The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-11-24
MUSIC.
Contributed by Mrs. T. j. Simmons
Shorter College,

Shorter College.)
Music is the language of the emo
tons. Words have always been more
or less meaningless in trying to ex-
press real emotion, and indeed the
painters brush is inadequate. But
music is the real language of the emo
lions. and can express that in which
other means fail signally.
Music, rightly expresses, goes very
much deeper than the ear nerves or
physical sensations; it sinks down deep
INTO the secret recesses of the soul
1t purifies and uplifts, ana lndeed II
seems to have the power TO carry US
into the immediate presence OF Gou
Himself. Music has not purlneo every
nerson whose life has been devoted 10
II hut it has made that life much
better than it could possibly nave
been without 1t.
There is a world of difference be-
tween iingle-that which represents
the ordinary rattletrap music Whlcn
is only the surface, or the ripple as
compared to the great depths or mu-
sic-and the real thing. 1t is qulte
possible for thousands OF people 10
play on the seashore and toy with the
waves and small breakers without
being at all impressed with the SUD-
Unity of the ocean; but it would be
impossible for them to dive down INTO
the great deep without being mys-
teriously affected and having their
minds indelibly impressed with the
great wonders of this undiscovered
world.
The emotions of the soul are un-
fatnomable, and God seems to nave
given us music whose MISSION IT, is 10
act as the medium between the soul
breath of Heaven. and the soul is the
breath of God; then why should we
not try to understand the soul ana
understand music?
All music is not sublime and HeaV-
enly, because AL human emotions are
not sublime and Heavenly. We nave
the emotions of sorrow, grief and pam,
and of JOY, pleasure, rest and repose
these in all varying form, and our
music is the language Of all these oil
ferent moods. A piece Of music With
out moods is not artistic. 1t must
express some moods of sorrow, joy, or
repose. All people could ENJOY mu-
sic if they would accustom themselves
to anticipate the moods of a compost
ton as it is being rendered. Thls is
why so much music is wasted on
stocks ana stones AID "orse tnan
senseless things. If all people who
would, for the time being, give them
selves up to these impressions. taking
all prejudice out of their minds and
sitting, as it were. like sponges to
absorb the beauties, we would have
mighty wave of music to sweep over
our country. Some people listen with
their eyes to see the pyrotechnlc dis
play of finger gymnastics. others
listen with their feet that they may
feel the time-keepins rythm..
But these are on the outside OF mu-
sic, and the real way to listen is to
feel for moods, and then we become
intelligent listeners.
All these different moods in music
are pictured or demonstrated through
the varying tone-qualities or tone-col-
ors, and therefore every change OF
mood must have change or tone
color. The rise and fall of the swell
means something. All sound waves
of the instrument are telling some Sc
crets. and it should be the pleasure of
the listener to discover these secrets.
One great difference in our artists is
shown in their emotional work. No
concert pianist of the day would have
the audacity to go before the musical
public without an ample technique;
in fact his technique should be con-
summate for this age of pianism, but
many musical artists can succeed and
cause a great Jurors in playing for the
common mob with this marvellous
skill.
But o. what a master-mind We
have in him who combines the techni-
cal. intellectual and emotional!
Franz List combined all of these with
all their power and magnetism. Won
Bulow was the great intellectual play
er. Rubnstein. the great technical
and emotional artist; and today Pade
rewski is the combination of all three
and is said not to have a peer as an
ell around artist. Julie Rive-King
and Sophie Menter are the two women
pianists who have reached greater
heights than any other female pianists
The galaxy of stars in the armament
of music is resplendent with brilliant
lights. but only few are of the first