New-York tribune., 1910-07-31

poIvphonic school reached its elimination and
in whose lifetime the pianoforte came to the
fore though late and too tinlidly to influence
the style of writing the manner OF perform
ance They are Georg Friedrich Handel Q6So-
1159) and Johann Sebastian Bach 16S)-li 800
Before recording their labors, however, or COM
Inenting on the character of their compositions
l shall venture to bring them into juxtaposition
for comparison in order to make it plain Why
two men whose names intimately aSSo-
ciatcd in musical history and who, in common
and simultaneously, mark the highest achleVe-
mentS Of their time, yet differ SO greatly IN the
value of their contributions to the art whose
story tracing. All creative artists are
the product of their environment. The national
traits of the people among whom and for whom
Bach and Handel labored had much to do with
fixing the character Of their music, as well as
the degree and nature of the influence which
their compositions have exerted- Both were
Germans by birth, but before they reached ma
ture manhood their paths in life were widely
divergent. Handel fell into the current Of
LatiniZed culture which dominated the larger
lities of Germany two and half centuries ago
completely it did Paris and London. He
was the of a surgeon, went to a university
and became familiar with the humanities. He
met the grandees of various courts and pa
ironiZed by them prodigy in music. Their
Influence was thoroughly Latin. When he be
gan composing it was in a style to fit the taste
OF the polite society of the period. He connect
ed himself with the opera at Hamburg. Every
where, save in Italy, opera at the time a
monstrosity. 1t had sprung from the efforts of
3I0rentine amateurs to revive the classic drama.
The Germans had trel to suit the entertain
ment to their ruder tastes and harsher Ian
suage. The vernacular came to be used, and
The ma hat
lent themselves lily to Italian music. The opera
looks were built classic Stories such
stilized in Italy. These German poetasters
5orked into mongrel books, half German,
talf Italian and the composers had to set them
according to rigid formularies. Handeis first
opera. "Almira,' contained fifteen Italian airs
and forty-four German songs.
The artistic culture which tolerated such
anomalies was assuredly debased compared with
that which would have been the normal outcome
of purely German tendencies The Prince of
Tuscany heard "Almira" with admiration, and
offered to take the composer with him to Italy.
Handel declined the generous offer, but soon
after set out for the home of the arts on his
responsibility. He produced an Italian
opera, Rodrigo, in Florence and ''Agrippna'
IN Venice. His triumph complete. Scar
latti became his devoted friend and sincere ad
mirer, and the nobility, resident and visiting,
went to London composed operas, managed 4
theatre, bankrupted himself and again,
and finally, compelled by sheer force of circum
stances and in the bitterness of disappointment,
struck out path and became the master
of the fashion to which hitherto he had been
slave.
In many respects the career of Bach was the
very opposite of that of Handel. He was child
Of German simplicity. He into the world
the repository Of the feelings, beliefs and aSpira-
tiOnS Of a line of musicians extending
than century. His ancestors church and
town servants who had provided sacred and
secular music for Thurngia long that the
family name became generic term. He never
went TO q university and never enjoyed the
privilege in his youth of drawing such
clearing house Of the worlds knowledge beliefs
drafts of Handel. He travelled little, and sell
dom came in contact with the class of society
whose tastes determined the early career of
Handel. At eighteen he was organist at Arm
He accepted a post at Wemar, made a few
visits to neighboring towns and cities to give
organ concerts, for five years cha pelmaster
at the court of Anhalt-C0then and thence went
school and director of the music in four OF the
churches of the old city
ThenceforWard his activity was confined TO