Evening star., 1948-03-28
music Genius
|Unexplainedby.

By Alice Eyersmon


cent years to cultivate . very ma.
terialistic attitude toward music.
That 1t is part Of the pattern Of the
times in no way mitigates It's bane- =
ful effects. The harsh realities that
have faced people since the first
World War have hardened their out
look on life and they have allowed
it to affect their viewpoint as re-
CARDS art. The result has been Q
setting up of false gods with o rigid
worship of the temporal In place Of
the spiritual.
There has been q tendency by
present-day writer's on music to
discount the spiritual entirely. They
remind one that the creation OF mu-
sic is simple, following of rules
raised to a high level by the special
mental characteristics Of q COM
poser. They would have us believe
that an interpreter Is no more than
q skilled artisan knowing his me.
dunn thoroughly and keenly con-
scious of the effects to be obtained
by certain means at his command.
Some 90 50 far as to claim it Is
purely the proper functioning OF
glands that make geniuses or artists
and that there Is no barrier for any
one to achieve these eminences pro-
vided his physical body Is working
correctly.
Rise Of Spiritual Concepts.
Life would be Q dreary affair it
such ideas should govern 1t, partic.
ularly in the realm Of art. In fact.
the great feast of the Christian
church that Is celebrated today dis
counts such theories. The teach.
ings Of Christ and His resurrection
came at time when the world was
weary and satiated with material-
ism and men knew in their hearts
that there must be something more
to the process of living.
From that time on the word
spiritual" had q special meaning.
It clarified much that was not I'm.
derstood before. It has been cult.
vated during the centuries with
many proofs arising prominently
from time to time that 1t brings O
reward in the quality of the work
being done In the world, both physi.
cal and intellectual.
No one denies the fact that music
Is created and set before the public
through the perfection of mechan-
ical means. BY the following OF
prescribed rules and by their expan-
sion through originality, by the
mental characteristics and physical
vitality of gifted men. music has de-
veloped and will continue to develop
however many low points the chart
of that development may show. But
1t has become customary to apply
the word inspiration" to music and
here the purists would take excep-
tion. There Is no such thing al
inspiration they assert. And for
them 1t is especially fallacious to
unite inspiration with any divine
source. The theological definition
Of inspiration" Is "A supernatural
influence which qualities men to re-
ceive and communicate divine
truth"
An Inescapable Definition.
II we search for a less churchly
meaning we find the ordinary ons
OF "Act or state OF being intellectu-
ally or emotionally inspired" and
inspire" in turn, Is defined as ITO
fill with, or as with, a supernatural
power or energy" 1t seems dificult
to get away from that word super.
natural" 1t appears to be a log
ical way of explaining the obses-
sions that gripped composers, leav-
ing them no peace of mind until
they had put down on paper music
the world had never heard. Oh.
they labored with rules Of compost.
ton, experimental in devising new
paths, polished cold-bloodedly what
they had written. appraised 1t with
detachment. But they could only
do this after the birth of their in
spired ideas.
The same holds true for the per-
forming musician. Is 1t simply
some physical setup that makes q
person willing to sit hours each day
for years on end to perfect q finger
technique on piano or q vocalist
to sacrifice SO many of the ordinary,
pleasant things of life in order to
become an artist? OF course, they
earn big money but they also pay
out a great deal before a return
comes In.
However, 1t is something deeper
that urges them on, as every one
knows who is an artist.
1t Is that necessity to reach out,
to touch deeper things, to be able
to feel the heart beat with emotion
and to know that fingers or voice
respond to it. A check for thousands
Of dollars for performance will
not recompense the real artist II
he has not felt the touch of inspira-
ton.
To be practical. are we more
correct If, following a rewarding
concert we say, The glands Of that
artist certainly worked well to-
night?" Is 1t not more individually
satisfying to feel that for short
while we have been 'in tune with
the infinite?" Is 1t not worth willis
to hold to any belief that will make
living easier and more pleasant in
this day when destruction. reigns?
Incidentally, the glands do como
into play there. for any physician
will say that what soothes, relaxes
and brings peace assures a healthier
body and mind.
The meaning of this Easter day
is destroyed If we believe that there
is no divine Intervention in the
fashioning of men and women Of
genius. They are constant remind
ers Of our spiritual heritage.
Armando Jannuzzi
Grond opero Dramotie Tenor