Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-23
MUSICOF THEJAPANESE
NO IDEA OF 4A4ttonr AMONG
THE rnorIrpr Tfn ISLANDS.
Songs and Instruments - Dwellers In
Nippon Have little Ear
for4Melody.

From the London Globe.
If Japan's place IN the scale Of civilization
were to be decided upon consideration OF
her musical tastes and achievements, Eu-
ropeans generally would certainly assign
her a very low status. No doubt she has
made some little move in musical matters
during the past few years, but 1t cannot
have amounted to much. Fashions of all
sorts are soon changed, and nowhere more
speedily than in Nippon; but national
tastes and real preferences are matters of
very slow growth, and whatever may be
in vogue in musical Japan just now, we
may be sure that every Japanese who could
be induced to express his real opinion would
say pretty much as one of their distin-
guished men said in reply to DR.. Miller's
inquiry as to what he thought of western
music. In mis- blandest and most polite
manner, he said European music might
please women and children but that no
Japanese gentleman could endure it.
most amusing, unconscious revelation
OF the real appreciation of occidental music
by Japanese society has just been made
public by Nine. Sherwin. who. in the course
of her professional Wanderings about the
world, found herself in Tokyo, where she
gave concert, attended by the court and
aristocracy. The first part consisted of
miscellaneous songs. 1t was received in
chilling silence, which, of course, the per-
formers felt very discouraging, but which
tney tried to persuade themselves must, no
doubt, be the customary thing in Japanese
court circles, and they were about to pro-
coed with the second part of the program
consisting of operate selections when thew
were dismayed by a message from the court
chamberlain, inquiring when the entertain
ment was to begin. The distinguished audi
ence could not imagine that what had been
done could be seriously intended as an en-
tertalnment. and were patiently awaiting
the removal of the screens that had been
placed at the sides of the stage for the
exit OF the artists. That amusing little in
cfdent Is entirely In accordance with the
opinion of the great man already quoted.
Not Seriously Taken.
AS matter Of fact, music never has been
taken seriously by anybody in Japan. Until
quite recent period performance of any
kind on musical instrument, or the public
singing of any kind of song, was thought
to be altogether beneath the dignity of any
man. There were plenty of trade and labor
di..les that Workmen would sing at their
dlHerent occupations. The rice planters
.he water carriers, the metal workers, the
chair carriers, and sailors especially, had
thelr own songs. but professional music
was always left to the women and this
fact In Itself shows how poor a place music
must always have held in general estima-
ton. Japanese women, 1t must be remem-
Dered, occupy with regard to the men that
Infinitely inferior position which oriental
lords and masters generally assign to the
Female. And not only have professional
musicians In japan almost invariably been
women, but they have usually been blind
women, and not ,infrequently women of
more than dubious moral status The jap
anese gentleman. therefore, though he lis
tens TO native music with pleasure and
Will have it performed as an interlude at
his feasts, regards the practice of it with
very much the same sort of contempt which
Lord Chesterfield displayed when he ad-
vised his son never to play the fiddle him
sell; II he wanted music let him engage a
fiddler. The japanese male, until the past
rev years, would never practice music in
any form. The study of it would be alto
gether beneath him, and until quite recent
~ II men We're found playing Instruments
In Japan they were of the broken down,
blind mendicant class. Apparently the only
recorded instance of upper-class male in
terest In anything musical was the produc-
ton of the mournful little minor wall which
serves for the japanese national anthem.
Th1s Is additionally said to have been com
posed by the emperor and the words written
by his wife.
Profession for tho pJ;,,d