New-York tribune., 1912-05-26

genius OF the men who struck out the now
paths,
Very unnecessarily Mr.. Forsyth begins
his study OF the reason why some nations
have developed national schools OF com
position while others have motor, 10
be more specific, why the English people
have never been able to develop school ot
national opera. with the astonishing prop
| osition that at bottom all peoples are
| equally musical.
! The foksong Of tho Russian mouiik il
no better and no worse than that or the
} Greek fisherman; the Italian FinepIesstl
has his tune, and II stands on clndl l'IInS
with that OF the Somerset farmer, me ITlsh-
man may nut into his song the Wild poetry
of his rocky northwest coast the tehatI-
ness of his purple hillsides and 'he suuHth
awe of a glimpse across his lak's lhto NV
| unseen world that lies beyond, but II j
neither greater nor less than the uplft-
ing religious song Of tho German peasant
Add 10 these what names you VIII; SCah-
dlnavian. Spanish, Scottish, even IeISldm
and Hindu. mix and compare them as So"
Ike and the utmost will be tlis'-thdt l'l
some cases the cleaners have come Ial'
into the field, and consequently their Ea'h
erings are scanty; and this, too-tnI' ther'
may be some difference OF th" thlns eA
dressed some difference OF mountain ana
plain, Of seacoast and upland OF NlIe anu dIlI
heather. Of snow-baked ana N!Ier,loS So -
atmosphere. But We cannot l"lthout nan
phemy to the Giver Of All ThinSs) place IN
a scale either these differences or nature
or the corresponding differences Whl'h 'le!
produce In man
Mr.. Forsyth's solicitudo about the r"-
sponsibility OF the Infinite Being may %"
commendabe. but it IS very poor rhllos-
ophy. Nothing is more obvious than tha'
climatic. geographical, social and poHtl'aI
| conditions determine not only the qual'tF
but also the character OF folksonG-tn'
spontaneous musical utterancc Of a people.
Scandinavia and Russia are rich IN arect-
ing folksong because Of the harshucss of
nature in the one case and the sam" cause,
plus cruel social and political cohditI'ns' N'
tie other. AS races or peoples or tribes
feel so do thcy sing. II IA not necessary I"
be learned musician 10 recognize tuat
fact nor 10 account for it on scientl''
grounds. Dr. Macleod recognized the ia'i
when he wrote down the impression made
uron him b. the music of different people
thus:
Spanish music: \ hot night disturbed by
Irish music: Ny father once saw some
emlgrants from Lochah"T dancing on iho
deck Of an cmigran, snip an "''p,"7
their eyes out! This feeling Is N" m".hrr
OF Irish music. u expresses tho sirlSEIr
Of a buoyant, merry heart 20 get quli OF
thoughts that often lie too deep for tear.
IT Is music Of an oppressed. conquered but
decIly feeling. impr' esiOnablc fancitul ana
generous people. il IS for the harp lu
Tara's Halls
As for Persian and Hindu music, u has
as little relationship to the modern art O.
purely Occidental product as Chimes, cr
siamcse music. and II brought into the dis
Cussion OF the influences which produce
national schools Of composition would de-
molish Mr. Forsyths theory and nrgu-
ments at a blow. II Is necessary now &"
state what that theory and some of the
arguments upon which 1t is based are.