Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-01-21
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MARTYRS TO MELODY
S,0Me GREAT MEN WHO HAD
STRONG AVERSION TO MUSIC.


Poverty says some wise man. IS M
rrine. bu. il is great Inconvenience.
And insensibility 10 the concord of
sweet sounds. ii may also be said,
though not criminal despite Shake.
spe2rc's diciIm thar no man deaf TO
the appeal of music should be trusted
is certainly very great deprivation
Yet. great and lamentube loss though
ii may De, ii is Il loss which has been
The LOT Of a rea lily eXtraord Gary NUM-.
her of men aud women. not merely
among the rank and file OF The worlds
workers and drones. but among those
who have In various directions won
distinction
Even The poets have been divided on
The subject. although one might nat
urhily have imagined that felicity in
verbal harmony would imply apprecla-
lion of music. rcnnyson is reported to
have remarked once 10 Sir Hubert Par
ny: Browning is devoted tn music and
knows Il great deal about 1t, but there
Is no music in his verse. know
nothing about music and don't care for
Ii in the least. but my verse is full OF
MUSE. In a general way The state.
mcnt WIS very true and embodied Il
curious fact
Coleridcc though he protested that he
had no ear whatever and could not sing
an air 10 save his life. yet delighted
greatly IN good music and. indeed, dis
played excellent taste IN his mpprccia.
lion. He liked Beethoven and Mozart
and some Of the earlier Italian CON.
poscrS, such us Palestrina and CARTS
SIM. and, much 10 his credit. loved orr
English Purcell. Good music" lie
SAID never tires me nor sends me 10
sleep. feel physically refreshed and
strengthened 10y it. as Milton says he
did"
On the other hand, Southcy WAS In
sensible 10 the charms of music. dep.
rivalion which was shared by Scott
In November. 1915. Sir Walter wrote
10 his friend Merritt OF Rokeby that lie
was writing from u lonely iircslde his
wife aud daughter having gone in 10
Edinburgh 10 attend Il great musical
FESTIVAL. 81 have an Indifferent good
ear for Jig he continued. but your
solos aud sonatas give me the spleen
so cen remained behind 10 prune my
oaks"
Scott. apparently. would have SYM
paihized with Thcophile Gautier. who
once called music the most extensive
noise on earth. or Gautier il Is also
related that on one occasion when TAX
en- to task by Il scandalizcd host for
talking while some one was singing he
replied. lie nc supprimc pas Ia musl0uc
lc he fails que 'lattcnuer.r
y still more famous Frenchman. Viz
Tor Hugo. objected strongly 10 his
dramas being used as lbrettos. He
SAID The music spoiled his verses. Mil.
ION took very different view. Ha
sang Of soft Lydlan airs
Married to immortal verse.
sum as The mcl;ln. soul may pierce
IN notes wissI many Il winding bout
az linked sweetness long drawn out.
Tie composer OF the deep organ har-
monies Of Paradise Lost was prob
ably one OF the greatest music lovers
In The ranks or the poets. He was A
musician himself OF no mean ability.
ana his love for tie art stands revealed
IN many passages In his works.
ihsensibility to music has been by
10 means confined To poets. \ latter
day ducal governor OF Madras Is said TO
have declared that there were only two
lunes-one was God Save the Queen
and the other was not" Ue would
have appreciated the remark of the
frcnchman that music Is the ONLY
noise for which one is obliged TO pay"
dicium with which DR.. johnson
would have cordially sympath
The doctors remark at violin ner-
formance is familiar. When friend.
noticing the great mans inattention
TO The dextcrity displayed. remarked
upon The difficulty OF The performance
10 which they were listening, the doc
tor cried: Difficult. do you call it.
Sir? wish ii were impossible"
And when Boswell In IL gushing fit
described how music affected him so
strongly and painfully. producing Ia
his mind alternate sensations of ma
ihetic detection 50 that lie was ready
10 shed tears and OF daring resolution
so mat lie was inclined to rush into the
thichcSt part of the battle, the doctor
simply and effectively gave him IL cold
donchc-"Sir, should never hear it If
IL male me such fool.'
Yet Johnson once confessed to hav-
ing been impressed by solemn music
ut funera and on another occasion.
When asked by lady whether lie was
roma OF music. he replied CALAMITY that
OF all noises he considered il the least
disagrceable. Johnson even went so
lar rs 10 ask his friend. Dr. Burney.
The historian OF music. 10 teach him the
musical scale. "Dr. Burncy." he said,
teach me AZ least the alphabet of your