The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-17
TO UNDERSTAND MUSIC
SOME INSTRUCTIONS TO THOSE WHO
ARE NOT MUSIC LOVERS.
But fl They Can Get Enlightenment
by Following Directions They
Are Remarkable Persona.

1
W. j. Henderson, the capable musical
writer of the New York Times. is some
what sbeptical in regard to the genuine
ness of the prevailing fashion for music,
and thinks that in many cases "affecta-
ton" for music should be read for 'affec-
ton" However this may be, and il is an
| unpleasant thing to have to charge anyone
with hypocrisy, his point should be en-
phasized, that those who do not care for
music ought to have the courage to say so.
1t Is no disgrace not to care for music.
or for poetry, for novels, for the
theater. Why should anyone suppose that
| it is? Yet Mr.. Henderson says that Ito
note the attitude of the so-called music
lovers one would think that only those
who had melodic hysteria were fit to be
| sought as acquaintance. And so there
grows up a class of persons who sit in ST.
lent endurance of they know not what in
order that they may have the friendship
or distant approval of those who seem To
understand what to them is Incompetent
sible."
+, This does injustice, however, to the large
class of people who try to enjoy music,
not because they wish to stand we'll with
their friends. but because they feel that
there is a world of pleasure from which
they are debarred, but which may be
opened to them If they sit long enough
| in the concert room. This attitude is far
from unworthy, though 1t is often unwise-
| ~ adhered to. The fact may as well be
confronted that a considerable part of the
race have not the temperament which hts
them to enjoy music. They may be tone
deaf. though the defect is not so common
as is popularity supposed. More frequently
the lack is simply due to an intellectual
and emotional makeup, which is not
anected by melody, and it is useless to
seek further for explanation. Can we
say why one person is moved to an ecstasy
| by the magic of Shakspeares line:
Bare ruined choirs, where late the sweet
| birds sang.
while another person Of equal intelligence
refinement and culture finds it simply dull
| and uninteresting? No more can we say
why one person is captivated by the tone
| or violin, cello or clarinet, while to an
other 1t Is merely the scraping of rosined
horsehair over catgut, or the squeaking
or reed.
NO MEANING TO THEM.
| And yet it is probable that many people
get no good from their concert-going be-
cause they attend in a wrong frame of
mind. They go to musical performance
as though 1t were an exhibition of fire.
works and they had nothing to do but to
sit still and be dazzled. When a brilliant
virtuoso goes skyrocketing about with
double thirds Of the piano, or ricochet bow
inss and ieft-hand pizzicato on the violin,
they are indeed dazzled for the moment
uus sney nave MADE no progress toward
understanding music, and a great sonata
Dores them as much as ever. The trouble
is tnat tney forget that intellectual CO.
operation is needed on their part; that for
| an unframed nearer to listen to music
! which Is built up in lofty patterns Is like
| listening to a poem in a strange language
PIeasing tonal effects may strike the ear.
Ike unintelligible rhymes. but the mean
| Ing eludes the mind Now the child who is
reared in musical family comes to UNDER
stand the musical language spontaneously.
just as a child in a German family under
stands German. The adult not favored
must attain the same end by a different
1 route. 1t is probably never too late TO
learn 10 enjoy music but the method in
later life must be somewhat different
| Ine truth with many unframed concert
/ goers. is that icy do not know what to
look for. Mr. Henderson says
| Now the truth is that of those who
tnink tney understand music the percent
/ age which really does know to what il is
! listening is so small that not even a free
piano recital could get an audience out of
IL. Most OF these so-called music lovers do
not know the first principles of the art of
music. They never get any further than
the, seneuous side of the thing. They hear
the pretty sounds and these tickle their
ears. What the artistic mind Of the COM
poser has wrought for their delectation
they never discover. They are of the num-
| Der of those who, having ears. hear no,
O1 the elements of design, of the harmonic
grouping or the component parts of mus
ical edifice, they are utterly ignorant Upon
/ this string the present writer harps Der-
| haps to WEAKNESS, but it is the one string
on which the whole chord of musical cul-
4 MI cf CT icta
forming. too. Why, it would amaze the
reader to learn how little professional
musicians know of the artistic side of their
only its technics. The esthetic idea which
| lies behind the structure of a composition
is lost to the average musician.
he adps that one reason for the excel
| lence of the Boston Symphony Orchestra is
! the large proportion of its members who
nave artistic insight.
TRY TO GRASP.
| But other more serious minded hearers.
| who are not content with mere tickling of
| the ears and try to grasp some inner mean
ing in music which may justify them in de-
voting time and effort to it's comprehension
are sorely baffied because they do not
know what to look for, or look for the
wrong thing. They expect music to tell
them story, something definite, something
that they can carry away with them"
They hear a sonata and ask a musician
| what 1t means, what the composer was
| trying to express by IL. The musician
| probably shrugs his shoulders and turns
the conversation to an easier channel. And
the strenuous beginner goes away feeling
| that hearing music is like listening to nurs-
| cry rhymes of the
Dickery. dickery, dock,
| The mouse ran up the clock,
variety, or looking at paintings that were
mere color schemes, with no picture. Read
| Charles Lambs delightful Chapter on
! Ears" and you will find this state of mind
| most wildly set forth by music hater.
| Now, the unmusical person who wishes
20 become a music lover and the transition
| Is often quite feasible. ought to bear in
mind few fundamental points In the
| first place. music must be divided into
| three general classes
| First-Music with words.
! Second-Descriptive music without words
programme music.)
| Third--Absolute music without words.
In vocal music the words announce q SEN
timent which the music reinforces and
! songs are more popular than instrumental
music. The unmusical nearer has satisfied
the natural craving 10 know what ii is
about" In descriptive instrumental music
the same end is served in a degree by a
| programme which the music follows. 1t
may be such crude programme as in the
popular brass band selections describing q
| trip abroad, the whistle of the steamer, the
| clatter of machinery, the passing of pro-
cessions, etc, or clever bit of tone paint
ing like Saint-Saenss Dance OF Death or
OmphaleS Spinning Wheel The innumer-
able storm pieces are examples of this sort
Such music may be of high intrinsic value.