New-York tribune., 1908-05-31

Professor Parker calls his work a Ballad for
Chorus and Orchestra" and by his acceptance OF
a once despsed term shows appreciation of the
dignity which has since been restored to 1t IN the
eyes of musicians we'll poets. The deriVa-
ton of ballad is identical with that of ballet and
ball, the Greek root and the Latin indicating a
dance, or. specifically choral dance, dance
song. In the English musical compositions of
three centuries ballet was giee'
madrigal part-song designed to accompany or
inspire a dance. Hence the old burden of fa-la-las
Looking far back into classical antiquity we find
il in the dithyramb out of which grew the Greek
tragedy. Centuries later. in old English poetry
ballads strophic narratives Of warlike or
amorous adventure; but the term was loosely used.
and sometimes applied TO some of the higher
forms of poetry, well TO the rude songs
which, together with those who sang them, fell
under the ban in the reign of Queen Elizabeth
Long after the dance had been detached from the
ballad the melody still dance tune.
The interest in folksong inspired by Bishop
Percy's "Relques of Ancient English Poetry had
its first and most enthusiastic manifestation in
Germany where poets like Goethe, Schiller Herder,
INLAND and others not only encouraged the preser-
walton of the songs which were living only in the
mouths of the simple people, but adopted the forms
and of those songs for their artistic poems
Goethe called his First WaIpurgs Night" ballad
and did Mendelssohn when he set it to music,
though in neither words music is it true
ballad Schubert made Of of Schilers
fine ballads, but the first strongly characteristic
specimens of the ballad form in music those
of Carl Loewe. Since Loewe's day the has
been applied not only to vocal compositions for
solo voice and chorus but also pieces for instru
ments Chopin calls four of his pianoforte
positions 'Ballades' They have the common
feature that they written in triple time and
have decided lyric character that Schumann
said a poet might easily write words them.
Chopin himself said they were inspired by
some of Mickiewicz's poems. Brahms adopted the
term for the four pianoforte pieces which Const-
tute his Op. 10, and plainly indicated the contents
Of the first by superscrbng it, After the Scottish
Ballad Edward" and following the meter OF the
old song. Esser made fine setting for solo voice
of Uhland's The MinstreIs Curse which You
Bulow also used as the basis of a ballad for
chestra. The last movement of Raffs ''Lenore"
symphony is most distinctly an orchestral ballad.
il tells the story of dead lover returning for his
bride. A Bohemian version of the same grewsome
tale is the verbal framework Of DR.. Dvoraks The
Spectres Bride" in which we find an
element which is fundamental in Professor Parkers
work, viz: choral recitation of the narrative. DIR.
DvoTak introduces solos wherever the speeches OF
the personages in the story appear, however. and
TO this extent mixes dramatic element with the
lyrical This device is avoided by Professor Parker
whose work is choral throughout. though this fact
preclude the of delineation in his vocal
wei as his instrumental parts.
The ancient ballads were strophic. the same
melody being repeated over and over again. though
the stanZas told in turn Of the most varied and
diverse things. The development of the artistic
song led away from this style, melody. tempo. har-
mony and expression being changed from stanza
TO stanza, from line to line as required
by the changing sentiment. In a Pro-
fessor Parker's work may be said TO be musically
strophic. each section of the tale having is dis
tinct musical treatment. and the sections being
separated each from the other by orchestral in
terludes which lead out Of the mood o the fin
ished portion Of the narrative into that OF the
portion which is coming. The most distinctive feat
Of he composition however, is the Of char
acterlstc themes musical symbols the per-
sonages of the tale These themes developed
through the fabric in accordance with the dra-
matte system which came into vogue with Wagner
Thus the principal theme is that associated with
the King himself II Is the subject OF a brief
instrumental Introduction. but is heard in its fun
power only when it appears in the vocal part,
thus: