New-York tribune., 1918-01-27

Bearing the imprint of the Symphony
Society of New York on it's title page,
but showing on the face of every one
Of its geographically beautiful pages
the generous hand Of Harry Hardness
Flagler. there has recently been pub
lished book entitled "The Orchestra
and It's Instruments" which was most
obviously planned to promote the kind
Of study and knowledge which was the
aim Of the concerts which we have de.
scrbed as beginning in the old Acad-
emy Of Music in 1885 or 1886. 1t is a
sumptuous volume of 312 royal octave
pages, and its author is Miss Esther
Singleton. 1t is ornamcn.ed with many
useful Photographic engravings of
members of the Symphony Society Or
chestra playing upon their instruments,
and many photogravure reproductions
Of plates from books Of historical value
and interest. Miss Singleton's orig
inal contribution is small compared
with her quotations from we'll known
writer's on music. For this we feel
moro inclined to thank than to chide
her, for she is moro instructive when
she is presenting the fruits Of indus
trious delving in the books of special
its and experts than when she is at
tempting technical explanations Of her
own. Her book contains much that is
curious and interesting, but in its ex-
position of the principles Of acoustics
employed in the structure of musical
instruments and their technical hand
ling it is wofully deficient. 1t is, be-
sides, expanded beyond all reasonable
measure by biographies of the great
lutenists of Cremona and other mat
ters which are not essential to the gen.
'fal Emusic lovers and young musical
students" for whom she says that it
vas written. Considering that she
gives expression to her grateful thanks
to Mr.. Walter Damrosch for having
read the page proofs OF the book, we
cannot refrain from an expression of
surprise at some Of its erroneous state
ments. Much in the book which seems
to have been put in for entertainment
may be passed over with the obserya-
ton that it is highly unimportant if
true. 1t does not help us to under.
stand the growth of the orchestra or
ene functions Of an orchestral con-
ductor to be told that Sully compelled
one OF his bassoon players to marry an
opera singer who showed him q nrom-
Use of marriage written on a plav;np
card; nor is it of consequence that ono
OF Sully's violin players was also tho
husband OF an opera singer, "but we
40 not know the story of his marriage. ,,
But we regret to learn that Mr. Dam.
rosch permitted some matters of real
moment to pass without correction. is
the mouthpiece OF clarinet "curycd
backward tc allow Of vibration"? Doe.
French hsrn player always keep his
right hand in the bell of his 'instru.
ment "to prevent harsh and loud sound.
and to give the tone a smooth anc
yelled quality? How long is a bas:
tuba" cover three feet" says Miss
Singleton with an amazed exclamation
point. Over fifteen feet is nearer ap
proach to the fact. In the old chests ol
viols Miss Singleton says the viola da
braccio was "played with the arm.
Why did she add that the viola da
gambia vas "the leg VIOLA? To be con.
sistcnt, ought she not to have said tha,
II was played with the leg: How in
Tn name Of ali that is acoustical doss
the reed Of the wood-wnd instruments
"correspond to the soundpost of the