New-York tribune., 1900-03-19

of antiquities
Although the subject is one which concerns the
professional musician more than the amateur ard
the mere unlearned and unpractised lover Of the
art scarcely at ALL it would seem 10 be an I'M
pardOnable neglect OF duty the part OF The
the most remarkable and admirable technical
treatises which the century has produced The
duty and privilege, moreover, both emphasized
by the very liberal scope which the study Of musi-
cal art is assuming among those who DO not
aim higher than to add their capacity for
joyment, and the circumstance that there is much
in the subject TO which the treatise is devoted
which be acquired without drudgery-even
pleasantly. The treatise TO which reference Is
had is Ebenezer Prout's THE Orchestra and il
relates the character, capabilities and OF
the different instruments of the band which
music lovers listen in the opera house and SYM
phOny concerts II is the latest of series OF text
books, each one OF which is almost as admirable
this all the branches OF musical science
harmony, counterpoirt. fugue and form-and he
would not go far astray who would say that these
treatises stamp Professor PrOUt OF the most
remarkable musical pedagOgue that ever lived All
things considered the learning patience and
perience in all the departments equal II not
TO surpass those of any OF his predecessors. Ger
man, French or Italian, in any one Mr.. Prout Il
professor OF music in the University Of Dublin
He has composed much, and his works in al
the large forms have had respectful hearing
In Great Britain though they have not placed
him in the list of great composers; but this
does not lessen his claim to admiring re-
spect- Musical creation is a matter OF in
spiraton and learning combined. Those upon
whom the divine gift of Inspiration has descended
first accomplish the deed. and from the deed the
principles upon which they worked the
methods of expression which they employed
evolved These principles and methods nure 10 the
advantage of those who come after. Yet it still
remains true that, as Faust concludes.
I'm Anfang war die That"
ard that in all that lifts the modern. civil
lied above the ancient and primitive
thrown back upon experiments and apph-
cation Of the results of the experiments OF
others. 1t is only in this sense that orchestraton
can be lifted into something like science: and IL
is because Mr.. Prout has presented such a wealth
OF results CLEANED from study OF the whole in
strumental art from Bach TO Brahms and his con-
temporaries. has classified and expounded them
more scientifically, cogently and lueidly than any
OF his predecessors. that his orchestrstion
must be given the high place that we have assigned
10 IL.
We have called it book. but II IS a work IN two
volumes which were separated by two years OF
time In their appearance. Volume T. finished IN
1897 deals with the technique OF the orchss-
trail instruments, their individual capacities ano
tonal characteristics volume II deals With them IN
combination. 1t is in the second volume that no
makes the strides in advance OF his preae
cessors in this field OF study-the field which ols-
tingushes the orchestral art OF to-day chiefly rom
that of a generation ago. For our purposes II
necessary 20 refer 20 the excellent treatise "
Gevaert. that exists only In IT'S original FRENCH
and German translation. and with the exisuns
confusion in musical terminology amateur stuoeh'
in America are not likely look beyond the Ts
sources OF their own language. Here they HH
Mrs. Mary Cowden Clarke's translation OF Berh0A'
"Traite d'Instrumentation - COrder's The OrehsS-
ira. and How 10 Write for It," and chapter ~
Iavignac's Music and Musicians" second eeilo
OF which recently issued by Henry Ho'e
a>Aa I'd
it's author was long the exemplar OF the moue
system OF writing for the orchestra; eut 80
Lavignac's concise and otherwise admirable ehap.s
II taught comparatively little about the S"'"'