The Washington herald., 1912-11-17
nv A. ID. JAcossoN.

ford University. Mac11ilnn u %, Lo0ool- tins
Macmillan Company. New YortJ Price. H8.
The contents OF this valuable exponent
for the most part are founded upon
lectures delivered by the author in, the
discharge Of his duties in oxford. Thus
they give a continuity and conference 10
the different subjects which goes great
ways toward making the study popular
and acceptable
In the different departments Of word
ed and wordless music there are infinite
shades of variety of style. The music
Of the theater demands a different style
or method from those appropriate 10 vocal
music and the concert room and from the
style Of the domestic song. The dram
-iatic music derives advantage-or other
uyise-from its association with scenery
and action. The mind In one respect Is
distracted, perhaps pays no attention TO
artistic qualities that in a quartet or
symphony would be prominent, but on
the other hand It is helped by things out
of place in purely instrumental music.
People who judge Of what is dramatic
in the light of what is histornic would
hesitate to call anything dramatic that
was in the true style Of a solo song.
And still there is just way OF express
ing tragedy, pathos. or despair in the
stlye suited to a solo song. and also a
pressing it for the stage. 1t Is not es-
sentiaI that a thing shall be in histrionic
style to Justify the claim of being dram
Stic,
Z The unsuita bleness Of the operatic style
for instrumental music Is obvious 70 all
people OF taste and artistic intelligence,
but the employment in operas Of the
style which has been developed Tor pure
instrumental music is futile. In this con-
nection it is impossible not to recollect the
-violent-antipathy that was produced
by wagner's style in men Of cultured
and intelligent taste.
There is a vast distinction between the
tastes Of the Southern and the Northern
races. The former appear to delight In
what is vOluptuous and in elements OF
art that appeal to the senses They set
no great store on purity and enjoy their
art rather with promisculty than with
love or reverence. The Northerners
treat their art more respectfully. The
effect becomes manifest in the story OF
organ music in the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries. The Italians SET
the ball rolling with able composers. such
as Fresccbalde. But a facile style was
soon adopted, detail was neglected as
mere formulas, and deterioration set in.
The Northern organists, however, by put
ting their souls into every part of their
work attained a richness of appropriate
detail which is seen in the works of
Buxtehude and in the highest possibili-
ties OF art in the work Of Bach!
I lack both space and technical under
standing to follow the author through
all the intricacies of his teachings and
explanations when he goes on to demon
strate that things which are expedient
with one group of conditions are inexpe-
dent with others. There is a style for
things mundane, another for things de-
votional, another for pathos, for things
gay. Triviality is out Of place in mourn
ful music, tragic extremes for acts of
merriments, and as an inconsistent style
makes the product ring faIse, so 1t is with
conditions of presentment Even things
title and light may be made admirable
by dexterous consistency Of style. The
greatest inspirations cannot dispense
with it.
The perfect adaptation to conditions en-
tails perfect unity of style and complete
perfection of style &c TO be found not in
ency that is relevant
= For the advanced student of music, for
Ethe earnest student Of the art, as well as
Tor the singer as for the amateur per-
former a careful perusal of Sir Hubert's
great compilation will prove of ines
timable value, aid, and understanding.
THE STREET OF THE TWO FRIENDS: By F.
Berkeley Smith. Doubleday, Page & Co, New
York. Price. $50,
In THE Street of the Two Friends"
F. Berkley Smith has written another
story OF the Latin Quarter of Paris |
The story is told by an artist to whose !
little studio at the top of the house in |
the Rue des DeuX Amis comes many a |
light footstep, presaging adventure after |
the fashion OF the vie de Boheme."
And from this abiding place the artist |
who relates these true and dramatic ex- |
peTiences sallies forth to one rendezvous |
after another in picturesque Montmar-
tire. 1t is a chronicle Of men and women |
who live in an atmosphere Of color and
emotion.
There are few writers who have so |
light a touch as F. Berkeley Smith or so /
intimate a knowledge of these gay, |
emotional people.
THE CARE OF THE BODY: By Prof r. s
Wordsworth. The Macmillan Company, New
York Price $50.
Quite as much for the person who re-
CARDS himself as absolutely healthy as
for the invalid, or the one who is just a |
little ailing, is this practical considera-
ton of the human body, which might be
further described as a treatise on the
science OF the care of the human body.
The volume presents the leading facts
dDOuL IItt anu OI DOOy
in a way that will sufficiently interest |
and impress the reader and induce him
to form those daily habits most likely
TO insure health and usefulness.
The blood, the circulation, breathing, |
food, digestion. waste and their removal,
diet, bodily heat, the work of the body.
the ear, the eye, nerve and brain work,
rest and recreation, indulgences, the
cycle of life and diseases are among the
different topics which the author takes
up. He believes that the reading and
discussion of the facts will thoroughly
familiarize the reader with the use of
food, air. and water in the development
and maintenance of the body. 1t will
also impress the fact that health and
strength are not due to good luck, but
TO the wise use Of these common things.
MRS. LANCELoT: By Maurice Hewlett. Ths
Century Company. New York.
It would be a blunder to take Mr.. Hew-
lett seriously. He has roamed the world
IN search of themes for romance and
novel, and he has seldom failed to find
them adaptable to his fancy He has
however, never sought to dscribe his
taking pen Of the realist, and to censure
or to condemn him because of his fan
tastic outlook on life. is to play the tru-
ant to the truth.
To tell the story of Mrs. Lancelot,"
even to enumerate it characters descrip-
lively, can serve no'good purpose. To do ;
30 would be to misrepresent Mr.. Hewlett,
and to cause those who have not read the ]