and en-
shaved 1t. Ordinary lives are lined upon the
surface of the great world Of experience.
The sun shines with only part of its bright
ness, and the clouds cast but faint shadows.
But there is a plane OF existence where
the glories of MONDAY are dazzling. and the
darkness OF night may be felt. 1t is in that
plano that the great in music live,
Temperament however, cannot do It all.
Rich gifts are valuless If unused. The
greatest artists are those who do the most
work, and do it most carefully and persis-
tently. Anyone who thinks that he can learn
music by taking a few lessons certainly
should take a few just 10 discover how mis-
taken he Is. Music is an art that has been
developing for hundreds of years. 1t is the
legacy of nations that have passed from the
earth and left hardly trace Of their soOurn
here. 1t is the accumulation OF the Joys and
sorrows OF humanity, and its greatness can
not be encompassed. 1t is worth while to
study IT, II is worth whilc to suffer for 1t !;
to breathe II as an atmosphere, life giving
in its potency and fragrant with the loves OF
all the ages
The Lillian Russell Opera company which
presented "An American Beauty" at the
Creighton theater last week, afforded one
OF the most satisfactory entertainments OF
the season. The word opera has come to
mean anything dramatic If 1t includes a
few musical numbers, and frequently the
most shameless degradation OF the art stalks
before the footllghts and defames a name
which ought to be held in honor by every
musie-lover. The music Of "An American
Beauty Is melodlous and fairly original In
ITS style. 1t is stronger rythmically than
most light operas of modern make, and
rythm is wonderful power. as any one will
discover who tries to walk out OF time with
a band playing a march near by The
stage pictures were beautiful and interest
Ing and the costumIng all that could be
desired, unless. perhaps. some had desired