The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1907-05-02


have neither heard that opera, nor seen
the score, will content myself with
the reflection that, if it be any worse
than the second act Of Parsifal, or the
familiar Tristan and Isolde, it must
indeed be unsuitable for presentation
from the non-musician's standpoint.
But why the non-musician wants to
hear any opera ut all is an insoluble
mystery. For, apart from its music,
an opera, even music-drama, can have
but little interest. The plot is painfully
thin and in foreign language aid
even the Dragon in Siegfried could
hardly comps susate the beh0lder for
two hours of fexcruciating noise. Com
ing to the next great subdivision of
secular music, the orchestra, one diff
ference must Immediately occur to the
inquirer. The orchestra lacks the best
of all instruments, the human voice.
But as the voice of even Caruso or q
Nordica has its limitations, and as the
almost human voice of violin can be
said to have practically no limitations,
it is in the field of orchestral music
that the most Intricate compositions,
that is to say, the most interesting to
musician aud the least interesting to
John Smith, are found. John, hearing
Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, hears
merely lot of fellows making as un-
considerable noise, while his friend,
with an ear and education in the art,
sits with all his nerves strung, 30 much
so that the innocent tapping of Johns
foot on the floor makes him subcon-
sciously consider whether, in some
cases, homicide is not justifiable.
Connected with orchestral music is
chamber-music, consisting mainly of
string quartets, trios and other combi-
nations of few instruments. As this
may be considered 50 entirely alOof
from general interest that the man in
the street scarcely hears of it, it may
be desirable to pass on to the last sub.
division of classical music, that is, to
the solo. The solo must be considered
as the most interesting form of music
to the uneducated ear, with the excep
tion of the brass or rather reed-and
brass band, The explanation is simple
1t does not require years of study tt
appreciate the melody of q voice, or Of
La violin; those two instruments Cal
strike right down into the heart of {
man more than all your highfalutil
operas. I will even venture to So.
that had Mr.. Dooley been married, ant
had daughter, he would have listened
to her rendering of the Maiden's Praye
on the harmless, necessary piano with
out raising finger.
, But the most popular of all popula
music is that of the modern banG
, What can be pleasanter than to sit ou
| In the cleaning with the fairy of you
, hearts desire as companion. chewin
J the same gum maybe, and listening t
: the strains of band which is playin
) a tender waltz, which you don't feel i
the least inclined to analyse? But PEI
D haps that picture is overdrawn; perhaI
: in that case you would feel just as col
: tented if half the band were playin
D the "Dead March in Saul" in one ke
= and the rest "W altz Me Around Agai
q | Willie" in another.
I-l 1t will be kinder to draw q veil ov.
q the remainder of the music which
called popuiar-fro the utter inanit
/ of the average musical comedy to Il
/ fearful monotony Of nine ont of te
d rag-time two-steps. Nine out Of te
9 did saye All two-steps are the san
q original one, which was created
y some genius who originally escap'
a. from the pilIory Of Pope's Dunciad al
le perpetrated this brutal outrage on su
x fering humanity. 1t is possible for Il
lc optimist and evolutionist to accou
'e for the increase of crime and Of suici'
le in modern civilization, or even to 9
G. plain away the blot Of child-labor, b
le the musician can no more account +
s. rag-time than he could for q return
u cannibalism. Summing up the cone
~ tion of modern music, we see smint
- - Iity amounting to about one-thousand
per cent of the Inhabitants Of the glo
al | following system which they, in th'