The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1909-04-22
What Is Music?

"fat Is muSlCE
What is music? OF what does it
consist or what are it's elements?
M. A
Music reduced to its primitive ele-
ments, is found like the Universe itself,
to consist rather vaguely of FORCE and
MOTION which manifest visible or
audible world through immutable laws;
consequently, it will be found that all
the details of technique, whether mechan-
ical or interpretive, can be Classed un-
der two great heads. More minute class
ifcation and subdivision reveal less than
ten modes of expression or musical de-
vices which comprise all artistic effect
They are briefly: the Crcscendo and De-
CrescendO, Attack, Accent and other
minutiae concerning emphasis and the
distribution of FORCE as indicated by
the dynamic signs, Forte Piano, Sfort-
Zando, etc, the ACCelerando and Rttard-
ano, and few further points which come
under the law of Rhythm, which is MO-
TION viewed from the Art standpoint.
1t is therefore apparent that the prac-
tical understanding of a comparatively
small number of rules should form the
full equipment of every artist in inter-
probation and education in this higher
technique should accompany not follow.
the cultivation Of the purely mechanical
side of voice production-if indeed any
thing may be termed PURELY mechanl-
cal which is governed by cosmic law
through mental activity.
Inadequate Translation.
Why is it that translatiOns are so
unsatisfactory? Do you approve the
singing the songs of Schumann and
Schubert in the original German only,
or are there translations that one
may use? B. N.
The present fashion Of program print
ing, giving the original words and an
English version of songs in the opposite
column, has revealed to the audience at
many a song recital that while a trans
lation may conscieutiously follow the
musical meter it seldom reproduced the
atmosphere and in many cases distorts
the actual words of the original.
The singer who aims at becoming an
artist should have over and above his
technical equipment, an intimate knowl-
edge of Languages. Expression in sing
ing must be actually interpretive of the
text; but how can the eXecutant hope to
reproduce the subtle shades of meaning
in a poem Of whose general drift he has
but 4 cursOry understanding? It is sure
" not sufficient to acquire the correct
pronunciation parrot fashion, or even a
literal translation Of a poem in for
eIgn language-a poem brimming, per-
haps, with passion, pain, or renuncia-
tion. The singer must make the inner
meaning of the song of his own and form
his artistic conception at first hand, Il
his work Is to be vital and convincing.
Then let him sing it in the original and
his audience, however ignorant Of the
grammatical detail, will not miss its
emotional import. Every language is
full of delicate detail-most difficult, fire.
ouently impossible to translate. It were
better to sing everything in the original
language for the benefit Of the singer
and of the few who understand. Better
a perfect Interpretation offered to those
capable of appreciating it than mang-
led version, giving absolute enjoyment
to no one The incidents of a song are
of less Importance than the details that
indicate emotional mood. In translations
It is always the atmosphere which is
sacrificed.
Mysterious Terms a DeIuson.
A number of my friends study with
different teachers, one teacher of
whom has written quite an exhaus-
tive treatise on the position Of the