The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-06-08
TIE EARLY GERMS
 OF MUSICAL ART Morris steinert Traces Them in Chronological and
 Biographical Order. SECOND IN A SERIES. A Scholarly Prelude to the Story of Ultimate Musi-
 sical Development.
SECOND IN A SERIES.
BY MORRIS sTEINERT.

were mentioned. their antiquity and accomplishments of the very ancient people who practiced it, The student who carefully studies music from that epoch cannot deny the importance of its bearing upon the religious. political and domestic condition of the people. This view of it would signify that mu- sic began with the advent of the hu- man race.
 In order to trace it chronologically we must look to the ancient oriental na- tions who inhabited the eastern and southern parts of Asia, also those of the southwest countries and classed under the name of the Orient, those who lived in the upper and lower val leys of the Nile which comprised all most half of the old world. They were the Chinese, Japanese and Hindoos, the Egyptians, Philippians and West ern Asiatics. The music of these vari- ous nationalities differed as much in it's form as they did themselves in their racial characteristics. The Hin doc possessed a lively imagination and the Chlnaman displayed practical worldliness. The Hindoo's conception of the world is ecstatic and full of poetry while that of the Chinaman is insipd, prosaic and with 6 pedantic trait run ming throughout.
 While the Chinese music is somewhat superficial that of the Hindoo seems to be profound, connecting mind and mat ter and having predilection for the transcendental, the fantastic and the mysterious.
 This holds good not only in general way in music but in the constructive nature of their instruments. It is a gen erally accepted idea that all nations ascribe the origin of their music to its relationship to religion. It Is strange u relate that the music Of the Chinese has been since time immemorial under state supervision so as to guard it against the introduction of such tones as are contrary to ordinance as pre- scribed by the state Music with the Chinese was not only an object of dl- version but more so of speculation. It failed to appear and did not reveal the emotional nature of the heart or intel lect. The oldest known Chinese music book dates from the eleventh century before Christ. Five hundred years be- fore our Christian era friend of Con- fucious wrote a musical commentary while Confucius wrote song book which the celebrated German poet, Ruckert, translated in 1883 A. D. These songs were intended to be set to mu- sic of a didactic character.
 Amiot, the French Jesuit and mis- sionary in Pekin, mentions in his work on Chinese music published In Paris 1776 A. D., no less than sixty-nine the oretical works. To judge from this col lection the Chinese did not care as much for combination as for single sounds They show no desire for high CT ideal combination and their melodies consist of aimless wanderings amongst sounds They lack form and outline though the best of them is found among the old sacred music and the folk songs: the worst in their theater music as that is devoid of any form. While we modern people consider Chin ese music very crude and formless, they think European music is bar barrie and horrible. They claim their music was the first in the world.
 The Chinese musical instruments consist mostly of the percussive type, such as large and small kettle drums, instruments made of stones or metal bells that are beaten with mallets. cymbals, all sorts of tinkling instru- ments, wooden clappers, wooden tubs and very interesting instrument call ed the King, invented by the Emperor Tschun and the Chinese Orpheus Quei. which is said to have existed as far back as 2S00 B. C.
 The Chinese ear finds a special charm In the contrast of the deep booming thunder of the large drums and the mere rattllng of the two small drums. There are fewer Chinese wind instru- ments than those of percussion. The oldest of these, the Hiuen, Is in the shape of an egg. It is made of earth enwarc, open on one side, with five which give the five tones of the oldest Chinese scale. Another wind instrument called the Cheng is the most pleasing of their instruments and serves as a standard to tune other instru- ments. Among their flute type instru- ments is the Yo, which is played from the top like the clarionet and the Tsche is played like the modern flute. They also have the pan-pipes called Siao. They have various trumpets with funnel or knob-shaped bells, but string ed instruments of their own invention are sparsely distributed in their or chestra as the mandolins and guitars which they use are probably more of Persian or Hindoo than of Chinese origin.
 One of the Chinese stringed instru- ments is a very primitive guitar called the Kin and strung with four strings and containing inside of it several metal bells that vibrate along with the strings. Another one called the Che, Is table-psaltery nine feet in length and containing twenty-five strings.
 It is a strange fact that the Chin csc, according to all ancient traditions, describe musicians as blind The intel lectual Chinese Prince Ysay-yu finds a reason for this remarkable tradition in the following fact: "The ancient mu- sicians," he relates, closed their eyes whilst performing so that no external object should engage their attention, and it is from this habit that the peo- pie gave them the name of the blind" This view has really a deeper meaning than the Chinese have attached to it tnasmuch as any musical enthusiast