New-York tribune., 1918-02-24
Musical Syntax

AvA0SA(Qk
Phrasing is the syntax of melodic
music. 1t sets forth the logical pro-
portions Of the ideas, their subjects
and predicates, their modifiers, second
ary clauses and dangling participles.
Human speech must be divided into
clauses and sentences and paragraphs,
or the mind would become numb be-
meath the avalanche of words Is musi-
cal speech different? How the ear be-
comes deadened with a constant. re-
lentless flow of heavy tone from the
violin strings! The listener cannot
grasp the musical syntax. He can only
listen to the tone and take what joy he
may in its luscious vibrations. Perhaps
there are minor and conscienceless vio-
linists who have this very object in
mind when they belittle the impor-
tance of phrasing. "If the audience
listens to the music" he might say to
himself, sit may forget about me-" Too
many performer feels the music to be
his rival instead Of the sole justifica-
tlon Tor his existence.
But doubtless it is only carelessness,
this forgetfulness of phrasing. The
vlollnist has studied his work note bv
note. 10 him the phrasing is clear.
tie forgets that his audience is some
tunes hearing the work for the first
time. But this forgetfulness is often
fatal TO the pleasure of the audience.
imagine sentence lasting for two
minutes, without break. pause or ca
dcncc. Yet many violinist asks his
auditors to listen to such a sentence in
music. Nh Elman, whose god is
luscious tone, has sometimes trans
eressed III TINS respect. At some of his
concerts, and at those Of many lesser
viollnlst, the musical sentences have
oecn, Ike those old Latin inscriptions.
engraved without punctuation marks
ana without even so much as a space
between the words. The reader must
DC highly skilled to articulate such an
inscription, discovering its commas and
colons and full stops. Few auditors at
concert are so skilled in music as 10
be able to divine the syntax of music
without help from the musician.
Perhaps the layman feels the need
Tor phrasing the more keenly because
IN the kinds of music at which he has
most likely dabbled it is absolutely
requisite. The human voice can sing
only so much at single breath. A
new breath must be taken somewhere
and where there is q new breath there
IS a new phrase. In the singers art
phraslng is the most important of all
the considerations after that of tone
production. The instinct for phrasing
Is part of every singers eouinment
whether he be dabbler or an art;s+
Again, the pianist faces the need for
phraslng, though for precisely the OBJ
poslte reason. The humping tones of
'he piano are so alike in their quality
that the monotony would become i'm
'oleraole If there were not some clear
divlsion of the music into sentences
and paragraphs. Hence the nianist
seeks to phrase somewhat in imitation
OF the singer, and the careful composer
always takes pains to suggest tho
phrasng he desires.
With these two analocies in mind
the layman goes to violin recital in
sunctlvely looking for a careful ar
tlculation of the musical sentences
He Is usually surprised to find that
nothing of the sort occurs. No actor
would deliver his lines in steady flow
OF tone without due pauses and accents
ana infections to make clear the mean
ing and to make beautiful the word
music But the violinist seems com
tent to recite line after line without
so much as pause for breath.
The layman is puzzled, the more be-
cause it would seem that the violin
ohers more alluring opportunities for
beautiful phrasing than any other in
s'rument can provide. The voice is
limited by the length of its breath. The
organ is limited by the sameness of ;ts