St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-02-20
How to Listen to r1usic.

what is the best thing to do with the
mind when listening to music? DO
nothing with it., someone may reply
let it take care of itself But this i'm
plies a mistaken idea as to it's ways. 1t
seldom does, in point of fact, take care OF
itself. 1t is bound to follow the success
sive suggestions either of certain outside
impressions or Of certain inner impress
sions, which al 80 hal originally an ex-
ternal source. One may as well choose
little among these. Surely we might
better direct the mental panorama by
some voluntary choice than to have it
directed by the accidental sight OF gro.
tesque face in the audience, or the odd
bowling of some one of the second violins.
Does it make the sailing Of summer sea
any the less idly luxurious to touch the
helm lightly from time to time?
Now there are several ways open to
choice in the management of the mind S
delicate steering apparatus, on such an
occasion as the hearing of fine music.
The worst way, no doubt, is to gaze
fxedly at the performers, and so let the
eve cheat the ear out of half its enjoy
ment. This is the besetting temptation
of the distinguished amateur who is
inclined to give his whole attention to
the visible handling of whatever iustru-
ment he himself may happen to
play. But this is not so ill-ad-
vised as the trick some people have OF
staring at a singer, and even with an
operaglass, during whole song. .
have always liked to close my eyes dur
ing any passage Of orchestral music to
which wished to lend special attention.
1t is surprising what sensitiveness and
grasp this instantly gives to the audi
tory power. Sometimes, in dark cor
ner under the gallery, one may indulge
himself in the luxury. . 1t is not
necessary, however, actually to close the
out ward eye. We may select some peg
on which to hang it, so to speak, where
no distracting image will interrupt our
reverie. The middle of the back OF some
quiet person in front of us will generally
do. Or we may happen to have that con-
venient faculty, possessed by so many,
of fixing the bodily eye on given point,
while the minds eye is gradually with.
drawn leagues and leagues behind it.
There are two opposite ways, in par.
ticular, open to the mind for it's excur.
sions during music. 1t may either let
itself become engaged in dreams of ones
own personal destiny, memories of the
past, Enthusiastically intermingled, OF
dreams of what hath never been, and
what can never be- or it may go out O
itself into the life dramas OF others
. No doubt it is the first instinct
with all of us, to let the eternal passion
eternal pain, of great orchestral music
Intervene themselves with the past, tn,
possible or, more often, the dear impos
sible, Of our personal lie story.
But would it not be nobler in the soul i
its survey were wider? Would it not b,
better for the will, in its Remuneration
and VOWS of service, that these machoat,
worlds of musical harmony; these sway
ing tides of mysteriously organizin,
sound, an audible chaos of multitudinou
emotions over which creative breath i
lowering and calling life, with all it
tragedies and comedies, into being
should be identified to the imagination
with the fates of other men than OUT
selves ?"- Edward Rowland Sill in tn
| Boston Journal.