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THE INFLUENCE OF THE ORGAN
IN HISTORY.
[Illustration: PNEUMATIC ORGAN FROM A MS. PSALTER OF EADWINE IN THE
LIBRARY OF TRINITY COLLEGE CAMBRIDGE.]
THE
INFLUENCE OF THE ORGAN
IN HISTORY.
Inaugural Lecture of the Department of the
Organ in the College of Music
of Boston University
BY
DUDLEY BUCK.
PROFESSOR AND LECTURER OF THE DEPARTMENT.
_New Edition, with Illustrations._
LONDON:
W. REEVES, 83, CHARING CROSS ROAD, W.C.
Office of "The Musical Standard."
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
I.--PNEUMATIC-ORGAN FROM A MS. PSALTER OF EADWINE
IN THE LIBRARY OF TRINITY COLLEGE,
CAMBRIDGE (_Frontispiece_).
II.--PERUVIAN PAN'S PIPES, DOUBLE SET. FROM A
TOMB IN AFRICA 10
III.--EARLY FORM OF THE REGALS. FROM LUCINIUS'
MUSURGIA, SEN PRAXIS MUSICAE, 1536 19
IV.--FROM GORI'S THESAURUS DIPTYCHORUM. SAID
TO BE FROM AN ANCIENT MS. OF THE TIME OF
CHARLEMAGNE 22
V.--A POSITIVE ORGAN. FROM AMBROSIUS WILPHLINGSEDER'S
EROTEMATA, MUSICES PRATICAE,
NUREMBERG, 1563 31
VI.--A CURIOUS ENGRAVING SHOWING AN ORGANIST
PERFORMING UPON AN INSTRUMENT WITH BROAD
KEYS. FROM FRANCHINUS GAFFURIUS' THEORICA
MUSICA, 1492 34
VII.--THE ANCIENT MODE OF ORGAN BLOWING. FROM
PRAETORIUS' THEATRUM INSTRUMENTORUM,
1620 46
VIII.--TERRA-COTTA MODEL OF HYDRAULIC ORGAN.
CIR. 150 A.D. CARTHAGE MUSEUM. FROM HERMANN
SMITH'S "THE MAKING OF SOUND IN THE
ORGAN AND IN THE ORCHESTRA" 47
IX.--REV. F. W. GALPIN'S WORKING REPRODUCTION
OF THE ROMAN HYDRAULUS. FROM HERMANN
SMITH'S "THE MAKING OF SOUND IN THE ORGAN
AND IN THE ORCHESTRA" 48
SECTION I.
[Illustration: PERUVIAN PAN'S PIPES, DOUBLE SET. FROM A TOMB IN
AFRICA.]
THE INFLUENCE OF THE ORGAN IN HISTORY.
SECTION I.
Ladies and Gentlemen:--
It having become my duty to deliver this, the inaugural lecture of the
organ department attached to this institution, I have found myself
considerably embarrassed as to choice of subjects.
The trouble lay in the quantity of material at hand, and not in any lack
of it.
The history of the Organ runs back so far into the centuries, that no
matter what point one might select for examination, it can scarcely be
brought into the scope of a lecture except in a very empty and skeleton
form. You will bear with me, then, for the superficial manner in which I
shall be forced to treat many important points. As many of those present
do not propose to make a study of the organ, I shall avoid treating of
the instrument itself in any technical sense, and would offer a few
thoughts on the subject of
THE INFLUENCE OF THE ORGAN IN HISTORY,
with a glance at the "schools of playing" thus created.
The Organ is called the "king of instruments."
This phrase has been used so often that it has become decidedly well
worn and trite. None the less, however, is the expression full of
significance; and to what an extent (especially in a historical sense)
is known to but comparatively few persons, among whom I fear far too few
organists would be found.
To bring up some of these neglected facts; to examine them in their
historical and theoretical bearing, as well as in practice; to thus
create a greater love for and appreciation of the instrument on the part
of its students,--to do this, I say, is, if I apprehend it aright, one
of the principal objects which the Boston University has had in view in
founding this department.
The organ, then, is called the "king of instruments."
If we look at the phrase a little closer, it will be perceived that the
simile is a striking one. A king, in the so-called "good old times of
yore," if he were a man of any force of character, generally possessed,
along with the divine right theoretical, any quantity of the human power
practical. The day of more or less ornamental constitutional
figure-heads had not yet arrived.
In other words, the live kings of the past, of the feudal time, moulded
to their own tastes and characters their age, their people, or only
their court, according to the innate ability they might possess. In turn
they were themselves affected, to a degree, by their surroundings, but
to a far lesser extent than is the case at this day, the balance of
influence remaining largely in their favour.
I will endeavour to show that among musical instruments this "kingship,"
as regards the organ, held good in a parallel way,--that by its own
nature as to construction, by its very faults and weaknesses, by the
mission it was called upon to fulfil, it did, in very fact, long reign
supreme as king of instruments.
Absolute power, as represented by a monarch, became narrowed down, in
the lapse of centuries, by external forces working out their own
independence, thus checking and limiting this absolutism. Here, too, I
will endeavour to draw a parallel, and show that as years rolled on, the
influence of the organ upon music in the abstract diminished. The
process became inverted, and music began to affect the organ, rather
than the organ it. To this we owe the vast improvements in the
construction of the instrument, the many additions of new qualities of
tone, and numberless new inventions of value still going on in our day,
with a rapidity difficult to keep pace with. To fairly appreciate this
past or present relation of things, it becomes necessary to take a hasty
and necessarily superficial glance backward at the origin of the
organ,--its invention and development.
All writers attribute the origin of the organ to that simplest as well
as most ancient of musical instruments, called by the Greeks the "pipes
of Pan,"--Pan, in the ancient mythology, being the god of the woods and
groves. It consisted of a few hollow reeds of various lengths, securely
bound together, and blown by the lips. We still occasionally see and
hear this instrument in our streets, performed upon by those nomadic
"sons of art," the organ-grinders. The performer being obliged to move
his head continually from side to side, an unpleasant and fatiguing
operation, soon led to an attempt to blow these tubes artificially. From
this resulted the placing of the pipes upon a small wind-chest, and the
addition of a primitive bellows, the whole being easily carried and
operated by one performer. Of particular value in the establishment of
this historical fact was the discovery, in Syria, among some ancient
ruins, of a sculptured figure playing on such an instrument. Although
much mutilated, all the more important parts were still intact. This
interesting relic was brought to England about the year 1853.
It should be mentioned here, that the word "organ," not unfrequently
found in the Bible, should not be supposed to refer to any such
instrument as the name would suggest to our minds. Both with
the Greeks and Romans the term translated "organ" simply meant an
"instrument,"--and that of any kind, but with usage apparently favouring
its application to musical instruments.
Upon the application of the bellows to supply wind, instead of the human
lungs, the fingers were used to stop the pipes, and thus prevent their
sounding all at once, which it is evident they would have done, standing
on a simple wind-chest, which was filled by the bellows. As the number
of pipes was gradually increased, the difficulty of managing them by
hand of course became greater and greater. This in time led to the
invention of the pallet, or valve, to control the admission of wind to
each pipe, and by the close of the eleventh century we find it
chronicled that there existed at Magdeburg an organ with a _key-board_
comprising sixteen keys. From this time the name of the instrument
begins to correspond with our modern idea of the same; its invention was
a realized fact, although but a germ of that development which has since
raised organ-building to its artistic importance. It must be borne in
mind that the pedal organ, with its keys for the feet, was a much later
invention. Meantime, the first keys made use of measured from three to
five inches and a half wide. Consequently, the title of the performer on
this instrument, in the eleventh century, was not that of
organ-_player_, but organ-_beater_, the keys being struck by the fist,
which was protected by a heavy glove. There was, it must be remembered,
but one rank of pipes, and these could seldom, if ever, have been in
tune, from the fact that they had no means of regulating the wind
pressure; while in organs of later date, and at the present day, an even
wind is secured principally by weights placed upon the bellows, and the
creation of a reservoir of compressed air. At this early time the wind
supply was furnished by the common bellows as used by blacksmiths. Thus
the supply and consequent pressure of the wind would necessarily be in
direct proportion to the muscle or activity of the blowers.
While the various discoveries and improvements in organs of the twelfth
and thirteenth centuries were slowly progressing, almost the only vocal
music the world knew were the Gregorian tones, or plain song of the
Early Church. Harmony was entirely unknown, and indeed remained so for
many a long year in anything like our modern significance. It is not my
purpose here to enter into even a partial examination of the parallel
progress of melody and harmony at this age of the world. You have
already heard it treated by an abler pen than mine; nor does it properly
belong to this department, except in so far as it becomes necessary to
note any decided influence exerted by the one upon the other. This
influence, as exerted by the organ upon Church music, did not begin as
early as might be supposed. Rimbault, in his work on the "History of the
Organ" (which I shall have occasion frequently to quote), states that
"even in the thirteenth century, the priests of both the Greek and Roman
Churches thought the use of organs in divine service scandalous and
profane. They preferred rendering divine worship as simple as possible,
in order to distinguish it from that of the Jews and Pagans. Even to
this day the Greek Church does not tolerate the use of organs in their
public services. Notwithstanding these opinions, the use of organs, and
even other instruments, gradually became almost universal, not only in
great churches, but in those of monasteries, convents, and small towns.
The historians of this era celebrate several monks distinguished for the
art of playing on the organ. For some time, however, organs were not
used in the ordinary celebration of the offices, but only on great
feasts and solemn occasions. These first monastic and conventual organs
were very small, being only used to play the melody of the plain song in
unison with the voices."
In spite of the disrepute into which the whole monastic system fell,
there is no question but that the monks and friars were the great
conservators and preservers of all the fine arts, and even mechanics,
during the troubled times of the Middle Ages. As the prejudice against
the employment of instrumental music in the church services began to
disappear, nothing was more natural than that the monks, having both the
leisure and pecuniary means, and containing among their number the best
educated men of the day, should turn their attention to organ-building,
animated by the same spirit which led them to decorate and ornament
their churches and monasteries. Thus we find that it is to them we owe
the improvement of the hitherto clumsy key-board, extending its compass
both upward and downward to the extent of some three octaves, and so
reduced both fall and breadth of the keys that they could be pressed
down by the fingers, instead of struck by the fist; certainly no small
improvement. The first organ possessing keys to give the chromatic tones
or semitones was built by a priest--Nicholas Faber by name--about 1360.
It now behoves us to glance for a moment at the influence which the
organ already began to exert upon music, or the art composition, and to
show how the instrument became to show proofs of that right to the
title, "king of instruments," in the sense I have adopted. It must be
kept in mind that the veriest twilight dawn of the knowledge of harmony
had scarcely begun. Yet what can be conceived more natural, than that
the organist of that day, even, should stumble on the fact that
different tones in conjunction were more agreeable to the ear than the
bare unison, which was at first the only accompaniment of the choral
song? This being noted, the next logical step was to try and produce the
same approved effect with the voices themselves. In the "_History of the
Modern Music of Western Europe_," by _Kiesewetter_, the following
passage occurs. He is not speaking of the organ, but of the origin and
development of the science of harmony.
He says: "The union of different human voices which now occurred to
their thoughts (the early harmonists), was an imitation not altogether
happy, perhaps, of that which in various instances _they had discovered
with the organ_!" Here the fact that the organ was even then beginning
to assert itself, to mould the minds of the early writers, in fact, to
claim its royal dues, is pretty conclusively shown.
Time would altogether fail me in the scope that this lecture must
necessarily occupy, to trace down this influence, once established,
through the long cycle of years that followed; the theoretic science and
practical application keeping pace with the mechanical development,
until it found its full culmination and glory in the new-born science of
Counterpoint. This science, which has given polish to the mightiest
thoughts of the greatest masters of our art (and in totally different
departments than mere organ-playing),--a science, without a satisfactory
knowledge of which no man can call himself a thoroughly educated
musician,--sprang from just this source.
How often we hear the remark that contrapuntal treatment is best suited
to the organ! True; but how many reflect that the organ, so to speak,
first _dictated_ counterpoint to the world? An influence, which (the
free forms being derived from the stricter) is carried clear down into
the realm of Italian opera, _i.e._, when it is good of its kind. Is not,
then, this influence, which the organ has indisputably exerted upon not
merely its own literature, but the musical literature at large, an
all-sufficient proof of its right to the royal title? It must be borne
in mind that this absolutism, as in matters political (to carry out the
simile), was possible at this stage of the world in matters musical,
because not even the harpsichord, clavichord, spinet, or any of those
presentiments of the modern pianoforte, by whatever name they were
called, had as yet made their appearance. The organ was, for the time,
the sole keyed instrument.
In view of these facts, it seems to me that it may be justly claimed
that the title "king of instruments" should be based on far nobler and
more historic grounds than is usually done, and that we should not
content ourselves with explaining this phrase as arising from the
circumstances that it is the instrument which can, of its own resources,
make the loudest noise!
[Illustration: EARLY FORM OF THE REGALS. FROM LUCINIUS' MUSURGIA, SEN
PRAXIS MUSICAE. 1536.]
SECTION II.
[Illustration: FROM GORI'S THESAURUS DIPTYCHORUM.
SAID TO BE FROM AN ANCIENT MS. OF THE TIME OF CHARLEMAGNE.]
SECTION II.
The organ nomenclature has, as is the way of the world, changed somewhat
from age to age. In accounts of the old English organ, we frequently
find this and that church being referred to as possessing a "payre of
organs." This has been variously interpreted, some supposing it to refer
to organs of two manuals, which explanation seems natural enough; but
the best authorities explain it as meaning an organ which possesses more
than one rank of pipes, or more than one stop. Rimbault, who takes this
view, says the expression is to be regarded as a phrase of nearly
obsolete English, and to be taken in the same sense as we still
sometimes say "a pair of stairs," instead of a "flight of stairs." One
proof of this interpretation that he cites is interesting. During the
great Cromwellian rebellion, and the rule of the Roundheads in England,
a great many organs were destroyed by the soldiery, who considered them
a relic of Popery. At this time, a certain Mr. Pepys, whose diary is
still extant, travelled about considerably and interested himself in the
organ, as well as some other matters, as will be seen from the following
extract from the aforesaid diary. The point to us (although by no means
the only one to him) lies in the fact that he uses the words "the
organ" and the "pair of organs" as evidently, synonymous. He writes as
follows:--
April 5, 1667. "_To Hackney: where good beef tongue, and things to
eat and drink, and very merry, the weather being mighty pleasant;
and here I was told, that at their church they have a fair PAIR OF
ORGANS, which play while the people sing, which I am mighty glad of
wishing the like at our church at London, and would give L50
towards it._"
April 21, 1667. "_To Hackney church, where very full, and found
much difficulty to get pews. I offered the sexton money, and he
could not help me.... That which I chiefly went to see was the
young ladies of the schools, whereof there is great store, very
pretty" (you see how history repeats itself); "and ALSO the ORGAN,
which is handsome and tunes the psalms, and plays with the people;
which is mighty pretty, and makes me mighty earnest to have a pair
at our church, I having almost a mind to give them a pair, if they
would settle a maintenance on them for it._"
Mr. Pepys' heart was evidently in the right place, and the thought of
having the church provide a fund for the proper tuning and repair of the
organ, not only sensible, but, to quote his own words, "a mighty pretty"
idea.
The invention of the pedal key-board, that most important and
characteristic part of the organ, seems to have occurred about the
beginning of the fourteenth century. There is no reliable account of who
first made this addition, it being claimed by various parties. The
sixteenth century was the period when the arts of sculpture, painting,
and architecture had gained what might almost be termed a modern
artistic polish, in not a few instances, indeed, surpassing all that the
moderns have accomplished. The early school of church painters had
become modified. Grace and relative refinement had largely taken the
place of the early stiffness of design and execution, and in sculpture
and architecture were witnessed many of the results which are still the
wonder of the world. With this refinement came a taste for luxury and a
love of ornament which in the seventeenth and early part of the
eighteenth century had extended to and affected organ-building, at least
externally.
Seidel, in his work on the organ, gives this excellent account of the
tendency referred to:--
"At this time, great industry and expense was bestowed upon the external
decoration of the organ. The entire case was ornamented with statues,
heads of angels, vases, foliage, and even figures of animals. Sometimes
the front pipes were painted with grotesque figures, and the lips of the
pipes made to resemble lions' jaws. They went further, and threw away
the money, which might have been expended in a worthier manner, on the
display of the most tasteless and absurd tricks of art, degrading
thereby--doubtless unintentionally--a noble instrument, intended for
sacred purposes, into a _raree-show_. Among these ornaments, the figures
of angels played a very conspicuous part; trumpets were placed in their
hands, which by means of mechanism could be moved to and from the mouth.
Carillons (bells) too, and kettle-drums, were performed upon by the
movable arms of angels." (Think of an angel playing upon a
kettle-drum!). "In the midst of this heavenly host, sometimes a gigantic
angel would be exhibited hovering in a 'glory' over the organ, beating
time with his baton as conductor of this super-earthly orchestra!
"Under such circumstances, the firmament, of course, could not be
dispensed with. So we had wandering suns and moons, and jingling stars
in motion. Even the animal kingdom was summoned to activity. Cuckoos,
nightingales, and every species of bird, singing, or rather chirping,
glorified the festival of Christmas, and announced to the assembled
congregation the birth of the Redeemer. Eagles flapped their wings, or
flew towards an artificial sun. The climax, however, of all these
rarities, was the _fox-tail_. It was intended to frighten away from the
organ all such inquisitive persons as had no business near it. Thus,
when they pulled out this draw-stop, suddenly a large fox-tail flew into
their faces! It is clear that by such absurd practices, curiosity was
much rather excited than stopped, and that all this host of moving
figures, and their ridiculous jingling, disturbed meditation, excited
the curiosity of the congregation, and thus disparaged the sublimity of
divine service."
Of course all this nonsense in due time brought its own cure with it.
The money expended was diverted towards its worthy and legitimate
object, and to-day, in Europe, but few such relics of the past can be
found, and those generally in out-of-the-way places. I have myself seen
but one organ containing any of these absurdities. That was in a small
town of Camin, on the Baltic sea-coast of North Prussia, and I was
informed by the old organist (as Seidel says) that these things were
_reserved for Christmas and Easter_!
While the power, compass, and variety of organ tone, as well as the
mechanism of the instrument, made steady progress throughout the
fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the science of harmony in the largest
sense kept even pace with it, and, perhaps, received even a greater
relative development. Meantime, the orchestral instruments of the day
had received a fair share of improvement. The harpsichord had been
invented, and sufficiently perfected to be worthy of the powers of such
a master as Sebastian Bach. With the appearance of this great man the
art of counterpoint reached its culmination, never surpassed, if even
equalled in isolated instances, by any subsequent writer. His organ
compositions cover every resource, both in design and execution,
possible to the organ of his day; and yet, I do not think it too much to
say that, had Bach never written a single organ piece, his claims for
recognition as a great composer would remain substantially the same. His
greatest works are to be found among his vocal and orchestral writings.
Let us examine for a moment the reason for this, and of the influence of
the "king of instruments" upon musical composition at this time.
We have seen that contrapuntal treatment, so-called, owed its origin to
the nature of the organ. Vocal music, at the time of which we speak,
felt the same influence and followed the same form. Now, if we open one
of the vocal and orchestral scores of Bach, we shall see that while he
gives the instruments more freedom than his predecessors, in consequence
of their largely increased powers and the proportional increased ability
of the executants of his day, yet the contrapuntal influence is
everywhere visible. It was the period of strict form. As we count back
such cycles, it was but a relatively short time since music had been
"without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep,"
artistically speaking. Music was a serious matter. They revelled in
fugue, and even danced contrapuntally. Although not a direct influence,
perhaps, is not this state of things, after all, a sufficient proof of
the absolutism of the organ in a derived manner,--the regal sway of the
king of instruments at this period? Bach breathed new life into these
dry and purely scientific forms, and it is his greatest glory that in
many, if not all, of his profoundest works, his genius enabled him to
unite the emotional and aesthetic element with the purely intellectual
and scientific.
While the improvement of the organ, as respects both tone, mechanism and
general capabilities, continued, and still continues at the present day,
it is noteworthy that from the time of Bach, of all others, the
influence of the organ upon music at large began to diminish. From this
point we have to consider the decline of this influence, showing that
music began to emancipate itself, each instrument claiming and receiving
its own especial rights and treatment, long before a similar dawn of
liberty began in the political world. Two reasons conduced to this
change.
First, the requirements of music, which found no prototype in the organ
of that day. As the instruments were then built, they possessed but
little variety of tone, the swelling or diminishing of which was an
impossibility; nor had the organist any mechanical assistance whatever
to enable him to vary the combinations of stops.
Second, the invention of the harpsichord. This instrument, the
_avant-courier_ of the pianoforte, to which we have already referred,
had already become sufficiently popular to make its own peculiar
influence felt. This consisted in the power of crescendo and diminuendo
according to the force exerted by the player, and a light touch which
offered no impediment to rapid execution, besides certain other effects
through its characteristic tone impossible upon the organ.
The light touch of the harpsichord, as compared with the heavy and
fatiguing action of the organs of that day, was necessarily a source of
great attraction; and the instrument itself, although far from finding a
home in every household, as the piano has in our time, yet possessed the
merit of being portable.
It was not long before the transition period began,--that period in
which musicians and composers tested and decided upon that which was
best and most fitting in the treatment of these respective instruments.
Nowhere can we find more evident signs of this time of experiment, this
gradually leaving old landmarks and seeking a new form of expression,
than in the works of Bach himself.
In the "Well-Tempered Clavier" we find preludes and fugues impossible to
properly interpret on any other instrument except the piano, placed side
by side with those whose real significance can only be developed upon
the organ. In a portion of the pieces written especially for the organ,
we find, on the other hand, passages which to modern ears are only fit
for and tolerable on the piano. The dividing lines of effect, not to say
possibility, had not as yet been fully marked out. The organ was no more
disposed to give up its long sway, and be narrowed to its own particular
sphere, than any other sovereign, when the limiting influences of modern
times first began to make themselves felt. Like them, however, it was
obliged to yield. Little by little the piano emancipated itself from the
_strict_ contrapuntal chain which bound it to the organ, until, in the
sonatas of Mozart and Beethoven, it emerged into a new life.
Here it was strengthened by the _free_ contrapuntal treatment it
received, like the fruits of early education showing themselves in new
and original forms,--speaking a language founded indeed on the past, but
new, fresh, and sparkling; or, when adopting the strict style, taking it
up as a matter of choice, but not of compulsion. Such results followed
the invention of the harpsichord,--the early piano,--and here we must
leave it. It would, however, be an interesting subject to trace this
development down to Chopin, Liszt, and the modern Titans of the piano,
showing how gradually the mutual treatment of piano and organ
disappeared and what was substituted in their place. It could, however,
only be satisfactorily done by musical examples.
Meanwhile the orchestra blossomed into a new significance. To us moderns
who read its history, or look back into the scores which antedate this
time, it does not seem so much a period to be described, as that of
progress, as that of a veritable new birth itself, a new creation. And
this is, indeed, the fact; for no improvements in ancient instruments,
although they took place, nor addition of new ones, can account for the
change which now occurred in the orchestra. Here it was _the man_, not
the instrument; and the name of Joseph Haydn will always be quoted as
"Father of the Modern Orchestra."
The organ lost nothing of real value to itself by this increased
significance of other branches of instrumental music. Its sphere became
defined, and in Germany quite limited, as to this day it is but rarely
employed there in the way of accompaniment beyond supporting the choral
song of the congregation. In France and England it has been different,
the organ having been employed to accompany many anthems and other
extended pieces of music, which in Germany (at least in the larger
cities) would be given with the orchestra. It should be noticed that to
England we owe one great improvement, which, especially for the _role_
the organ is called upon to fill in this country, can scarcely be
overrated. I refer to the invention of the swell, and the great variety
of effects we are enabled to achieve by its means in both accompaniment
and solo playing.
[Illustration: A POSITIVE ORGAN. FROM AMBROSIUS WELPHLINGSEDER'S
EROTEMATA MUSICES PRACTIAE. NUREMBERG, 1563.]
SECTION III.
[Illustration: A CURIOUS ENGRAVING SHOWING AN ORGANIST PERFORMING UPON
AN INSTRUMENT WITH BROAD KEYS. FROM FRANCHINUS GAFFURIUS' THEORICA
MUSICA. 1492.]
SECTION III.
In the London "Spectator" of Feb. 8, 1712, is the following
announcement:--
"Whereas, Mr. Abraham Jordan, senior and junior, have, with their own
hands, joynery excepted, made and erected a very large organ in St.
Magnus' church, at the foot of London bridge, consisting of four sets of
keys, one of which is adapted to the art of emitting the sounds by
swelling the notes, _which was never in any organ before_; this
instrument will be publicly opened on Sunday next, the performance by
Mr. John Robinson. The above said Abraham Jordan gives notice to all
masters and performers, that he will attend every day next week at the
said church, to accommodate all those gentlemen who shall have a
curiosity to hear it."
Very little is known of this Mr. Jordan, except that his invention
pleased greatly, and was found of such practical use, that not only were
all new organs in England (virtually from this date) furnished with
swells, but himself and son found much occupation in adapting and adding
their invention to the older London organs. The lack of a swell is the
weakest point of the great majority of German organs. Even Dr. Burney,
fifty years after swells had become common in England, expresses, in
his famous work entitled _The Present State of Music in Germany, the
Netherlands and United Provinces_, two volumes, also _The Present State
of Music in France and Italy_, his great surprise to find them utterly
unknown upon the Continent. His remarks would hold true at the present
day with but little modification, as far as Germany is concerned, few
instruments outside the larger ones of recent date possessing this great
improvement. The reason of this is to be found, partly in the extremely
conservative character of their organ-builders, almost a national trait,
and still more in the fact that but little use would be found for a
swell organ outside solo playing. With us, nearly the reverse is true,
the swell being most indispensable in accompanying choirs as here
constituted. Notwithstanding this neglect of what seems to us an
indispensable addition to the instrument, the glory of the invention and
perfection of the organ justly belongs to Germany. Modern organ-building
requires the most profound study of the laws both of mechanics and
acoustics, and the German mind was constitutionally fitted, by a natural
depth and thoroughness of thought, together with the truly artistic
quality of patience, to be successful in solving this great
problem,--the creation of the most complex instrument known.
France, too, has produced her great organs and organ-builders. If often
lacking the sublimity and solidity of tone characteristic of many of the
famous German organs, they interest (particularly the American taste) by
a greater variety of the so-called "fancy," or solo stops. This
difference, too, has grown out of the nature of the duties demanded of
the organ and the organist in the service of the Roman Catholic church,
and it is these differences of usage which in process of time, combining
with further differences of national taste, led to that varied style and
treatment which we denominate "Schools of Playing."
We divide these schools into the German, French, and English.
The first of these, the German school, is especially characterized by
the importance given to the use of the pedals, the feet being called
upon to execute passages of equal melodic value with that assigned to
the fingers. This renders it the school of schools for those who would
really attain a mastery of the instrument, and gain that independence of
foot and finger so difficult to acquire. In fact, it is only possible by
a thorough study of the great masters in this school of playing, to
destroy that sympathy which exists between the left hand and the feet.
This sympathy lies in the fact that should a pedal passage _ascending_
occur in conjunction with a left-hand passage _descending_, the natural
inclination of the left hand is to follow the pedal, instead of
executing its own independent part. Of course the same trouble is
experienced if the conditions, as just stated, should be reversed. This
is the great difficulty of the _obbligato_, or independent mode of
treating the pedals, to conquer which may fairly be termed a life-study.
For this reason the earnest student should always begin his studies in
this school, and not deviate therefrom until such time as a reasonable
degree of skill has been attained, and the sympathy between hands and
feet, before alluded to, measurably overcome. And here let me say that
far too many of those who feel themselves drawn towards the study of the
organ, approach such study unprepared. The organ, as a keyed instrument,
has all the main points of technique in common with the piano. All the
varied forms of scales, arpeggios, &c., together with the necessary
independence of finger requisite to play in the _legato_ style, should
first be learned upon the piano, where, by the way, it can be more
speedily acquired. Pupils who, having accomplished this, proceed to the
study of the organ, can at once begin with the peculiarities and
characteristic difficulties of the instrument, and as far as the pedal
is concerned, will make far more rapid progress if fair manual players.
They are thus enabled to concentrate their attention upon that which is
new and strange to them. Such would undoubtedly be the testimony of all
those who have had experience in this branch of teaching.
Without questioning the pre-eminence of the German school in all matters
of technique and pure science, although educated in that school myself,
I would not claim for it, as do some, that it is the Alpha and Omega of
all true organ playing. Viewed in relation to the modern organ as it
exists to-day, especially in France, England, and America, it seems to
me that the instrument is in advance of the school, or that the school
is weak in the two following points:--
First: It does not make a sufficient employ of registration within the
limits of one and the same composition. Beauties of contrast, to be
obtained by this means, are too frequently regarded as a matter of less
than secondary importance. This, I am aware, arises from the fact that
the majority of German organs are incapable of producing such variety,
being built with a single eye to accompanying the congregation. In the
direction of the grand and sublime, this school is unequalled; but
surely there are many effects possible to-day which lay no claim to
profundity, and yet are pleasing and worthy of employment by a true
artist.
Second: Ignoring the emotional element in organ music to a great extent,
and substituting the purely intellectual and technical. In their
melodies we recognize the true inspiration of the great composers. The
scientific setting they may give them, the technical dress in which they
may clothe them, thus often greatly enhancing their beauty, is, after
all, a matter of pure science acquired through schooling and dignified
by talent. This appeals to the intellect, and is a most desirable object
of study; but the melodic inspiration itself appeals to the heart, and,
as the God-given quality, is the higher of the two. Now the German
writers for the organ, from Bach to this day, have, as a rule (to which
I am aware there are some marked exceptions), apparently avoiding giving
to the organ that _melodious_ element which their great composers have
so beautifully done, not only in their symphonic writings, but also in
their smallest works for the piano or other instruments. The mere lack
of means for expression (by means of the swell or other mechanical
appliances) is hardly a sufficient explanation of this, nor do I see
anything in the character of the organ to account for it. That the great
German writers following Bach (Mendelssohn excepted), but more
especially the masters of the more recent so-called Romantic School,
have contributed little or nothing towards the literature of the organ,
is really explained by the following remark of Berlioz, in his treatise
on "Modern Instrumentation." Speaking of writing properly for the organ,
he says: "The special resources are here so vast and numerous, that the
composer will never be well acquainted with them, as it appears to me,
unless he be himself an accomplished organist."
The French school of organ playing is usually light, sensational, often
pleasing, but too often frivolous and unworthy of the instrument. Yet in
a certain direction they have had their great men. No one who has had
the opportunity of hearing Lefebure Wely extemporize on that great organ
at the church of Saint Sulpice, in Paris, but must acknowledge that the
performance was masterly, although widely different from the German
school. In fact, these extempore performances of Wely's were far better
than his published compositions. The prevailing tone of the French
organ-playing is dramatic, and, as before said, too often sensational.
As might be expected from the national character, it forms a great
contrast to the German style. The use of the pedal for melodic phrases
is rare, it being more generally employed simply to give the fundamental
support of the harmonies and passages executed upon the manuals. On the
other hand, much attention is paid to registration, and frequently much
talent displayed in this direction; besides, their organs are built in a
manner calculated to assist the player in this respect. Of course the
Romish ceremonial, the universally dominant religion in France, gives
much opportunity for display of this kind. To judge any of these
varieties of organ-playing, it will be seen that the standpoint of use
to which the instrument is to be put must be carefully borne in mind.
Although this school is by no means devoid of excellencies, it is not to
be recommended to the American student who is seeking a solid foundation
in organ-playing. Still it may be employed to advantage, both in the way
of recreation, general culture, and especially as studies in
registration, after the "weightier matters of the law" have received due
attention.
The English school, as a _distinctive_ method of treatment, can hardly
be said to exist. It forms a sort of middle ground between the two
schools of which I have just spoken, and their organs may be described
in the same manner as to characteristics of building. In America, of
late years, we have followed suit, copying Germany in the voicing of
most of our open and stopped pipes, both metal and wood; copying France
in the main characteristics of their reed voicing (in which they were
long pre-eminent), and copying England in the general plan of our
organs, together with their conveniences of mechanism and effects of
combination.
In spite of the fact, then, that England has no distinctive _national_
school of the instrument, still there is probably no country where so
much interest is taken in organs and organ-playing as in the England of
to-day. Her prominent organists are solidly founded on the German
school; but while they execute these great works in a masterly manner,
their _repertoire_ extends over a far wider range and variety of
compositions than the German school alone can supply. This seems to me
to be praiseworthy, for although the practice of this theory may be
carried too far, and it is certain that _everything_ cannot even
approximately be played upon the organ; yet, in view of the vast
improvements of the last twenty years, all tending to assist the players
in producing effects impossible heretofore, why should the use of these
means be ignored? The English organists, to this end, have made a vast
number of arrangements and adaptations from works not originally
composed for the organ. Very many of these are just as effective as if
originally composed for the instrument, and so far form a welcome
addition to organ literature; inasmuch as they generally embody the use
of the new improvements and facilities referred to. On the other hand,
many of these go too far, and attempt transcriptions of compositions
totally opposed to the genius of the organ. The careful student will,
however, easily be able to recognize and avoid such, if he has had the
proper foundation laid before attempting works of this class.
There are those, however (and their opinions are entitled to respect),
who claim that such free treatment of the organ is improper. These
persons would, with little or no exception, limit the _repertoire_ to
such works as have been originally written for the organ; and when they
got outside fugue or canon, would still remain carefully within the
limits of purely contrapuntal orthodoxy. Any other treatment is styled
"_illegitimate_." I had hoped to avoid this terrible word,--the great
bugbear among conscientious students of the organ,--nor do I propose to
enter into any analysis of what the "legitimate" may or may not consist
in. The fact is, we should all retain our original opinions very much
according to our early education, natural tastes, and impressions. There
has been much controversy on this point, and I do not think it necessary
to contribute to that. In any case, where the subject under discussion
cannot be considered as a _positive_ right or wrong, but largely as a
matter of taste or preference, there will always be a difference of
opinion.
Froude, the historian, says in one of his published lectures:
"Controversy has kept alive a certain quantity of bitterness; and that,
I suspect, is all that it would accomplish if continued till the day of
judgment.... Each polemic writes for his _own partisans_, and makes no
impression on his adversary." So it would be in this case.
The inference which I draw from this superficial glance at the main
characteristics of these three schools, is this:--
The American student who would excel as an organist, must first be
thoroughly educated in the German school of playing. Here alone can he
gain the solid technique which will fit him for the execution of any
tasks he may propose to himself. Only from that mine of musical wealth,
the German school, especially as represented by Bach, can the suitable
foundation-stones for the desired structure be derived. But with this
foundation broadly and deeply laid, as the building progresses upward,
the best of architects may, without fear, add many things that simply
please the eye, but bear no relation whatever to the strength or
durability of the edifice. So with the education of the organ student;
first the broad foundation, and then a judicious liberalism. His
auditors will always remain the great public, and that public to the end
of time will never be so versed in musical science that it can
appreciate the stricter forms of organ music. But very many among the
public _can_ appreciate, or at least enjoy; and this number is
increasing from year to year. I am by no means arguing that the organist
should avoid these stricter forms on this account; quite the contrary;
but simply that the judicious liberalism above referred to should
provide as great a variety of musical food as will suit and satisfy the
musical appetite within the means of the instrument as it now exists.
Nor should the "milk for babes" be despised. The workings of this
principle will surely attract rather than repel, and maturer musical
strength will instinctively call for heartier food. We have to deal with
men as we find them, and tastes vary. A programme intended for a
miscellaneous audience is, after all, only a musical bill of fare. Real
musical hunger can only be satisfied with solids; but if we first quiet
the deeper cravings with roast beef, I know of no moral obligation why
we should not finish with ice-cream, if inclination should point that
way. To invert the order would be manifestly unsound.
To my mind, then, the duty of the American organist of to-day is to be
eclectic. He has no "call" to tie himself up exclusively and strictly to
any one particular school; nor, if he pursues the right course, need his
education, technical or aesthetic, suffer on this account. But he must
justify this argument by being thorough in what he undertakes. The skill
with which a thing is done goes far to justify it, if there is any
question at all about the matter. Not that I suppose that many can be
found, who, with all talent and due diligence, can equally excel in all
styles; still the effect of liberalism in this respect cannot but have a
good effect upon the general culture, and aid not a little towards the
accomplishment of that great problem, professional success.
I cannot close without a congratulatory word respecting the standing,
present and prospective, of the profession in America to-day. I am proud
that we begin to be able to point to so many musicians (even if the
number is still relatively few) who, both from their own scientific
standpoint, and from that of general culture, are deemed worthy of being
placed side by side with the other learned professions. Is not the
creation of this college as a branch of a university course, proof of
this comparatively new but happily increasing appreciation? Of what
importance, then, to keep this present status intact, to secure it, to
increase it, by upholding the dignity of our profession! Let such as
propose to devote their lives to it, both feel and practise the idea so
beautifully expressed by Schiller in his "Ode to the Artists"--
"O, Sons of Art! man's dignity to you is given,
Preserve it, then!
It falls with you; with you ascends to heaven."
* * * * *
"While you her thousand paths are tracing,
Press onward, keeping truth in sight!
Come, all together, stand embracing
Before the throne where paths unite!"
_Printed by the New Temple Press, Grant Road, Croydon._
[Illustration: THE ANCIENT MODE OF ORGAN BLOWING. FROM PRAETORIUS'
THEATRUM INSTRUMENTORUM. 1620.]
[Illustration: TERRA-COTTA MODEL OF HYDRAULIC ORGAN. CIR. 150 A.D.
CARTHAGE MUSEUM. FROM HERMANN SMITH'S _The Making of Sound in the Organ
and in the Orchestra._]
[Illustration: REV. F. W. GALPIN'S WORKING REPRODUCTION OF THE ROMAN
HYDRAULUS. FROM HERMANN SMITH'S _The Making of Sound in the Organ and in
the Orchestra._]
CATALOGUE B
LIST OF BOOKS ON MUSIC
Literature covering every branch of Music, Biographical and Critical
Studies of Composers, Histories of Musical Instruments, also valuable
Textbooks and Tutors for Teachers and Students of the Piano, Organ,
Violin, Cello, Theory, Singing, etc.
_All prices are net and postage extra_
WILLIAM REEVES Bookseller Limited
1a Norbury Crescent, London, S.W.16
Phone POLlards 2108
HISTORICAL, DESCRIPTIVE AND ANALYTICAL ACCOUNT OF THE ENTIRE WORKS OF
BRAHMS
BY
EDWIN EVANS (SENIOR)
The works are treated in the order of their opus number, and =every=
single composition is dealt with =exhaustively=. No other work with such
a wealth of detail exists in any language. The whole, being adequately
indexed, forms a complete reference book for pianist, student and
concert-goer, and may be described as =monumental=.
Of the =CHAMBER AND ORCHESTRAL= music, a minute analysis reaching to the
rhythmical significance of each bar is given.
The analytical accounts of the =PIANO= works are each subdivided under
the headings: Key; Time and Extent; Thematic Material; Melody; Harmony;
Rhythm; etc.
The =CHORAL= works are dealt with in the fullest detail, and original
English translations have been made to most of the =SONGS=.
Each volume is a self-contained unit and a complete textbook on its
particular subject.
=WITH 1,500 PAGES AND OVER 1,000 MUSIC EXAMPLES AND TABLES, COMPLETE IN
4 VOLUMES. OCTAVO, CLOTH,= L6 _net._ =OR SOLD SEPARATELY AS FOLLOWS:--=
=Chamber and Orchestral Works. First Series to Op. 67.= 30s. _net._
=Chamber and Orchestral Works. Second Series. Op. 68 to the end.= 30s.
_net._
=Piano and Organ Works.= Comprising the complete Solo Works; Works for
Piano and Orchestra; also Works for Piano Duet and Organ Works as
applicable to Pianoforte Solo. 30s. _net._
=Vocal Works.= With portrait. 599 pages. 30s. _net._
"This treatise is comparable only to the Kochel catalogue of
Mozart. Research and detail could go no further; this book, a
labour of love indeed, will be the standard work of reference on
Brahms for this century, if not longer."--_The Library Assistant._
AESTHETICS, CRITICISMS, ESSAYS.
=PAN PIPES. THE SPIRIT OF MUSIC= in Nature, Art and Legend, from East to
West. Penned in Sixteen Articles for General Reading, with Drawings of
Eastern Musical Instruments By G. P. GREEN (_author of_ "Some Aspects of
Chinese Music"). Crown 8vo, cloth, 7s. 6d. _net._
=HOW TO LISTEN TO GOOD MUSIC= and Encourage the Taste in Instrumental
and Vocal Music. With many useful Notes for Listener and Executant. By
K. BROADLEY GREENE. Complete, cloth, 7s. 6d. _net_; or in two books,
paper, 2s. 6d. _net_ each.
=MOZART, WEBER AND WAGNER=, with Various other Essays on Musical
Subjects. By HECTOR BERLIOZ. Translated from the French by EDWIN EVANS,
Senior, F.R.C.O. Crown 8vo, cloth, 10s. _net._
A charming Book of Musical Essays.
=SOME FAMOUS SYMPHONIES=, How to Understand Them. With their Story and
Simple Analysis. References also to Gramophone Records; numerous
Portraits. By J. F. Porte. Dealing with Symphonies of Beethoven,
Berlioz, Borodin, Brahms, Chausson, Dvorak, Elgar, Cesar Franck, Haydn,
Mendelssohn, Mozart, Schubert, Stanford and Tchaikovsky. Complete in
cloth, 8s. _net_, or in 2 separate parts, paper, 2s. 6d. _net_ each.
For the general reader and musician alike.
=THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF THE MUSICAL FESTIVAL.= By RUTLAND
BOUGHTON. 8vo, sewed, 1s. _net_.
The Decay of Triennials--The Rise of Competitions--The Reform of
Competitions--The Festival of the Future.
=SOME ASPECTS OF CHINESE MUSIC AND SOME THOUGHTS AND IMPRESSIONS ON ART
PRINCIPLES IN MUSIC.= By G. P. GREEN. Post 8vo, cloth, 6s. _net_, paper
covers, 3s. 6d. _net_.
=THE FUTURE OF MUSIC.= Coming Changes Outlined in Regard to Composer,
Conductor and Orchestra. By LOUIS LALOY. Translated by MRS. FRANZ
LIEBICH. 8vo, cloth, 3s. 6d. _net_; paper, 2s. _net_.
=SOME ASPECTS OF GIPSY MUSIC.= By D. C. PARKER. Post 8vo, cloth, 6s.
_net_ (or paper covers, 3s. 6d. _net_).
=MUSIC AND MUSICIANS.= Essays and Criticisms, by ROBERT SCHUMANN.
Translated, Edited and Annotated by F. R. RITTER. Portrait of Robert
Schumann, photographed from a Crayon by BENDEMANN. First Series, Eighth
Edition. Thick crown 8vo, cloth, 419 pages, 15s. _net_.
_Ditto._ Second Series. Fourth Edition, with a Contents-index added.
Thick crown 8vo, cloth, 540 pages, 15s. _net_.
=THE DEEPER SOURCES OF THE BEAUTY AND EXPRESSION OF MUSIC.= By JOSEPH
GODDARD. With many Musical Examples. Crown 8vo, cloth, 7s. 6d. _net_.
=MUSIC AND THE HIGHER EDUCATION.= Art a Necessity in the College World.
The Teacher's Preparation and his Method. By EDWARD DICKINSON. Crown
8vo, cloth, 10s. _net_.
=WOMAN AS A MUSICIAN.= An Art Historical Study. By F. R. RITTER, 8vo,
sewed, 3s. _net_.
=MUSICAL DEVELOPMENT=, or, Remarks on the Spirit of the Principal
Musical Forms. Being an AEsthetical Investigation, in which an Attempt is
made to show the Action in Music of certain Laws of Human Expression; to
point out what are the Spiritual Aims of the Chief Forms of Composition,
and the Broad Principles upon which they should be Constructed. By
JOSEPH GODDARD. 8vo, cloth, 10s. _net_.
=IN THE SERVICE OF ART.= A Plea for Simplicity in Music. By J.-JOACHIM
NIN. Translated by MRS. FRANZ LIEBICH. Post 8vo, 2s. 6d. _net_.
Translations of this brilliant essay have already appeared in
Spanish, Italian and German.
=THE PLACE OF SCIENCE IN MUSIC.= By H. SAINT-GEORGE. Addressed to
Advanced Students of that branch of Musical Knowledge commonly called
Harmony. With music examples. 8vo, sewed, 2s. 6d. _net_.
=NECESSITY OF MUSIC IN THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM.= Address delivered to
Members of the Music Teachers' Association. By A. W. POLLITT, _Mus.D.,
F.R.C.O._ 8vo, sewed, 1s. 6d. _net_.
=AESTHETICS OF MUSICAL ART=, or, The Beautiful in Music. By DR. FERDINAND
HAND. Translated from the German by WALTER E. LAWSON, Mus. Bac. Cantab,
etc. Second Edition. Crown 8vo, cloth, 10s. _net_.
=NATIONAL SCHOOL OF OPERA FOR ENGLAND.= Being the Substance of a Paper
read at Trinity College, London. By FRANK AUSTIN. 1s. _net_.
=MATERIAL OF MELODY= and Early Steps in Musical Art. By J. H. LEWIS. 6d.
_net_.
=MUSIC IN THE HIRSCH LIBRARY= (Part 53 of the Catalogue of Printed Music
in the British Museum), by A. Hyatt King and C. Humphries, 1951.
Published for the Trustees of the British Museum. This catalogue,
prepared by the Museum staff, lists also a considerable number of works
which were either not included in the original four volume catalogue by
P. Hirsch, or were acquired later. 4to, cloth, L2 2s. _net_.
BOOKS ABOUT MUSICIANS AND THEIR WORKS.
I.--COLLECTED.
=ON RUSSIAN MUSIC.= Critical and Historical Studies of Glinka's Operas,
Balakirev's Works, etc. With chapters dealing with Compositions by
Borodin, Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, Glazunov, and various
other Aspects of Russian Music. By GERALD ABRAHAM. With Frontispiece and
Music Examples. 8vo, cloth, 15s. _net._
Companion to the same author's "Studies in Russian Music."
=STUDIES IN RUSSIAN MUSIC.= Rimsky-Korsakov and his Contemporaries.
Critical Essays on the most important of Rimsky-Korsakov's operas,
Borodin's "Prince Igor," Dargomizhsky's "Stone Guest," etc.; with
chapters on Glinka, Mussorgsky, Balakirev and Tchaikovsky. By GERALD
ABRAHAM. Copiously illustrated by music examples. 350 pages, crown 8vo,
cloth, 18s. _net._
=FROM MENDELSSOHN TO WAGNER.= Being the Memoirs of J. W. Davison, forty
years Music Critic of "The Times," compiled by his son, HENRY DAVISON,
from Memoranda and Documents. With 52 portraits of Musicians and
Important Letters (previously unpublished) of Mendelssohn, Berlioz,
Gounod, Jullien, Macfarren, Sterndale Bennett, etc. Index, 539 pages,
8vo, cloth, 25s. _net._
=WITH THE GREAT COMPOSERS.= A Series of Pen Pictures, exhibiting the
Personal Characteristics as Artists of the World's great Tone Poets in
the form of Interviews. By GERALD CUMBERLAND. Portraits. Cr. 8vo, cloth,
10s. _net._
Deals with Chopin, Haydn, Mendelssohn, Paganini, Beethoven, Handel,
Rossini, Schubert, Liszt, Berlioz, Mozart, Wagner, Tchaikovsky,
Cherubini, Wolf, Borodin, Schumann, Sullivan.
=THE SYMPHONY WRITERS SINCE BEETHOVEN.= Critical Essays on Schubert,
Schumann, Goetz, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Brueckner, Berlioz, Liszt, Strauss,
Mahler, Mendelssohn, Saint-Saens, etc. By FELIX WEINGARTNER. Translated
by A. BLES. Twelve Portraits. _Second Impression._ With Chapter added by
D. C. PARKER on Weingartner's Symphony No. 5. Crown 8vo, cloth, 12s. 6d.
_net._
=REEVES' DICTIONARY OF MUSICIANS.= Biographical Accounts of about 2,500
Noteworthy Musicians of the Past and Present. Edited by EDMONDSTOUNE
DUNCAN and Others. Crown 8vo, cloth, 7s. 6d. _net_ (paper covers, 4s.
_net_).
=SKETCHES OF GREAT VIOLINISTS AND GREAT PIANISTS.= Biographical and
Anecdotal, with Account of the Violin and Early Violinists. Viotti,
Spohr, Paganini, De Beriot, Ole Bull, Clementi, Moscheles, Schumann
(Robert and Clara), Chopin, Thalberg, Gottschalk, Liszt. By G. T.
FERRIS. Third Edition. Crown 8vo, cloth, 8s. 6d. _net._ Edition with
Portraits to each, 10s. _net._
=SKETCHES OF ENGLISH GLEE COMPOSERS.= Historical, Biographical and
Critical. From about 1735-1866. By D. BAPTIE. Post 8vo, cloth 8s. 6d.
_net._
=ENGLISH GLEE AND MADRIGAL WRITERS.= By W. A. BARRETT. 8vo, cloth, 6s.
_net_ (paper covers, 3s. 6d. _net_).
=SOME MUSICAL RECOLLECTIONS OF FIFTY YEARS.= By RICHARD HOFFMAN. With
Memoir by MRS. HOFFMAN. Illustrated with many Plate Portraits. Crown
8vo, cloth, 10s. _net._
=MUSICAL MEMORIES.= By WILLIAM SPARK, _Mus.Doc. (late Organist of the
Town Hall, Leeds)_. Revised Popular Edition. With sixteen Portraits.
Thick crown 8vo, cloth, 10s. _net._
=BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY OF FIDDLERS.= Including Performers on the
Violoncello and Double Bass, Past and Present. Containing a Sketch of
their Artistic Career, together with Notes of their Compositions. By A.
MASON CLARKE. Nine Portraits. Post 8vo, cloth, 10s. _net._
"We may here take the opportunity of recommending a useful book to
all lovers of violins and violinists. Fiddlers, Ancient and Modern,
is practically a little Biographical Dictionary, well arranged,
with some excellent portraits."--_Northern Whig._
=HOW TO STUDY THE PIANOFORTE WORKS OF THE GREAT COMPOSERS.= By HERBERT
WESTERBY Mus.Bac. Handel, Bach, Haydn, Scarlatti, Mozart, Clementi, C.
P. E. Bach. With Portraits and Musical Examples throughout. Crown 8vo,
cloth 12s. _net._
The following issued singly, paper covers: HANDEL, 1s.; D. SCARLATTI,
1s.; J. S. BACH, 1s. 6d.; C. P. E. BACH AND HAYDN, 1s.; CLEMENTI, 1s.;
MOZART, 1s. 6d.
=MAKERS OF MUSIC.= Biographical Sketches of the Great Composers. With
Chronological Summaries of their Works and Facsimiles from Musical MSS.
of Bach, Handel, Purcell, Dr. Arne, Gluck, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven,
Weber, Schubert, Berlioz, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Schumann, Wagner, Verdi,
Gounod, Tchaikovsky, Brahms and Grieg, with General Chronological Table.
By R. FARQUHARSON SHARP. Numerous Portraits. Fourth Edition, Revised and
Enlarged. Crown 8vo, cloth, 12s. 6d. _net_.
The author's endeavour throughout this work has been to convey an
impression of the personality of each composer, as well as to
furnish biographical details. At the end of each biography is a
tabulated list of the composer's works and dates of production,
together with a facsimile from one of his original manuscripts. A
useful volume, got up in good style and well adapted for a gift or
prize. Has speedily run into several editions.
=BRITISH MUSICAL BIOGRAPHY.= A Dictionary of Musical Artists, Authors
and Composers born in Britain and its Colonies. By J. D. BROWN and S. S.
STRATTON. 8vo, cloth, 21s. _net_.
BOOKS ABOUT MUSICIANS AND THEIR WORKS.
II.--INDIVIDUAL.
=BACH. A DIGEST OF THE ANALYSES OF J. S. BACH'S FORTY-EIGHT CELEBRATED
FUGUES FROM THE WELL-TEMPERED CLAVIER= (Das Wohltemperirte Klavier).
With over 1,600 Music Examples and 46 Tables. The five parts in one
thick royal 8vo vol., cloth, 25s. _net_. Compiled by BROOK SAMPSON,
F.R.C.O.
The following parts can be had separately:--
Section I, Subject, Answer, Theme. 2s. 6d. _net_.