The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-15
H. ". J. NE\DENSON

T>H: publication OF books treating
of musical subjects continues
with uuahatci industry. This IL
interesting for several reasons.
II one were To- form an ldea or Tue
pubic attitude toward musical art from
reading the magazines he would CON
Guide that no one cared TO know any
thing about 1t at all. lie would pe leu
,o supposc that people wished only 10
read about prima donnas and how theH
live in private. how they eat, hattie.
dress and pra5tlc about matters OF
which they have no knowledge.
This il the Ievcl of the typical maya
zno editors intelligence in musica art.
and he naturally believes that no one
.lse knows any better than he does. But
tho hook publishers evidently are in
posscssion of information to which the
magazine editors have no access. They
accordingly issue works designed to in
struct and stimulate the student and
the amateur of music. For their far
sirhtedness they deserve thanks.
Many GOOD books on musical matters
have been published in the past six
s8onths and some ~ them have been
nroncrlv and sufficiently reviewed In
the literary columns Of TIVE SrN. Two
or three suggestions for comment IN
his place haN. been drawn from recent
hooks. and this seems "a he the time
for IT.
For years there has been a super
fetal discussion Of the question whether
the music of the southern negro was
really folk music in the scientihc sense
of the name OF weak imitation OF
music which the slaves heard their
hetters sing and play. When Or.
pvorah composed has American SYM
phony. quartet and quintet. he declared
that he believed the negro songs 10 he
folk music or something pretty close TO
t. and that by utilizing their character
istir traits Of melody. rhythm and har-
mony American composers might. /!
they wished. produce works having a
distinc, nationality. Al any rate he
provided illustrations Of his theory IN
me compositions mentioned.
Whereupon the wise men ~ the East
made noel, ~ him. They asserted that
the negro melodies were not FOIL, music
and that even II they We're Or. Dvorak
had not Initiated them. and that even il
he had done 50 he had written nothing
hut bohemian music. Just as he
always had. In the course Of time The
wise men persuaded themselves ever
that the distinguished composer hat
never tried to initiate negro music anc
had never said that he did. And they
are of that mind To this day.
Now comes Henry Edward krehbie
bringing much light from the darh
places He has published through the
house Of G. SChirmcr a volume entitle,
Afro American Folk Songs. This Il
not to he a review Of Mr. krehbieI'
hook hut merely a warning To take no
tice. However, there need be no hesita
ton in saying that 1t is by far the mos
important work this author has written
II Is - book based on long CONTINUED
original research and executed will
scientific method.
Mr.. Krchbiel's studies Of negro foll
music began about forty years ago
Among those vino helped him mos
wsre his friends I.afcadio Hearn an,
George W Cable. The materials col
lected comprise songs from variou
parts of the old domain OF slavery, from
the French creuleS. from the Bahama
and the West Indies. The author Ia
used songs printed IN the older col
lections and has added many more q
his own gathering. In Difference To IN
inevitable desire Of musical amateur
to use these songs the author has ha
negro singer and composer Henry 7
Ruriegh. by Arthur Mees, Henry Hol
den Huss and John \ Van Brock
hoven. all musical scholars Of authority
Mr. krehblel has examined regr
songs az a musician should. He ha
subjected them 10 close scrutiny as
their scale poculiartics, their employ
mcnt of modes, their characteristic
rhythms and the structural features a
their texts. lie has demonstrated 1
such a clear manner that no one wi
'astilv dispute his conclusions tina
the distinctive traits Of the negro song
white folks music, but came with In
negro mind from us own native lair.
TIE SUN's recorder of musical doing
has in the Cours" of his years of stuc
read all he works To which Mr.. kreh
N.el refers in his book and II famllia
with an tn" cXtant collections of negi
r,Isir II" rs aware that previous con
mrLtaturs on this music have not bee
trdlucd musicians, AS ~ beautiful
Illustrated by their belief that the plair
i've melancholy songs of the negro,
o." nearly all In the minor mode. ju'
g. ptu.r The value ~ THIS theory NJ
i>rsuu. c>am.uod 500 souGs lie four
.n"' 3"' were 10 tp" ordinary MAJ,
mode o. sue "idurI, rninor. II
90. u'. .up. aui the OTHERS N III
e. .t0 n. irregular -cnlos nearly rvel
u. " "...u .4 known 90 lc oNuiic.
.''I I.u."IHR ln" author throul