New-York tribune., 1904-08-07

home the songs Of carefully trained choirs or con-
tented themselves with the popular art of the Tyre
and flute players and the singing Of Syrian song
stresses In the houses Of the wealthy the GuItiva
ton Of the art Of song and kithara PLAYING was
never neglected After the acceptance of the new
faith which became tho state religion Of the empire
in the fourth century the masses Of the population
In the cities still adhered 10 their old habits of life
and their secular attitude toward culture In social
life the Christian Iayman did differ from the
pagan in any respect, The provincial noble from
the Roman citizen. II required the permanent set
tlement Of the Northern barbarians in Gaul. and
the repeated raids for plunder which preceded that
settlement. TO wipe out the remains of Roman Gus
toms and Roman life in that province. After Treves
had been destroyed burned and decimated by pesti-
lence for the third time the residents sent depu-
tation to the Emperor asking that the plays be re-
opened In Rome, where there was real inunda-
tion Of GermaniC elements. but rather gradual
accretion. antique customs and art practices main
tanned themselves throughout the entire rule of the
GOths. Under Theodore "a. d 493-52s, grand pan
tonines with chOruses and a large orchestra were
stlI performed. Feasts were embelliShed with
songs accompanied by the kthara as az the time
Of Plutarch-a refinement which Chlodvig King of
the Franks. introduced at his court as soon as he
was established in GauL
When, toward the end of the fourth century the
church at Milan. and a little later the church at
Rome. accepted antiphouic psa 1rHody. did they bor
row the melodies Of the singers of Antioch? Not
improbaby. Certain it is that Christian music as
we'll the paintings Of the catacombs TOOK form
and motive from pTOfane art. though, II is true.
with careful avoidance OF all things which might
awaken memories OF certain IicenttOus rites, or
plays which had been forbidden by the church.
AS the temple TO all gods in Rome was trans
formed into church sacred TO "AH Martyrs as
St. Sophia supplanted Minerva in Consta antinOple.
so many melody which had once resounded IN
honor of Apollo Jupiter was invoked later to
celebrate the true God. ST Arbrosius Pruden-
thus SedeIius composed their HYMNS according 10
the secular rhythms Of popular songs or the lyric
poems of Horace. Similarly. melodic ideas must
have been drawn from contemporary productions;
indeed. a different process is scarcely conceivable
when We reflect that the method OF homophonic
composition among all people at all times has had
the same natural origin. This manner of compost
tion consists in developing songs on the basis
OF received melodiC types. the so-caed 'nOmoi. by
means of extension and, in part. Of reformation
and amalgamation- The motivi OF these nOmOi do
not seem To have been at all numerous in antique
times. The number OF those which went over into
the Gregorian chant does not exceed fifty. and it
can be told with certainty what kind OF music they
were taken from; there is no doubt that It was
vocal music with kithara accompaniment. All Latin
hymns and nine-tenths OF all the antiphonS are in
the three principal kitharadc modes; the Eolian.
or Hypodorc corresponding 70 the first and second
church tones: the Iastic also called the Hypophry
gian out of which the seventh. eighth and fourth
tones developed themselves; and the Doric. which
is the original OF the third church With the
exception OF fragment Of eight measures. all an
tique music whsh has descended 10 US in Greek
notation belongs 10 these three modes. and all OF
these valuable remains are either songs with kith-
ara accompaniment or exercises for the kithara-
Can it be said that the first melodies Of the Chris
tan Church were Simply reproductions OF the Greek
secular melodies? Decidedly not. In the first place
attention Is 10 be called TO technical difference
Never in pagan antiquity Is vocal music found with