The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-09-15
1.-THE CHARM AND RENE-
FIT OF MUSIC"
BY Oliver sainbridse.

HIM are rev VINO nave not feIt the
charm of music and acknowledged its
expressions to be intelligihle to the
heart. Ii is a language of delightful SEN
sations that is far more eloquent than
words; it breathes TO the ear the clearest
internal notions; but how il was learned,
to what origin we owe il, or what is the
meaning of some of its affecting strains,
we know not We feel plainly that music
touches and gently agitates the agreeable
and sublime passions that it wraps US in
melancholy and elevates in joy; that it
dissolves and infames !: that it melts us in
tenderness and rouses to rage but It's
strokes are so fine and delicate that, like
tragedy. even the passions that are
wounded please; its SORROWS are chaming
and its rage heroic and delightful as
people feel the particular passions with
different degrees of force, their taste of
harmony must proportionately vary.
Music, then, is language directed to
the passions, but the rudest passions put
on new nature, and become pleasing in
harmony let me add also that il aYak-
ems some passions which we perceive not
ia ordinary life. Particularly the most
elevated sensation of music arises from
a confused perception of ideal or vision
airy beauty and rapture which is sufiic-
iently perceivable to fire the imagination,
but not clear enough to become an OBJ
ject of knowledge This shadowy beauty
the mind attempts, with q languishing
curiosity to collect into a distinct object
of view and comprehension but il sinks
and escapes. like the dissolving ideas OF a
delightful dream that are neither within
the reach of the memory nor yet totally
fed. The noblest charms of music, then.
though real and affecting, seem too con-
fused and fluid to be collected into dis
tinet idea. Harmony is always under
stood by the crowd. and almost ALWAYS
mistaken by musicians. who are. with
hardly an exception, servile followers of
the taste and mode, and who. having ex-
pended much time and pains on the me-.
chanical and practical part. lay stress
on the dexterities of the hand which yet
have no real value but as they serve to
produce those collections of sound that
move the passions If Milton, Shakes
peare or Dryden had been born with the
same genius and inspiration for music as
for "aetry. and had passed through the
practical part without corrupting the
taste or blending with il prepossession in
favor of the sleights and dexterities of
| hand. then would their notes be tuned to
passions and TO sentiment as natural and
expressive as the tones and m0dulati0ns
# the voice in discourse. The music and
the thought would not make different ex
.pressions. The hearers would only think
impetuously; and the effect of the music
would be 10 give the ideas a tumultuous
violence and divine impulse upon the
mind. Any person conversant with the
classic poets sees Instantly that the pas
siOnate power Of music speak of was
perfectly understood and practiced by
the ancients. that the muses. of the
Greeks always sang and their song was
the echo of the subject which swelIed
their poetry into enthusiasm and rap
ture. An inquiry into the nature and
merits of the ancient music and 8 COM
parison thereof with modern composition
BY person of poetic genius and an adj
mirer of harmony. who is free from the
shackles OF practice and the prejudices of
the mode. aided by the eountenance Of q
| few men OF rank of elevation and true
taste. woHld probably Iay the present half
Gothic mode in ruins like those towers
Of whose little labored ornaments il is an
| exsct picture. and restore the GTecian
| taste of passionate harmony once more.
| to the delight and wonder of mankind
/ But as from the disposition OF things
and the force Of fashion. we cannot hope
/ in our time to rescue the sacred Tyre and
see il put into the hands Of men Of gem
/ ins. | can only recall 70 y0u your own
natural feeling Of marn0ny and observe
to you, that its emotions are not found
in the labored. fantastic aud surprising
compositions that form the modern style
| q music: buf you win meet them IN
some few pieces that are the growth q
! Wild. unTItiafed taste y0u discover then
in the swelling sounds that wrap rs NJ
in imaginary grandeur: IN fl10Se pIaiufive
notes that make Us In love with wee in
the tones that utfee the loFers' sighs
] and fucfuSte the breasts with gentle
pain. IN the n0ble strokes thar coli uT
the courage and fnry Of the ssnl. or that
iuEl il IN confused visions Of ioy. u
short IN these affecting strains that 6ni
their was into the inner recesses 81 II:
heart