New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-07-03

write out the theme of a IL Homnne arrne" mass
from an old score even il it We're laid before him
in modern notation, while to distinguish by ear
the naughty secular tune moving through The
contrapUntal mass would tax the ability Il
many of our professional musicians
When the orchestra took its rise the music
set down for the different instruments differed
in nothing from vocal music Compositions
were published with titles indicating that they
were to be sung played as one wished
Equally vague during this period was the termi.
nolOgy Of the instrumental art There wers
Senate, Can-one, Ricercare. Toccati, Contrs
punt, F0nt0sie, and on, but the names wen
but obscure indices to the form and contents Of
the compoGt1nns. Willaert seems TO have dis
tinguished between his fontGsie and ricercare q
the one hand and his confrdpunfi on the Other
by employing themes Of his own invention fs
the former and church melodies for the latter.
The only diner. between son0tG-the term
originally meant no more than a Sound piece
as distinguished from . song pece"-and
canzOn0 ~ snnGr which Michael Praetoriu
could point OFT IN h1o "SyntasIna n1uscum'
published IN 1t.2D Wa0 that sonatas were grave
and majestic The style of the motel while
canzonas Written In notes OF shorter dura-
ton. and ther; fv-e fresh, lively, merry me
themes, whether original or borrowed from tns
church chants, We're varied In the different COM
positions, matter what they were called
They were worked fuga11y, bedecked with ORA
mental passages, transferred from part TO part
and motives drawn from them were treated IN
imitation. The composers for the church nav
ing sought for basic melodies in secular fields
is not to be wondered at that the comp osers fCs
instruments did the same The songs and
dances of the people were now taken as themes
and in Italy there appeared Cdn-one s'liaHss-
che. Cdn-one Ndpolitane and Can=one Francsse
which were varied in like manner the church
melodies Dance tunes (galliards. corantos md
chaconnes) also came into use. and when the
Jig (9igd) was cOnsorted with them the time
was ripe for their combination into a pGrtiA
or suite-a form which pointed the way 10 The
cyclical compositions eliminating in the modern
sonata and symphony The employment OF
folk-tunes stimulated Accomplishments
chords, and under the inspiration or the f-
formatory movement begun by a group q
amateur musicians in Florence as a profess
against the artificiality and lfelessness OF tos
church style, also dominant in the theatre-s
movement which brought about the inventia
Of the opera-instrumental music was slo"H
emancipated from the vocal yoke.
Already in the sixteenth century England M
taken the lead in the creation, and probah0
also In tNc peT1OEruANCe OF CIiSlef
view Of her comparative steriity since il woas
be interesting in many ways to know where
90 to find the explanation Of Englands pre-em
inence in one department OF music before an
during the reign of Queen Elizabeth There ."
evidences enough that England drew her fasf
ions in music as in other forms OF artistic cur
ture from Italy and France: but in her handing
Of the borrowed forms she was as ferwaN
fresh vigorous and energetic as in the fields y
which she created her OWN models, namely. poe
try, the drama and that higher type OF state
craft which makes for human liberty. Perhap
the explanation of any one phenomenon Whlcs
shone luminous in England'S Golden Age Is as'
the explanation OF the other. and may not "
hidden any deeper than in the moral. physics
and intellectual amalgam which resulted fro
blending the rugged virtues of Briton. Saxoe
Norman and Dane with the gentler graces lei
by Latin culture.
To my readers who are more DESTROYS 10 kno.
something of the musical culture growth =
England at this time than to follow the grow"
Of the technical elements in composition. ~
wise a course at once more profitable and mo"
books. 1t IS to look at the musical taste an
practices OF Shakespeare's people through u
eyes Of Shakespeare The poet wrote Tor all u
people OF his day and nation, and his use =
words and phrases appertaining to music b
comes an index TO the state of musical cultu's