The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-05-29
FHV MUSIC OF HHU TABLE
V&ED As ~ Was IN PLAT0S
- DAH.
Its Purpeue to Make = Great NSlse fer
raaplo Mhs Have Nothlng 70 say 70
GAs AnsthsF- hone ~ the nnmsfs
sna TsAseslIes og Restaurant Music.

The semitic art of Conversation ~ prae-
used IN this land Of the free and home OF
the brave is not inspiring II does not
servs 70 tevive memories Of the elegant
chsttvr ~ Walter Savage Lander. albeit
this nav Dot b. y substantial ground for
n.okiag Ersf. simplicity Of speech and
manner 10 now regarded a. the hall mark
q eentls living and We would psrhaps
greet with smiles the cOurily periods Of
the old school
Yet after an some sort % conversation
ought 10 exist as 4 SAVIOR for social Assem-
blioa. THIS 10 no, the place Tor an ex-
tended discussion Of the style Of talk
heard IN the meeting places Of that
Society which diherentiates itself IRON
the VULGAR herd by the use Of a capital 3.
PAR be II from a mere student Of the
history and Rsthetics OF music 10 venture
into the Geld % sociology or its allied
branches. yet one cannot avoid hearing
What ls said near him a. times. and the
opan house and concert hall ara ire
Qnsnted by persons whose names are
HnAd with reverent accent at thousands
q breakfast tables.
These AZ least might Get the example OF
elegant o0nversAtion; but when you
0veEhaer two Of the blooming young
bsauties VI the season greet one another
wiih sHOwdy. MAriOn1 Oh. I'm just fine
ss6 dandy. you are inclined to mild but
nffh. scepticaam. since. then. the royalty
II our sociGl system accompanies it,
purple and Noe linen with the slang Of the
market place, ne can hardly expect the
-mAsses' 20 endeavOr TO initiate the
diAIectio of Socrates. Nor can We hops
20 hear even hight and captivating 6adi-
nAgs such - shines upon " from the
pages II a thousand French novels.
IA Il plain unvsrniahed bleat that you
haAr N most places. and in no placs more
than IN the restaurant where the light
minded Of oar species gather for dinner.
Good hmnor. indeed. prevails; and some
times there n room Tor suspicion that
oonyiviality han been greatly encouraged
by the unwonted absorption Of a few
glasses Of exceedingly sour claret; but
i u only in the intervals between
musical numbers that you hear the con-
vusupiion ~ HIl. and then Il bursts upon
the startled ear with a shock like that Of
q rOcket in the stiffness % q sum mer
night.
Tho Festsuront dinner music has grown
10 he ? bis rft in"idfnt of nealJime enter
tRinuert. Managers Of restaurants tes-
ilfy 70 thr extraordinary public demand
ior mnsc III Ia no use ssid one Of these
r'aaryeysto THE SUN man When wetry
~ cot Gang Without II our patrons 60
, newhe7e che
n bno wrost innovation. Nothing new
,rdsr tho sun is a very old saying and
'vuts by PeYiclcs said il 20 Aspasia. a.
,o,Aals,a sOlmnon had said Il long before
ihrt 10 lie Queen Of Sheba. Both Of
iFese dis iAeiiishCd couples surely had
frRic o. meals a any rate there IA no
iescn why they should not have had It.
- ne clstom Of making nOises with in
-1,mCl.a in order 90 drown name COO
,ovs ion " % icEst a. Old ~ solomon
.g rsr.~n- n Solumous race remarked
A corcc u musick in hsnquet Of wine
- signe, uf carbncle SET in work Of
go.d
~ co,irss Ne know that the Greeks
~ this fashion bccau-e Plato In HE
protaRorss- discharged one Of his great
~'sia AZ Il The talk about the poets.
10 ssys seems n me like common
place entertainment % which a vulgar
,ompaRy have recourse. who because
iaey AFe not able to converse or amuse |
one anotlIer wbiils they arr drinking with /.
the sonnd Of their own voices and CON !
versatiOn by reason Of their own stupidity
raise ihsprios OF flute girls in the market .
hisinz for a great sun the voice ut iuts /
instead OF their own breath 10 be the |
medium Of intercourse among them |
Bun when tho company are real gentle
men and men OF education you will sss 4
no cute girls or dancing girls or harp
Cirla and they have no nonsense or games |
but are oontsnted with ons anOther's /
conversation. VI which theig own voices /
are the uedhm, and which they carry |
"a BY turps IN an orderly manner. even
though they are very liberal in Their
pSlnfions.s
Tho excellent Xenophon lets ~ into
the secret that even in the houses
~ wealthy Eemiemen iiks Callias. who
Affected philosophy. not only musicians
brt iugelery were employed 10 provide
somathins bettsr than conversation.
~ f0rihe As-yrians and the Egyptians.
there v no greater doubt about them, for
whereas tbey have left ~ M such inter.
estiBg records A. the dispositions Of
Plmto and the comedies Of Aristophanes,
they haye handed down many pictures
whinh betrhy their PCT weaknesses. They
had music az their fcasts. and what was
even worse Ne have graphic proof that
some Egyptian gentlemen were wont 10
entertain their friends with musical
parties IN which dancing and refresh
msns- WIRE prominent Il may be added
thai the dancers we're chastely clothed in
girdles Neither Maud Allan nor Mary
Garden in all her glory was disrobsd a.
ons q these.
In The National Library at Paris there Is
q manuscript obtaining a picture showing
how they set a banquet with music IN the
Middle Ages The manuscript dates from
the hfteenth century and Il shows a long
naFFOg table With twelve parsons. men
and wOmsn. seated on one side and facing
the spsCtator. for all the world like the
characters in a theatre banquet. The
musiolan- are four In number. two op-
p0site each end u the table One blows
a very psipabls trumpet and one an in
strtgnent which night IN any member Of
the aaciestafhalrnsi family On thu other
side sPs plays a lule and one a VOL. Just