The morning journal-courier., 1908-02-01

THE HISTORY OF MUSIC TO THE DEATH OF SCHUBERT" by John K. Paine, Mus. D. Late Professor of Music n Harvard University; Ginn O., Boston; s2.75.
 A work of lasting value one which every lover of music should possess. The late Prof. John Knowles Paine was an undoubted authority on the history of music and attained emn- ence as a composer of classic excel lence. This work is a collection of lectures delivered by Prof. Paine at Harvard university During the last few years of his life he frequently ex- pressed the wish that these lectures upon which he had bestowed much care and thought might be published and to this end he had the lectures typewriter and had begun the work of revising them for the printer. He had substantially completed the re- vision work up to the time of the death of Schubert when he was called from earthly scenes. The remainder of the history existed only in manu- script notes and lacked revision. Hence these later lectures were not included in the book At the request of Mrs Paine the work of editing the volume for publication was performed by Albert A. Howard who received aid in the final finishing touches from
 Prof. J. D. M Ford and Prof. G. l..
 Kittredge of Harvard university MT. Howard and his assistant ably per
 formed their work. Prof. Paine's book
 will worthily perpetuate his name and
 memory and the world is likewise in
 debted to him for his well known
 compositions "Azara" and "The
 Birds" His book is not a fragmen
 tary epistle but is a continuous narra-
 tive of the development of music from
 the earliest times in mans record to
 modern times. It is the fruit of great
 painstaking and research and adding
 much to the attractiveness of the mar rative in the fine literary finish
 throughout the production. The pe-
 riod anterior to Greek and Roman, music is necessarily briefly dealt with
 The birth of music as an art dates i with the productions of Greek and ! Roman musical artists and the field ! covered in these two countries is il-
 luminatipgly dealt with. With the I Christian era musical development
 took grand forward impetus Neces-
 sarily in a work of this character only
 matters of vital importance and the
 forces of the greatest and most far { reaching influence are touched upon,
 Thus the work is comprehensive and
 we'll proportioned and not overloaded
 with material. Detailed treatment is given only when required by the sub . ject The landmarks in the progress of musical culture are clearly defined also the characteristics of the success sive epochs. The characters of the leading men who shaped and aided in the development of the art are sharply f outlined Interwoven is much of in musical instruments Many readers will turn especially to his pages of the history of Italian opera, form of | art that he traces not so much to N Greek tragedy as he does. instead to k the early Christian miracle plays, the M Christmas masques of old England E and the annual Messiah that holds N Its place to this day.
 M Prof Paine's verdict as to what VI constitutes classical music will doubt M less stand. The standards of Greek M tragedy do not apply to music. He lS says: Tt may be said that all music A Is classical which reaches the highest M standard of beauty, as expressed ir IM symmetrical form and purity of feel. E$ Ing