New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-13
FOLK-MUS[C STUDIES.
MUSIC OF THE ORIENT.
Ill.
AN ;IrNT THEORIES AND MODERN PRA'TlCf9
IN urNposrAN. EGYPT. TURKEY. PERSIA
AND GRBECE-FRACT1ONAL TONES
THE BIBILOGRAPHY OF
THE SUBJECT.
(copyrigh, 1890 by The Tribune Association)

,nueic have bestowed upon the music or the
Hindoos Arabs Turks and Persians IS out
OF all proportion to that given 10 the inu-
sic OF the European peoples VINO nave Coh-
! tributed directly TO the art as 1t IS prac-
tIsed among Occidental peoples to-day Ohe
| reason for this. 1t IS to be tahcieu 10 NC
cause Of certain relics of ancient classical ar
which seem to have been preserved IN inc
musical theories of these Eastern peoples. An
other may be the natural curiosity felt IN the art
OF a people who have bridged over the chasm
between antique and modern times. anu WIN
were the mighty promoters Of culture In Europe
at = time when the people dominant now were
bu, working out of barbarism. But the bridge
! between the music of the Orient and that OK the
Occident has not been found. and since II mas
been the musical savant like Kiesewetter or the
literary enthusiast like Sir William Jones VINO
has given direction 10 the study OF the former
we are still i'll equipped to discuss the popular
, music Of the East in the manner that We are
! able, To Apply 10 the folk songs Of the other peo-
pies who have been included in these STUDIES.
/ only the labOrs Of NJ BOurgault-Ducoudray'
professor Of musical history in the Con5erva-
tory Of Paris. in connection with tn" folk songs
OF the modern Greeks meet the requirements OF
our case AS for the rest. unless II IS mere mar
rativc like that Of Lane in his Account Of the
Manners ana Customs OF tne hpu'lH I'bSP-
tians" it is Interpretation sometimes largely
speculative. Of old writings in Arabic and Per
sian. which. I am strongly tempted 10 believe,
have as little TO 10 with the modern art as
study of the ancient Greek modes with the music
. of modern Europe. Yet the curiosity TO learn
something about the musical art Of the Middle
East is natural ana II Is fortunate that so many
| Able men have undertaken to satisfy 1t. The
first difficulty in the case which presents Itself
! 10 the general reader is that the music Of the
! Orient Is not At all in the sense that Occi-
dental music is an art II is still primitive in its
/ purposes. no matter how complicated its theo-
ries may bc. It is simple tune without harmonic
support ana It knows nothing II the forms
which give European music standing beside
sculpture. painting architecture and poetry.
Moreover. it is based. IN theory at least. upon an
intcrvalIic system which dchcs the laws upon
which our art is built. and equally defes our
ears since 1t makes use Of fractional tones.
which II recognized by at all. would only. in
our present state II culture. be recognized as
/ alterations from natural and agreeable into
nation. II the use Of quarter ana third tones
, (yhat AT first blush it would appear to be) an
evidence Of peculiar refinement ana acutcncss in
discrimination then IL ought To follow that the
Oriental peoples are the supcriors IF tho Euro
pcans in music; but the fact is very much the
reverse. European music IS 4 mlrvellouSly de-
vcloped art controlling superb intellectual and
mechanical apparatus; oriental music is prim-
tive naturalsm arrested at an early period OF
development by fantastic philosophy. 1t is only
necessary to observe the practice Of any Of the
peoples now under discussion and compare It
with what their ancient writer's say about the
art Let an illustration from the IIndoos suffice:
According to the legends Of the Hindoos found
81.
g.tunarhas or mus ,iIns. came from Indra's
heaven not directly from Brahma himself but
from Sarawasti his Wife, goddess Of speech
and the arts Her daughter, Rhamba Is the
uymph # the dance. In the propagation Of the
musical art Narcd. son of Brahma and Sara
wasti chiefly Instrumental Nared is a
god who stands high in the reverence OF the
Brahmlns. Not only was he a great warrior.
wise legislator and n noble ruler. but also an
excellent musician. to whom is attributed the
invention OF the first and most perfect instru-
ment Of the Iiindoos. the vna Likewise OF
divine origin was the musical system of the
IIindoos, which embraced thirty six tones each
one Of which was personiled or incarnated in
n nymph. Only thirty OF these nymphs are di-
rectly descended from Brahma the Creator.
Ave sprang from the five heads OF Silva the De-
stroyer. and from his wife Pavivati The
mysticism which enters so largely into all the
Oriental arts and all Oriental learning holds
high revel in music. as might have been ex-
pcctcd. Each tone was pcrsonned In a nymph
and bore her name: together the tones were
grouped into families each Of which constituted
key or mode. and was supposed TO exert a
peculiar and specific influence upon the emo
ions. Al the time OF Krishna these KEYS
or modes were said to number 1000; the book
Soma however. calculates 9G0 as possible and