New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-08-31
MUSICAL LITERATURE.
EngEsh and .4merican Hand6Ooks
and Biographies

Williams NJ. =. CMusic Story Serie s,, Ems;
~ ..,Y. a65. Imported by Charles 9cfl-i-ei :
Sons 81 ~''' w. ''
THE STORY OF THE organ BY y9r 0 r. pp. XIV xiv,
81 Imported by Charles ScIiDnerS sois-
THE STORY OF CHAMBER MUSIC. b n K 81
imported by Charles ScribneTE sons
MOZART By Eustace BTessIP S M yi 20
q y. Dutton & Co.
scBr-MANN BY Annie w. Patterson: Illus 81
1AIaster Musicians Series) l2no%p2. Nv -'-' L.
r. Dutton < Co.
HAYDN. BY J. cuthbert Hidden H III a5g
master Musicians Series) l2mo PIP XII -'- H.
p DuttoR co.
,.,,op1r Nv cuthbert Hidden illustrated
Cdaster Musicians Sertes) Emo PIP AL 10 -
p DUtton Co
Inc output OF books devoted 20 musical SUI
iects has been growing apace during the last
wear or two, and result OF the American
sctivity stirred up by the Scrihners with the'r
..Ar,eic Lovers Library" now have similar
,,,blications from both English and American
n,,ses In both instances the books look more
10 popular education than TO "a hlsn or ne"
view OF special subjects. but in this they DO out
obey a natural law 1t is better TO set the hlui-
titudtnous amateur, who has too long peeA SUI
aciept unto himself, 10 thinking about the large
world Of art than 10 invite excursions 10 'ie
heights OF depths accessible only to the lew
THE latter viii always know where to find their
adventures.
1.-The Musical Guide" which Mr.. Rupert
tznrbes has edited in two stout volumes, is sin
y7,lar IN plau and singularly uneven in eXecu-
ton. II IS a dictionary Of musical terms. a dc
tionary OF musicians and a collection OF cfllca-'
historical biographical and pedagogical essays
these being tnterspersed with the lexicoSraphlcal
material portions Of which they are designed 10
illuminate Divers American and English writ
ers contribute to the work. Mr.. Hughes hlmselI
has deserved well Of students by his DOOR, en-
titled Contemporary American Composers" TO
which the future historian will turn with inter-
est and profit. He has written several chapters
or This ~sutde," in the first of which he has at
ternpted 10 lift the veil OF mystery from music
for the benefit Of the uninitiated. presenting dry
material IN q very pleasant and easy iashloH-
HIS other articles besides the preface. are on
the american School Of Composers Graces'
..Afodes" Notation" The Organ and the FL
snoforte- His aesthetic notions are modern and
progressive, even If his sources are not always
SO. In the first volume a. J. Goodrich writes
IN Modern Harmony in Practice ana Har-
1uonic Warnings" W. ]. Henderson on Inc
orchestra and orchestration," James Huneker
on HIasapo Studies" Gustave kopbe on 'Leaulls
Motives" Il. Z. Krehbiel on "Folk-Song''
aF5vrnnology" and THE Oratorio"; Ernest New
man On .aThe Opera" Homer A Norris on
.Counterpoint' and "Fugue." DR.. Charles w.
pearce on Altered Chords" Z. Ien9us
Torime-Stevenson on THE National Schools
italian. German French. English and Russlan)'
John E Runcinnan on Form" j. s. sheolocK on
Acoustics" and Louis c. Elson on Great Sing
ers" and Great InstruInentalsts." In Volume
TT which is the biographical part Of the work.
Richard Aldrich treats Of Schumann, vernon
Blackburn Of Gounod, Mendelssohn and Mozart
Henry T. Finck of Franz, Grieg. List and Wag-
ner; W. ]. Henderson Of Palestrina ana Eerol;
James Huneker of Brahms. Chopin and Richard
Strauss; H T. Krehbiel of Beethoven; Ernest
Newman of Berlioz Gluck and TschaIkowsky;
C. Hubert H Parry of Bach. E. Ireneus Prime
stevenson Of Meyerbeer and Rossini John F.
Rpnciman OF Handel and Purcell. August
Spanuth OF Haydn and Edward E. Ziegler of
Bizet To some extent each Of these writers is
Il specialist on the subjects which he has treat
ed, circumstance which gives the work q con-
temporaneous interest not usually possessed by
books OF reference. An unusual feature is
chapter devoted to the plots of the standard
operas, with their original casts.
To the Music Story Series two volumes Of
sound and lasting value have been contributed
by Mr. Williams, who is a scholar with a COM
prehensive grasp Of musical literature. an indie
pendent thinker and lucid writer. Books of
this kind are too often mere paraphrases of
well %ora and time honored treatises. and rarely
do more than continue the lists OF composers
and their works down to the present day. Such
writing does not suffice Mr.. Williams in whose
work On Notation" It is pleasant to find the
results OF the newest Investigations into old
subjects Els discussion OF the Gregorian chant
for instance. takes full account not only of NJ
Gevaert's iconoclastic study nhe fruits Of which
have recently been set forth with fitness in
special articles which have appeared in this
the Roman cantcles OF the Benadictine monks
Of So.esmes. This fact gives especial and timely
value to the volume IN the eyes Of all who are
anxious TO know the present status OF the sub
sect. but have not had opportunity or ability
10 pursue the study 81 n. Geyaert's volumes or
the vast publication OF the Solesmes monks
known as photographic Musicale" Mr.. Will
Jams describes one phase Of the work done by
the French Benedictines Cthey are settled in
England since their expulsion from Franco as
follows:
The Benedictines OF solesmes hit on the happv
tns manuscripts Of the Gradual and Antfphonary in
f5.s tne bspTaTss IN EgToPe and comparison of
similarity IN the neumes and in the notes of the
tional melodies had been preserved with the most
re- De2sz care me notes Of the later times and
N amost every particular, and whether grad
England. whether it was sung in the njntb CEN M
tTqEy or IN the fifteenth its melody was the same
NAhe agreement among the manuscripts is SO re-
narkaole that the Benedictines are inclined 10
atulpule X 20 miraculous interpositon and the
sihe.ooles themselves 10 divine inspiration) Now
- - easy enough 20 read the square Gothic no
taIon. since II is always written q nd
ny Tie simple process OF comparing an antiphon
Ntstteh N square notation with the same antinbon
written N neunos easily arrive at the inter
pLetauon OF the neumes for that particular anti
pAohs ana we can continue this process Till a whole
oook Is TRANSLATED As a matter Of fact tho SQUARE
neurnes. Va '"e
The author OF THE Story of Chamber ,1,,o,c..