The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1920-10-22
Interpretation

There IS music which is beautiful
because OF its construction And there
is music which is wonderful because OF
its interpretive feelings. And the won
derful beauty OF music lies in its com
plete description of a required condi-
ton. That required condition may be
one OF happiness, hate, love, lament; or
carol OF birds, song of the brook,
storm at sea, or charge Of cavalry.
In each instance the true beauty OF
music hes IN the absolute fitness or
natural relation to the material subject
sort senSuous melodies built with fas-
clnatlng harmonies are beautiful: also
beautiful are the wild, weird fantasies
OF excited passions.
we Ike to think of the storm scene
IN William Tell as being truly beauti-
Jul IN its natural descriptive powers;
yet we marvel, indeed, at the lack OF
Interpretation which all of our big
6andmasters give to this passage. They
leaVe out an equal one-half of the rela-
tive possibilities contained therein. in
asmuch as they increase the volume
only, leaving out the other vital half
the increase OF speed.
A condition that all persons have ex-
perienced IS the gathering OF. the i'm
pact OF, and the retreat Of storm. No
matter whether the storm be great or
small It's characteristics are verv sim
liar, when we speak of wind storms
other than typhoons or cyclones. and
we do not believe the conditions of
these latter two are to be considered in
KosSln1s thought and treatment.
Some there may be who saw that the
storm scene in William Tell is meant
to be storm from the very beginning
OF the musical movement. and not as
we have 1t, the gathering, the inDact
and the retreat of a storm. To such
we can only suggest that, if this were
true, then the music, if it be real music
and thoroughly descriptive. would break
upon US with full force in the first
measure. But it does not do this. II
begins with a few instruments and
gives the impression of htful gusts OF
disconnected winds, followed by a slow
ly forming conference, as instrument
after instrument joins in, and finally
breaking with dynamic action in full
accord upon us, remaining for a few
moments, then passing on and falling
apart into sporadic helplessness. surging
again here and there only to DESTROY
its action into complete silence.
A gathering storm is ftful it is fret
full; it is gusty; it swells UP, dies away.
surges petulantly forth and sinks again
without conference or concerted con-
nection-each fare getting little
stronger, little more powerful. little
more companionship, until the strongest
central force becomes the pivot OF ac-
ton around which all lesser vibrations
unite fer a definite purpose. There is
no defined speed at which a gathering
storm travels, and any man OF science
will give us the positive assurance that
a storm gathers in speed as it gathers
IN intensity. Yet bandmasters will
commence the storm scene with a GER
tain set speed and maintain it through
until the last gust OF wind vanishes and
the birds sing as depicted by the flute.
We viii not pick out any special band
| master, Tor we have yet to hear one
who has interpreted this otherwise
| And this refers also to all musical re.
cord1ng machines who maintain their
own bands.
Take, for another illustration, a train
This does not suit completely, because
the train IS acting in conference from
our hrst view OF It; nevertheless, it will
| convey another impression OF the accel-
leratlon OF speed as well as Of volume
Watch speeding train coming miles
down the track. According to its rela-
tive action as against your perspectives
1t moves but slowly, even though it may
be travelling very fast. As it gets closer
to you and you have to change your
perspective, the train appears to gather
IN speed until its greatest momentum
IS when 1t passes your given point.
And as 1t goes away it again slows
down according to ones perceptive
visions, until when it fades into the dis
lance, II barely appears to be creeping
along. Now, if this be true with a
train, which maintained a steady speed
throughout, how much more forcibly
true it must be in Rossini's storm scene,
wherein he portrays the arising, the pin
nacle and the elimination of a storm
scene. 1t has always been a marvel to
us how serious, thoughtful, big con
ductors could let this wonderful de-
scriptive scene pass by and only draw
forth just one-half OF its beauty.
Over in England we were playing the
storm scene as we have thought it
should be played. getting the full
powers OF this marvellous description
A man came up out of the audience and
asked where we learned that interpre-
tation. We replied that we never had
learned il; that we merely conducted it
as we felt a storm should be portrayed
He said that he had conducted this
number many times, but that he had
never gotten but the first half OF it
that OF volume-always leaving off the
speed for a reason he did not know,
only that he had never heard anyone
else play It that way. He was a leader
of one of the English Guards bands.
He assured Us that hereafter he would
attempt to direct this number as to
bring forth the complete description
which it contained.
We will close by repeating a part of
the first paragraph: And the wonder
ful beauty OF music lies in its complete
description OF a required condition.
We believe that Rossini's music herein
mentioned is of wonderful beauty"
also. we marvel at the marring it re-
ceives in Interpretation.
Side panels hang loose at the sides
and ava of c-reo+ar Ian 9th than front