New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-03
MUSICAL COMMENT.
THOMAS GRAY AND HIS MUSIC-Tm
POETS TASTE AND EDUCATION
EIGHTEENTH-CENTU OPERA
-HA.IDEL AND HIS RIVALS
I !.

III. It Is plain enough that he gathered to-
gether a large part Of his musical collection In
174O when he was in Italy with his companion
Walpole, as Mr.. Austin Dobson remarks. though
there is evidence In the volumes themselves that
all were not compiled at the time. -Four OF the
volumes are dated by Gray 114O. and another
can safely be said to have been made at the
same time, but the Inclusion OF some compost
tions by contemporaries OF the poet. like Latilla,
Perez and Lampugnani. who had not risen 10
marked distinction in 174O. is an indication that
Cray continued to collect music AFTER ne mad
returned to England from Italy. AS We shau
see presently, his selection Is representative OF
the classic Italian school in opera-wrting and
though 1t Is not necessary TO an appreciation Oh
his taste to believe that he had heard all tie
music which he preserved lin fact. it Is extreme
~ improbable that he heard some Of iO. It Is
nevertheless plain that the collection Is an In
dex OF his musical predictions and principles
In his biography Of the poet the Rev. John MIX
ford says: His taste in music was excellent
and formed on the study OF the great ltai'an
masters who fourshed about the time Of Per-
golesi as Marcello. Leo and PaieStTna: ne hiH-
self performed upon the harpsichord. And II Is
said that he sang to his own accompaniment.
with great taste and feeling" Grays knowl-
edge of musical history was plainly better than
his biographers His careful separation into
groups of the composers whose music he COL
lected as Neapolitans, Florentincs. Bolognese
and so on, is a proof that he would never have
associated Palestrna with men who came upon
the scene a whole century after his death
Mason says:
The chief and Amos; the only one OF these
amusements Nf we except the frequent eNpetr
ments he made on flowers In order TO marx lhe
mode and progress OF their veSetaVoD was
music His taste in this art was equal 10 MS
skill in any more important science. II WIS
founded on the best models, those great inas'eis
Of Italy who ilourshed about the Same TIM WIN
his favorite. Pergolese. or his, or Leo = bUVion
cinrs Vincis and IasSe'S works ne mace
valuable collection while abroad, chiefly OF such
Of their vocal compositions as he had hihse'.
heard and admired, observing In MS ClluCf U.
these the same judiciOus rule which ne i'I'o"el
in making his collection Of prints. when wss
not so much to get together compete se'S "a IL.
works of any master as 10 select mos '''- 70.
in their kind) which would recall TO ms N..l1,s
the capital pictures. statues ana oul4thS' "'is'
he had seen and studied. BY this means, IL ne
acquired in painting great facility ana "'e .t@oi
In the knowledge OF hands. 50 IN muse IL -
supreme skill in the more refined powers % eA
preston especially when we consider MAJ a's
Is an adjunct to poetry for vocal mus.'' a,.t
that only excepting. perhaps. the less rs "a .,is
younger ScarlattD. was what ne ch'r.g On
ed His instrument was the harrS'ch'Iu on
which though he had little execution Ne' "nsa
he sung to 1t he so modulated the smail p'u'
OF his voice as to be able to convey TO ne 49,
gent nearer no common degree OF san a. 80
This however. he could seldom be preNaii'd Upon
to do even by his most intimate aclualn'h"'''
In a footnote the writer adds: He was u'ucn
admired for his singing In his youth !e w
was so shy In exercising this talent that Mt.
Walpoe tells ME he never could but once p'e'",'
on him to give proof Of it. and then it was WIN
hat 81
manner Of pleasure.
Mr. Mason was precentor Of York Ca'h'o'"
and knew a thing or two about music f'a'"'
enough. Milford had the page when We nav,
fust Transcribed before him when he wrote .A'
paragraph. though he says that got '"e ~
formation from Mir. Price. lie tempted
little independent flourish when L. ihUouD
the name of Palestrina, who. OF course o"e"
to have had the admiration OF Gray, as ma,
OF cultured taste and probably would nave ""1
II had he lived a century and quarter law
than he did. or anticipated the development "
an art form not yet called into existence ""
he died: the flourish resulted Ike most a.
tempts on the part Of the unsteady illitefa''
say something about the art. However v"
must be lenient with Milford. He too mas ~"
footnote, In which he tells us, as MT N''V
does not. that Gray was not partial to the iiu''e
Of Handel. though Mr.. Price had hearu n''.
speak with wonder Of the chorus in "Jeph'""
beginning. mo more to Ammon's Coo aH0
King" Here is confirmation Of a suspicion
aroused by piece Of negative evidence orous"'
forward by the collection OF musical manu-
scripts Handles music Is conspicuous py ~
absence. We have heard q hint that the 'o'.
ume sold last May contains an air from -