Omaha daily bee., 1896-10-11
MUSIC.

'4 '~' '"I w w lST lSI t$T w w L$T tT n
Interpretation, in music, is the object of
all study. To convey a meaning, to express
an idea, to depict an emotion, to make real
! the imaginary, to render contagious con-
dition OF mind or heart, to bring into the
present the past, to transport into the
future. to apprehend the infinite to be part
of the eternal, to suffer while enjoying. to
love without loving, to die while living all
this Is embraced in the Interpretation of
music. Music is the outgrowth of human
nature through experience. 1t is intensely
human It breathes the breath of life 1t is
an angel, but its wings are thoughts It
seems to speak the language of heaven, but
its tones are those of earth.
Tho Interpretation of song or a
symphony is but a revelation of the message
it contains it should be as a translation
from foreign tongue to the unmusicianly.
In every well written composition there
should be message which can be rendered
plain and distinct The artist who wishes to
convey this message must, Of course, have
read it and understood II himself. per-
formance which is nothing more than a
succession CO sounds. slow and fast, loud
and soft, is hardly music. wagon driven
at different degrees of speed over a cobble-
stone pavement will give such a perform
apce. Music is more than noise, it is as
much above it as mind is above matter, soul
above body.
Let us look at a song-one we all know
THE Lost Chord" the poem by Adelaide
Proctor the music by Arthur Sullivan. The
first verse draws a picture Some one is
| seated at an organ and the keys are telling
story of unconscious worship. As the soul
reaches out more and more toward the
center of all worship the keys speak palmer
and palmer until they seem to bring down
from heaven to earth "the sound of great
| amen" Like crimson twilight it seems to
give new and wondrous hue to the scene,
- ia,
troubled soul, an angel of love hovers over
the sorrows of earth and its perplexities
fade Into perfect peace" and then at
trembled away into silence" this celestial
music 10th 10 cease" But hope remains,
and from 1t faith is born, "that deaths
bright angel will speak in that chord again"
and that lin heaven / shall hear that grand
amen"
How shall We sing this story? Just as
we would tell IT, How shall we paint this
picture? With a thought in every word,
At first quietly, as If thinking aloud, hardly
more conscious of the telling than before,
when the fingers wandered idly over the
noisy keys II know not what i was play
ing" would be said more quickly as one
would look up at his companion and ad-
dress him, and so 1t should be sung Cne
thing he does know, OF one all-absorbing
truth he Is conscious: 81 struck one chord
II music" "Ah, that word music" In its
pronunciation, in its tone-color, should be
condensed all the love of 1t and all the
beauty of Il, 1t. should be so said and sung
as to sum up all that one feels and
knows of the one art which seems
worthy to be called divine Like
slowly as If sung by n vast multitude, and
the next time softly, as If it died away in
the distance as the narrator sinks back into
his revorie. AS he dreams the picture be
comes clearer, his former experience seems
cpce more real; the crimson twilight again
warns his soul and quiets it, let the story
he told gently and simply. The musical
setting to the words with touch OF in
finite calm" is wonderfully true to the
natural way of speaking them. How deli
cate is that phrase, how perfect its balance.
TT quietcd pain and sorrow like love over
coming strife" faster and stronger, and the
next two lines with increasing sadness az
II one were thinking OF the vast sorrow
that shrouds in gloom every heart. But
the idea Is quickly banished and the next
line is almost spoken A fond lingering
accompanies Into one perfect peace" and
this is changed Immediately into increased
speed and power, as tho vain search for
the "one lost chord divine" stirs the very
soul OF the narrator, Yet quiet and thank
fulness comes as he remembers how ''it
came from the soul Of the organ and entered
into mine" What a word mine" is; four
letters, five sounds 1t may be more
blessed to give than to receive" but still
that one little word writes many a page
OF history and molds many character into
beauty or ugliness. What mighty steps in
the music TO the words 'It may be that
only In heaven" up through the entire
octave. slow steps, heavy steps. as the
weary feet are forced to mount higher and
higher. but what a glorious triumph. a tri-
umph that is brought back to Garth again
as that grand amen" is heard for the last
time
The work of the orchestra last week at
the Creighton theater is deserving of special
mention. and Omaha music-loyers partook of
the unexpected feast with decided relish
Franz Adelmann demonstrated that he is a
conductor of ability and that he possesses
rarc hrmness dignity and musical taste.
When he came to this city from the Worlds
fair he brought little but his violin, solid
Inrlsleianship and courage. stranger in a
strange land, he found home in the warm
ard generous hospitality for which this city
Is jestly noted. end he has slowly but