The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-06-08

very ullllculI 10 understand, ana cdn only be rendered approximately by our modern system of notation.
 The English writer Bird, says, in reference to such songs, that many of these Raginis were so entirely without rhythmical symmetry, that 1t would be almost impossible to reproduce them in the same form as they were executed by the Hindoo singers: they seem like the outpourings of exalted beings, who wed to words such sounds as their emo- ton or fancy suggests" Even in musi- cal rhythm the symbolizing spirit of the Hindoo exhibits it's effeminate pre- affection for ornamentation, the pie ture of a lotus flower indicating the conclusion of each musical period.
 Scientific research has not yet been able to ascertain whether the present music of the Hindoos bears anything more than the remotest resemblance to that of the ancients. Their oldest songs are to be found in the "Vedas," The sacred songs contained in those holy books were saved from destruc- tion by their being written in verse, committed to memory, and chanted-a custom common to the civilized nations of antiquity. All scientific efforts to
 trace these melodies have proved fruit
 less. We are indebted to the German savants, Theodor Benfey and Max Null Ter for what little light has been thrown on the supposed connection between the rhythym of these hymns and the mu- | sic 10 which they were sung. Fetis, fol- 1 lowing up their investigations, has, in i his "Histoire de Musique," made some further deductions which are very in- | teresting. Sir William Jones discover I ed two ancient songs which are sup l posed to have been committed to writ l ing about 1400 B. C., but as every saw ant has hitherto deciphered them in a different manner 1t Is clear that the
 correct method of reading them has yet to be found out. The nearest ap- proach to the old Hindoo music Is most likely to be found in the religious
 hymns of the Hindoos of the present
 day. All sacred traditions-in which 1 category these songs must be placed are preserved and adhered to by east
 ern races with a tenacity totally un- known to nations inhabiting the west.
 When speaking of Nareda, the god
 of Hindoo music, we pointed out how
 close was the connection between the
 history of the oldest and most import
 ant Instruments and that of their re-
 ligion. The Vina, which might be ap- propriately termed the Hindoo lute, Is
 at once the most perfect and the most national of all their instruments, and
 It's antiquity is proved by the frequent
 mention made of 1t in a great number of Hindoo poems,
 In the drama Sakuntala, so highly
 and justly praised by Goethe written by the Hindoo poet Kalidasa, 56 B. C., the King Duschmanta, on entering his
 garden, is wonderfully refreshed and
 invfgorated by triumphal song where- with two singers greet him, He had
 hardly seated himself by the side of his friend MRdhawja, when the sound Of { . vlna is heard through the grove.
 "Hark!" said Madhawja to the Prince,
 do you not hear the sound of song l frcm wonder room? It Is the harmony of a perfectly tuned Vina, 'Tis there the Princess plays" "Hush" rejoined
 the King, "let me llsten!" And now be- | hind the scene is heard the Princess
 sakuntala accompanying herself on the yina to a bewitchingly tuneful song. | How full of emotion is this songp' ex- l claimed the King. What can 1t be? ] Since heard this song, feel strange l longing as for a loved one far away!"
 The Vina was used by personages of | the highest ranks and the perfection
 of Its tuning was accepted 2O00 years ago. It was a favorite instrument with the immortals as Is shown in some H. 1 lustrations extant where 1t is seen in the hands of the god of music and of l the nymph, Madura, Gopi. The Vina l is neither a harp nor guitar and It's ! finger board is provided with frets. It consists of cylindrical tube about | three feet in length and contains no | less than nineteen movable bridges, placed at short intervals which permit of chromatic scale of two octaves. It 1 contains seven strings of metal that are fixed to a similar number ef pegs.
 The Hindoos have two kinds of vio- lins one of which is called the Sering- hi and the other the Serlnda. The strings of the latter are made of silk and it is played with a bow of most primitive construction. They have all kinds of instruments of percussion like the Chinese. They also have flutes, and bagpipes At their funerals they uso the Tare, kind of trombone which has dull mournful tone. They also have the Golden Horn, metal instru- ment, most artistically ornamented.
 The Hindoo Bayaderes play no in- significant part in relation to religion, music and the dance. They are divid- ed into two classes, the first being ded- icated to the service of the Temple of the Gods, and the second consisting of dancers who lead a wandering life
 The Bayaderes of the first class are called "Devadasl" (the slaves of the gods), and live within the precincts of the temple They are maidens who are free from bodily defects and whose par ents enter into a solemn contract re- nouncing all claim to them The David asi are instructed in music, dancing and mimicry. In the processions and