Evening star., 1947-07-06
Study of Tone
|Exploration1s Is
SadlyNeg1ected
BY Alice Evsrsmon

BY Alice Evsrsman
The growth Of music appreciation
in this country has been both 30
rapid and 20 comprehensive In the
last years a. to astonish foreign
musicians who have sought refuge
here. There are many factors re.
sponsible for the increase Of inter.
est and knowledge Of music be.
ginning with the improved quality
Of teaching in the public schools.
But one thing has received small
consideration In the broader plan
Of musical education and that Is the
question of tone. This. after all. is
the essence of music and the only
medium through which 1t can be
made known to the world. 1t u
the sound that haunted the com.
posers until its symbols were put on
paper and in combination. 1t be-
comes = language as powerful as
speech. In place Of poetry. poetic
prose or descriptive writing. these
specially gifted men gave form to
their thoughts, ideas and emotions
In tone.
Tsns Language Vast In Scope.
When one considers the vast scope
Of this tone language and It's varied
potency, 1t would seem that the
study Of its proper formation and
An understanding Of its potentiali.
ties would be paramount. 1t IL true
that all musicians cultivate tone but
the limitations Of their efforts are
all too apparent. Only choice few
have q command Of its nuances and
. feeling for their use. The majority
confines itself to- the variants Of
loud and soft to the initial quality.
The fundamental requirement Of
tone Is beauty. an element a. diff
ficult to capture in music as In any
other art. There are times when
beauty can take on bolder outlines
and be rugged in its INSTALLATION
but for the most part 1t never loses
its softness Of form nor its un-
fathomable depth. In striving to
enslave this Elusive quality to the
furtherance Of musical thought. lies
the art Of the individual or the en-
semble. But It's mere possession IL
not enough. 1t must contain all the
delicate hues and the emotional
consistency that belongs to = pub
lie declaration OF the innermost
thoughts Of q great mind.
4 Protection Of Personality.
Tone is also the magic means BY
which an artist projects his own
personality. What Is individual In
himself is reflected in the quality
Of the sound he produced whether
on An instrument, by means OF an
ensemble or through his voice. 1t is
very revealing, telling much more
Of the character and attitude OF the
performer than he perhaps suspects.
1t stamps him Immediately as either
. conscientious musician Of the rum
Of -the-mill order or . rare spirit
who has something Of his own to say
by means OF music. The composers
need one who has the Imagination
to grasp many shadows Of thought
and emotion they express, to give
out their music In its complete sense.
The audience is dependent on
tone for 1t is the only means by
which q performance can be fol-
lowed. The sound in itself will be
suf1icient as . vehicle for conveying
the general style and character OF
the music. But the audience S help
less to penetrate deeper If no chang
ing tone color Is there as guide.
No matter how fine tone may
be In itself, 1t Is tiresome when not
submitted to variations and bore
some by its overpowering wealth. It
can entrance with its subtle moods
and illumine the very heart OF the
music II the intelligence and the
feeling Of the artist directs 1t with
finesse.
From the moment that an inn
mortal melody sounded In the COM
poser's brain until the audience
leaves . concert hall. the life quail
ity of q work depends upon tone.
It's cultivation is not only OF su-
preme importance but it Is . duty
to spread the knowledge Of its beau
ty. In this day and age, when
sound Is all about us but always in
It's most raucous form. 1t is easy to
imagine that what one hears con-
stitutes the quality Of tone. In the
noise Of daily life. the lovely tones
Of nature, that Of the birds. the
wind and the water, are obscured.
yet it was from these sources OF ma
ture that music grew. Man-mads
sounds can never be 0 substitute.