The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-27
HOW TO LISTEN TO MUSIC
An Instructive Lecture Before the
Choral Society.
Henry Edward krchbiers Entertain
ing Anaiy si>-MeIody, Rhythm, and
Harmony Dissectcd - illustrated
Through WeII-kDown Selections.

-
Through NelI-Lnown Selections.
Washington's ambitious and scholarly
Choral Society went to a kindergarten
class last night. conducted by Henry
Edward Krehbiel at the First Congrega-
tional Church. For about two hours the
pupils listened while the instructor drew
rhythmic pictures built with harmonic
blocks, taught games to be played with
melodic toys, and surreptitiously incul-
Gated the first principles of musical
morals and manners. The lesson was a
great success. The Undergraduates left
the classroom with new sense of the
purpose of music. their minds inclined to
it Intelligently, and their hearts aglow
with new sympathy for Mendelssohn.
Handel, and Beethoven.
1t was a great misfortune the audience
included identically the persons in Wash
inSton who least needed the course.
From the platform. where every Sunday
an admirable choir renders with rare
understanding the motifs of which Mr..
Krehbiel spoke. to the last row in the
gallery and nearly the last row of the
main floor. the church was filled with
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of church cholrs.
professional Vocalists and instrumental
lists and amateurs in every stage of de
velopment
They were all proiited, no doubt, as any
audience of book lovers, for example,
might be prOhted by lecture on the
unities Of literary composition. But an
audience of the same size recruited from
the world of people whose feet ana not
their hearts and heads must be touched
by music would have carried away
leaven that must have worked a won
drous advance for musical Washington.
Mr. KrehbieIs personality. already fair
IL well known in the Capital. proved most
infectious He had hardly explained the
need for intelligent listeners when his
hearers found themselves ready to laugh
with him or to grow serious out OF sheer
sympathy. Long experience as the musl-
cal reviewer of the New York Tribune
has given the speaker fine ability to say
clearly what his heart would have his
hearers understand.
Added to this clarity of expression he
has all the characteristics of the German
music lover-enthusiasm unlimited, unaf-
fected emotions. an adherence of trivial
ity. and jovial kindness that engenders
good fellowship spontaneously. With him
on the platform were Mrs. hrehbiel, who
sang two or three illustrations of her hus-
bands theories of music, and Mrs. King,
who emphasized at the piano the kinder
garten lessons of the instructor. The four
factors in the entertainment-the teacher.
the two illustrators, and the audience
found such pleasure in working together
that two parts of Mr. KrehbieTs paper
had to be omitted, those relating to har-
mony and the need for love in the con-
cert room.
In his special interest in music. Mr..
Krehbiel lamented as PECULIAR to that art
the disposition of those VINO know little
to criticise what they svowedly do not
understandable same class which knows
nothing of painting but can tell when
pictures please them. Intelligent listen
ers 10 music were not so numerous, he
said. as fairly capable performers on the
pianoforte or moderately pleasing vocal
lists. He knew for he had read books and
poems on music and had talked with his
friends
Then he read several couplets. in which
Tennyson spoke of young people who
danced in tune" and u band made up of
a flute, violin. and bassooE. one reason
for this lay In the improvident writings
of students of music. pedants. and rhap-
sodists Yet 10 advance from a position
Of ignorance to one of intelligence meant
only to comprehend several very simple
things. The lecture was a most concise
and entertaining exposition of those very
There was first melody, then rhythm,
then harmony. Understanding these. ex-
ercising the fancy and the imagination
and carrying sympathy into the concert
room, any person who knew bugle call
from the roll of a drum might appreciate
the classics. Most melodies were very
simple To prove this point, Mrs. King
played a folk song which darkeys in Gre
ole Louisiana had composed in complete
ignorance of music principles, but which
conformed to them completely. The theme
planned, was so simple that everyone
laughed.
Then Mr. KrehbieI took up the greatest
symphony of all Observation-Disclosures COM
position in c minor-eXplained that its
theme included only four notes. had them
struck on the piano. and carried the au-
dience through the four beautiful move
ments of that powerful work almost as
readily as he had shown the spirit be-
hind the folk song.
Rhythm was exemplified by Swinburnes
Atomic verse, translation from
'Sappho." Harmony was the musical
OF all the arts music alone was not
initiative. 1t was a new creation. a ma
terial something which existed independ-
entity. Sounds were music only in rela-
ton to other similar sounds. However.
Handel had built limitations of frogs and
flies by initiating the jumping of the
former and the buzzing of the latter:
Mendelssohn had caught the tapping of
the waves in the 'Hebrides" over
ture. Rubinstein had reproduced the
sweep and rush of the sea in his
Ocean symphony. Fancy and imagina-
ton in instances Of like nature could fill
classic compositions with most absorb
ing Significance. 1t was well though. to
beware Of the ridiculous rhapsodist. DR.
Brown had written enthusiastically of
Webers Invitation 10 the Wal.z ."
Weber. DR.. Brown. Mrs. King and the
lecturer would end the programme to-
gether.
most amusing incident closed the
recitation. Mr. Kreh Diel explained with
much emphasis that the coda to the
Weber number was the key to its char
acter and narrated "A story of musician
who despaired Of playing it at Leipsig
for fear of applause when the waltz end
ed and the coda was to begin. He hoped
"A Washington audience might do better
Yet when the choral society caught the
movement of Weber's spirited waltz its
enthusiasm oVercame its judgment, the
number was interrupted quite as Mr.
l. HuH fau rod md tho .,s.,i,,.. -