TALKS ON MUSIC.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXV, Issue XXIV, 15 December 1900, Page 1104

TALKS ON MUSIC.

By

W. H. WEBBE.

(Specially Reported for the “Graphic.”)

‘ MUSICAL HISTORY.”

The following is the conclusion of the lecture delivered by Mr W. H. VVebbe at the School of Music, Grafton Road, on Thursday, November 15, about MUSICAL HISTORY. POLYPHONIC MUSIC. We now come to Palestrina (15141594), in his time the greatest master of the science and art of music. His right name was Pier Luigi Sante, but * he is universally known as Palestrina, which was the name of his birth place. It was he wljo was commissioned by the Council' Of Trent in 1563 to write some masses which were to be intro- • duoed for the (purpose of deciding whether tEe<''polyphonic style should be adopted'■.»!• the old plain Gregorian chant retained. The greatest of these masses was known as the “Marcellus Mass.” ‘ Polyphonic music, which originated with the early French school during the period from 1100-1310, developed considerably with the Netherland schools from about 1420 to 1625. The great Palestrina, of whom I have just spoken, was trained so to speak in the Netherland school. Polyphonic art commenced to receive attention in Italy from about 1525, when in Napoli a school was founded mostly through the efforts of the good priest Giovanni da Tappia, and a poor artisan named Francisco, who for nine years had begged from house to house for donations for the school, which was called the Conservatorio. In a very few years there were nearly 800 students at this school. In 1576, just 50 years after the first school was founded, a second school was opened, and a little later on two more were established. In 1808 all these schools were amalgamated, and from then known as the Royal College of Music. Venice during the 16th and 17th centuries was the other great centre of music. A clever English composition, a round, with strict canon for four voices, entitled “Sumer is Icumen in” (Summer is Coming in) is believed to be the oldest piece of polyphonic and canonical composition in existence. It was composed somewhere about 1230 or 1240. The words of the music is shown in Naumann’s History of Music, also in Mathews’ Popular History of Music. The composition by the way is in simple triple measure, and in the key of F. MUSICAL NOTATION. For nearly 500 years the four lines stave which had been invented by Guido was in general use. It was about A.I). 1500 that the five line stave was introduced and afterwards universally adopted. As you are all aware we now use not only for piano music but for vocal part music, the two staves of five lines, which are

respectively designated the bass and treble staves. These two staves were evolved from a stave of 11 lines, as are all the other staves in use, viz., ■sopranci, mezzo-taopranoi. til to, tenor and baritone. The first two staves named are also called the F and G staves, after the respective clef characters u|sed. (The other 'five staves all use the C clef, the clef being placed on a different line for each of the staves named. This stave of 11 lines was called the great stave, but it was not known for how long the stave was used prior to its evolution into the staves of five lines. At different periods the lines of the. staves were in different colours, in one notation of Guido, two out of the four lines of the stave appepr to have been in different colours, and the other two in black. In a five line stave of a later period the second line was occasionally yellow and the fourth line red, while the others appear to have been of a very dark blue, nearly black. At a still later period the four lines were all black, and with coloured notes as are used to the present day in the Gregorian Psalters. In the time of* Hucbald, for polyphonic music a. stave or no less than 15 lines was sometimes used. The C clef remained in general use until the end of the 17th century, when the G clef on the second line was introduced. This G clef had previously been • written upon the first or third lines, while the F clef was not finally fixed to be placed on the 4th line until the beginning of the 18th century, so you will see the two five line staves as we have them now have not been in use 200 years. Sharps appear to have originated during the 13th century, but sharps and flats as we now use them only date from the. early part of the 18th century. Our major scales as we have them at the present day date from the 16th century. The system of notation known as the Tonic Sol-fa, introduced by John Curwen a little over 40 years ago, has met with wonderful success. There is a Tonic Sol-fa College which has been established in London s nee 1862; its pupils'scattered in different parts are said to now exceed the number of half a million. More than half the schools in Great Britain teach singing by this method. MENSURABLE MUSIC. TJre oldest mensurable music up to the end of the thirteenth century had no measure signatures. From the 12th to the 13th century, triple measure was mostly used, the troubadours sang- their music in even measure, but their system of accentuation wes imperfect and very free, ft was. not untill the 14th century, when ecclesiastical music had been much developed,

that duple and quadruple measures were introduced. The bar line was then still unknown, although the measure signatures were in use. The oldest signatures are those expressing ternary or three-part, and binary or two-part measure. The first signature was the O designated tempus perfectum 3, and the second, C, tempus imperfectum 2. From the 14th to the 16th centuries the brevis was calculated at alxrnt the value which our whole note or semibreve now is. It may be well for me to state that the old measure signatures had really little or nothing in common with the measure signatures of to-day. which have been gradually evolved from measure-signatures originating with Bach. Handel, and other masters. MODERN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. Certainly the two most popular of modern musical instruments are the piano and violin. 'The violin is an instrument that has caused much dispute as to its antiquity. As I have already mentioned the primitive yiolin was the invention of the Ceylonese, but the modern violin is an instrument which can trace its origin to the 16th century. One of the earliest violins extant is a tenor dated 1580. The Rev. Haweis gives much information about violins in his work entitled “My Musical Life.” The violin was greatly improved during the 16th century at Cremona in Lombardy. It attained perfection at the hands of Stradivari (1649-1737), a pupil of one of the earlier celebrated makers, Amati. Violins of to-day are almost identical with the instruments made by Stradivari. The other popu'ar instrument, the pianoforte. I dealt with in a previous lecture. THE ORGAN. The king of instruments is the wellmerited title given to the pipe organ; this instrument is of very 'humble origin, but has developed into one of such wonderful capacity as to be nearly capable of representing a full orchestra. If any of you have been fortunate. enough to hear the Sydney organ played by such a master as Wiegand, you would not doubt my word. In the middle ages we find there was an organ presented by the Emperor Constantine in 742 A.D. to King Pepin of France. This organ is said to have had bass pipes, blown with bellows’ bags. It was played with both hands and feet, and is believed to have been the first organ seen in France. Caliph Haroun Alraschid (I do not allude to the one of Abraham Nights fame) presented an organ to Charlemagne. for the church at Aix-la-Chap-elle. In the early part of the 9th century some organs were built for the churches in Venice, and in the 19th century an organ was p’aced in Munich Cathedral. Going to our own country, England, we find in the 10th century that organs were introduced into many churches. Winchester Cathedral claimed to have one of the best organs of that time. The early organs were made with slides to be pulled out to make the pipes speak, the valve which supplanted the use of the slide was no doubt invented when more than one set of pipes was used. It is a pity that the date and the originator of this clever invention is not known. In primitive organs the keys were very wide, some of them being between three and four inches. The sharps and flats in the earlier organs were placed two or three inches above the natural notes. The key-board as we have it at the present day combining sharps and flats dates from the middle of the 15th century; pedals were introduced in the early part of the 16th century. OTHER MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. The following are the names of the other musical instruments in use at the present day: Stringed (bow): Viola, violoncello, double bass. Stringed (plucked): Harp, mandolin, zither. Wood, wind: Flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon. Brass Wind Instruments: Horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba. Instruments of Percussion: Kettledrums, drums, triangles and cymbals. ORATORIO. The oratorio is not only

one of the oldest but one of the most important musical forms, and therefore occupies a prominent position in the history of musical art. Its origin can be traced to remote ages, although in its modern form it has only existed somewhere about 300 years. Traces of sacred music drama are to be found in Greek tragedy, and in the religious ceremonies of the Egyptians. The Church in the earlier centuries united with its ceremonies the dramatic element. The Gospels were not sung or spoken as they are at the present day, but were acted, the actors being assisted by choristers. In the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries representations of the Passion were given with music. During the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries the sacred drama, which was the precursor of the modern oratorio, made considerable stiides. The earliest oratorio writer, as far as we know, was Cavalieri, who composed an oratorio in 1600. In 1627 Capollini wrote an oratorio, “Il Lamento di S. Maria Vergine,” and in 1634 Landi composed “St. Alessio,” was produced by Rossi. Nearly all the great composers have written oratorios. THE OPERA. Modern opera originated in Italy towards the end of the sixteenth century. One of the first operas, “Dafne,” by Caccini and Peri, was produced in 1597 at Florence. “Euridice,” by the same composers, and considered by many to be the first true Italian opera performed in public, was produced three years later. It may be mentioned that a copy of this opera is to be seen in the collection of art treasures at the British Museum. The first public Opera House was opened in Venice in 1637. The greatest Opera writer of this period was Scarlatti (1659-1725), who composed no less than fifteen operas, many of which were exceedingly popular at the time. The opera is a form of great importance in consequence of the combination of different arts. The idea of amalgamating the arts of speech and song and of action in one work originated with the ancient Greeks. During the Dark Ages in Europe art and science remained almost stagnant, and it was not until the sixteenth century that any satisfactory progress was made in civilization. Opera may be divided into four classes: — The serious opera (Italian). The romantic opera (German). Opera comique (French). Ballet opera (English). The pioneers of Italian opera were first Willaert, and a little later on Gabrielli, and then Monteverde. The opera which was first successful at Venice afterwards became popular in Florence, Rome and Naples. Rossini, in later times, did much to improve opera. From 1813, when “Taneredi” was produced in Venice, until 1829, when “William Tell” was given in Paris, his triumphs as an operatie composer never lessened. One Of the greatest living opera composers is Verdi. His operas are numerous, and some of them are unequalled in popularity, such as “11 Trovatore,” “La Traviata,” “Aida.” Of the living opera composers after Verdi the most popular are Boito, born 1842, whose “Mefistofele,” produced in 1868, has met with wonderful success, and Mascagni, born 1863, whose “Cavalleria Rusticana” is almost everywhere well known. THE GERMAN OPERA. The birth of the opera in Germany was of a much later date than in Italy. Tn 1827 the opera “Dafne,” by Peri, was imported from Italy, and entirely rewritten by Schutz, and given in German at Dresden. For some time Italian opera predominated in Germany, except in Hamburg, where the German opera made great progress. In 1678 the first German opera house was opened with the opera “Adam and Eve.” From 1693 to 1706 the German opera became very popular in Ham-

bnrg. Fur a long period after this, opera fell very Hut, and not until the end of the century was it resuscitated, when Hiller produced at Leipzig “The Village Harber,” “The Hunt, etc., between 1768-I*o7. Mozart was one of the earliest composers of German opera, but the public did not give so much favour to his works as to those of Dietersdorf, who adapted Ids productions to suit the public taste. It is said that Beethoven considered “Zauberflote” to be Mozart’s greatest work. Other celebrated composers of German opera were Beethoven, Schubert, Hummel, Spohr, Weber, Herold, Gluck, Meyerbeer. Flotow. Suppe, Dvorak and Humperdinck. whose “Hansel and Gretel," produced in 1894, has met everywhere with popular favour. < In the romantic, or German opera, the main feature is characteristic expression resulting from the coniposers fancy or imagination being more active and inventive than in any other opera forms. The modern German opera has been greatly advanced by Wagner, whose masterpieces have astonished the musical world. FIIEMH OPERA. The French opera had its origin in the ballet. The ballet in those days—the latter part of the sixteenth century and lieginning of the seventeenth -was a form of drama which included a play with dancing, songs and dialogue. The characteristics which distinguish French operas are grace, clearness. a marked charm of rhythmical expression, a fullness of life, and a great variety of harmonious changes; there is, as I’auer puts it, “also an undeniable elegance, a never-failing taste, and a peculiar French quality, best defined as piquancy, or the power of exciting and maintaining the attention.” In French opera comique, music forms the lesser, and dialogue the greater ingredient (if 1 may so term it.) The story of an opera comique is often very intricate and complicated, and the process of carrying out the plot could not be so intelligently rendered by the means of music as through the words. Some attribute the starting point of French opera to the play. “Robin and Marian,” by Adam de la Halle (Hale), (1240-1285?). ENGLISH OPERA. England cannot claim any original school of opera. British composers have mostly followed Italian, French or German styles of operas, and have produced some excellent work, but it is possible that only a few of them will prove lasting, English ballad opera very much resembles the early French operettas, inasmuch as it is generally full of songs and ballads; for example, the once popular -Beggars' Opera” contains no fewer than sixty-nine songs. The dramatic in English opera is generally wanting, and herein lies the great distinction between English ballad and French operas eomiques; the former mostly depending upon songs and ballads for their popularity, and the latter for their dramatic effect and their piquancy. The. first English opera was by Clayton, produced about 1665. Sir Arthur Sullivan (b. 1842) is at the present time the brightest star in the firmament of English opera. His operas are. mostly humorous, and have certainly hit the public taste, for they meet with universal success. (A cable announced the death of Sir Arthur Sullivan since this lecture was given.) CONCLUSION. Musical history covers such a wide field that it is not possible for me to 'get any further just now, but when 'the lectures recommence. I- shall probably continue the subject. Thanking you all for the great attention you have given to these lectures, which are now concluded for the season. , (Concluded.) • L = o o o o o : Miss Ethel Louis Croucher, a pupil nt the Nelson School of Music, has been awarded the gold medal by the "Associated Board of the Royal Academy of Music and Royal College of Music, London. Miss Croucher, who is a talented violinist, obtained the tigbest marks in the senior grade at the local centre examinations of New Zealand. The school is in a very flourishing condition. Before May next

it will, in conjunction with the Harmonic Society, occupy a new building, with a concert hall, the whole property being north £SOM. We have to acknowledge from Messrs Allan ami Co., the well-known music publishers, of Melbourne, a copy of Bach's “Two-part Inventions," which the firm has just issued. The work is edited by Mr W. A. Laver, pianoforte master and examiner at the Mellxmrne Conservator!um of Music, who has written a special preface and margined the music. The Rev. G. A. Robinson, of Gisborne (Vie.), one of the trustees of the funds raised for the musical education of Miss Amy Castles, writes as follows to the Melbourne “Argus'"; “It will come as a surprise to many to hear that Miss Amy Castles has changed her teacher in Paris. A cablegram to this effect was received by me. Acting on the advice and encouragement of the best musical critics here. Miss Castles went Home to be trained as a soprano. The most distinguished critics in the Old World maintained that she did possess a soprano of a very high and exceptional quality. She put herself accordingly under the tuition of Madame Marchesi to be trained as a soprano. Latterly, however, Madame Marches! has been training her as a mezzo-soprano. Miss Castles was naturally dissatisfied, and sought once more the advice of the most experienced critics in the Old World. They unanimously concurred iit maintaining that the voice was clearly a soprano, and this accounts for Miss Castles' action. It will be gratifying. however, to know that Madame Marchesi has expressed herself very pleased with her pupil, whom she described in a recent letter as ‘excellent, most amiable, and diligent.’ and likely to become ‘an admirable singer, and a credit to her country ami friends.'” Mr Charles Edwards, the examiner for the Ixmdon Triulity College of Music, in a conversation with a representative of the “Otago Daily Times.” stated that he found a distinct advance in music .in the colonies compared with his previous visit here two years ago. We are promised a visit from Miss Hollander, who lias a tine contralto voice, a pupil of Mr Bethune. The young lady, supported by a concert company, will probably commence her tour of the colony about Christmas time at Wellington. The Auckland Liederta'fel will give the closing concert of their season on Friday next. The society will give eight of their popular part songs, and the other items on the programme .are all attractive. Mdlle. Antoinette Trebelli has returned to Now York after a visit to France. The popular soprano will arrive in Australia about the middle of April next, much earlier than she had arranged prior to last leaving here. She will first-visit Sydney, and will be in Melbourne at the time of the Duke of York’s visit. *