Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1910-09-08

the bride or young
~ wife expresses her
longing for the ABB
sent one. Our meetings in the
house of God are accompanied by de-
votional songs. Sad and somber mu-
Sic ascends in the house OF mourn
Ing, and yet, what a relief this music
is to sorrowing hearts, With the
sound of drum and trumpet and the
clang OF the cymbal the soldier plum
ges into the smoke and carnage of bat
tie, and even the trained horses dance
and curvet in time with the music
and strain at the reins which restrain
them and learn the meaning of the
different bugle calls. Love, anger, sor-,
row, enthusiasm, pain-all the pas
sions and emotions of the human soul
can be, and are, expressed in mu-;
sic
The progress which has been made
In the composition of music and in the
building of musical Instruments of
every kind is enormous The primi.
tive instruments of the ancients and
their monotonous music, or the instru-
people and the intolerable noise which
they call music cannot be compared
with the expressive harmony of our
music or with the multitude of beau
tul and powerful musical instruments
and in the execution OF musical pieces
our age has doubtless advanced furth-
er than any preceding time. In com.
position, however, in the art OF pro-
ducing musical pieces, the past cen
tury undoubtedly had greater masters
than the present.
At the opening of the nineteenth
century the musical leadership, which
Italy had enjoyed for considerable
period, had passed TO Germany. and in
the twentieth century 1t appears as If
Germany would also lose this exalted
position in its turn, for in the field
OF art no nation can long hold the
leadership. Perhaps the industrial
and commercial development Of Ger.
many may be one OF the causes why
the number Of It's great composers Is
decreasing. for though prosperity is
no obstacle 10 the enjoyment and cul-
tivation Of art, yet It does not seem to
form specially favorable soil for the
growing masters Of this noble art
When the nineteenth century
dawned Bach Hdendel and Mozart
had raised German music TO a pin
nacle OF glory, and Beethoven and
fectiCn as today. Chamber music has
Haydn were at the zenith OF their
splendid powers, while List, Weber
Kreutzer and Schubert had begun
their immortal careers. Before Bee.
thovan died, NendessOhn. Schumanu
and Wagner had been bora This was
therefore golden age OF music with
an uneXampled array OF peerless mas
ters and unequalled musical works
Comparing the present age with that
glorious time, We are compelled "a
admit that today there are no giants
I'm musical composition for the three
greatest composers OF tha present. I'd
ward Griog. Anton Dyorak and Rich
ard Strauss, only the last named q
German. do not reach up to the stand
ard OF the heroic age.
But though there are today no Ger
man composers OF commanding ge
nius, yet there has never been "a tim,
when their works were So highly os
teewed and produced with such per
reached tho highest stage o. develop
mout IA Germany
In England also musical education
has reached a high degree Of periec
tion, but England never produce,
many composers aud none of com
mandiug genius. Richard Elgar has
however, succeeded Ia meeting with S,
much approval that he Is being rock
oned among the srcat composers tn
majority OF British and Irish CON
poscrs, however. are content 60 fol
low in the footsteps of German mas
tefs; the later ones. though folloWlui
their own ideals. love no walk abroat
IN the mantle OF Wagner or brahms
France has for three centuries oc
cupltd prominent place on the mu
steal stage and her Ereat masters
Boieldieu. Auber Her1l1. Adam au,
Chopin offer much that ia intoreatlul
and valuable. Set 10 must be- ad
mitted that here tho tendency wa
mainly 10 write for the opera and f0
the production Of light and friyolou
music. OF more serious and noble
character are the modern muaiea