The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-16
HAS MUSIC ETHICAL FORCE ?
THE TONE ART As AN INCULCA-
TOR OF MORALS.

A the writer OF this part Of THE sun was
wa king long n shining avenue OF homes
on a peaceful Sabbath afternoon, afar from
the madding crowd and lost in dreams Of
dead poets and live novelists woman
strobe across his path and said
Il wish that you would write an article
on the ethics OF music.
1T hasn't any" was the reply.
Hasn't it7 Well write the article any
how
The chronicler passed on, smiling salts
fed that the topic had slipped away into
the dim and dusty past, and that he, at least,
was no Haweis. But like Swinburne's cold
: old sins that we're misbegotten, the topic
continued to rise up again and be unfor-
gotten. The woman had tempted the
r scribe and he did eat. Thus was 1t ever.
+ o Woman, in our hours Of ease, thou dost
aput into our minds troublous things.
Considering the fact that some persons
do not believe that music has even any
aesthetics. It IL not at all astonishing that
others should be willing to doubt its power
Flor good or evil. And yet what shall be
said in the presence Of such majestic works
Pas the sMarcelline Mass Of Palestrina. the
gBach st. Matthew Passion or The
kMessiah7' Are not these great sermons In
musiof Do they not uplift the soul and
k1ead man into the regions Of celestial gloryr
IN OSSms almost beyond question that they
do.
What, too. Of the passionate strains Of
STElstan und IsoldeI' Is there no ethical
ksiRnihoance In those? Does not the prelude
kernbody the most unbridled passion1 Again
tsthere not pure devilishness In the opera
Pbouhes Of the wicked Offenbaohf How
huAn IL be aid that there Il no ethical mean
ing In musio7
Well, let US consider q bit. Ono Of the
ncblest hymns Of the Protestant Church
e called Coronation and II calls upon
mankind to proclaim Christ the Lord Of
all. The music is inspiring. Is 1t notf Yet
Ett was once the tune OF q tavern song. One
Of the famous old chorales is 20 Welt ioh
kInuss doh lassen" (Oh, world must leave
IthooO II certainly IL uplifting and turns
1.-THE mind toward thoughts Of the eternal
state. But before It was such hymn
It was a popular folksong, entitled linn
spruok, must leave thee"
When Rossini's Barber Of Seville was
hrst performed Garcia sang a Spanish
song which did not please the audience
The next day Rossini made q change. IL
gave him no trouble for, says Sutherland
Edwards, one OF his biographers, che
I melody Of the celebrated chorus which
had already figured first in Giro in Babi-
lonia' and afterward in Aureliano In Pal
mira Such was the origin Of the beautiful
ECO ridente il oielo,' which he handed
20 Garcia as he wrote It and which was
sung the same evening. Those who be-
leve In the absolute Significance Of music
apart from words may be interested TO
hear that Alndripd's charming love song
was, az first composed, a prSyer-aS q love
song, after all, may we'll be-
Quite true. indeed: but what about tho
ethics Of the two things1 II music has
ethical quality how came It that the same
tune was suitable for a supplioation TO
the Deity and another b a mistress? For
after all II is only a figure Of speech which
makes the appeal Of q lover to his be-
loved prayer; and in the logical eIamina-
ton Of a metaphysical point. such as this
NunquestionRbly is, figures Of speech must be
taken at their actual value.
Instances Of tunes being used 70 eX.
press ideas Of dissimilar nature might easily
be multiplied, but IL IL unnecessary. The
whole matter rests upon the determine
ton Of what music can express. II We
tcan find Il possible for music 20 express a
single moral idea then We must admit
that II has ethical force. But in order
10 examine into this matter we must bind
ourselves to consider pure music, not music
with text.
For text Il invariably misleading in such
matters. II the words Of a song tell US
that the singer IL experiencing such and
such emotions We are pretty likely to find
Them In the music, Just as We find a grand
hymn Of heartfelt praise in Coronation
But take music without teTt and consider
that. Let US do IL, too, without forgetting
the marvellous emotional foroe Of Baoh's
religious music. When we hear the air, Il
would beside my Lord we are moved 20
tears. Bach here touches the summit Of
tnapiration and leads music to the very
shrine Of the Christ. But Is the emotion In
fhis music in and by itself religious or IL It
merely caused by religious reheotioni
Omit theSwords, and how could Bach
tconvey to US in tones his intense yearning to
stand beside' his Saviour The yearning
Atseh he can give US. Passionate longing Is
Inot beyond the power OF musio's expression.
k1t IL one Of the great fundamental states Of
feeling, and these are what music can
Iembody or arouse,
Il makes little difference for the purpose
,Of the musician whether his end IL gained
lBubjectively or effectively. II he arouses
lin your mind the thought Of yearning, he
succeeds, whether the emotion is really In
the music or simply in you. But be cannot
tell you why he yearns.
Hark back, II you will, TO Baoh'S caprice
on the departure Of a beloved brother which
we discussed a few days agone. Bach can
tell you that he Is sad, but pray In what
musical terms can he say, Because my
brother has gone away
So. too, Bach or another master can peal
IN triumph the words Now lie Christ risen
from the dead but the triumph would |
exist In that tune just the same II the text |
were altered so as 70 celebrate a victory by |
a famous General.
Doubtless much Of the confusion In the |
average mind on this subject arises from |
failure to appreciate the enormous in
iuence Of the association Of ideas. Turn |
10 architecture for a moment. What Is |
essentially religious in a Gothic arch or
sbanlufalv moi hing Thaaa alaunanta /