The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1906-05-03

"O DEMONSTRATE with any
degree of authority, IN how far
vocal and instrumental music
has contributed to the refine
ment of mankind, would be an utter
possibility. The writer merely in
tends to give potpourri, and makes
no pretension to treat his theme from
any standpoint, other than to afford al
half hours entertainment on subject
with which most everybody is in SYM
pathy.
"Where people sing rest good and long.
For the wicked are devoid of song!"
The earliest books already tell us of
the influence which music exercises on
the minds of men. The Bible men
tions a number of instances, the best
known of which is probably the one in
which David soothes the conscience of
Saul by his music. The Greek mythol-
ogy is unusually characteristic in this
respect. Homer, in his "Iliad" as well
as in his "Odyssey," furnishes a large
number of charming examples, of
which the meeting of Odysseus with
the Sirens and, later on, with Nausicaa,
deserve special mention. The tales
about the charms of Orpheus' voice,
his descent into, and return from
Hades, etc., tho mythical, yet prove the
love and appreciation the Greeks bad
for music. Singing contests played a
prominent role in the games at
Olympia, and three temples of Apollo
were consecrated expressly to this god
in his capacity as protector of song
and music.
During the age of the "Minnesaeng-
ers" and "'Troubadours," when in many
countries much wooing was done by
serenading, and when all feats of
chivalry we're extolled in song, mdsic
gradually developed into fine art
and our first great musical composers
began to make their appearance
Before that time each minstrel had
been his own composer, while those
who heard him became bis imitators
Such minstrels required great renowr
at the royal courts of those days, an6
several of them became historic per
sonages. When King Richard (C@ul
de Lion) returned from Palestine
Third Crusade), his ship stranded ir
the Adriatic Sea, and he was brought
by fishermen to Trieste, where, discov
cred by the seal ring on his finger, hi
fell into the hands of his deadl!
enemy, Duke Leopold of Austria, wh'
imprisoned Richard in one of tn
castles on the Danube. Nobody il
England knew what had become o
their chivalrous king, for LeOpol'
kept the matter profound secret
Then, Richards minstrel, Blondel
commenced to search for the king; bu
he had to do so very guardedly, a
Leopold would surely have killed hir
if caught on such an errand in hi
domain. So Blondell went from castl
to castle, on the outside of each Q
which he sang Richards favorite ali
At last his fidelity was rewarded
When he had sung the first verse 9
the song before the Castle of DUE
stein, the second verse was sun
inside one of the towers, thus demo
ing Richards presence there. The
Blondell hurried back to England wit
his information, and thru the il
tercession of friendly monarch
Richard was finally liberated after pay
ing high ransom to Leopold.
A touching story has furnished til
libretto for one of Won Flotow
operas. Stradella, fine italian SINCE
had incurred the hatred of gre'
nobleman, because the latter had bee
cut out by Stradella in some love affai
To revenge. himself, the noblema
hired two bandits to assassinate h
successful rival. The bandits manage
to sneak into Stradella's house, ar
found the great singer on his kne
praying that the Holy Virgin shou
pardon all his enemies, pouring o.
this noble sentiment in song OF SUI
exquisite beauty, that it touched evt
the hearts of these two low miscreant
who then threw away their dagger