The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1902-05-19
IN ANCIENT GREEK SCALE
sovei Musical An.css ir the Presentf tion
OF zen huf.s

an the prelude The Wise Men in
me Desert, the music Is both orcbes-
tal and choral. For the latter there
We're selected passages from Che pro-
fhecies OF Isaiah concerning the com
-hf oI The Messiah, where Christ Is re-
ierIed to as The light to tighten &c
| aSfAness OF the people. The music
pI this number begins with the theme
81 the prophecy, trumpets and from
'ones, and is built upon the ancient
musical scale peculiar TO the Semitic
peoples 90 Arabs and Hebrews--in
which the Interval of the augmented
second + prominent feature.
This il aiken up by the invisible
male CHORUS, az ouncinR the vision OF
lseish. Following Is heard a sugges-
ton OF "'fhe Star OF Bethlehem" theme
at tee words Arise, then, for the glory
OF the Lord is upon theel"
After a somber passage, "for. be-
aOld, the darkness shall cover the
'arth,' the orchestra takes up the
heme Of the star while the chorus
hsAts the text The Lord shall rise
upeH then. and His glory shall he seen
lBon thee, and Gentiles shall come 10
lhy light and kings to the brightness
u thy rising"
The curtain rises on the opening tab
ieau showing the wise men in the ue-
sert beside their kneeling camels
awaiting the appearance of the star in
lhe East AS the first saimmering of
the stars light becomes visible, sug-
gestions OF the star theme are heard,
developing into orchestra fullness as
ne light increases In intensity.
Az this incident OF the drama closes
The tread of the camel is simulated by
the orchestra, suggesting the journey
OF the wise men over the arid waste Of
sand to the city Of David, where the
child is to be born whom they seek and
would worship This melody is com
7 posed in an ancient scale common to
The Egyptians and Greeks 1000 years
ago.
The music of the trst act consiste
chiefly OF allusions to the themes IN
the prelude which are associated with
the prophecy, the beauties of Jerusa-
lem, and the promise of the delight OF
the world, according to the demands OF
the dialogue.
To this is added, on the appearance
0f Ben Hur, the theme which Is al
ways associated with him in the play,
love of hsme and Iamlly, which Is
subsequently introduced IN the form d
suggestions of grief over loss OF home
md revenge. This theme is heard In
the galley scene, and from time TO
time throughout the drama. II take
The form Of suggestions OF revenge on
the dewnfall OF Messala. and In the
parting with Iras in the last act
The music Of the seconu act has
movement which suggests the roaring
Of the galley slaves. the swash of tho
sea and the moaning Of the wind
through the unseen cordage.
! In the third act the music is the
most elaborate. Here occurs the scenes
In the grove Of Daphne. In compost
lions for the scenes Prof. Kelley has
employed features which have never
been used In modern music. He has
made a special study OF the ancient
music Of Greece. His interest in nm
Client Greoian music began in studies
OF Chinese music IN California
In the music OF the scenes in the
grove he has employed the ancient
Greek scales, at least two thousand
years old especially the Dorian and
PhTyglan. He has also introduced Ger
tain harmonic progressions which have
for some centuries been prohibited BY
modern European theorists. but which
the latest investigators Of ancien
Greek music have proved to their sat
lsfaction were undoubtedly used by
the Greeks, although II seems some
what strange to our ears. Prof Kelley
has somewhat smoothed this apparent
crudity over the employment OF mod
ern orch estral devices.
In the construction Of the phrases he
has employed some Of the meters pc
culiar to the Crooks, such as division
OF measures into groups Of three In
stead Of two and four-lrregular In
stead Of regular.
Occasionally in the orchestration for
the third act he mas endeavored to sug-
gest certain old Greek instrumnts. For
Instance, in the entrance OF the reyel-
lers into the temple Of apollo, at the
end Of the professional music, In a pas
sage intended 10 suggest the old Greek
auloi or fiut the music Uf which u rs
said was at times varied and brilliant
The most elaborate effort iH In the
final chorus, which suggests the spin
ming OF the web 20 entangle mems
souls by Arachne.
In the music In the FIRST tab.pau Of
the fourth act the dowar Of sheik
Ilderim the old Arabian scale is en-
ployed. and the wild life Of the Arab
is suggested In the barge scene be-
tween Ben Hur and iras the song she
sings is unaccompanied but the air is
afterward repeated by ne orchestra,
the solo by Iras is given an Egyptian
coloring.
The Afth act music opens with q
nareh suggesting the power and dig
nifty Of Rome Then follows music
suggesting the speeding Of the horses
In the chariot race and the downfall Of
MESSIAH, and revenge ending with Q
triumphant march Of the victor.
In the sixth act the music is very