Interludes 
 
 Seven Lectures delivered 
 between the Years 
 
 1891; and 1897 
 
 H.C. BANISTER 
 
BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME 
 FROM THE 
 
 SAGE ENDOWMENT FUND 
 
 THE GIFT OF 
 
 X891 
 
 ..A-../i4ii.i.£... MUSIC mn^i 
 
The original of tliis bool< is in 
 tine Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924021807924 
 
INTERLUDES. 
 
GEORGE BELL & SONS 
 
 LONDON : YORK STREET, COVENT GARDEN 
 NEW YORK: 66, FIFTH AVENUE, AND 
 BOMBAY: 53, ESPLANADE ROAD 
 CAMBRIDGE : DEIGHTON, BELL & CO. 
 
/h*i/tt^ C^uty^Uoc^ 
 
^^''^^^^ 
 
 INTERLUDES 
 
 SEVEN LECTURES DELIVERED 
 
 BETWEEN THE YEARS 
 
 1 89 1 AND 1897 
 
 BY THE LATE 
 
 HENRY CHARLES BANISTER 
 
 PROFESSOR OF HARMONY AND COMPOSITION AT THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF 
 
 MUSIC, THE GUILDHALL SCHOOL OP MUSIC, AND THE ROYAL 
 
 NORMAL COLLEGE AND ACADEMY OF MUSIC 
 
 FOR THE BLIND, NORWOOD 
 
 COLLECTED AND EDITED BY 
 
 STEWART MACPHERSON 
 
 FELLOW AND PROFESSOR OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF MUSIC 
 
 WITH A PORTRAIT 
 
 LONDON 
 
 GEORGE BELL AND SONS 
 
 1898 
 
CHISWICK PRESS :— CHARLES WHITTINGHAM AND CO. 
 TOOKS COURT, CHANCERY LANE, LONDON. 
 
PREFACE 
 
 The present volume consists of a collection of 
 lectures by the late Mr.H. C. Banister, found 
 among his papers after his lamented death in 
 November of last year, and now printed for the 
 first time. As these lectures were delivered on 
 various occasions between the years 1891 and 
 1897, before aiidiences differing widely in their 
 character and composition, it will be occa- 
 sionally noticed that certain thoughts and pro- 
 nouncements occur more than once in the col- 
 lection in similar or, perhaps, almost identical 
 language ; but as there is, for the reason stated 
 above, no intended continuity of idea between 
 the various lectures, this seems to the Editor to 
 be of small moment, especially as the excision 
 of such passages would in most instances have 
 completely marred the author's design. The 
 Editor is responsible for a slight modification 
 of the original text where the absence of the 
 
VI PREFACE 
 
 musical illustrations, which Mr. Banister fre- 
 quently introduced in explanation of his subject, 
 rendered this imperative. Nowhere, however, 
 have these modifications been otherwise than 
 purely verbal ; and, as a consequence, the 
 opinions and views expressed by Mr. Banister 
 — even where the Editor has not been able to 
 see " eye to eye " with him — remain exactly as 
 uttered by him when the lectures were delivered. 
 
 London, 
 
 March, 1898. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 I. The Uses of Musical Knowledge . . i 
 II. The Appreciation of Music . . .28 
 
 III. Music and Preaching .... 48 
 
 IV. The Development of Movement Structure 80 
 V. Some Thoughts Concerning Musical Com- 
 position 121 
 
 VI. Counterpoint in Modern Free Composi- 
 tion 143 
 
 VII. The Music of the Victorian Era . .165 
 
 The portrait is from u photograph by Mr. W. J. Wright of Upper 
 Norwood. 
 
INTERLUDES 
 
 I. 
 
 THE USES OF MUSICAL 
 KNOWLEDGE 
 
 One of the most eminent authorities on educa- 
 tion ^ has said to teachers : " First break down 
 the knowledge-idol ; smash up the idolatry of 
 knowledge ; frankly and fairly admit that the 
 majority of mankind cannot get much know- 
 ledge, and that any attempt to make them get 
 it is a manufacture of stupidity, a downward 
 education." And again : " Intellect-worship and 
 the banner of knowledge set up in a kingdom 
 mean death to true progress." 
 
 In harmony with this dictum, in spirit, is that 
 of another eminent writer and speaker : ^ " The 
 desire to know is an illusion. I do not say it is 
 a delusion, but an illusion. . . . We are never 
 more completely taken in than when in pursuit 
 
 • The late Rev. E. Thring. 
 " The late Professor H. Drummond. 
 B 
 
2 THE USES OF MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE 
 
 of knowledge. Our idea is that we want the 
 knowledge itself: in reality we wish no such 
 thing. Men imagine when they go to classes, 
 or join reading circles, that they wish to learn 
 history and logic and mechanics and geology 
 and chemistry. No such thing. That is the 
 illusion of the spirit of learning, and it is a very 
 beautiful and successful illusion. They are no 
 more in pursuit of these things than the angler 
 who spends a summer day by the river, and 
 comes back with a basket full of trout, cares for 
 the material product of his skill. It is not the 
 trout he cares for, but the pursuit ; and it is not 
 the knowledge men care for, but the pursuit of 
 it. The trout are edible and will count for 
 something on the breakfast table ; and know- 
 ledge is good, and its social and market values 
 are not to be despised : and yet it is an illusion 
 — a mere bait to make them do something else 
 without their knowing it." And again, Ruskin 
 says : " The real animating power of knowledge 
 is only in the moment of its being first received, 
 when it fills us with wonder and joy. Once 
 thoroughly our own, the knowledge ceases to 
 give us pleasure. It may be practically useful 
 to us ; it may be good for others ; or good for 
 usury to obtain more ; but, in itself, once let it 
 
THE USES OF MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE 3 
 
 be thoroughly familiar, and it is dead. The 
 wonder is gone from it, and all the fine colour 
 which it had when first we drew it up out of 
 the infinite sea." 
 
 Now, I can imagine that some of you may 
 very well feel inclined to say, "If this be true, 
 why call us together to hear a discourse on the 
 uses of musical knowledge : " if, after all, it be the 
 pursuit, the effort, which is the benefit, rather 
 than the knowledge itself that is gained ? And 
 my reply may, at this preliminary stage, be that, 
 while I wish to meet the inquiry so often put 
 with regard to some branches of musical know- 
 ledge and study, " Cui bono? what is the good 
 of it ? " I wish first to assure you that there is 
 a charm in the pursuit itself: I wish you to 
 be enamoured of it, not merely for the sake of 
 the ultimate benefit or utility of the knowledge 
 attained ; but, specially with regard to musical 
 knowledge, with the methods of pursuit, over 
 and above that which appertains to that process 
 in other, or many other, departments of know- 
 ledge-seeking. I think it important that you 
 be enamoured ; and then the wooing will be to 
 you like Jacob's seven years, " which seemed 
 but a few days, for the love which he had for " 
 his cousin Rachel. 
 
4 THE USES OF MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE 
 
 For I confess that I have little care to speak 
 to you in any mere utilitarian spirit. I speak 
 to you as musical students, being myself a life- 
 long musical student, and the first thing requisite 
 to establish sympathy between us is that we be 
 at one in this ; that we love music for its own 
 sake, and therefore wish, at any cost, to know 
 about her all that we can ; and then, I think, I 
 may succeed in showing you a little about 
 musical knowledge and its uses : its uses as 
 matters of interest, not merely of gain, in any 
 material sense. I assume this, then, as that on 
 which we are all agreed. 
 
 Now, what do we mean by " musical know- 
 ledge ? " knowledge which " is power ? " What 
 is it that you are pursuing, and may intelligently 
 pursue, as musical students ? What is the com- 
 prehension of the term ? How much does it 
 embrace ? I am not speaking of practice of an 
 instrument, or of the voice, but of knowledge. I 
 need not say anything about the use of technical 
 knowledge of all that pertains to your instru- 
 ment, be it what it may, in order that you may 
 be thoroughly furnished with all that has to do, 
 mechanically and technically, with performance 
 thereon. No enlargement on so obvious a 
 matter can be necessary, and all that is to be 
 
THE USES OF MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE 5 
 
 said on the subject comes within the domain of 
 your respective professors. But there is a 
 somewhat prevalent notion among musical 
 aspirants — I do not apply the term "student" 
 to such as entertain this notion — that this special 
 departmental knowledge is all that is really 
 requisite for a performer ; or, at all events, that 
 other knowledge is so indirect in its bearings 
 on practical performance, as to be of but slight 
 advantage to those who only aspire to be in- 
 strumentalists or vocalists, that it may well be 
 dispensed with, especially as being as dry as it 
 is superfluous, and that the time and labour 
 requisite for its acquisition had far better be 
 devoted to additional practice of a technical 
 kind, vocal or instrumental. In other words, 
 that to be a pianist one need only practise the 
 pianoforte; to be a vocalist, only practise 
 singing, and so forth ; and the remonstrance to 
 the contrary would be met by the matter-of-fact 
 expostulatory question — shall I be any better a 
 player, or singer, as the result of any further 
 knowledge than that which appertains, im- 
 mediately and directly, to my own department ? 
 I need hardly say, then, that the kind of 
 knowledge about which I am speaking, and 
 about which such sceptical and utilitarian in- 
 
6 THE USES OF MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE 
 
 quiries would be made, is mainly that which 
 comes under the broad and somewhat indefinitely 
 comprehensive term of theoretical knowledge, 
 with which, however, must be associated his- 
 torical and some other collateral knowledge. 
 But when I speak of theoretical knowledge I 
 do not mean sets of rules. I remember a man, 
 notorious rather than eminent, who made great 
 pretensions to being above all things a contra- 
 puntist. As a youth I heard the inquiry made 
 concerning him whether these pretensions were 
 sound and genuine. The reply was, "Well, he 
 knows a great many rules T Now this is not 
 what I understand musical knowledge to com- 
 pass, useful as rules may be in some stages ; 
 I mean knowledge of music, musical principles, 
 works, and structures. 
 
 When Artemus Ward, at the conclusion of 
 one of his lectures, pointing to a panoramic view 
 of the Himalaya, said dryly : "If, as the result 
 of all I have said, any one of you should be 
 induced to attempt the ascent of one of the 
 Himalayan range, I shall feel that I have not 
 spoken in vain." I shall certainly not para- 
 phrase his quaint irony. I do not desire that 
 any of you, as the result of any remarks I may 
 make, should become fugue-writers or composers 
 
THE USES OF MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE 7 
 
 at all. I should rather say with old John 
 Cramer : " By all means let all musical students 
 learn how to write fugues, all about the subject 
 and the answer, tonal, real, authentic, plagal, 
 the stretti, the episodes, inverse movement, 
 augmentation, diminution, pedal-points — all 
 about it ; and then, when you have learnt how, 
 don't write one ! " I am not going to speak 
 about the way to become composers, or the 
 uses of theoretical knowledge to them ; that, I 
 should think superfluous. But I address myself 
 rather to the class whose questionings I have 
 endeavoured to formulate, and, in addition, to 
 those who, being earnest theoretical students, 
 will welcome some suggestions as to the appli- 
 cation of the knowledge which they are so 
 sedulously acquiring. 
 
 Ido not for a moment forget that the beautiful 
 Art to which you are more or less devoted is an 
 Art, rather than a science ; having to do less 
 with facts to be known, than with emotion ; that 
 it is a product of the imagination, nature's 
 " highest gift," which " ' makes ' a world that 
 transcends nature, or ' sees ' what in nature is 
 hidden from the eyes of ordinary men." ^ But 
 
 ' Principal T. C. Edwards. 
 
8 THE USES OF MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE 
 
 one of my contentions, now, is that intelligence 
 and imagination should here go hand in hand ; 
 and that understanding and emotion should be 
 linked, both in the interpretation and in the 
 enjoyment of our Art; I might add, in its 
 production, were I addressing an audience of 
 composers. A recent speaker, eminent, super- 
 eminent in his own profession,^ that of surgery, 
 said concerning literature : " Intellectual know- 
 ledge or discernment was npt necessary to a 
 comprehension of beauty. He doubted whether 
 any man admired the scenery of the cliffs and 
 mountains any the more because of his know- 
 ledge of their geology." 
 
 Now, I venture to think that there is some 
 confusion of thought here. To some enjoyment 
 of beauty, intellectual knowledge may not be 
 necessary ; but to its comprehension — taking it in 
 — in any proper and full sense of the term, which 
 is one of fulness, surely " discernment," which 
 implies intellectual knowledge, is necessary, and, 
 where it exists, must conduce to enjoyment. A 
 geologist has all the same opportunity for ad- 
 miring the beauty of form, colour, and so forth, 
 of the mountain and cliff scenery, with the super- 
 
 ' Sir James Paget. 
 
THE USES OF MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE 9 
 
 added intellectual enjoyment of discerning the 
 history of countless ages, which they reveal or 
 indicate. 
 
 We are told on unquestionable authority that 
 " knowledge puffeth up ; " undoubtedly it does, 
 unless there be moral qualities to balance it, 
 which shall " build up." But while knowledge, 
 especially " a little knowledge," " pufFeth up," so 
 does ignorance ; a veritable wind-bag is the 
 ignorance of a little knowledge. When Sir 
 Sterndale Bennett was Principal of the Royal 
 Academy of Music, some young men came to 
 him as candidates for admission as students, 
 and, with the swagger that comes from "ad- 
 vanced" xhovL^Xrlessness, with the grandiose 
 air of superior persons, said, " Ah, we go in for 
 Wagner, and the modern school " — and so forth. 
 Bennett quietly replied : " Far be it from me to 
 hinder you from any explorations in any region 
 of music; but let me ask you, do you know 
 Mozart's Symphonies ? " 
 
 " Oh ! ah ! let's see, there's the 'Jupiter' that 
 they sometimes do something from at the Pro- 
 menade Concerts ; yes, we think we've heard 
 that." " And you do not know how many he 
 wrote. Do you know dementi's Sonatas or 
 Haydn's Quartets ? " and so on. " Oh, no ! we 
 
lO THE USES OF MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE 
 
 do not know anything about those." " Well, let 
 me advise you to make some acquaintance with 
 these, and similar acknowledged classics of the 
 musical art; and then come again to me and 
 talk about modern school, and advanced Art, and 
 all the rest of it" Of course I give not the 
 precise conversation, which I did not hear, but 
 the general purport, as told me by Bennett him- 
 self. It is this basis of musical knowledge, some 
 acquaintance with the classics, and with the pro- 
 gress of the art, proceeding therefrom, that I 
 would urge upon musical students. Think of 
 young people coming professedly to enter upon 
 a course of study, coming to learn, and pluming 
 themselves upon their advancement, and pre- 
 scribing to the Principal of their chosen school 
 what they shall learn, and where they shall 
 begin, — that beginning, moreover, to be a stage 
 of modern advancement. And people are con- 
 sidered to belong to the party of progress, who 
 think themselves in the van of advanced thought, 
 but who have made no progress ; that which they 
 think they know being not their attainment, 
 but their beginning ! Progress, forsooth ! what 
 from ? 
 
 That which I wish to impress upon you, as 
 musical students, is, that there is a great deal 
 
THE USES OF MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE I I 
 
 more to learn, a great deal more knowledge to 
 acquire, than can be learnt or acquired by lesson- 
 taking, however diligently you may apply your- 
 selves to the deriving from the lessons that you 
 receive all the benefit which they may impart. 
 And you must take yourselves in hand ; your 
 professors cannot, in limited time, stock your 
 minds with all needful musical knowledge ; you 
 must try to compass so much about the progress 
 and development of the Art as shall enable you 
 to understand whereabouts you, and we all, now 
 are in that evolution. You should, as pianists, 
 for instance, understand so much about the suc- 
 cessive stages in the development of your instru- 
 ment and its precursors as to trace the expansion 
 of the music written for such keyed instruments, 
 from the older forms of Partita and Suite to the 
 modern Sonata; and the reasons for certain 
 forms of passage, and certain kinds of ornament 
 or agrimens. This will have its influence, or 
 should have, upon your performance, in showing 
 you that any attempt to impart the largeness — 
 mind, I do not speak of greatness, but large- 
 ness — of modern pianoforte music to the older 
 music by adding octaves, filling up harmonies, 
 and so forth, is an anachronism, an historical 
 and artistic mistake, associated with the vulgar 
 
12 THE USES OF MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE 
 
 conception that a work cannot be great without 
 being big ; that much idea involves many notes, 
 and the like. 
 
 Beware of thinking that, a century or two 
 ago, the Art was in its infancy ; or that those 
 who then produced music were mere babes, or 
 even — by a paradoxical perversity — estimating 
 them as " old fogies." You see, or hear, or try 
 to play, a modern piece of music, with many 
 notes in a bar; perhaps very fine, but not 
 because of its many notes. And then you turn 
 to an old work with very few notes, and think it 
 slender, and almost imagine that the composer 
 did not put any more notes because he could 
 not think of any. Rest assured that it is likely, 
 rather, to have been because he did not need 
 any ; the few expressed his clearly-defined, 
 strong ideas. 
 
 Did you ever observe, or think, how much 
 there is, in small compass and with small show, 
 in one of Bach's two-part Inventions, which you 
 may have almost set aside as dry little exercises, 
 and would have been ready to join with some 
 one that I once heard say concerning the 
 children who were condemned — mark you, not 
 privileged — to play them, " Poor little things ! " 
 
 But stay! I have to speak of knowledge. 
 
THE USES OF MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE 1 3 
 
 Have you the knowledge requisite to discover 
 the closely-packed thought that is in these ? 
 Will you understand the technical terms that I 
 must use ? A complete musical idea is termed 
 a Subject ; that you probably know. But when 
 the initial idea of a composition hardly attains 
 the completeness which is indicated by even a 
 termination, or Cadence, or close, it is sometimes 
 termed a Motivo ; a germ idea, supplying the 
 motive-power for thought, for working, for 
 development. Now most of these Inventions 
 by Bach start with just such a motivo ; a little 
 waif or stray, as it might seem to the superficial. 
 But even as a waif in the street, passed care- 
 lessly by the unthinking, is a little jewel because 
 of his soul, and will repay seizing and develop- 
 ing, so here.^ And, in this little phrase in two 
 clauses — hardly that — is contained the whole 
 movement, — as surely as the little Q.g^ not 
 larger than a pin's-head contains all that is vital 
 of, and is to issue in, the splendid butterfly 
 which will delight the eyes, and which no art 
 can imitate. The whole movement is made of 
 this motivo; only one half-bar, till the final 
 chord, that has not this in it. That which is 
 
 ^ Opening phrase of Bach's first two-part Invention. 
 
14 THE USES OF MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE 
 
 true of the wonderful works in creation, that 
 they "are great, sought out of all that have 
 pleasure therein," is true, in lesser degree only, 
 of works of human intellect, which are derived 
 from the Infinite mind. But have you pleasure 
 therein, so as to seek out that which is herein ? 
 Now, of course, just as with any other waif, or 
 any fragmentary thought, all depends upon 
 what is made of it, done with it. How does it 
 seem the other way, turned round ? 
 
 Now that turning it round, niaking an ascent 
 for descent, and vice versd, is termed Inverse 
 Movement ; not to be confounded with Inversion^ 
 which is turning upside down ; though some 
 musicians do confuse the two terms, using in- 
 version to signify inverse movement. Now, 
 this little motivo sounds well both ways, which 
 is in its favour ; it is, so to speak, good on both 
 sides. 
 
 Now, again, just as of a little waif, one may 
 speculate, or even prophesy, as to what he may 
 turn out when he grows ; so here, early in the 
 career of the motivo, part — just the first four 
 notes — are taken in notes of double the length ; 
 which is te.rm.ed. Augmentation. You may say that 
 to write quavers for semiquavers has nothing of 
 special interest in it ; but then this is done in 
 
THE USES OF MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE 1 5 
 
 combination with the original presentation, only 
 by inverse movement, like pointing to a little 
 waif, and while looking at him and recognizing 
 that he is a little boy, bringing in the imagination 
 of him as a man, in conjunction with, or contrast 
 with, his present size. And one gets accustomed, 
 as one goes on with the movement, to this 
 augmentation; and seems to make the com- 
 parison that one will some day about the grown- 
 up waif, and say, " Yes, I remember him as a 
 little waif, a little boy." 
 
 Now observe, further, that the second clause, 
 as I have called it, of this phrase, fits in with 
 the first clause, so that they can be sounded 
 together, the one being the accompaniment to 
 the other. And this fitting one part to another 
 — getting two phrases to combine — is just what 
 is meant by Counterpoint ; writing part against 
 part, or, as it is also described, "the art of com- 
 bining melodies." And you will also observe 
 that this second clause, under which the first 
 clause is placed, may also be taken, with equally 
 good effect, as the lower part, with the first 
 clause over it, and this is termed Double Counter- 
 point, which is simply an invertible counterpoint. 
 
 And then again, let me say, that this writing 
 one clause to fit in, sound well with, make a 
 
l6 THE USES OF MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE 
 
 good counterpoint to, the previous clause, is just 
 what is requisite in the form of composition 
 termed a Canon; the whole art of canonic 
 writing consisting in writing that which, while 
 it is a natural continuation of that which pre- 
 cedes, shall also be its natural accompaniment. 
 Very simple this, as I try to put it lucidly, 
 but not easy to do, I need hardly assure 
 you. 
 
 So, thus far, we have had the whole motivo in 
 combination with the augmentation of the first 
 half of it, and then the second clause in com- 
 bination with the first clause of it, by inverse 
 movement. And then, as the movement pro- 
 gresses, that first clause is taken, in alternation, 
 by the two parts, like a conversation, both by 
 direct and by inverse movement, almost like 
 badinage, upon one aspect of a proposition. 
 And then the clause is reiterated, — taken by 
 prolongation, — different from augmentation, and 
 so, with modulations, changes of key, which are 
 to the ear just what change of scene is to the 
 eye and to the mind, the whole movement is 
 carried on, with conciseness, cohesion, con- 
 tinuity, and completeness. Of this latter you 
 can only judge by hearing it as a whole. And 
 if any one urges the objection, which I have 
 
THE USES OF MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE 1 7 
 
 heard shallow people advance, that all this 
 which I have been briefly explaining and illus- 
 trating makes no difference in the worth of the 
 music as such, however ingenious and skilful it 
 may be and is ; and is only interesting to those 
 who know about it, my reply is two-fold. Firstly, 
 that knowing about it is the very matter about 
 which I am talking to you ; I desire to illustrate 
 to you the interest of knowing about it ; this is 
 one of the " applications of musical knowledge." 
 And, secondly, that the sense of completeness, 
 fitness, finality, consistency, which, without your 
 "knowing about it," may well impress you 
 in listening to such a movement as a whole, 
 results from the coherence, consistency, re- 
 levancy, unity of thought and purpose which 
 characterize the music : it is intense thinking 
 to a purpose ; condensed, compressed, strong 
 thought. And my two-fold reply is like the 
 subject of this invention, the two sections fit in 
 with one another. 
 
 If you have had your interest awakened at all 
 by even this slight sketch of one of these inven- 
 tions, I can only say that there are fifteen of them 
 in two parts, and the same number in three 
 parts, and that there is no diminution in their 
 interest. 
 
1 8 THE USES OF MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE 
 
 I can understand, however, that some may, 
 almost with a kind of revulsion, turn away from 
 such an analysis, even in miniature, as this, and 
 say : " Music is a matter of emotional enjoy- 
 ment, not of logical study, like this ; and if 
 musical knowledge means going into such 
 minutice, and considering them like mathe- 
 matical problems, I, for one, do not care about 
 it." Well, it is of little use talking about know- 
 ledge to those who are not willing to think; 
 and that is why so many find theoretical studies 
 difficult ; it is not because of the special diffi- 
 culties of the study of harmony, or of counter- 
 point, but because they have not been trained 
 to think; to think systematically, closely, and 
 about that which is open to their observation. 
 And one of the uses, to all of you, of trying to 
 acquire musical knowledge, is that of mental 
 training and discipline, in connection with a 
 delightful pursuit and subject. Charles Kingsley 
 somewhere says: "Study something; it does 
 not much matter what ; " and surely it is most 
 natural that you should make that your study 
 which is to be your calling, when it is of so 
 delightful and refining a character. And there 
 is opportunity in musical study for acquiring the 
 habit of accurate thinking, almost as though it 
 
THE USES OF MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE 1 9 
 
 were an exact science, in association with all the 
 charm that pure imaginativeness will yield. 
 
 It is, moreover, with this, as with a country 
 walk ; with that it is a question of " eyes or no 
 eyes" — that is, whether you have the know- 
 ledge, and the observant habit, which shall 
 enable you to reap " the harvest of a quiet 
 eye." With music it is not so much, or solely, 
 "ears or no ears," but trained ears, together 
 with a furnished mind. And however exuber- 
 antly imaginative any music may be, if it be 
 worth anything at all it will yield reward for 
 intelligent observation — that is, observation in 
 conjunction with knowledge — such as shall place 
 you in the attitude of mind which Faraday ex- 
 pressed when, anticipating a scientific experi- 
 ment, he said, " Tell me what I am to look for." 
 He knew, " prince of experimenters," as Tyndall 
 has termed him, that without this previous in- 
 struction the very thing to be observed might 
 escape him. 
 
 And there are a great many things " to look 
 for " in music. One thing which may sound 
 rather paradoxical to enunciate is ^' the unex- 
 pected" and one might almost unexceptionally 
 apply to music the well-known assertion that 
 "nothing is so certain as the unexpected" in 
 
20 THE USES OF MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE 
 
 good music, with any pretensions to elaborate- 
 ness. But this requires a little illustration and 
 elucidation. 
 
 Music is a language, and, like other languages, 
 has its punctuation, i.e., its divisions into phrases, 
 sections, or paragraphs, and the like. These 
 divisions are indicated, marked off, in music 
 by different sorts of close, or cadence. Without 
 these divisions — points of repose, or, so to speak, 
 breath-taking for the attention — there would 
 ensue both strain and indefiniteness. It would 
 be intolerable, moreover, were any considerable 
 portion of the music to go on without some such 
 terminal point as is analogous to a full-stop, 
 That we have in the formula termed the per- 
 fect cadence, or full close ; and that which is 
 termed the half close, or imperfect cadence, 
 corresponds to the semicolon, or colon. In 
 one of Coleridge's essays, at the commence- 
 ment of a sentence, there is a footnote to the 
 effect that the sentence does not terminate with 
 a full-stop till six pages later on, in order that 
 the reader's power of continuous attention may 
 be tested and exercised. Now this would be a 
 great demand on the attention, were it at all 
 frequent, whether in literature or in music. But, 
 on the other hand, it becomes fatiguing from 
 
THE USES OF MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE 21 
 
 its monotony if that which is read be all broken 
 up into short sentences, even with semicolons 
 dividing them, antithetically. In this sense 
 how wearisome, tiresome to the ear — I say not 
 to the mind — is a whole chapter of the sen- 
 tentious wisdom contained in a series of laconic 
 axioms, such as the book of Proverbs. Now, 
 in music, one of the points of power and interest 
 is the sustaining power in conjunction with the 
 sufficiently frequent incidence of such less de- 
 cisive closes than the full close as shall give a 
 momentary fresh departure. To keep stopping 
 at the end of every four or eight bars, as in a 
 Psalm tune, or a ballad, becomes as irritating 
 as travelling by a train which calls at all 
 stations. 
 
 Now, among other devices for attaining this 
 continuity, and, at the same time, affording 
 agreeably disappointing surprise, is that of 
 averting a cadence or close, when it is expected, 
 a device known as an interrupted cadence. This 
 is neither more nor less than leading up to the 
 point when a final termination, a full close, is 
 expected, and then introducing some other chord 
 than that expected, the key-note common chord. 
 Examples of this device, the charming effect of 
 which IS felt, where the process is not recognized 
 
22 THE USES OF MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE 
 
 or understood, abound in the great composers' 
 works. Apart from the surroundings, it is not 
 easy to feel the power of them ; and, therefore, 
 specimens are of little avail. I may just cite 
 one or two instances, however. In the Sonata 
 Op. 57, by Beethoven, generally known as the 
 " Appassionata," though not so termed by him, 
 the second subject commences in such a manner 
 as to give a full close, though in a modified 
 form, at the fourth bar. When, however, that 
 same subject is introduced in the second part, 
 in another key, the cadence is averted, three 
 times in succession, giving continuity in the 
 working. 
 
 Easier to understand is another example 
 from the same sonata, at the close of the slow 
 movement, which, in fact, does not close, but, 
 the cadence being interrupted, leads into the 
 finale. 
 
 Another example occurs in the last move- 
 ment, before the coda. 
 
 But these surprises, associated in such cases 
 with continuity, are not the only kind of un- 
 expected progressions in music. Unexpected 
 harmonies, in place of the more usual, or of 
 that which has previously appeared at the cor- 
 responding place, may be, and often are, intro- 
 
THE USES OF MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE 23 
 
 duced at other prominent points. Take, for 
 instance, the variations by Mozart on " Unser 
 dummer pobel meint" (Gluck), in one of which, 
 at the resting note in each phrase, the phrase is 
 linked on to the next by the surprise passage 
 commencing on an unexpected harmony. 
 
 But now, speaking of these chords, I should 
 give them, successively and respectively, the 
 names of (a) dominant 7 th ; (d) second inversion 
 of dominant 7th in the key of the sub-dominant ; 
 (c) first inversion of dominant triad in E minor ; 
 (el) first inversion of dominant 7th in D. And 
 while some might say, " Oh ! I should never 
 remember all that, and those hard names," I 
 tell you that the knowing all these chords thus 
 is just the thing that enables me to remember 
 the passage. This kind of knowledge is a 
 great help to memor}^ Failures in memory 
 often result from its being mechanical rather 
 than intelligent. A knowledge that a move- 
 ment passes through certain keys, diverging 
 here by this chord, there by that, is like a chart, 
 assisting the mere memory of impressions. 
 And the same holds good of reading at sight. 
 A musician knows that such a chord is that 
 of, say, the German 6th resolving to the French 
 6th, and then to the dominant triad ; whereas 
 
24 THE USES OF MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE 
 
 a non-musician has to try to remember that 
 the chord consists of D^l, B», F», A^, and 
 so on. To the harmonist it is a word; by 
 the non-harmonist it must be re-spelt, or re- 
 membered in its speUing, not as a whole, for 
 each time. 
 
 And again, having been speaking of cadences, 
 I may here remark that the knowledge of how 
 to ornament with "cadenzi," cadence passages, 
 in vocal music — though I could well wish them 
 to be abolished, as they ought to be no more 
 requisite than in pianoforte sonatas — requires 
 acquaintance with the harmony on which the 
 ornamental flourish should be founded, and 
 how, therefore, it should be constructed. Forty 
 years ago, when I began teaching — nay thirty, 
 twenty — it was generally known among mu- 
 sicians that — I must almost bate breath in saying 
 it, true as it was — to be a vocalist was to be a 
 non-musician in the large majority of cases. 
 I think the reproach is not so universally applic- 
 able now ; but I fear that it is by no means 
 obliterated, and it ought to be obliterated. For 
 anyone to have to say, I am a singer, but not a 
 musician, what a discredit it is ! No branch of 
 musical practice should be carried on without 
 musicianship. To be a musician is to render 
 
THE USES OF MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE 25 
 
 yourself independent of that worst of all kinds 
 of so-called teaching which is called coaching. 
 
 I have, in years gone by, called on a Saturday 
 to rehearse, as accompanist, with a professional 
 vocalist, two or three songs for a Monday 
 evening concert, and she has been obliged to 
 say, " I cannot rehearse this one, for I have not 
 yet sung it to Mr. So and So ! " Now this 
 is a condition of things not to be tolerated, and, 
 pianists and vocalists alike, the acquisition of 
 real, sound, musical knowledge — theoretical, 
 historical, and technical — will often now, and 
 ultimately entirely, render you honourably, not 
 disrespectfully or vauntingly, independent of 
 your professors. You will, with such know- 
 ledge, not be constantly requiring your pro- 
 fessor as a referee as to when to use the damper 
 pedal, how to play certain grace notes or 
 Hgrimens, ancient or modern, and whether such 
 a note is a misprint, or whether it should have 
 been marked sharp, and so on. 
 
 We in this school,^ as in all such institutions 
 worthy any notice, desire that you should be 
 not pretenders, nor executants, vocal or instru- 
 mental merely, but musicians with competent 
 
 ^ The Guildhall School of Music. 
 
26 THE USES OF MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE 
 
 knowledge for all that you undertake ; and if 
 you are to undertake tuition, rather than per- 
 formance, however humble or elementary, how 
 important that you should be thoroughly fur- 
 nished with knowledge — ^broad, general, and 
 accurate — to enable you to meet the score of 
 educational emergencies, so to speak, which will 
 surely arise. I might tell you of all that has 
 to be learnt about fugue devices, about sonata 
 structure, about rhythm, phrasing and accent, 
 about modulation and the importance in per- 
 formance of due stress, prominence being given 
 to modulating chords, and many, many other 
 things. I have sought more to stimulate your 
 interest than to satisfy your inquiries, to suggest 
 and to hint at lines of investigation and depart- 
 ments of knowledge. Even as an eminent 
 preacher discoursing on the text, " While I was 
 musing the fire burned," divided his sermon by 
 first speaking on the benefits of musing, and 
 then trying to add fuel to the fire, so have I 
 sought to show you some of the uses of know- 
 ledge, by briefly furnishing a very little, sug- 
 gestively, rather than exhaustively, in the hope 
 that you will go away, not so much saying, 
 " Now I know exactly to what use to put 
 each item of knowledge," as rather saying, with 
 
THE USES OF MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE 27 
 
 a pupil of mine, " What a deal there is to 
 know ! " There is, and it is worth knowing, and 
 most interesting is the task of acquiring it. Do 
 not be superficial, but determine, in the best 
 sense, determine to be — knowing. 
 
II. 
 THE APPRECIATION OF MUSIC ^ 
 
 As my subject is appreciation, I will begin by 
 assuring you how highly I appreciate the fra- 
 ternal feeling and artistic spirit in which you 
 have honoured me by asking me to visit you, 
 as a guild, and to address you on some aspects 
 of musical thought in which we can all join, 
 though you are following and representing a 
 speciality in the diversified branches of our 
 Art. Certain matters in the practice of our 
 Art you know vastly more about than I. Other 
 matters concerning the principles of our Art, it 
 is possible that I have thought about more than 
 you — some of you, at least — have had occasion 
 to do. At all events, it is by each adding his 
 quota to the common stock that we consolidate 
 and weld the various items which go to make up 
 the entirety — if that is ever to be made up — of 
 musical knowledge and acquirement. I hope that 
 your motto is : " Musicians first, organists after- 
 
 * Delivered before the " Guild of Organists," 1891. 
 
THE APPRECIATION OF MUSIC 29 
 
 wards." Because you count me as, to some 
 extent, a musician, you ask me to come and con- 
 tribute of my little store, and I gladly acknow- 
 ledge the honour, appreciate the compliment. 
 
 Appreciation, be it borne in mind, is a much 
 more comprehensive term than taste, suscepti- 
 bility, impressionableness, or even admiration ; 
 taking in all these, it implies also judgment 
 founded on knowledge. It is defined, authori- 
 tatively, as "the action of estimating qualities 
 or things, deliberate judgment ; . . . perception, 
 recognition, intelligent notice, especially percep- 
 tion of delicate impressions or distinctions ; . . . 
 adequate, or high estimation, sympathetic re- 
 cognition of excellence." ^ Mr. Gladstone speaks 
 of "the mental culture necessary to appreciate 
 Homer." Hawthorne, speaking of another, 
 says : " It requires a finer taste than mine to 
 appreciate him." These two utterances in- 
 dicating respectively the need both of natural 
 and acquired appreciative power : the faculty 
 and the cultivation. 
 
 And this may serve to suggest the reason of 
 much non-appreciation, mis-appreciation, and 
 shallow appreciation, if this be really apprecia- 
 
 ' Murray, sub v. 
 
30 THE APPRECIATION OF MUSIC 
 
 tion, and, perhaps, of some of the qver apprecia- 
 tion of music with which one meets. That is 
 true in our relation to music which is expressed 
 with regard to the world around us in the 
 popular saying : " the world is to us very much 
 what we are to it ; " or that which is illustrated 
 in the story of " Eyes and No Eyes," and sug- 
 gested by the very title of the book, " The 
 Harvest of a Quiet Eye." Or again, since I 
 speak, to a guild of church musicians, I may call 
 your attention to the general ethical principle 
 involved in words which you chant on the third 
 evening of the month: "With the holy thou 
 shalt be holy; and with a perfect man thou 
 shalt be perfect. With the clean thou shalt be 
 clean, and with the froward thou shalt learn 
 frowardness," ^ which expresses not only the 
 principle of the Divine dealing in the manifesta- 
 tion of His glory, but also the essentials, on our 
 part, to the right apprehension of all that is 
 pure, noble, refined, grand, in religion, in 
 character, in nature, or in art. 
 
 And, seeing that music is not a matter of im- 
 pressionism, merely, but also of Art in its " all- 
 roundest" presentation, not only of sensuous, 
 
 ' Psalm xviii. 25, 26. 
 
THE APPRECIATION OF MUSIC 3 1 
 
 or rather sentient delight, but also of logical 
 sequence, and of structural arrangement ; and 
 that it appeals to the diverse emotions of tender- 
 ness, passion, awe, — and likewise to the mental 
 perceptions of symmetry, consecutiveness, co- 
 herence, — and so on : and then remembering 
 how diverse are the emotional and the mental 
 constitutions, whether natural or trained, among 
 men, what wonder that there should be- such 
 diverse, almost contrary apprehensions or ap- 
 preciations concerning the multiform varieties of 
 musical composition. It is all very well to 
 recognize, as Rossini did, only two styles of 
 music, good and bad ; that is a rough and ready 
 distinction, hardly to be termed a classifica- 
 tion, which may be made about a number of 
 things, with very little discriminating aptitude. 
 But even as in the pictorial art there is landscape, 
 and historical, and genre painting — and, ob- 
 viously, that is only one illustration among many 
 that might be adduced — so with music. There 
 is the contrapuntal and fugal style ; there is 
 the impassioned, declining all the restraints of 
 that other style ; there is the higher style, or 
 combination of the two styles, which can express 
 passion in conjunction with the restraint of 
 structural law, more worthy of a rational as 
 
32 THE APPRECIATION OF MUSIC 
 
 well as emotional being, of which, for instance, 
 Mendelssohn's Fugue in E minor, Op. 33, fur- 
 nishes an example ; and I might go on sub- 
 dividing. But it seems to be rare for the emo- 
 tional and the intellectual to be so balanced in 
 the same nature, and, moreover, for the same 
 intellectual nature to be both rangie and rai- 
 sonnie ; and so we get one-sidedness, prejudice, 
 and non-appreciation, in judging, or opining, or, 
 in a way, appreciating music. It need be no 
 discredit to any one that, with limited faculties, 
 individual proclivities or habits of thought, he 
 should fail to appreciate all kinds of excellence 
 or beauty in musical composition, as in anything 
 else. But it is a discredit that this non-appre- 
 ciation of works and compositions which have 
 won the admiration of the most competent judges 
 at their own period should become positive de- 
 preciation with an accompanying tone of lofty 
 superiority. It is this that would almost irritate 
 those of more complete knowledge, of wider 
 training, and fuller, broader sympathies, were 
 it not that those who assume this lofty tone are 
 known to be speaking of that which they so 
 imperfectly understand. Moreover, there are 
 certain fundamental principles of beauty and 
 artistic structure which, if once understood, must 
 
THE APPRECIATION OF MUSIC 33 
 
 silence the contemptuous banter of these self- 
 sufficient critics ; and their scorn betrays their 
 disqualification for the position that they take up. 
 
 In a notice of a literary work, recently, it was 
 said of the author that, like another great writer, 
 he " has his special circle of worshippers, who 
 appear to adore his eccentricities as part of his 
 genius." ^ And it was asked, " Is it too unkind 
 to suggest that intellectual pride has something 
 to do with this enthusiasm ? Delighted with 
 themselves for being able to distinguish mag- 
 nificent shapes in it, they are pleased to imagine 
 their admiration of the intricate pattern is a 
 mark of superior understanding." 
 
 Now we live in a period when, if it be not 
 paradoxical to say it, eccentricity is a common- 
 place. I will not presume to assert this with 
 regard to literature, to pictorial art, to various 
 other matters : that is not my province. But 
 do I err, or misrepresent the case, when I assert 
 this with regard to music, whether in composition 
 or in performance ? I am aware, of course, that 
 the various manifestations of the tendency that 
 I Speak of are otherwise termed by admirers ; 
 and that those who animadvert thereon are 
 
 ' "The Times," May i8th, 1891, p. 14, on George 
 Meredith's " One of our Conquerors." 
 
 D 
 
34 THE APPRECIATION OF MUSIC 
 
 regarded as non-appreciative of that which is the 
 very glory of these so-called artistic proclivities 
 and productions. Unconventional, original, 
 characteristic — perhaps daring, or weird — or 
 sensuous, or fascinating, these, and many other 
 such, are the terms used to designate, not to 
 palliate, but to extol, not to disguise, but to 
 distinguish, the kind or kinds of presentation 
 which I have ventured to regard as eccentricities. 
 In some other matters, such terms as sensational, 
 or impressionist, or realistic, are used ; and these 
 terms are also applied to music. 
 
 Now, neither in music, nor in anything else, 
 is it desired to move in a circle, always coming 
 round to the same thing over again ; turning 
 musical history into a Rondo. But this avowal 
 by no means disregards the necessity for certain 
 central principles of truth, consistency, coher- 
 ence, beauty, the which to defy indicates, too 
 often, the lack of the training requisite to master 
 them, if not of the basis of mental quality to 
 perceive or recognize them. 
 
 But, dealing with the appreciation of music ; 
 is not the suggestion quoted just now applicable 
 to many so-called critics of music, whether of 
 that kind of great music requiring for its appre- 
 ciation either special aptitudes, or qualities of 
 
THE APPRECIATION OF MUSIC 35 
 
 intellect, or special training, or both, or of 
 the modern eccentric, or, if you will, advanced, 
 kind ? With regard to great music, there is, on the 
 one hand, the affectation of superiority exhibited 
 in the appreciation of music whose pure beauty 
 and real greatness its so-called critics are unable 
 to «^preciate, from lack of native dignity of in- 
 tellect or of knowledge, or of the discriminating 
 faculty, trained by thoughtful experience ; and, 
 on the other hand, the affectation of appreciation 
 of that music which appeals not only to the 
 nobility of intellect and emotion which charac- 
 terizes the few rather than the many, but also to 
 the culture which theoretical knowledge imparts. 
 Of the first type of affected depredators may be 
 instanced those who declare — I will not say 
 confess, because that would imply some con- 
 sciousness of defect, some shame — but I say 
 declare, without being ashamed, that they do 
 not think much of Mozart. No, indeed, poor 
 souls! they do not think much of anything; they 
 are entirely unconscious of how supremely 
 ridiculous they show themselves, and that they 
 are too shallow to fathom the profundity, or too 
 corrupted to relish the purity of one of the 
 greatest of geniuses and of musical scholars; 
 concerning whom, for example, one critic has 
 
36 THE APPRECIATION OF MUSIC 
 
 recently said that " for all the subtleties of di"a- 
 matic instrumentation, Mozart was the greatest 
 master of them all."^ 
 
 These are principally the younger generation 
 of, I suppose I must say, in a qualified sense, 
 musicians. It has been said to me by a lady — 
 not professional — that at one time she did ad- 
 mire, or enjoy, Mozart; but that since the 
 more recent developments of music, under, for 
 instance, Brahms and others, she has felt the 
 lack of satisfying power in the earlier master, 
 though I am not under the impression that she 
 styled Mozart a master at all ; probably regard- 
 ing him as one of the earlier students who might 
 have done more or better had he lived nowa- 
 days. But still there was, I suppose, in her, and 
 is, I also suppose, in many others, the idea, the 
 assumption rather, that Mozart is obsolete ; that 
 we superior people have outlived all that. They 
 think of that era of composers that they were, 
 to quote Browning,^ " stone-dead," 
 
 " Because [they] lacked 
 Modem appliance, spread out phrase unracked 
 By modulations fit to make each hair 
 Stiffen upon his wig." 
 
 ' "World," May i6th, 1891. 
 ° " Parleyings," pp. 210, 211. 
 
THE APPRECIATION OF MUSIC 2)7 
 
 It is, perhaps; more fair than polite to com- 
 plete the reference by adding that Browning 
 terms those who talk thus " rash fools." 
 
 The other kind of affectation of appreciation 
 is exemplified, for instance, nowadays, by the 
 fashion that has set in of seeming to appreciate 
 Bach. I quite admit that, through the labours, 
 before this fashion had set in, of Sterndale 
 Bennett, and those who worked with him, the 
 ice has been broken in this matter. Some of 
 you may not understand me in my reference to 
 Bennett. But some will remember that it was he, 
 in establishing the Bach Society, now defunct, to 
 bring forward, practise, and perform the music 
 of the Leipsic Cantor, then unknown (with the 
 exception of the 48 Preludes and Fugues, and 
 some of the organ music), and in editing the six 
 motets, with English words, and the St. Matthew 
 Passion-Music, who really set in motion that 
 tide of admiration which has gone on swelling 
 ever since ; leading — long after the Bach Society, 
 having done much initiating work, had been dis- 
 solved — to the establishment of the Bach Choir, 
 and to the inclusion of excerpts from Bach's works 
 in publishers' catalogues of popular works, as 
 well as in programmes of popular concerts. I was 
 a member of that original Bach Society, which at 
 
38 THE APPRECIATION OF MUSIC 
 
 least broke down the prejudice against the very 
 name, as that of a dry maker of dry fugues; 
 and people have become accustomed, reconciled 
 to, even enamoured of, the very idiom which 
 seemed so repelling, but was afterwards regarded 
 as quaint. But let no one imagine that to be 
 pleased with the delightful old-world rhythm 
 of the gavottes and bourr6es, or even to be 
 almost oppressively overpowered by the Mass 
 in B minor, or to be amazed at the performance 
 by Joachim of the Chaconne in D minor, is 
 necessarily to appreciate Bach. There is much 
 in all this of mere dilettantism ; and that will 
 not do in the presence of Bach. Our coming 
 back to any appreciation of his works does 
 really seem as though, after all, music history 
 was to be somewhat in Rondo form. 
 
 But I need not tell you that the intelligent, 
 and the intellectual, more than — though not to 
 the exclusion of — the emotional (as has been 
 too commonly assumed), are the requisites for 
 the appreciation of the marvellous productions 
 of this master. It is absurd for those who 
 know nothing of contrapuntal and fugal in- 
 volvements to affect appreciation of, however 
 sincere even their admiration for, such works. 
 This qualification, however, does not stultify 
 
THE APPRECIATION OF MUSIC 39 
 
 natural enjoyment, which, indeed, there may be 
 without it. 
 
 But now, turning with relief from these petti- 
 nesses, let us think for a little of this very term 
 " the appreciation of music ! " What have we 
 here ? To appraise music sympathetically and 
 intelligently — appreciation, as has been said, 
 being " adequate, or high estimation," " sym- 
 pathetic recognition of excellence," "percep- 
 tion of delicate impressions or distinctions," and 
 so on — what qualities of mind does this require, 
 seeing that the appeal of music is both to a 
 refined perception, a peculiar faculty, and to a 
 furnished mind, a trained judgment, a winnow- 
 ing power to separate chaff from wheat ? For 
 there is the liability to be misled by mere- 
 triciousness and dazzled by glitter, which can 
 only be guarded against bv competent know- 
 ledge, theoretical judgment, analytical acumen. 
 And there is, likewise, the danger of coming 
 with theoretical bias, and of judging on purely 
 grammatical principles. For in musical com- 
 position of the highest order there is the two- 
 fold quality of genius and of workmanship. It 
 must surely have been with a very limited 
 intent of application, perhaps only to his own 
 art, that an eminent painter lately pronounced 
 
40 THE APPRECIATION OF MUSIC 
 
 that he did not believe in genius as commonly 
 understood, only in special aptitude. Now 
 special aptitude in handling a brush, or in 
 mixing colours, or in the " composition " of a 
 picture, undoubtedly there may be; whether 
 there is genius in the conception of a picture, I 
 will not, in antagonism to so eminent a judge, 
 pronounce. But no "special aptitude" will 
 account for one of Beethoven's Symphonies, for 
 one of Handel's Oratorios, or for one of Mozart's 
 melodies. There is the bringing into existence 
 a creation that did not exist before ; or, at 
 least, a presentation of beauty, a revelation of 
 it, from a perception which was more than an 
 aptitude, a sensitiveness, conjoined with an in- 
 terpreting faculty, along with, if you will, a 
 special aptitude for workmanship, an infinite 
 capacity for taking pains, which has been given 
 as a definition of genius. But we do not speak 
 of Beethoven, Handel, Mozart, as being better 
 workmen in the symphonic, oratorio, or melodic 
 craft, and by reason of their capacity for taking 
 pains producing the " Eroica," the " Messiah," 
 or " Non mi dir." Let the painter take this 
 ground, if he will, and justify his contention 
 with his brother artists as he can. But there is 
 not a genuine musician here who will not ex- 
 
THE APPRECIATION OF MUSIC 4 1 
 
 perience a revulsion of feeling at the very 
 notion of thus characterizing the mighty master- 
 pieces of our beautiful art as results of special 
 aptitude, and products of boundless painstaking. 
 But, all the same, we withhold not any meed of 
 recognition due to that painstaking and apt 
 workmanship which manifest the artistic spirit 
 in the productions of creative genius. And 
 thus there are two subjects for appreciation, 
 which may or may not co-exist in varying pro- 
 portions, in music which presents itself for our 
 appreciation. I should prefer regarding it as a 
 twofold delight that is presented to us : the 
 appreciation of beautiful workmanship worthy 
 of a beautiful work. 
 
 It is by no means an infallible indication of 
 appreciation to have a certain liking for fine 
 music of a certain kind ; while, on the other 
 hand, it may be a great mark of the power of 
 fine music that it can work its way through a 
 dense medium, and overpower even an unsen- 
 sitive and non-appreciative nature. With regard 
 to my first contention, it does not follow that 
 any one has appreciation of noble music be- 
 cause he is, in a measure, overpowered by 
 the grand sublimity of Handel's " Hallelujah 
 Chorus," or excited by the last movement of 
 
42 THE APPRECIATION OF MUSIC 
 
 Beethoven's C minor symphony, or by the 
 peroration of Weber's " Euryanthe " overture ; 
 or awed, or at least hushed, by the " Dead 
 March " in Saul, especially when performed in 
 the impressive circumstances which generally 
 occasion its use ; or melted into some little 
 tenderness of feeling by " I know that my 
 Redeemer liveth," or by the first theme of 
 Beethoven's Sonata, Op. 26, though it may 
 illustrate the eloquence of music that can awaken 
 sympathy in unrefined natures ; and it is an 
 evidence of the inveterately hopeless flippancy 
 and vulgarity which marks some natures that 
 they can look round, and smile, and nod, and 
 arrange for a meeting after the concert during 
 the performance of the " Hallelujah." 
 
 But that which, in many cases such as I have 
 alluded to, awakens some interest in ordinary 
 minds is the rhythm, or the brass, or the " go " 
 — for want of a better term — which appeal to 
 some of the rougher, more commonplace sus- 
 ceptibilities of our nature. Appreciation, if it 
 be, as has been said, especially "perception of 
 delicate impressions or distinctions," is far more 
 than this natural, uncultivated faculty, sus- 
 ceptibility, or whatever it be termed. And, to 
 be not only this delicate perception, but also 
 
THE APPRECIATION OF MUSIC 43 
 
 " deliberate judgment, intelligent notice," it 
 must be conjoined with, or the outcome of, the 
 habit of observation which some training of a 
 technical, structural, theoretical kind awakens ; 
 and this by no means implies that such ap- 
 preciation is non-natural, artificial, pedantic, 
 mere recognition of grammatical excellence : 
 but such training cultivates the power of know- 
 ing what to look for, explains the reasons of 
 certain emotional pleasures, surprises, and the 
 like. Who that watches his own sensations, in 
 other matters than music, does not know how 
 much his pleasure is enhanced, or the reverse, 
 according to the measure of intelligence that 
 he possesses concerning the subject in hand? 
 And this regulates and embodies his emotional 
 pleasure ; does not thwart, chill, suppress it, 
 concerning any worthy matter. Is it not so, to 
 give one example, to those who visit cathedrals, 
 if they have some technical knowledge of 
 architecture ? 
 
 Is not this "appreciation" of music shown in 
 the delicate perception of such flashes of genius 
 as are exhibited by the simplest progressions, 
 oft-times ? Take, for example, so familiar an 
 instance as that in the Introduction to Haydn's 
 Symphony in D, where the first motivo — tonic 
 
44 THE APPRECIATION OF MUSIC 
 
 and dominant only — on the return is given by 
 inverse movement, tonic and sub-dominant. 
 You and I could have done that ; it requires no 
 skill, and nowadays it has become almost a 
 commonplace, and we know what to expect^ — 
 the chord of the sixth, Neapolitan or diatonic — 
 leading, of course, to the ^ and cadence, perfect 
 or imperfect. But I shall never forget the first 
 hearing of it when I was a lad, before the whole 
 procedure had become familiar to me, how that 
 low G seemed to take away my breath, and I 
 looked round for sympathizers in my over- 
 powered feeling and was glad to see the expres- 
 sion of delighted awe on the countenance of 
 another susceptible listener — the late Robert 
 Barnett. 
 
 Take another instance, Mendelssohn's Song 
 without Words in F, No. IV. Book IV. That 
 diminished 7th on B*!, in the codetta, in that 
 context and key, would, in the ordinary way, 
 be resolved on tonic harmony, second inversion. 
 What a surprise to treat it, as any tyl"o would 
 treat it, in the first instance as a dominant to 
 C, instead of as a super-tonic in F ! Cipriani 
 Potter used to say, " Without being irreverent, 
 I call that a peep into Heaven ! " 
 
 Of course, I am not insinuating that the 
 
THE APPRECIATION OF MUSIC 45 
 
 members of this guild are not quite as capable 
 as I of thus analyzing progressions of this kind ; 
 but I take the opportunity of calling your atten- 
 tion to them as germane to my subject. They 
 indicate that delicate appreciation of the most 
 exquisite affinities in music : a most precious 
 form of appreciation ; and it is just because of 
 the rare delicacy of such passages as these that 
 they are not appreciated unless there be the 
 theoretical training which enables one to analyze 
 and understand. I repeat, emphatically, that their 
 charm to us as theoretical musicians, does not 
 lie in their being theoretical nuts, cracked or to 
 crack, but in .the delicious kernels, which we 
 could only hear shaking about till we cracked 
 the nuts. We do not gloat over the shells, but 
 are glad to know how to crack them. We do 
 not cite such extracts as these and appreciate 
 them because they are clever ; it is not a matter 
 of cleverness at all, but it is the exquisite 
 instinct which our theoretical knowledge enables 
 us to detect that we, I trust, appreciate. For 
 my own part I confess that I am out of heart 
 with "clever" music, and am half inclined to 
 mis-apply, that is, to apply in a different sense 
 from that which was in Kingsley's mind, his 
 injunction to the little girl : " Be good, sweet 
 
46 THE APPRECIATION OF MUSIC 
 
 maid, and let who will be clever." Lord Bacon 
 says : " I think a Painter may make a better 
 Face than ever was ; but he must do it by a 
 kind of Felicity (as a Musician that maketh an 
 excellent Air in Musick), and not by Rule." ^ 
 Yes, rules are good for students, but we do not 
 appreciate music for its observance of or sub- 
 servience to rule ; we appreciate the " kind of 
 felicity " such as these beautiful quotations ex- 
 emplify. 
 
 If it be true, however, that under the influence 
 of music the soul of a genius " looks out through 
 renovated eyes;" that in certain of its moods 
 its power is such that, 
 
 " The soul delighted on each accent dwells, — 
 Enraptured dwells, — not daring to respire ; " 
 
 that, 
 
 " Wild warblings from the JEolian lyre, 
 Enchantments softly breathe, and tremblingly expire ; " 
 
 that it has power to " melt the soul to pity and 
 to love," and yet that there is a method in all 
 this delightful emotional power ; that music calls 
 forth such logical and structural acumen as the 
 great contrapuntal works exemplify; that it 
 allies itself at once with each and all our varied 
 
 ' Essay on Beauty. 
 
THE APPRECIATION OF MUSIC 47 
 
 emotions and with all our intellectual strength, 
 lending itself, sympathetically, to the playfulness 
 of the child, the tenderness of the lover, to 
 martial fire, to religious fervour, to ratiocinative 
 elaboration, and need suffer no corruption in 
 any of these and other alliances ; how shall I 
 go on to speak of appreciating it ? It is even 
 one form, one may say, of the wisdom whose 
 " price is above rubies." At least to me it is 
 so, as my solace and sunshine. May it ever be 
 with me that the love of God comes first ; then 
 human love sanctified by that ; and the love of 
 music, not third, but as the refining influence 
 pervading, and in conjunction with, both ; all 
 three may I ever retain. This fervent desire 
 sufficiently indicates my personal " appreciation 
 of music." 
 
Ill 
 MUSIC AND PREACHING' 
 
 I AM asked to address you on some matters 
 concerning the art of music, which I follow as 
 my profession, and for the time being represent, 
 and the theological studies which you religiously 
 pursue, or, at least, on some points of contact 
 and of sympathy which may be supposed to be 
 discoverable between us in our seemingly very 
 dissimilar callings. The term "border-line" 
 was used by your Principal when he broached 
 the subject to me, implying that in some sense, 
 mental or moral, intellectual or spiritual, or both, 
 we are very near neighbours ; so near as to be 
 able to look one another in the face, exchange 
 thoughts in perhaps somewhat of a mixed 
 dialect, our atmosphere being, in the border 
 region, one ; it is not a gulf, hardly a stream, 
 that divides us, only an imaginary line, a sort of 
 geographical expression. Is there really this 
 
 ^ Delivered before the students of Hackney Theological 
 College, i8gi. 
 
MUSIC AND PREACHING 49 
 
 affinity between us ? To what extent you are 
 in sympathy with me in my art, or find any 
 affinity between our pursuits, between that 
 which is termed "the Queen of Sciences," 
 theology, and " Music, heavenly maid," I am 
 unable to judge just now. It will be in vain, 
 however, for me to speak to you this evening, 
 unless I succeed in enlisting your sympathy and 
 in kindling your interest, and even in awaken- 
 ing some new thoughts and impressions con- 
 cerning music which shall exercise a refining 
 reflex influence upon you, and so tell somewhat 
 upon your studies and future work. And I say 
 all this, not, as you might suppose, because of a 
 lack of apprehension concerning your pursuits, 
 with which, on the contrary, I trust that I may, 
 without presumption, venture to say that I am 
 in full and not unintelligent sympathy. For, to 
 make at once the only personal reference which 
 I obtrude upon you, I may tell you that for not 
 far short of forty years I have been more or 
 less intensely interested and occupied in theo- 
 logical study and in preaching work. The two 
 lines of thought and occupation have run parallel 
 in my mind and life during that period ; so that 
 I am not ignorant as to your work, present and 
 future, and I have found much sweetness and 
 
 E 
 
50 MUSIC AND PREACHING 
 
 Strength, personally, from the twofold course of 
 work and thought in my own case. As Bishop 
 Beveridge said : " When music sounds the 
 sweetest in my ears, truth commonly flows the 
 clearest into my mind ; and hence it is that I 
 find my soul is becoming more harmonious by 
 being accustomed so much to harmony." 
 
 I do not think that there is any irreverence 
 in extending the range of application of that 
 Apostolic pronouncement concerning the pre- 
 cious stewardship in charge of those who are 
 " put in trust with the gospel ; " " we have this 
 treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency 
 of the power may be of God." Every percep- 
 tion of, or intuition for the beautiful and refined 
 is, even if in an infinitely less degree, as well as 
 of different kind, a treasure from the Divine 
 treasury, deposited in an earthen vessel, for the 
 awakening from grossness, the refinement of 
 one's fellow men, and is, truly, a spark from the 
 Divine fire, a revelation by that same Spirit Who 
 " distributeth to every man severally as He 
 will ; " " it Cometh from the Lord of hosts, which 
 iswonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom;"^ 
 the same God who " doth instruct aright and 
 teach" the ploughman, the agriculturist, con- 
 ' Isa. xxviii. 23-29 (R.V.). 
 
MUSIC AND PREACHING 5 1 
 
 cerning "sowing" and "breaking the clods, 
 casting abroad the fitches, scattering the cum- 
 min," and so on, and who "put wisdom and 
 understanding to know how to work," ^ cunningly 
 to "devise," into the hearts of Bezaleel and 
 Oholiab, who still gives these several faculties, 
 and, further and specially, over and beyond the 
 general mental faculty, cunning, wisdom, under- 
 standing, with or without a particular bent for 
 its application. When that unique artistic 
 faculty, the power to, as we say, originate and 
 express in artistic fashion, as in music, a 
 beautiful idea, is given, that is a revelation of 
 beauty, not merely a use to which the mental 
 faculties generally are put — the devising and 
 making, producing, that which did not exist 
 before — but the receiving and being the channel 
 of communication from the Divine mind of a 
 little of the beauty therein dwelling ; an emana- 
 tion from the mind in which all purity and 
 grace and beauty are immanent ; it is not a 
 human device but a Divine "treasure in an 
 earthen vessel." " Doubtless all the creatures, 
 in their several ranks, have some . . . impresses 
 from the Creator, by which His transcendent 
 perfections may be somewhat observed. That 
 ^ Exod. xxxvi. I, 2 (R.V.). 
 
52 MUSIC AND PREACHING 
 
 God is now so communicative as to give to all 
 creatures in the world whatever Being, Motion, 
 Life, Order, Beauty, Harmony, Reason, Grace, 
 Glory, any of them possess, is past all ques- 
 tion to considering, sober reason." ^ Of such 
 a beautiful idea, more or less fitly expressed 
 artistically, which is commonly called a product 
 of genius, the language might be used by the 
 human interpreter with the substitution of the 
 term " beauty " for " love " : 
 
 " The love within my heart for thee 
 Before the world was had its birth, 
 
 It is the part God gives to me 
 
 Of the great wisdom of the earth." ^ 
 
 So that the denial of genius is of the nature of 
 atheism : a denial that beauty is a revelation 
 from the Divine originator, regarding it as a 
 discovery or invention, or manufacture by 
 human intellect. 
 
 Pray do not credit me, however, with the 
 shallow confusion of thought which eviscerates 
 the authority of Holy Scripture by reducing its 
 inspiration to a level with that of works of 
 
 ^ R. Baxter, "Knowledge and Love compared," 1689, 
 296-297. 
 
 " "A Light Load," by Dollie Radford. "Academy," 
 June 13th, 1 89 1. 
 
MUSIC AND PREACHING 53 
 
 human genius. These, in literature, profess 
 not to reveal new truths; but either exercise 
 intellect on accepted truths or visible things, at 
 best discovering neglected or overlooked truths ; 
 or, by the exercise of imagination, suggest new 
 subjects of thought, and soar above the gross 
 and the material. But it will ever remain that 
 " Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor heart 
 of man conceived, the things that God hath 
 prepared for them that love Him ; " but God 
 hath revealed them to men by His Spirit (holy 
 men of old spake of these, as they were moved 
 by that Holy Spirit). All I contend for is 
 that a beautiful musical thought, especially, is 
 not, in its germ, an evolvement, but a reception, 
 the prize of a specially receptive faculty, that 
 listens, as it were, for the music, not of the 
 spheres indeed, but of the hidden world of 
 beauty, in which the beauty of the Lord is 
 manifest. I cannot put it more plainly. Genius 
 has indeed been called the " infinite capacity 
 for taking pains," but all the painstaking in the 
 world will never produce an oratorio like the 
 " Messiah " or " Elijah." The painstaking 
 comes afterwards in working out the germ 
 idea. As a matter of fact, indeed, the 
 " Messiah," like some others of Handel's 
 
54 MUSIC AND PREACHING 
 
 works, being written in about a month, could 
 not have been the result of much painstaking. 
 But there needs, as a rule, prior and subsequent 
 painstaking to prepare the earthen vessel to 
 receive the treasure, and then to develop and 
 express it in fitting manner. So that it was not 
 far from the truth when my old master, Cipriani 
 Potter, said, concerning a particular chord in 
 one of Mendelssohn's " Lieder," " that is a peep 
 into Heaven !" a remark that he made also, if I 
 remember rightly, about the theme of the slow 
 movement of Beethoven's " Kreutzer" sonata. 
 
 A preacher and writer^ — one of your own 
 order — has averred that " men are wont to 
 regard a skilful musician with a sentiment akin 
 to worship. That any person should be able 
 to play several parts on a pipe organ with hands 
 and feet, and at the same time read the notes 
 and the words and sing, is truly astonishing, 
 and comes, perhaps, as near Divine action as 
 any mere man is capable of doing." 
 
 I may remark, in passing, that the experience 
 of organists by no means tallies with this aver- 
 ment. Especially would they say that ministers, 
 clergymen, are not at all in the habit of regard- 
 
 ^ Rev. E. C. Lawrence, Ph. D. " Freeman," Sept. i8th, 
 1 89 1. 
 
MUSIC AND PREACHING 55 
 
 ing them as such very superior, almost super- 
 natural persons ; they are often treated rather 
 as very subordinate persons indeed to the 
 parsons themselves : but let that pass, I make 
 the quotation because it illustrates a vulgar 
 apprehension as to what constitutes a superior 
 musician, as to wherein and wherefore musician- 
 ship is worthy of special honour, in mechanical 
 dexterity, forsooth, in being able to play so 
 many notes at a time, and with hands and feet 
 simultaneously, possibly with the voice in use at 
 the same time ! Whereas this part of a musician's 
 work, though important, is really largely a matter 
 of training, to such an extent as that the me- 
 chanical action becomes almost automatic ; the 
 eye sees, sends word to the brain, the brain 
 sends word to the fingers and the feet, the 
 voluntary muscles being set to work. Wonder- 
 ful, truly ! as all that is connected with our 
 nervous and muscular system. But all that is 
 not necessarily musical faculty at all ; though 
 the true musical perception, intuition, know- 
 ledge, brought into co-operative play, make all 
 the difference, even with respect to the complex 
 mechanical procedure. The same writer goes 
 on to say : " Some scholars believe that the 
 planets are set at intervals corresponding to the 
 
56 MUSIC AND PREACHING 
 
 scale in music, and that in their movements 
 they are so attuned as to produce ' the music of 
 the spheres,' but that the celestial concert is 
 only enjoyed by angels and other superior 
 beings, the ears of man being too gross for such 
 Divine melody." I make this additional quota- 
 tion as a warning to preachers, and any others 
 whom it may concern, against talking nonsense 
 through venturing to talk about that which they 
 do not understand, a warning specially needful 
 to preachers when they talk about music. 
 
 How common, for instance, for preachers to 
 talk about the minor key or mode as though it 
 necessarily implied, was almost a synonym for, 
 that which is sad or melancholy, whereas the 
 well-known song of Handel's, " O ruddier than 
 the cherry," not at all sad, is in the minor 
 mode ; while one of the most solemn of threno- 
 dies, the " Dead March " in " Saul," is in the 
 major mode. And so they talk, sometimes as 
 though discord necessarily implied disagree- 
 ableness ; whereas it merely means a combina- 
 tion which is non-reposeful, but requires and 
 suggests another combination to follow it, which 
 is technically termed Resolution. 
 
 One who would not, perhaps, be credited 
 with the softer and more refined emotions — 
 
MUSIC AND PREACHING 57 
 
 rather with the sterner views of life and doctrine 
 — has said : " Amongst other things which are 
 suitable for the recreation of men, and for yield- 
 ing them pleasure, music is either the first, or 
 one of the chief, and we must esteem it a gift 
 of God bestowed for that end. . . . There is 
 scarcely anything in this world which can more 
 powerfully turn or bend hither and thither the 
 manner of men, as Plato has wisely remarked. 
 And, in fact, we experimentally feel that it 
 has secret and incredible power over our hearts 
 to move them one way or other. Therefore we 
 ought to be so much the more careful to rege- 
 late it in such a manner that it may be useful to 
 us and in no way pernicious." (Calvin, " Preface 
 to Psalter," 1543). These words by one so 
 maligned — I have heard him called, "Such a 
 wretch as John Calvin" — exhibit the softening 
 influence of music upon a susceptible if rugged 
 nature ; and what rugged nature will not be 
 susceptible who once knows the grace of God 
 as John Calvin knew it ? But they lead me to 
 say, first of all, assuming that you somewhat 
 experience that which an eminent living preacher 
 has said, " When you listen to fine music you 
 hear your mother-tongue," then I say to you, 
 personally, a gracious life should be a musical 
 
58 MUSIC AND PREACHING 
 
 life, melodious and harmonious, that is, flowing, 
 continuous, sweet, rhythmical, consistent, sym- 
 metrical, according to Charles Kingsley's in- 
 junction to the child, let life be "one grand, 
 sweet song ; " or as a greater than Kingsley 
 said, "Make melody in your hearts to the 
 Lord," not only, I take it, in the "psalms, and 
 hymns, and spiritual songs," but in all life. 
 "Hallelujah," "Praise ye the Lord," "Sing 
 unto the Lord a new song," is not a direction 
 for the voices only of those concerning whom 
 the Lord says, " They shall show forth My 
 praise," but concerning the life. And life is 
 not to be dithyrambic but melodious, a melody 
 being a sweet and orderly rhythmical succession 
 of sounds with proper measurement and proper 
 periods of pause and repose. One eminent 
 musician did indeed contend that melody simply 
 means a succession of sounds, regardless of 
 sweetness, honeyedness, or beauty ; and har- 
 mony, sounds combined, regardless also, I be- 
 lieve, of their agreement. And so some persons 
 take the view of life, that it is succession of hours, 
 and days, and years, sweet or not. But when 
 I say let life be the outflow of a heart that is 
 melodious to the Lord, I mean that it should 
 be graciously sweet. 
 
MUSIC AND PREACHING 59 
 
 And, further, I would urge that in this same 
 way your preaching should be largely musical. 
 I do not mean that you should substitute sing- 
 ing, so-called services of song, for the enforce- 
 ment of truth by sober, serious preaching. 
 God forbid ! Never let sentiment, and the 
 working upon feeling, take the place of earnest 
 dealing with men's understandings and con- 
 sciences. But I mean, let your preaching have 
 musical qualities in it, rhythm, flow, sweet- 
 ness, winningness. That which Dr. George 
 Macdonald ^ has said about the poet is only in 
 lesser degree pertinent to the preacher. 
 
 " I begin with that which first in the nature 
 of things ought to be demanded of a poet [say 
 also of a preacher,] ^ namely. Truth, Revelation. 
 . . . But let me speak first of that which first in 
 time or in order of appearance we demand of a 
 poet, namely, music. For inasmuch as sense 
 [and preaching] is for the ear, not for the eye, 
 we demand a good hearing first. Let no one 
 undervalue it. The heart of poetry is indeed 
 truth [and so of preaching] but its garments 
 are music, and the garments come first in the 
 process of revelation. The music of a poem is 
 
 ' George Macdonald, " England's Antiphon." 
 
6o MUSIC AND PREACHING 
 
 its meaning in sound as distinguished from 
 word," etc. ; and an eminent minister and 
 writer who in early life cultivated music, wrote 
 to me that he had been compelled to abandon 
 that, in order to study how to get as much 
 music into his sentences as possible. 
 
 I am not at all unmindful of the whole- 
 hearted absorption which is at once the obliga- 
 tion, the honour, and the privilege and delight 
 of those who would be " able ministers of the 
 New Covenant," and who would be both " pas- 
 tors and teachers," and also "do the work of 
 evangelists." Sad indeed do I think it that 
 those who profess to have received the Divine 
 call to this gloriously absorbing work should 
 suffer their mental and spiritual energies to be 
 diverted and frittered away by the many petty 
 things which, nowadays, are either thrust upon 
 or dabbled in by ministers of the Gospel. I 
 should say, with Dryden : 
 
 " Is not the care of souls a load sufficient ? 
 Are not your holy stipends paid for this ? 
 Were you not bred apart from worldly noise, 
 To study souls, their cures and their diseases ? 
 The province of the soul is large enough 
 To fill up every cranny of your time. 
 And leave you much to answer, if one wretch 
 Be damn'd by your neglect." 
 
MUSIC AND PREACHING 6l 
 
 I would not weaken the solemn earnestness 
 of such an appeal. But there is a broad and a 
 narrow sense in which a man may be " a man 
 of one idea." It may be that a man has what 
 we call a " fad," or a " crank," or a " hobby ; " 
 that he is, in some way, a monomaniac, or that 
 he is of very limited knowledge, or contracted 
 sympathies, or poor culture ; but we do not 
 associate any such thought with the utterance 
 of the Psalmist : " One thing have I desired of 
 the Lord, that will I seek after ; " or with that 
 of the Apostle : " This one thing I do ; for- 
 getting the things which are behind, and reach- 
 ing forth to those which are before, I press 
 towards the mark." We feel that such pursuit 
 as this will call to its aid, and subordinate to its 
 service and aim, all that is refined and noble, 
 from whatever source derived : " Whatsoever 
 things are true, honourable, just, pure, lovely, 
 of good report ; if there be any virtue, . . . any 
 praise : " this may surely include things mental, 
 as well as things moral — art as well as character 
 — as things to "take account of." Moreover, 
 any " one thing " that a man makes it his pur- 
 pose to do well, will be better done if he also 
 can do something else ; either something of 
 different, even contrasted character, which will 
 
62 MUSIC AND PREACHING 
 
 call into play and develop other faculties of 
 mind, so as to prevent single-mindedness from 
 becoming narrow-mindedness, or something 
 which, by analogy or otherwise, will help to 
 cast some light upon his main pursuit, and, by 
 presenting it in a different aspect, illustrate the 
 method or different methods of its pursuit and 
 accomplishment. How admirably salutary may 
 the influence be of any collateral pursuit which 
 is, in itself, both refining and many-sided, as 
 music is ! Such a pursuit may serve not only 
 to loosen the bow from too constant tension, 
 but also to furnish a test, a parallel, a touch- 
 stone, with regard to his own proper work. I 
 think that the very contrast of the work itself— 
 musical work, whether performance, or com- 
 position, or analysis — renders such a testing 
 comparison all the more valuable, with regard 
 to preaching; more so, by far, than any such 
 comparison with, for example, lecturing on 
 scientific or any secular subjects. It is not at 
 all an infrequent practice, with myself, at all 
 events, to criticise a musical composition by 
 comparing it with a novel, for instance; the 
 subjects with the characters, the development 
 of those subjects with the involvement, the 
 entanglements of the plot, and so on : and the 
 
MUSIC AND PREACHING 63 
 
 rules of art — all that have to do with symmetry, 
 consistency, contrast, the bearing of one part 
 upon another — are mainly the same, whatever 
 the nature of the art. Possibly you may hardly 
 realize or know how much a musical work is 
 one of plan, structure, as well as of impulse and 
 feeling — emotion. But it is so; as much a 
 matter of logical and rhetorical arrangement as 
 any of your sermons. 
 
 It is, perhaps, not uncommonly supposed that 
 a musical composer — at all events, if a genius — 
 is a spontaneously emotional or emotionally 
 spontaneous producer of beautiful ideas, which 
 come unbidden, ready-made, in the form in 
 which they are presented to our hearing, rather 
 than the logical, structural, rhetorical setter- 
 forth of pure and applied or developed thoughts. 
 But music, on the contrary, is pre-eminently the 
 art in which, without pre-existing material, a 
 genius who has been defined as "one who 
 kindles his own fire" — first conceives his germ 
 thought — and then works it consistently, co- 
 herently, presenting it in its various aspects — 
 logically, structurally, rhetorically — without mo- 
 notony or tautology, and still leaves the im- 
 pression of a reserve of power. In other words, 
 a musician first produces his own text, not finds 
 
64 MUSIC AND PREACHING 
 
 it in a treasure-book, as you do yours ; and then 
 proves its suggestiveness, and exhibits its wealth 
 of meaning by the developing processes which 
 the art itself furnishes. I have said that music 
 is pre-eminently the art in which this can be 
 done, and that the musical composer does this 
 — of course I mean the ideal musician. I can- 
 not answer for the musician, but I can answer 
 for the art, and can illustrate and make good 
 my contention. Of Dr. Chalmers, a prince 
 among your order of workers and thinkers, it 
 has been said that he had peculiarly the capacity 
 and habit of taking an initial thought ; and in 
 order to impress it on the minds, and if possible 
 the hearts, of his hearers, reiterating that one 
 thought, not in the same words, or the same 
 form, or mode of presentation, but over and 
 over again, in such differing fashion, that while 
 it was not "in the meantime" (as the Scotch 
 say) recognized as the same thought, and there 
 was no sense of tautology, of monotony, of 
 paucity of thought, only of unity of thought — 
 a very different thing — the ultimate issue was 
 that that thought had fixed itself in the minds 
 of those who had attended, the fact that they 
 had been hearing the same thing all the while 
 only being discovered on reflection, by finding, 
 
MUSIC AND PREACHING 65 
 
 experiencing, the hold on the mind which it had 
 obtained. A different process, this, from de- 
 ducing the lessons from the thought, or even 
 from stating its evidences ; the first process 
 often being an ingenious method of dissipating, 
 instead of concentrating, the impression, and 
 the latter often being an exercise which may 
 exhibit weak points, and, at best, only convince 
 the understanding, without taking possession of 
 the whole man. 
 
 Now music affords, I will hardly say unique, 
 but uniquely multifarious opportunities of ac- 
 complishing this very object, of thoroughly 
 working an idea in such diversified methods, 
 as to interest the hearer, and to illustrate and 
 impress that idea, and show its resources, its 
 suggestiveness, its power, its contents. Let me 
 try to make this audibly plain to you, premising, 
 however, that I cannot undertake to illustrate 
 how you can apply all this in your work. It 
 must be left with your own suggestive rumina- 
 tions, merely showing, as I quite believe you 
 more or less realize, that there are other ways 
 of treating a subject than firstly, secondly, thirdly, 
 and a few practical suggestions, and so on. In 
 life we are bidden to "adorn the doctrine of 
 God our Saviour ; " that is, if not exactly to 
 
 F 
 
66 MUSIC AND PREACHING 
 
 decorate it, yet to present it in attractive guise. 
 And so, in preaching, there are ways of putting 
 things which are bare, rugged, if not harsh, 
 repellent. The sovereignty of God, and other 
 doctrines, which are commonly spoken of, rightly 
 or wrongly, as belonging to the Calvinistic 
 system — as though Calvin originated, instead of 
 logically deducing them — may be so presented 
 as to appear as barriers in the way of the 
 salvation of some, instead of as reasons for 
 adoring gratitude that any are saved ; and justi- 
 fication by faith may be so presented as to 
 appear simply as a plan for lettjng the guilty 
 go unpunished, by a kind of legal fiction, instead 
 of the method by which a life is entered upon 
 of newness of spirit, and loving holiness, in the 
 place of legal bondage. 
 
 But to return to the resources of music. A 
 given musical theme, either attractive, or com- 
 paratively barren of interest, taken alone, may 
 be so clothed with harmony, and so varied 
 in harmonic presentation,, as to change aspect, 
 and acquire new beauty and power. And it 
 may be so presented contrapuntally, as to be 
 either the basis, or the prominent part, or a 
 subordinate part. And it may be so worked, 
 developed, as to be reasoned out, and shown 
 
MUSIC AND PREACHING 67 
 
 as, SO to speak, a living truth, with various 
 bearings. 
 
 I have used the term contrapuntally, which I 
 may as well at once explain. In old times the 
 melody, or plain-song, in ecclesiastical chants, 
 was taken by the tenor voice — that which held 
 on (teneo, I hold) the melody — as being the 
 piercing voice of men. When boys were intro- 
 duced, they sang the alius (alto), or high part, 
 either the same tune as the tenors, an octave 
 higher, or an independent part. This part, 
 being a melody against another melody, was re- 
 garded aspunclum contra punctum, point against 
 point, from the notes having been called points. 
 The bass might also have a part under the chief, 
 original melody, leaving that melody as the 
 middle part, and so on. Ultimately the chief 
 melody might be given to the highest voice, 
 that of the women. So that counterpoint was 
 the art of adding one or more parts to a given 
 part, melody, or subject ; or, as it has also been 
 defined, " the art of combining melodies." For, 
 whereas that which is now commonly called the 
 melody is the highest part, and the other parts, 
 under it, are subordinate supports to it, contra- 
 puntal writing, as distinguished from mere har- 
 monizing, aims, as its ideal, at rendering each of 
 
68 MUSIC AND PREACHING 
 
 the parts — highest, lowest, or middle — melodi- 
 ous and interesting ; or, taking another view of 
 it, as I have said, it treats a subject, a theme, 
 in various ways, in different aspects ; showing 
 its power, vitality, virility, suggestiveness. It 
 is not ornamentation or embellishment to hide 
 the bareness, or disguise the paucity, of a theme, 
 any more than when you discourse on the 
 truth expressed in a text, you are doing so 
 because of the poverty or weakness of the truth. 
 You try to bring out its wealth of meaning, so 
 as to bring it home, with all its diversified 
 applications, to the understandings of your 
 hearers. The most perfect exemplification, 
 musically, of this kind of development is the 
 fugueiorm. "Fugues!" you say; "why, are they 
 not dry, unmelodious compositions, scientific, 
 and all that sort of thing, but without any tune in 
 them ? " Well, gentlemen, you especially had 
 better not say anything about dryness, for it is 
 precisely the charge that people bring against 
 sermons, shallow people, with no earnestness, 
 who only go to church as a religious pastime : 
 ai^d so with people who only regard music as 
 an amusement. Your business is at once to 
 enlist the interest and sympathy of your hearers. 
 You announce your text, and the curiosity, the 
 
MUSIC AND PREACHING 69 
 
 interest of your hearers is, for a minute at all 
 events, awakened, and while they are asking 
 mentally, " What does that mean ? What will 
 he make of it ? " or, if they are a little ex- 
 perienced, are rapidly drawing up an outline 
 of what you ought to say about it, you say 
 something which, according to the rules of my 
 art, at all events, ought to be gerinane to it, 
 and so bring them into touch both with yourself 
 and with the truth which you desire to expound 
 and to enforce. 
 
 Just so with a composer and his fugue. First 
 of all a short theme or musical phrase, concise, 
 complete in itself, self-contained, that is, in- 
 teresting, or at least suggestive, arousing to the 
 curiosity, is announced by one part. That is the 
 musician's text, which, please observe, he has not 
 to select, but to make ; it is his own thought or 
 inspira:tion. An old book, giving directions to 
 students for fugue- writing, says: "First choose 
 your subject." "Aye! there's the rub." As a 
 general rule it has to be originated ; and it may 
 be so poor as not to be susceptible of interesting 
 working, even as preachers sometimes take as 
 texts phrases which are, indeed, to be found 
 in the Book, but which never should be 
 taken under the pretence of being the founda- 
 
70 MUSIC AND PREACHING 
 
 tion of a sermon, enunciating no truth. But, 
 once a musician has a theme, a subject, let me 
 briefly illustrate how he goes to work to treat it. 
 
 Each part having one entry of the subject or 
 answer, constitutes that which is termed the 
 exposition of the fugue, and there then follows 
 the development of the material therein set 
 forth ; the subject, counter-subject, and auxiliary 
 counterpoints. And with regard to that develop- 
 ment, a splendidly rigid rule of consistency and 
 cogency holds, viz., that nothing may be intro- 
 duced which has not been, in its germ, announced 
 in the exposition ; nothing irrelevant. There 
 will be episodes, indeed, in which, so to speak, 
 the full working is eased a little ; but these must 
 be constructed from some portion of the principal 
 or auxiliary themes in the exposition. Who 
 shall say then that a musician, if a fugue-writer, 
 at least, is not bound to be logical and coherent ? 
 Is there any stricter rule that binds even sermon- 
 makers than this, which insists on the avoidance 
 of all non-pertinent digressions, and on keeping 
 to the point or points at issue ? 
 
 In all this I have exhibited the musician to 
 you in the logical aspect, as the constructor, 
 with plan, design, and so forth. It will hardly 
 be necessary, nor would it be practicable in 
 
MUSIC AND PREACHING 7 1 
 
 limited time, to go on and illustrate the 
 rhetorical principles which are brought to bear 
 on musical compositions. In fugue it is a 
 stringent rule that the same passage must not 
 occur twice in the same form ; there must be 
 some difference in the setting, the combination, 
 the mode of presentation. In fact, musical 
 composition does very much consider and pro- 
 vide for, affords, that is, abundant means of 
 providing for, the different effects to be pro- 
 duced by the ways of putting things. 
 
 And is not that an art very desirable to have 
 at command in preaching, as, indeed, in other 
 deliverances, even in common talk ? 
 
 The musical student is warned against modu- 
 lating into the same key twice in the same 
 movement ; against remaining long in a key re- 
 mote from the original key in which he started, 
 if, indeed, he go into such key at all, which 
 should only be for very special effects. These, 
 and such rules or principles as these, which are, 
 in the main, adhered to in the works of all the 
 great masters, may serve to show that music is 
 logical as well as imaginative ; that reason and 
 thought are brought into play by her, as well as 
 emotion and feeling ; that a musician does not 
 meander on in a dreamy or irregular manner, 
 
72 MUSIC AND PREACHING 
 
 without purpose and plan, any more than a 
 reasonable man will stand up to preach with, as 
 he says, his heart so full that he needs no 
 previous thought or preparation. We all know 
 a little of what that comes to in the long run. 
 
 Every legitimate calling in life may be made 
 a means of serving God, carrying out His plan 
 and order in the world. As Dr. Dale has 
 somewhere said : " It is part of God's order 
 that men shall live by eating bread ; therefore a 
 baker who conscientiously makes good, whole- 
 some bread is serving Him. It is part of God's 
 order that we protect our bodies from the 
 weather by wearing clothes, that we live in 
 houses ; and therefore a conscientious shoe- 
 maker or builder serves God." In like manner 
 I venture to say that it is part of God's order 
 that the mind, the intellect, the perception of 
 beauty, the artistic faculties or susceptibilities 
 with which He has endowed us shall be in- 
 formed, directed, cultivated, quickened, and 
 furnished with material upon which to exercise 
 themselves. If it is " not good that the soul be 
 without knowledge," neither is it good that the 
 faculties of appreciation, in the midst of the 
 world, the universe of beauty in which we are 
 placed, be left uncultured, unprovided for. 
 
MUSIC AND PREACHING 73 
 
 Therefore, every artistic producer and every 
 artistic educator may, in his sphere, serve God : 
 may help to lift his fellows out of dull gross- 
 ness, making it all the difference to them that 
 they shall go through the world with eyes 
 instead of no eyes ; ears, instead of no ears ; 
 quickened perceptions, refined tastes, instead of 
 stolid materialism, if not sensuality. And I 
 may be pardoned even if I over-estimate my 
 own calling, my own department of artistic 
 culture, in thinking that music has a refining 
 influence, specially delicate, and specially un- 
 liable to depraving associations or applications, 
 though fallen man may himself curse any bless- 
 ing ; and, therefore, I think that in endeavouring 
 to inculcate sound, refined, and noble views 
 about my beautiful art, in my calling as a pro- 
 fessor, I may truly, though humbly and im- 
 perfectly serve God. 
 
 But, gentlemen, friends, brethren, I magnify 
 your office, if God has counted you faithful, 
 putting you into the ministry to preach that 
 Gospel which is to be far more than a refining 
 agent, which is to do far more than help and 
 cultivate men, according to the present order; 
 which is to be a redeeming power, the "power 
 of God unto salvation." You serve Christ the 
 
74 MUSIC AND PREACHING 
 
 Lord in a higher plane of service. You know 
 that there was a glorious time when " the 
 morning stars sang together, and all the sons 
 of God shouted for joy," ' and that was music 
 indeed ! There seemed reason enough for the 
 glorious antiphon and the exultant shout ; for 
 was not everything " very good " ? But, had 
 they foreseen the discord which was to interrupt 
 the Divine order, the entrance of sin, and sorrow, 
 and death, their joy might have been turned 
 into mourning, and their shout into wailing, 
 when even God Himself repented that He had 
 made man upon the earth and it grieved Him 
 at His heart. 
 
 But you also know that in the course of the 
 ages there was again a plan of joy and praise, 
 when 
 
 " The shepherds on the lawn, 
 Or e'er the point of dawn. 
 
 Sat simply chatting in a rustic row ; 
 « * * # * 
 
 When such music sweet 
 Their hearts and ears did greet, 
 
 As never was by mortal finger stroke, 
 Divinely-warbled voice 
 Answering the stringed noise. 
 
 As all their souls in blissful rapture took : 
 
 ^ Job, xxxviii. 7. 
 
MUSIC AND PREACHING 75 
 
 The air such pleasure loath to lose, 
 
 With thousand echoes still prolongs each heavenly close. 
 
 * * * tF * "jF 
 
 Such music (as 'tis said) 
 Before was never made, 
 
 But when of old the sons of morning sung, 
 While the Creator great 
 His constellations set, 
 
 And the well-balanced world on hinges hung, 
 And cast the dark foundations deep. 
 And bid the welt'ring waves their oozy channel keep." ^ 
 
 That was the ushering in of the new creation, 
 of the advent of Him who is "the beginning of 
 the Creation of God," who declares, " Behold ! 
 I make all things new." 
 
 And once again you look forward through the 
 ages, and the ears of your faith catch the sound 
 of " a new song, . . . ten thousand times ten 
 thousand, and thousands of thousands ; saying 
 with a great voice. Worthy is the Lamb that hath 
 been slain to receive the power, and riches, and 
 wisdom, and might, and honour, and glory, and 
 blessing." ^ 
 
 " Why do they sing ? It is because speech is 
 too weak to tell what they feel. Words are the 
 feeblest language of the soul. How poor an 
 
 ^ Milton's " Ode on Morning of Christ's Nativity." 
 " Rev. V. 9, 12 (R. v.). 
 
76 MUSIC AND PREACHING 
 
 instrument is speech for the great multitude 
 who never acquire any real mastery over it, and 
 who feel it rather a bar against which the tide 
 of feeling breaks, than a channel for the full 
 river of emotion to flow in. Each of us has felt 
 in trying to put into words our grief, our 
 gratitude and love, that we have not been able 
 to tell the half. If this is felt on earth, how 
 much more is it felt in the deeper hearts of 
 heaven, and is it wonderful that they try to 
 utter themselves in praise ? ' Worthy is the 
 Lamb that was slain,' they sing, because He 
 has redeemed them to God by His blood ? " ^ 
 
 This is a testimony concerning the emotional 
 power and adaptability of music. 
 
 And that " multitude which no man can 
 number " is even now being made up ; " the 
 redeemed of the Lord " are even now returning 
 and coming to Zion with songs and everlasting 
 joy upon their heads : " they shall obtain joy 
 and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee 
 away." And, brethren, one blessed part of your 
 work is to be to teach and help these pilgrims 
 to sing these songs of Zion, so that the "new 
 song " in the heavenly Jerusalem shall not be 
 
 ^ W. Robertson NicoU, "The Lamb of God." 
 
MUSIC AND PREACHING 'J'] 
 
 a_wholIy unrehearsed canticle. The fuller your 
 unfolding of the reasons for an abounding joy, 
 by exhibiting to them " the unsearchable riches 
 of Christ," the more consistently by life, de- 
 meanour, and testimony you can say to them 
 " Rejoice in the Lord alway, praise is comely 
 for the upright, be glad ye righteous ; again I 
 say, rejoice," teaching them even songs in the 
 night, the more truly will you be the bearers of 
 the heavenly music to their souls, leading them 
 exultingly to exclaim, " Blessed is the people 
 that know the joyful sound ; they shall walk all 
 day in the light of Thy countenance." 
 
 But however faithfully you either proclaim 
 the terrors of the Lord, or blow the Gospel 
 trumpet, you will alike be liable to the strangely 
 anomalous experience, at once depressing and 
 dangerous, which was declared to a faithful 
 prophet of old : " The children of thy people 
 talk of thee by the walls and in the doors of the 
 houses, and speak one to another, every one to 
 his brother, saying. Come, I pray you, and hear 
 what is the word that cometh forth from the 
 Lord. And they come unto thee as the people 
 cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, 
 and they hear thy words . . . and, lo, thou art 
 unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath 
 
yS MUSIC AND PREACHING 
 
 a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instru- 
 ment: for they hear thy words, but they do 
 them not."^ Just an experience of many a 
 player or singer; a gaping crowd listen and 
 applaud, but never take in the refining and en- 
 nobling influence of fine music. But here is 
 depicted the career and experience of many a 
 popular preacher. The lesson seems to be, 
 neither be satisfied with good congregations, a 
 seeming attention, being in everyone's mouth, 
 everywhere receiving plaudits — a great tempta- 
 tion ; nor, on the other hand, be unduly de- 
 pressed, as though some strange thing had 
 happened to you if no other results seem to 
 follow. It does not follow that you are un- 
 faithful or unqualified any more than Ezekiel 
 was, who declared the whole counsel of God, 
 whether men would hear or whether they would 
 forbear. 
 
 I have endeavoured to elevate your con- 
 ceptions of music as an emanation from the 
 Divine Mind, a glimpse of the beauty which 
 centres in Him who is the Father of Spirits and 
 the Creator of this beautiful world and universe. 
 I have illustrated its logical and intellectual 
 
 ^ Ezek. xxxiii. 30-32. 
 
MUSIC AND PREACHING 79 
 
 character, as well as its emotional and imaginat- 
 ive aspects, and shown it to be a pursuit, not 
 merely a pastime ; and as running parallel with 
 preaching and other mental exercises, with 
 sermons as well as other structures, have used it 
 analogically and comparatively, both as a test 
 and as a help ; may I say also, as a bond of 
 union between you and me, let us set life to 
 music, the music of a heart melodious to the 
 Lord, and, like the prophet, send to that "Chief 
 Musician " a gratefully and trustfully melodious 
 heart, at once our fears, our work, and our 
 hopes ? 
 
 The prophet Habakkuk's experience and 
 outlook were none of the brightest, apart from 
 the faith by which he lived, and which prompted 
 him to write his ode — far from cheerful through- 
 out — and then to send it " to his chief musician 
 upon stringed instruments. " Be yours, brethren, 
 that faith, and hope, and joy : yours and mine. 
 
IV 
 
 THE DEVELOPMENT OF MOVE- 
 MENT STRUCTURE 
 
 I ESTEEM it a great honour and privilege to be 
 asked to address you on a few successive after- 
 noons on the growth of musical structure and 
 movement writing, for that is the subject that I 
 have undertaken to trace and expound, to the 
 best of my ability, in your hearing. I may as 
 well at once say that I purpose dealing mainly 
 with Instrumental Music, though reference 
 may have to be made, now and again, to vocal 
 structure. I have to illustrate the evolution of 
 music left to itself, so to speak, rather than 
 music allied with, and more or less influenced, 
 if not dominated, by alliance with, and some 
 subordination to words and drama. In other 
 words I am to examine the development of that 
 which is nowadays spoken of as absolute music ; 
 though, in thus narrowing my survey — a 
 sufficiently broad one, however — I do not for 
 one moment intend any reflection on, or dis- 
 
DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE 8 1 
 
 paragement of any contentions in favour of 
 applied or allied music, of a poetic basis for 
 music, of the so-termed Romantic element, or, 
 if you will, Romantic School, of music. In the 
 main my subject is technical, which is surely an 
 appropriate limitation, if it be so deemed, while 
 addressing those who are studying music as a 
 craft, however fitting it might be, were I ad- 
 dressing an audience of dilettanti, to enlarge 
 on the aesthetic and other aspects of music. 
 But this disclaimer is not a dissuasive ; far, very 
 far from it. Nor, on the other hand, must it be 
 understood as implying any avowal that the 
 technical part of music is outside of, or dis- 
 sociated from, the artistic, aesthetic, or poetical. 
 This is a charge sometimes implied, if not 
 expressed, when form, plan, design, are advo- 
 cated or analyzed ; the nickname "formalism " 
 is used, reproachfully. But if sometimes mere 
 technical composition is called " music-making " 
 — and I remember a pupil in this very Institu- 
 tion who used to come to me saying, " I have 
 made another tune" — let it be remembered that 
 by the Greeks the poet was termed a maker ; 
 and the word translated workmanship is the 
 word for poem. There is mere mechanical work- 
 manship, and there is artistic workmanship. 
 
 G 
 
82 DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE 
 
 But, as I said, in studying structure with you, I 
 by no means dissuade you from giving your 
 imagination free play, whether in the interpreta- 
 tion of the beautiful music that you hear, or in 
 the composition of music. Let " mind and soul, 
 according well .... make one music." 
 
 I shall have to trace the history of certain 
 forms or structures ; and this will be a section 
 of the history both of the art which we love, 
 and of the progressive working of men's minds ; 
 both, surely, fascinating departments of historical 
 and artistic study. 
 
 If I were in search of a poetical motto for 
 my short course of lectures, it might seem that 
 the laureate's dictum, " The old order changeth," 
 would fitly summarize the whole period which 
 our review will comprehend, and form the 
 " moral," so to speak, of our survey. But it is 
 not so entirely; for, if it were, my very title would 
 be a mistake. If I am to speak of develop- 
 ment, that means unfolding, and unfolding is 
 not changing in any revolutionary sense. The 
 term now in vogue is " evolution," and that, 
 again, implies no cataclysm, no violent change 
 of method, but such a change as is implied by 
 growth, enlargement, increased resources, carry- 
 ing out to fuller issues ; this is the kind of 
 
DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE 83 
 
 development which we shall have occasion to 
 observe and trace. 
 
 The period for our consideration is that which 
 dates from that great change, which, in fact, 
 constituted a revolution in the state of music ; 
 that which has been already described to you as 
 the Transition Period ; a change of tonality, 
 involving also a change in the harmonic system. 
 This was signalized by the recognition of es- 
 sential discords the Dominant 7th, in the first 
 instance ; and, likewise, by the introduction of 
 the perpendicular method of reckoning and 
 writing music, as contrasted with the horizontal ; 
 in other words, by the harmonic-progression 
 system — chords and their context — as distin- 
 guished from the contrapuntal system of a 
 theme with its adjuncts, satellites, or accom- 
 panying parts : to be still further developed into 
 the working of subjects, instead of the ac- 
 companying of canti fermi. More about this 
 later on. 
 
 But it must not be supposed for a moment 
 that this revolution brought about an abandon- 
 ment of all that appertained to the contrapuntal 
 style ; that the contrapuntal method of treating 
 a theme was discarded in favour of the 
 harmonizing method. That would, indeed, 
 
84 DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE 
 
 have been a disaster, robbing music of one of 
 its elements of strength. But such a result of 
 the new way of looking at music was no more 
 possible than would be the instant and entire 
 change in the manners and customs of a people 
 through a revolution in government. That 
 which did take place was just that which might 
 have been expected — (I do not think this is being 
 wise after the event) — a gradual assimilation of 
 the two methods, the survival of the fittest of 
 the essential features of counterpoint — of which 
 more almost immediately — and the adaptation 
 of the old method to the new theory, the new 
 light, the new system. I have termed this a 
 gradual process ; for, indeed, it has been, in a 
 sense, going on ever since, and is still work- 
 ing, still in progress, although this fact is not 
 always borne in mind, and the non-recognition 
 of it has led to much misunderstanding and 
 much needless controversy among musicians 
 to this very day. Just in proportion as the 
 contrapuntal element, rightly understood, is 
 present in music, assuming it to be otherwise 
 good, in that proportion has it structural power 
 and solidity. And this, as will perpetually be 
 evident, is true even in music that, at first 
 sight, and to the superficial observer, might 
 
DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE 85 
 
 seem to make no contrapuntal pretensions ; and, 
 indeed, does not, perhaps, make any preten- 
 sions, but neverthless reveals at every step the 
 mastery which comes from contrapuntal train- 
 ing, and the understanding of the true contra- 
 puntal spirit. 
 
 For what is the spirit, the essence, of counter- 
 point and contrapuntal working ? Not, em- 
 phatically be it declared, the mere observance 
 of any code of laws, however good, whether 
 rigid or free, severe or lax : not this, though 
 this is how it seems to be presented to students' 
 minds, and to be accepted or resented, for that 
 is hardly too strong a word to indicate the 
 manner of its rejection, ofttimes — by composers. 
 Counterpoint, properly viewed, is not a series 
 of prohibitive or of directive rules ; but ultim- 
 ately amounts to this : the art of treating musical 
 themes or subjects in varied manners, and of 
 putting the subject in the lowest, the highest, 
 or an inner part. Now this is so important — 
 nay, so indispensable a feature in all develop- 
 ment — that, quite irrespective of strict or free, 
 it must form part of the training of all who 
 aspire to be strong composers ; it must and 
 does so inevitably enter into all structural 
 music, that it cannot be abrogated. The illustra- 
 
86 DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE 
 
 tions of this will so repeatedly come up in our 
 afternoons together, that I shall not enlarge on 
 the matter now, especially as my province is 
 not at all controversial, but educational, his- 
 torical, and analytical. I only repeat my original 
 statement that the new era inaugurated at the 
 transition period was not a termination of the 
 contrapuntal method which had exclusively pre- 
 vailed, but a carrying it on in union with new 
 theoretical views, absorbing its essential spirit, 
 but enlarging its scope, adapting it to new 
 conditions, which, however, has been done all 
 too slowly. But, be that as it may, the point 
 which I wish to impress upon you is that 
 the emergence, at the transition period, was 
 not from contrapuntal power, but from certain 
 contrapuntal restrictions appertaining to the 
 tonality which prevailed during the contra- 
 puntal school period. And that, whereas in a 
 sense the contrapuntal method of that school 
 was empirical — I say this in no depreciatory 
 spirit or sense, for it was inevitable that 
 empiricism should characterize it — on account 
 of its non-harmonic basis, the contrapuntal 
 habit of thought survived, enlarged by the 
 further understanding of the chord system as it 
 was gradually formulated. So that our system 
 
DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE 87 
 
 has not superseded or displaced the contra- 
 puntal, but has established and widened it. 
 Our modern music is the product of an amalgam 
 of the contrapuntal and the chord systems. 
 There was no period at which it was enacted 
 that, henceforth, there, should be no more 
 counterpoint, and that the chord system should 
 be the basis of musical composition. Nor was 
 there, by any means, any abandonment of the 
 strict style; up to this day, as you know, strict 
 counterpoint is still insisted on by some musicians, 
 as though it were the only counterpoint. 
 
 Now turn to another matter, issuing from the 
 change of view and usage with regard to tonality, 
 at the transition period ; that, namely, of key- 
 relationship and modulation, as we now under- 
 stand it . Once accept the chord of the Dominant 
 7th, and we, who know something of its power 
 in determining the key, for the time being, can 
 perceive that it was but a step further to find 
 out how readily it lent itself to the making a 
 change of key, a change of tonic, in the course 
 of a movement. I am not speaking now of the 
 old sense of the term modulation, " conceded " 
 and otherwise. You and I are, happily, living in 
 post-transition times, and I am using terms in 
 their modern sense. The system of conjunct 
 
88 DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE 
 
 and disjunct tetrachords suggested, and instinct, 
 in conjunction with the Dominant 7th, coincided 
 in the suggestion of certain keys as most ob- 
 vious and natural to modulate to ; and the 
 harmonic series served to justify, within certain 
 limits, this selection of keys. The Dominant to 
 any given note being the first note harmonically 
 produced, after the duplication of the funda- 
 mental note, justifies the all but universal choice 
 of the key of the dominant as the first key to 
 modulate to from any given major key. And, 
 obviously, as any key is the dominant to another 
 key, which is its sub-dominant, modulation to 
 the sub-dominant is similarly natural ; being just 
 the reverse process to modulation into the 
 dominant, the return journey, as it were. 
 
 With regard to the other modulations with 
 which we are familiar, as included in what are 
 grouped as natural modulations, those, namely, 
 to the so-termed relative minor keys of the 
 tonic, dominant, and sub-dominant, the explana- 
 tion seems derivable from another source than 
 the harmonic basis. Professor Sir George 
 Macfarren contends that " it is a remnant in- 
 deed of the Church theory [that is, of the 
 system of ecclesiastical modes] to regard the 
 major mode and its relative minor mode as 
 
DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE 89 
 
 modifications of the same scale ; " ^ and he 
 characterizes this theory as "opposed to natural 
 truth," and as having " consequently sometimes 
 induced harmonic obscurity in compositions 
 even of the greatest masters : " and he proceeds 
 to argue this point. It is not for me now to 
 discuss this disputed matter ; but merely to 
 record the fact that these so-termed, rightly or 
 wrongly termed, relative minor scales, whether 
 as a remanet of the older system of the modes 
 or not, are those which have been alone selected, 
 whether by instinct, or on principle, or by tra- 
 dition from of old, as natural to modulate to, 
 from any given major key.' Professor Mac- 
 farren speaks of the term relative, so applied, 
 as " a stumbling-block in the way of learners ; " 
 and Sterndale Bennett, who was no partisan 
 of Macfarren's theoretical views, said to me, 
 " One can never persuade students that A minor 
 is relative to C major : C minor is its true 
 relative." Now, you are all students : you can 
 judge about the " stumbling-block " matter from 
 experience, I say no more on the subject : I 
 simply point to the facts. 
 
 Modulation, then, — the delightful relief of a 
 
 ^ "Six Lectures on Harmony," p. 25. 
 
90 DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE 
 
 temporary change of tonic, like a change of 
 scene, of surroundings, of sensations, often like 
 a ray of sunshine, affording such opportunity for 
 variety and for design in structure, as will be 
 illustrated by-and-by — this was a new factor, 
 so to speak, in the manner of construction of 
 musical movements, with the advent and de- 
 velopment of the tonal system inaugurated at 
 the transition period. 
 
 And it will be obvious to you that the intro- 
 duction and recognition of equal temperament 
 is closely allied with this matter of modulation ; 
 and, in its progressive acceptance and compre- 
 hension, opened up, also, that method of mod- 
 ulation which is known as enharmonic, thus 
 greatly extending the boundaries of key-con- 
 nection, or at least of progression from key to 
 key ; a great gain, certainly, to our modern 
 music, though also liable to become a great 
 snare, as there will be opportunities of showing 
 during our illustrations. 
 
 These features of the transition and post- 
 transition periods, respectively, constitute some 
 of the factors in the evolution and growth of our 
 modern, extended, structural music, especially 
 instrumental music ; and by structural, I mean 
 movements extending beyond a single rhythmical 
 
DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE 9 1 
 
 theme, with harmony ; movements with either 
 contrapuntal and imitational development, such 
 as the canon and the fugue, or with contrasted or 
 combined subjects, in different keys, connected 
 and worked, as in the sonata forms with which 
 we are familiar. 
 
 But, to begin at the beginning, or at least so 
 near as I may without detaining you in the 
 region of ancient history, I must again dis- 
 possess your mind of the idea that there is one 
 clearly-marked dividing line between the old 
 and the new, so that no characteristics of the 
 one appear in the other. Only, in this connec- 
 tion, instead of assuring you that the new amal- 
 gamated much of the old, I have, on the other 
 hand, to say that the old did anticipate the new, 
 to some extent. The fact is that nature re- 
 sponds to her own laws ; the instinct of that 
 which is artistic in human nature, in the human 
 mind, coincides with the laws of truth and 
 beauty. And in certain simple instrumental 
 music of the pre-transition period there are 
 beautiful examples of the non-contrapuntal 
 chord structure, of just what we understand by 
 harmonized melodies; and these examples, we 
 may be proud to know, are to be found in the 
 writings of English musicians. It has been 
 
92 DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE 
 
 claimed, indeed, that the founder of instrumental 
 music was Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, a famous 
 Dutch organist, born in 1562, died 162 1 ; who, 
 besides publishing a quantity of vocal music, 
 canons, church music, etc., wrote organ pieces, 
 of which it is said that they " present the first 
 known example of an independent use of the 
 pedal (entrusting it with a real part in a fugue), 
 if not with the first example of a completely 
 developed organ-fugue" (Grove's "Dictionary"). 
 
 But apart from the fact that there are instru- 
 mental works extant by an Italian of the same 
 period, no less a man than the famous Gregorio 
 Allegri, composer of the renowned " Miserere " 
 (born 1580 or thereabouts, died 1652), who is 
 said to have written the first known quartet 
 for stringed instruments ; apart from this, I say, 
 there are instrumental compositions by our own 
 William Byrde (i 546-1623), Dr. John Bull 
 (1563-1628), Thomas Morley {c. 1550-1604), 
 Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625), which are quite 
 ignored by the German historian, Eitner, who 
 makes this claim for Sweelinck. And these com- 
 positions, some of them, are neither contrapuntal 
 nor strongly characterized by the old tonality. 
 
 Orlando Gibbons also wrote, amongst other 
 works, nine Fantasies, in three parts, for instru- 
 
DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE 93 
 
 merits ; that is, for viols, about which instru- 
 ments more anon. Concerning these, which are 
 very early specimens of concertante instrumental 
 music, Professor Sir G. A. Macfarren wrote : ^ 
 " The Fantasies of Orlando Gibbons are most 
 admirable specimens of pure part-writing in the 
 strict contrapuntal style ; the announcement of 
 the several points, and the successive answers 
 and close elaboration of these, the freedom of 
 the melody of each part, and the independence 
 of each other, are the manifest result of great 
 scholastic acquirement, and consequent technical 
 facility. Their form, like that of the madrigals 
 and other vocal compositions of the period, con- 
 sists of the successive introduction of several 
 points or subjects, each of which is fully de- 
 veloped before the entry of that which succeeds 
 it. The earlier Fantasies in the set are more 
 closely and extensively elaborated, and written 
 in stricter accordance with the Gregorian modes 
 than those towards the close of the collection, 
 which, from their comparatively rhythmical 
 character and greater freedom of modulation, 
 may even be supposed to have been aimed at 
 popular effect. They would, it is true, be little 
 
 ^ " Popular Music of the Olden Time," p. 470. 
 
94 DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE 
 
 congenial to modern ears, but this is because 
 of the strangeness to us of the crude tonal 
 system which prevailed at the time, and upon 
 which they are constructed. The peculiarities 
 that result from it are the peculiarities of the 
 age, and were common to all the best writers 
 of the school in this and every other country. 
 Judged by the only true standard of criticism — 
 judged merely as what they were designed to 
 be — they must be pronounced excellent proofs 
 of the musical erudition, the ingenious con- 
 trivance, and the fluent invention of the com- 
 poser." 
 
 Such music as this, however, does not illus- 
 trate, in any way, the power of the metamor- 
 phosed tonality, and the changes resultant 
 thereof; but, mainly, the very important power 
 of continuity which the contrapuntal manner of 
 writing engenders and sustains. And this is a 
 lesson for all time. We need the rhythmical 
 divisions, the phrases, the sections, the periods, 
 marked by the various cadences which modern 
 tonality suggests ; but without the involve- 
 ments, entanglements, overlappings, prolonga- 
 tions, augmentations, and other devices apper- 
 taining to the contrapuntal style, music will be 
 fragmentary, broken up, tiresome from its con- 
 
DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE 95 
 
 tinually recurring stops, like lyrical verse as 
 contrasted with blank verse. We know, for 
 instance, how tiresome to the ear — mind, I am 
 not speaking of the moral sense — the listening 
 is to a chapter of apothegms, such as the book 
 of Proverbs furnishes, with its perpetual anti- 
 theses between the righteous and the wicked, the 
 wise and the foolish. It is inevitable, according 
 to the nature of the case ; but, from a purely aural 
 and artistic point of view, it is undoubtedly 
 tiresome. On the other hand, who would wish 
 that, in literature generally, Coleridge's example 
 in " The Friend " should be followed, of giving a 
 sentence of about six pages without a full stop, 
 as an exercise for the student in continuous, 
 sustained, prolonged thought ? We need the 
 combination of the two elements, the terseness, 
 conciseness, definition of thought, and the flow, 
 connection, continuity, bearing of one thought 
 on another, involvement with another. And, 
 structurally, this is just what seems the natural 
 working of the union of the two styles ; the 
 new, with its recognition of an original key, of 
 key relationships, and of perfect, imperfect, and 
 interrupted cadences ; and the old, with its 
 combination of parts and subjects, and its power 
 and habit of continuity. My dear old master, 
 
96 DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE 
 
 Cipriani Potter, once said to me, " What is 
 it that counterpoint teaches you ? Rhythm, 
 phrasing." I listened somewhat sceptically, 
 taken aback ; but I pondered, and still could 
 come to no other conclusion than that this is 
 just what counterpoint does not teach, except, 
 indeed, in well-directed fifth species, in which 
 reiteration of figures, especially in connection 
 or conjunction with sequences, is introduced. 
 Contrapuntal study teaches varied treatment of 
 subjects, detailed progression and inter-relation- 
 ship of parts, and continuity. Modern harmony 
 study teaches key-relationship, and, in con- 
 nection therewith, cadences and rhythm. Unite 
 the two, and, so far as structure goes, you have 
 perfection. 
 
 It may have struck you or not that, seeing 
 that instrumental music especially is under con- 
 sideration, the nature of the instruments written 
 for is a matter for consideration ; and, surely, it 
 is almost a truism to say so. The capabilities, and 
 developrnent of, and manner of performance on , 
 musical instruments, form an important factor in 
 the structure of the music itself written for them. 
 The limits of the instruments have curtailed the 
 composers, inevitably ; and, on the other hand, 
 the irrepressible demands of the music have stim- 
 
DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE 97 
 
 ulated the contriving powers of manufacturers, 
 as well as the technical studies of performers. 
 
 My subject is not the history of instruments, 
 nor of instrumentation ; but a few facts of an 
 illustrative character may well be mentioned in 
 this connection. 
 
 The first fact that I will speak of is, that in 
 early times music was written, alternatively, for 
 voices or instruments ; apparently with a view to 
 its availableness for social and family perform- 
 ances under varying conditions. So that, for 
 instance, vocal music was announced on the 
 title page to be "apt for voices and\\cAs\" 
 indicating, it would seem, that if there were not 
 vocalists at hand, the music could equally well 
 be played ; so that, as in the case, for instance, 
 of certain of Orlando Gibbons's compositions, 
 they might be performed either as madrigals, 
 or as quartets or quintets for stringed instru- 
 ments. I suppose that it may also have been 
 intended that, in the event of a large gathering 
 of performers, the music might be performed 
 by the combined forces, vocal and instrumental ; 
 not our notions, however, of madrigal per- 
 formance. But they seem to have determined 
 that the people should have music, performable 
 in one way or another. 
 
 H 
 
98 DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE 
 
 Sir John Hawkins's account of the matter is : ^ 
 " When the practice of singing madrigals began 
 to decHne, and gentlemen and others began to 
 excel in their performance on the viol, the 
 musicians of the time conceived the thought of 
 substituting instrumental music in the place of 
 vocal ; and for this purpose some of the most 
 excellent masters of that instrument, namely 
 Dowland, the younger Ferabosco, Coperario, 
 Jenkins, Dr. Wilson, and many others, betook 
 themselves to the framing compositions called 
 Fantazias, which were generally in six parts, 
 answering to the number of viols in a set or chest 
 . . . and abounded in fugues, little responsive 
 passages, and all those other elegancies observ- 
 able in the structure and contrivance of the 
 madrigal." 
 
 Be that as it may, not only would the music 
 be restricted to the capabilities of the instru- 
 ments, but also it would, in such cases, be within 
 the compass and capabilities of voices ; a circum- 
 stance which may suggest the remark, in passing, 
 that the more vocal in character instrumental 
 music is, the better, of course with obvious 
 qualifications, especially in these times, when 
 
 ' Book XV. 
 
DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE 99 
 
 the powers of instruments are so much extended. 
 But the naturalness, or if you like the term 
 better, the prettiness of melodic passages is con- 
 siderably dependent upon their vocal character. 
 
 I have quoted the expression " apt for voices 
 and viols," which leads to a few words upon 
 Vtoh, the precursors of our violin and similar 
 stringed instruments. You may fairly be pre- 
 sumed to know that the very word Vtol is the 
 generic name for the whole family of stringed 
 instruments played with a bow.^ (I may mention 
 parenthetically, that the Vielle is the name of an 
 old instrument of similar shape, played upon, 
 according to some, not by a bow, but by a 
 rosined wheel ; the Rota, it is also called, iden- 
 tified by some with the instrument known to us 
 as the Hurdy-gurdy.) The viol was of various 
 kinds, or registers, trebles, tenors, basses ; a 
 Chest of Viols meaning a complete set, generally 
 two of each kind. The viol, of whatever size 
 or kind, had six strings; it was fitted with 
 frets, indicating where the strings were to be 
 stopped. 
 
 You may well be familiar with the term, in 
 connection with old music, " a Consort of Viols ;" 
 
 ^ See Engel, however, "The Violin Family," p. 125. 
 
lOO DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE 
 
 the term Consort being used to denote a group 
 of any one class of instruments playing together ; 
 viols, oboes, or the like. When two such con- 
 sorts were mixed, the music was termed " broken 
 music." In the play, " Henry V.," when the king 
 is courting Princess Katherine, who makes havoc 
 of English pronunciation, he makes her the 
 pretty lover's compliment of saying, " Most fair 
 Katherine, .... come, your answer in broken 
 music, for thy voice is music, but thy English is 
 broken." 
 
 Matthew Lock published (1656) "40 Airs 
 for Viols or Violins " (then superseding viols) 
 entitled " Matthew Lock, his little Consort." 
 
 Then, again, I need hardly remind you of the 
 growth of the keyed instruments, of which the 
 representative to us is the Pianoforte ; the cul- 
 mination, as it were, of the series which included 
 the Virginals, the Spinet, the Clavichord, the 
 Harpsichord, and then our beautiful instrument, 
 which itself has undergone such constant im- 
 provements ere it reached its present delightful 
 perfection, if such a word may even yet be used. 
 But it may well be remembered what changes 
 in manner of performance, and therefore in pas- 
 sage structure, have taken place as time has 
 gone on. For instance, the passage of the thumb 
 
DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE Id 
 
 under the fingers, and the reverse process, was 
 not at first practised. In fact, it is stated that, in 
 the earliest known book on keyed instrument per- 
 formance, the use of the thumb and of the little 
 finger was prohibited ! This, however, was as far 
 back as 1571. Scale and arpeggio passages, 
 therefore, were performed between the hands ; 
 and, consequently, not by both hands simultane- 
 ously. This, of course, restricted the art of 
 passage- writing very much, and, altogether, the 
 structure of music for such instruments : ac- 
 counting for the way in which various passages 
 in keyed-instrument music of early times are 
 written. 
 
 Then, again, the tone of the early instruments 
 to which I have referred was so lacking in dura- 
 tion, having indeed been humorously described 
 by Dr. Burney (I believe) as " a scratch with a 
 sound at the end of it," that there was nothing 
 about it to suggest or encourage that which we 
 know as the cantabile style. 
 
 I need hardly enlarge on the development of 
 organ music, in consequence of the difference of 
 G and C pedals. 
 
 Such considerations as these serve to account 
 for some of the limitations in the instrumental 
 music, especially in the keyed-instrument music 
 
102 DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE 
 
 of early times ; to which one may well add, 
 moreover, such a fact as that mentioned by Mr. 
 Cummings, that, in those early times, violinists 
 only played in the first position. But, reverting 
 to the limitations in harpsichord performance 
 and capabilities, one can only wonder how so 
 large, broad, grand, and difficult a composition 
 was written, even at a somewhat later period, 
 as, for example, Handel's fugue in E minor. 
 
 The whole subject may suggest a lesson as to 
 the importance, in music as in other matters, in 
 order to a right estimate and appreciation, of 
 separating in our minds essentials from accidents, 
 or accessories ; the music itself from the mode 
 of its presentation, effective (a dangerous word), 
 or otherwise. 
 
 Among the earliest uses of purely instru- 
 mental music must undoubtedly be classed its 
 application to the dances of the period. And 
 in connection herewith must be mentioned the 
 rhythmical arrangement of the music. The 
 sense of rhythm, of periodical accentuation, 
 seems indigenous, shall I say, to human nature. 
 The way in which the child's, or the untutored 
 rustic's head wags, or foot moves, at any such 
 
DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE IO3 
 
 music as the march, or any sort of dance, points 
 to this. And the beginning, the earliest form, 
 of our modern sonata, was the Suite, i.e., the 
 set, or series of movements, mainly in dance 
 measures. The innate sense of accent, which 
 is indicated in the ways that I have mentioned, 
 thus found expression in artistic form. 
 
 I suppose that certain of these dance move- 
 ments, of which the suite was made up, were by no 
 means intended or supposed to be actually danced 
 to, any more than were the minuet, or the waltz 
 movements — Valses de Salon — of modern times. 
 It was simply a matter of suggested rhythm, 
 and the element of continuity added thereto. 
 I myself think there is a certain measure of — I 
 will hardly say affectation, especially with regard 
 to the composers individually, many of them 
 being able writers — but of mistaken method of 
 getting an effect of originality or quaintness in 
 the modern prevailing fashion of writing move- 
 ments in the measure and rhythm of the obsolete 
 dances, inasmuch as the esprit associated with 
 them in the days when they were actually extant 
 as dances — the inspiring motive, assuming that 
 dancing is, as it has been termed, " the poetry of 
 motion " — no longer exists. The supposed quaint- 
 ness is of the nature of a borrowed sentiment. 
 
I04 DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE 
 
 But there can hardly be a question of the 
 prettiness, the verve, the suggestiveness, of some 
 of these old rhythms ; and their adaptability to 
 solid, contrapuntal structure and treatment has 
 been abundantly proved. 
 
 Another name for the "set" of movements 
 was Partita, meaning a complete whole, divided 
 into parts, or, as we say, movements. The term 
 partita, or (French) partie, was also applied, 
 however, to what we term Variations (see 
 Spitta's " Life of Bach," vol. ii., p. 74). One 
 distinction between the suite and the partita on 
 the one hand, and the modern sonata on the 
 other, was that in the older composition all the 
 movements were in the same key, whereas in 
 the later kind of composition it is usual to 
 change the key of at least one of the move- 
 ments. I think that I shall be able to show 
 another bond of union and unity, besides same- 
 ness of tonality, in some suites by-and-by. I 
 may just remark that a recent criticism of a 
 modern suite by an Academy lady was mis- 
 taken ; she was told that it was a pity that 
 she had all the movements in one key, 
 whereas if she essayed to write after the 
 antique pattern, she was, in a manner, bound 
 by the conditions of the early period into which. 
 
DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE IO5 
 
 for the time being, she voluntarily transported 
 herself. 
 
 Another name applied to the older sets of 
 movements, or suites de pitces, was Lessons, ^Yv^ 
 seems to point to a happy combination of means 
 and end. We have, or had, in our " instruction- 
 book " days, lessons in order to learn how to play 
 "pieces ; " later on we had exercises — manipu- 
 latory — and studies, on special matters of tech- 
 nical execution, in order to prepare us for play- 
 ing sonatas and such works. But, in those 
 simple days, when they seem hardly to have 
 thought of learning to do something in order 
 to do something else, but acted on the principle 
 that " the way to do a thing is to do it," they 
 made the lessons the things to be done for their 
 own sakes. Handel's harpsichord works were 
 called Suites de Pieces or Lessons, including 
 fugues, as well as preludes, dance measures, 
 and airs with variations. Whether our modern 
 method of practising technical exercises in order 
 to discipline the fingers be the truest economy 
 of time and labour or not, is a matter that may 
 fairly be discussed. Conditions have changed, 
 difficulties have increased and multiplied, and 
 this has brought about a different course or 
 curriculum, perhaps inevitably. Be that as it 
 
I06 DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE 
 
 may, I am telling you of the times when there 
 were no Plaidy's technical exercises ; no Czerny's 
 " Vdlocitd ; " no dementi's " Gradus ad Parnas- 
 sum ; " not even Cramer's beautiful " Studio." 
 Just fancy that ! If we add to such a state of 
 things the absolutely perfect intonation of the 
 contrapuntal era, we may almost sigh for the 
 "good old times! " 
 
 It is, perhaps, hardly necessary to dwell much 
 on one characteristic of suites, partitas, dance 
 measures, and much of the music of that period, 
 namely, the superabundance of ornaments 
 {agrimens), the names of which form quite a 
 vocabulary, the understanding of which is quite 
 a study, the remembering of which is quite a 
 feat, and the proper execution of which is quite 
 an accomplishment, if, indeed, it be not quite a 
 lost art. The perplexity is, moreover, greatly 
 increased by the fact that different writers 
 express the same meaning in different ways, 
 and mean different things by the same sign ; so 
 that the study becomes a comparative and his- 
 torical one. The origin of the whole system 
 lay, I suppose, in the necessity of doing some- 
 thing to prolong the impression of a note, and 
 to impart emphasis, where required, in music 
 to be played on instruments such as the pre- 
 
DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE IO7 
 
 cursors of the pianoforte, not amenable to the 
 varieties of tone producible by gradations of 
 touch by the finger, and possessing little or no 
 sustaining or singing power. When playing 
 this music upon our modern instrument, it seems 
 more appropriate, in a considerable number of 
 cases, to produce the effect, whether of emphasis 
 or of sostenuto, by the means familiar to us, 
 varying the pressure or the blow from the finger 
 {only from the finger), and to omit the orna- 
 ment. But, on the other hand, the ornaments 
 are in many cases so interwoven with the form 
 and flow of the passages, that to disregard and 
 omit them altogether would be to uncharacterize 
 the music and deprive it of much of its con- 
 tinuity, so that no rule can be laid down. Per- 
 sonally, I omit many of these agrimens, both 
 on principle and for comfort's sake. It is very 
 nice when principle and comfort coincide ! 
 
 Couperin's system of agrimens differs much 
 from that of another distinguished French com- 
 poser, Jean Philippe Rameau (born at Dijon, 
 1683, died 1764), composer not only of Pieces 
 de Clavecin, but also of many operas and ballets, 
 in addition to various theoretical works of great 
 importance at the time, though his theories have 
 not continued to be accepted. 
 
I08 DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE 
 
 In an old book entitled "A Small Treatise 
 of Time and Cadence in Dancing, reduced to 
 an easy and exact method, by John Weaver 
 (Dancing Master), Lond., 1706," the author says 
 " that in the general Rule for Measures and Time 
 in Musick, two sorts of Movements are only 
 made use of, viz.. Common Time, and Triple 
 Time, some . . . quicker . . . some slower . . . 
 A Measure of Quadruple Time is therefore the 
 same as Two Measures of Common Time." He 
 goes on to speak of " Loures and Slow Jiggs, 
 which contain six crotchets in a Measure; for 
 each Measure of a Loure or slow Jigg, is the 
 same with two Measures of Triple Time." This 
 has been a matter of some discussion among 
 musicians, but, at all events, I have given you 
 a dancing-master's dictum. 
 
 Domenico Scarlatti (1683-1757), Naples, son 
 of Alessandro Scarlatti, whom I shall have to 
 mention in another connection, wrote very many 
 pieces for the clavecin, or harpsichord. The 
 most generally known are the " Cat's Fugue," 
 and another fugue in D minor. But there is 
 much interest in many other movements of his, 
 though he neither adopted the dance measures 
 nor wrote sonatas — more properly, partitas. 
 
 I have called your attention to the fact that 
 
; ' 
 
 DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE IO9 
 
 the movements of the sm^e and partita were all 
 in one key ; the variety, the relief, had to be 
 sought in the change of rhythm and tempo or 
 pace, not in any difference of structure, so far as 
 order of modulations and cadences is concerned, 
 the movements in some cases being almost like 
 variations on the same progressions of har- 
 monies ; see, for example, the dance move- 
 ments, after the fugue, in Handel's Fourth 
 Suite in E minor. And as in those in the major 
 key the first part of each movement invariably 
 ends in the dominant, and the second part, up 
 to the return to the original key, makes only 
 the most simple modulations, so those in the 
 minor key end the first part with a half-close in 
 the key, or a modulation to the minor key of 
 the dominant, with the final chord major, in 
 Tierce de Picardie fashion, thus rendering the 
 repeat easy. There is no relief by any modula- 
 tion to, or final close in, the relative major key. 
 In our modern times, with long movements, 
 more modulations and varied reliefs undoubtedly 
 are necessary, but these do not excuse or justify 
 the restlessness as regards key, and the un- 
 certainty, indeterminateness, as regards tonality, 
 which characterize so much music of this period, 
 and especially the writings of young composers 
 
no DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE 
 
 with any yearnings after originality. A lesson 
 may well be taken by these latter from the older 
 writers, as to the resources of the original key, 
 and the possibility of keeping to it without 
 weariness, for some time at least. " A rover's 
 life for me " is a bad motto for a young com- 
 poser, though, of course, one does not wish him 
 to adopt the other extreme one, "No place like 
 home." 
 
 An incalculable advantage seems to have 
 accrued from this use of dance measures, as well 
 as from the fixed change of tonality, and conse- 
 quent classification of cadences : the advantage, 
 namely, of the regulation, the initiation, indeed, 
 of rhythm and of phrasing, — as contrasted with 
 the comparatively unrhythmical though finely 
 continuous music of the contrapuntal period. 
 And the influence of this sense of rhythm, so 
 connected with tune, is manifest in the music 
 immediately succeeding that in which the dance 
 element prevailed, notaibly in the one dance 
 measure which survived from the suite, — the 
 Minuet, with its metamorphosis, the frolicsome 
 Scherzo, of yet later times ; but not only in that 
 notable survival, for the rhythmical spirit, yea, 
 even the dance spirit, is patent to observation in 
 the final movements, especially, of the sonatas. 
 
DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE III 
 
 quartets, and symphonies, of Haydn, Mozart, 
 Beethoven, and others. 
 
 Important, however, as is the sense and indi- 
 cation of rhythm, — one of the first elements of 
 form, analogous to the need, in other matters, 
 of points of repose (a room without corners 
 being said to produce insanity to one solitarily 
 confined therein), and a sentence without full 
 stops being a great demand on the attention, 
 the mental strain, of a reader — there are other 
 elements of structure which have to be taken 
 into account. There 'are involved, or over- 
 lapping, or prolonged, or shortened, or other- 
 wise irregular rhythms. There is, also, mod- 
 ulation, or change of key. There is, also, unity 
 of purpose in connection with variety of subject. 
 There is descant, not in the old sense of putting 
 a counterpoint to a subject, merely, but in the 
 wider, more modern, general, extended sense, 
 of which we have an instance in our expression, 
 "descanting" on a subject, in the sense of en- 
 larging on a topic, arguing it out, showing its 
 bearings on other subjects, its relationships, its 
 suggestiveness, etc. And in connection with 
 all this, as a part of it, arising out of it, come all 
 the various devices which are comprehended 
 under the general term " working " or " develop- 
 
112 DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE 
 
 merit" in musical composition, and, according 
 to the various ways in which this is accomp- 
 lished, carried out, will come the various forms 
 or structures of movements in music. 
 
 In these various dance-measures, as you have 
 heard, the main points are rhythmical regularity, 
 phrasing and sectionizing, and simple modula- 
 tions. Inasmuch as, in the harmonic series of 
 sounds (the harmonic chord, as it is called), the 
 fifth or twelfth, which we term the dominant, to 
 the original, fundamental sound, is the first 
 produced after the duplication of that funda- 
 mental, or root, it is evidently in conformity 
 with Nature's dictates that the key of the 
 dominant has been, as a matter of instinct, of 
 ease, that which has been modulated to, in the 
 first instance, by movement writers, ever since 
 modulation, as an element of structure, came 
 into vogtie. And, inasmuch as to return to the 
 original key from that dominant is to modulate 
 to the sub-dominant of the key so started from, 
 in other words, each key being the sub-dominant 
 to its own dominant, the sub-dominant is also, 
 evidently, a natural key to modulate to. There 
 is, moreover, obviously, the retention in these 
 natural modulations of the old modal distinction 
 or division (call it what you will), of the authentic 
 
DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE II3 
 
 and plagal modes : and it may not be difficult 
 to discern some symptoms of a similar way of 
 regarding relationships in the alleged, though 
 disputed, relationship of a major key with its 
 so-termed relative minor, and vice versa. So 
 that one or other of those relative minors has 
 usually been taken as the secondary keys to 
 which to modulate from any given major key ; 
 and the reversing of this process, if the key 
 started from is a minor key, needs no ex- 
 planation. 
 
 I said to you that the emergence from the 
 ecclesiastical or contrapuntal style or school, 
 though, in a sense, an emancipation from thral- 
 dom, an enlargement of range and scope, to- 
 gether with the change of tonality, was by no 
 means a renunciation, or an enfeeblement, or a 
 loss of resources. The old manner of treatment, 
 suggested by the contrapuntal method, would 
 assert itself and find opportunities for develop- 
 ment in connection even with dance measures. 
 Take an example. One of the contrapuntal 
 devices, growing out of canonic treatment, or 
 rather, perhaps, I should say, exemplified in its 
 strictest or most pedantic form in that canonic 
 treatment, — that of imitation or reiteration of a 
 phrase or figure, soon allied itself with dance 
 
 I 
 
114 DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE 
 
 measures, in fragmentary form, and with some 
 freedom as to intervals, as a device for obtain- 
 ing a certain raillery or winsome jocoseness or 
 archness, not at all unfitting in connection with 
 the pastime of dancing. And, as a still further 
 device, in the second part oi gigues, especially, 
 that quaint presentation of a subject, or of part 
 thereof, known as inverse movement, was adopted. 
 All this, however, was in the main the work- 
 ing of one principal idea or subject, rhythmical, 
 modulatory, and contrapuntal ; and, in these 
 movements, either the dance-measure on the 
 one hand, or the contrapuntal and imitational 
 treatment on the other, was the inspiring 
 motive. It remained to infuse into these the 
 picturesqueness, the variety and contrast, in 
 conjunction with continuity, which would render 
 a musical movement analogous to a narrative 
 or dramatic work, though, admittedly, the 
 analogy is very imperfect. But, putting it 
 another way, independent music, absolute 
 music, not as the exJ)ression of words, nor as 
 the adjunct of dancing, was yearning to assert 
 itself. And, assimilating both the power and 
 continuity of the contrapuntal method, and the 
 clearness and rhythm of the harmonic method 
 and the dance-measure, movements of freer 
 
DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE II5 
 
 development and greater extension were con- 
 structed. The Sonata, and Symphony, and Over- 
 ture forms, as we understand those terms and 
 forms, were the result. 
 
 But this is only a very bald summary of the 
 history of modern movement structure ; and, I 
 need hardly say, needs and repays tracing in 
 detail. It has been usual to say, broadly, that 
 the sonata is the development of the suite and 
 partita; and that the symphony and sonata 
 forms are identical. All this, however, needs 
 some qualification, or, at least, explication. For 
 instance, it is contended by one writer, at least, 
 that the suite is to be regarded as the precursor 
 of the overture rather than of the sonata. And 
 this leads fairly to a brief consideration of the 
 various terms for instrumental music, sym- 
 phony, overture, concerto, and others. Sonata, 
 of course, means simply " sounded ; " symphony, 
 " sounded together ; " concerto, playing or singing 
 in concert, consort, or agreement ; only, though 
 this be so, and we speak of concerted vocal 
 music, the term concerto is never applied to such 
 music ; overture, an opening piece, obviously, 
 like the other terms, conveys nothing about 
 structure. So that it becomes simply a matter 
 of record as to how these terms have been 
 
Il6 DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE 
 
 applied. Taking overture, first of all, it was 
 applied originally to the instrumental music 
 opening, or preceding, an opera or an oratorio. 
 The early form was not that of a single move- 
 ment, as is most usual now ; but of a series of 
 movements, in fact of a suite, as has been hinted 
 above ; in the French style it consisted usually 
 of a prelude, a fugue, and a dance tune, generally 
 a minuet or a gavotte. This kind of overture is 
 said to have been originated by Jean Baptiste 
 LuUy (1633-87). The Italian overture con- 
 sisted of an allegro, a slow movement, and 
 another allegro, or resumption of the first. Of 
 the French kind, besides Lully, Purcell and 
 Handel wrote many examples. Handel's harp- 
 sichord suite in G minor, moreover, furnishes 
 an example of this kind. But then the term 
 sinfonia was also used for this kind of ov^- 
 ture. A modern overture is more after the plan 
 of the first movement of a symphony, but with 
 less marked division of parts, and no repeat of 
 the first part. Even this description does not 
 apply to melodramatic overtures, and some 
 others, such as Meyerbeer's " Struensee " and 
 Weber's " Preciosa." 
 
 Then turning to the word concerto, originally, 
 as we have seen, consort, of viols, or of other 
 
DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE II7 
 
 instruments, the term was originally applied to 
 a series of movements for instruments, which 
 also might include a dance movement or a 
 fugue, or both. Some concertos might have 
 an obbligato or prominent part for some one 
 instrument, as the oboe {jkautboy) ; and from this 
 seems to have grown the later form of concerto ; 
 that of a work in (generally) three movements 
 for a solo instrument, accompanied by the band, 
 and with interspersed passages for the band 
 alone, termed tutti. But such concertos as 
 those without any such obbligato, or solo part, 
 answered, in fact, to our symphony, except in 
 the nature and extent of the movements. The 
 modern concerto is somewhat on the plan of a 
 symphony, so far as the structure of the move- 
 ments is concerned, but on a more extended 
 scale, an epitome, called the first tutti, preceding 
 the entry of the solo instrument. Even this 
 form, however, has now wellnigh passed away, 
 so far as composers are concerned, and has 
 given place to a more compressed form, and 
 with the solo instrument more like one of the 
 band — an excellence observable, moreover, in 
 some of Mozart's pianoforte concertos, still more 
 so in those of Beethoven, Mendelssohn, and 
 others. 
 
1 1 8 DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE 
 
 Then the term symphony is, with us, applied 
 to that which is, in fact, a sonata for the 
 orchestra. But here again there has been 
 interchange of terms ; for even as the early 
 overtures were also termed sinfonias, so some 
 old editions of, for instance, Haydn's symphonies, 
 term them, on the title page, overtures. This, 
 however, need not confuse us as to the structural 
 matter. 
 
 As the use or incorporation of dance-measures 
 in works consisting of series of movements for 
 an instrument was gradually abandoned, the 
 term sonata came into vogue. Kuhnau (1667- 
 1722) is said to have been the first to apply 
 the term to a series of movements, and it 
 was adopted by Purcell, Arne, Bach, Handel, 
 and many others, sometimes for a single move- 
 ment only. The term was used for works for 
 several instruments ; but it came to be applied 
 exclusively to works in several movements for 
 one, or at most two instruments, the terms trio, 
 quartet, etc., being used when more than two 
 were employed, the structure of the movements 
 remaining the same, however. 
 
 Now what is that structure ? Let us con- 
 sider primarily that of the first movement, which 
 is generally called first movement, or sonata 
 
DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE II9 
 
 form. Speaking generally, it is just the enlarge- 
 ment, the extension of such form as that which 
 in a large number of cases was exemplified in 
 the first movement of the suite or partita, 
 namely, a subject in the primary key of the 
 piece ; a modulation, such as I have already 
 specified, bringing about a close of the first part 
 in that new or secondary key ; a second part, 
 consisting of some matter built on, or at least 
 continuous of, and suggested by that of the first 
 part, but with some modulation ; and then a 
 return to the original key, and possibly to the 
 original subject. Of course this is a mere out- 
 line sketch of such a movement, for instance, as 
 the Allemande ; but it will suffice for com- 
 parison, as well as to prompt the question : 
 Wherein does a sonata movement differ from 
 this ? Is it merely in dimensions ? 
 
 The answer, first of all, might be that the 
 sonata movement is free of all rhythmical dance- 
 measure trammels, though of course the com- 
 poser may or may not permit suggestions of a 
 rhythmical character to influence him. Indeed, 
 in some early sonatas there are, perhaps, symp- 
 toms of such influence. 
 
 But the further reply has still to be made, in 
 which you will probably have all along antici- 
 
I20 DEVELOPMENT OF MOVEMENT STRUCTURE 
 
 pated me. The sonata movement has more 
 than one principal or prominent subject, and a 
 special feature in connection with these is that, 
 by contrasted rhythm, the sameness inevitably 
 attaching to the suite movements is averted, or 
 at all events avertible ; and, in addition to this, 
 opportunity is given for much more extended 
 development. The sameness of which I have 
 spoken is not felt in the briefer movements, 
 neither is the need of development. Such unde- 
 veloped movements consisting, it may be said, of 
 one extended subject, or little else, with first and 
 second parts, are nowadays sometimes desig- 
 nated as in song form when not in dance form. 
 But the sonata movement on the more extended 
 lines that I have briefly sketched, is really an 
 artistic structure, with design, proportion, work- 
 ing, although a recent writer has said that such 
 music, unless with what is termed a "poetic 
 basis," is not a work of art at all — only a 
 luxury ! 
 
V 
 
 SOME THOUGHTS CONCERNING 
 MUSICAL COMPOSITION 1 
 
 The announcement of the subject on which I 
 am to address you is sufficiently general, not to 
 say vague, to preclude any but the most con- 
 jectural anticipations on your part as to what I 
 shall deal with. The vagueness need not extend 
 beyond the title, however ; the generality may 
 prove to be only for the sake of inclusiveness. 
 I hope that I shall be definite, not purposeless 
 or hazy ; for I have undertaken to express to 
 you " thoughts," not notions, or " fads ; " nothing 
 less would be worthy of the attention of thought- 
 ful listeners, such as those composing my present 
 audience. Moreover, to justify myself in speak- 
 ing to you at all, in response to your highly 
 complimentary invitation, I must, though with 
 diffidence, venture to say that I have been 
 thoughtful — not merely impressionable — con- 
 
 ' A paper read before the Western Section of the Incor- 
 porated Society of Musicians, at Bristol in 1893. 
 
122 MUSICAL COMPOSITION 
 
 cerning the subject which interests us all, ever 
 since I first tried my hand at serious struc- 
 tural composition, by writing my first pianoforte 
 sonata not less, I think rather more, than forty- . 
 eight years ago. Before that time, indeed, I 
 had in a way composed ; but then my thoughts 
 were wandering thoughts. At the period, how- 
 ever, to which I have specially referred, I en- 
 deavoured to discipline my thoughts without 
 any counsel, advice, or guidance, either as to 
 how to do it, or as to the necessity of doing it 
 at all. Those were days when people had not, 
 as we are told they have now, had enough of, 
 and become tired of, sonatas and sonata form. 
 Those were days also, in which it had not be- 
 come the fashion to sneer at Mozart's sonatas, 
 almost at his symphonies, nay, even at his 
 operas, and quite to discard his concertos. At all 
 events, I, never suspecting in my reverence, that 
 to study a sonata of Mozart's would retard my 
 progress, dwarf my aspirations, narrow my per- 
 ceptions, formalize and stiffen my style, limit my 
 horizon, did take down a volume of those so- 
 called third-rate and effete compositions, study 
 one of them, without any aid but that which its 
 own straightforward clearness, and transparent 
 beauty furnished, and, without any knowledge 
 
MUSICAL COMPOSITION I 23 
 
 of such terms as first and second subject, de- 
 velopment, free fantasia, or the like, saw the 
 whole thing at once, in outline at least ; and I 
 knew what sonata-form was. It was that in G, 
 and so little versed was I in critical analysis, 
 that, though I suppose I was acquainted with 
 the prohibition of consecutive 5ths, I did not 
 detect those in bars 36, ^H^ ^tc. Then and 
 there, on that memorable morning to me, I 
 turned my first composition lesson from Mozart 
 to practical account by writing the first move- 
 ment of my first sonata. I have never wandered 
 in musical thought from that day to this. But 
 I intrude this little autobiographical sketch upon 
 you to emphasize this truth : not to wander 
 does not mean not to advance ; to hold fast to 
 early-imbibed principles does not imply no on- 
 ward progress, no enlargement. Knowledge 
 and understanding must be cumulative, not sup- 
 planting or usurping ; and knowledge such as 
 I then gained, though true and unalterable, was 
 not final or terminal, but stimulating and helpful 
 for all future observation and study : and — to 
 return from this personal digression, with many 
 apologies for the egotism — rendered me, from 
 that day forward, thoughtful about musical com- 
 position ; I was going to say a thoughtful man. 
 
124 MUSICAL COMPOSITION 
 
 but I was only a boy when the self-initiated 
 process began ; self-initiated, that is, with the 
 helpful prompting of my kind friend Mozart, 
 for such he seemed at once to become, letting 
 me into the secrets of his craft, which I had 
 longed, oh, how yearningly ! to grasp. 
 
 Now, as I have been thinking all these years, 
 on this matter — on the art of musical compo- 
 sition — I have jotted down in my mind, rather 
 than on paper (though I have done not a little in 
 that way) thoughts, not random, though some- 
 times fragmentary, from which I venture to offer 
 you a very few selections ; not very original, 
 probably, but, in their obviousness, such as may 
 often have suggested themselves to you ; none 
 the less acceptable to you, it may be, inasmuch 
 as there is a certain satisfaction in hearing that 
 others have thought as we ourselves have also, 
 thought, but have not said. 
 
 First of all, let me say a word or two on the 
 subject of originality in musical composition. 
 In connection with the tendency to which I 
 have alluded, to discard old forms, and with them 
 the composers who have adopted them, and to 
 regard them as formalists, there has been a 
 manifest spirit of enterprise in striking out new 
 paths, and endeavouring to express musical 
 
MUSICAL COMPOSITION 1 25 
 
 thoughts in new methods, and after new fashions. 
 There is the idea prevalent that the old forms 
 have been carried to such perfection by the older 
 masters — this much is conceded by even the 
 most advanced writers of the present day — that 
 any continuance in those methods must, of ne- 
 cessity, be of the nature of working in a groove 
 or rut, and, perhaps, betray the weakness and 
 inferiority of those who so work ; though this 
 latter consideration, if it be implied at all, is only 
 hinted at with diffident reserve, as not proven, 
 and, therefore, not to be urged with any mock 
 humility. However, it is well that this ac- 
 knowledgment of the perfect achievements of 
 our predecessors should be made ; it is well 
 that there should be diffidence as to emulat- 
 ing those achievements ; and not unwise to ac- 
 knowledge that, under the circumstances, it is 
 politic to work in different lines. This brings 
 up such questions as : What is Genius ? What 
 is the spirit of the age.^ How does this 
 spirit manifest itself in works of art .'' Whether 
 are the men of the age — the prominent great 
 men — the factors or the products of its spirit ? 
 Questions, these, which are far too wide for any 
 adequate treatment in such a paper as this, and, 
 indeed, quite beyond its scope, as well as beyond 
 
126 MUSICAL COMPOSITION 
 
 the function or ability of your lecturer to deal 
 with. But a word or two as to their bearing on 
 our subject may be permitted. 
 
 I believe that it was Rousseau who said, con- 
 cerning genius and its definition : " If you have 
 it, you need no explanation of it ; if not, no 
 definition can make it intelligible to you," or 
 words to that effect. We call it the Divine fire ; 
 John Foster the essayist termed it the capacity 
 to kindle one's own fire, though we may be sure 
 that he, of all men, did not say that in any 
 atheistic or irreverent sense. But we ordinarily 
 understand by the term, as regards productive- 
 ness, the power of producing that which is new 
 in thought, in idea, as distingoiished from that of 
 reproducing, with whatever novelty or differ- 
 ence of mode of presentation. There is such a 
 capacity as that of an affinity with genius which 
 can take it up, more or less sympathetically, and 
 so imitate it, with unintentional unconsciousness, 
 as to seem almost like it, almost as good, with- 
 out plagiarism, especially if associated with 
 scholarship ; and it needs nice perception, and 
 discrimination, and experience, to discern the 
 difference, to distinguish the counterfeit — the 
 honest counterfeit, if the term may be used — 
 from the true. It is partly a matter in which 
 
MUSICAL COMPOSITION 12/ 
 
 " old birds are not caught with chaff," Isut not 
 only so. There is much music that cannot, in 
 fairness or in any true sense, be termed " chaff," 
 being thoughtful, refined, scholarly, fascinating, 
 finished, masterful in structure — any or all of 
 these — but yet is not the product of the creative 
 faculty. I have heard it said of a beautiful 
 little landscape picture, " Yes, it is very nice, 
 but it is in a borrowed style ; " and, knowing as 
 I did the artist, and the circumstances and 
 influences under which the picture was pro- 
 duced, I recognized the truth of the criticism. 
 And, to speak of another art, respecting which 
 I pretend to no technical or critical, historical 
 or comparative knowledge, I am told that, 
 for instance, Flaxman and Chantrey, both 
 eminent, differ, inter alia, in being, the first a 
 genius, the other a finished and refined artist : 
 and so with our own art. A very excellent 
 composer, now deceased, said to me, I think, 
 as a plea for comparative non-productiveness, 
 "It is of no use writing what others have 
 already written." And there can be no question 
 of the fact that much music that one hears, of 
 recent issue, has been previously written, so far 
 as the essence, the ideas, are concerned ; it is 
 r^-production, not production at first hand. As 
 
128 MUSICAL COMPOSITION 
 
 Sterndale Bennett once said to me in effect, 
 when I asked him whether a certain work, just 
 produced by an English composer, was good, 
 " Yes, I think so ; but people hear so much 
 music, that it is in a sense easy to write fairly 
 bearable music, from reminiscences of current 
 works, without actual plagiarism." On the 
 other hand, a popular ballad-writer once said, 
 when showing me one of his newest popularities, 
 " It is so difficult to be original nowadays, isn't 
 it ? " To which the reply in my mind, though 
 I am not sure of having uttered it, was, "It is 
 not at all difficult, any way; if you have original 
 ideas, they come ; if not, it is a matter of im- 
 possibility, not of difficulty, to utter them." But 
 people try to be original, and of course the 
 result is eccentricity, which is the parody of 
 originality. The avoidance of commonplace- 
 ness, or conventionality, is not to be sought by 
 trying to be uncommon, but by being natural, 
 according to one's own nature, thought, feeling, 
 and attainment ; and then, if there be anything 
 original in one, it will develop itself in its own 
 way. It is in art, as in character and conduct 
 and manners. In character, the man will seem 
 most original who most closely imitates the one 
 immaculate, perfect pattern given to us. 
 
MUSICAL COMPOSITION 1 29 
 
 We might fairly return, however, upon the 
 question : After all that has been written, is it 
 possible to write anything original ? and if so, 
 wherein will that originality consist or manifest 
 itself? What room is there for it? Have not 
 all chords been discovered, and, on some system, 
 been characterized and classified, and their 
 various progressions been determined ? Are 
 there any more worlds to conquer ? 
 
 Now, it would be curiously interesting to 
 trace, in detail, what might almost be termed 
 the history of genius and originality, and the 
 exploring or developing spirit in music. It has 
 been partly done. We all know about the de- 
 velopment of tonality from the tetrachords and 
 the hexachords to our modern scale : the lead- 
 ing-note and the sub-dominant, and the admission 
 and full recognition of the dominant seventh, and 
 so on, to other fundamental discords ; just in- 
 tonation, mean temperament, and all the rest of 
 it, with the conflicting theories, the frowns of 
 conservative theorists — not to say formalists — 
 at radical innovators and free lances, and the 
 hindering, discouraging spirit with which even 
 explorers, the Columbuses of the art, have been 
 regarded. And the landmarks of such history 
 are, upon the whole, so defined, that one may 
 
 K 
 
130 MUSICAL COMPOSITION 
 
 almost apply to our art, if we changed technical 
 terms, Scott's dictum concerning another art : 
 
 " The towers in different ages rose ; 
 Their various architecture shows 
 The builders' various hands." 
 
 But the details of development might, with 
 advantage and interest, be still further traced 
 than hitherto ; one lesson, however, resultant 
 therefrom, would be that originality has not 
 begun, or indeed at all been marked by defiant 
 or sneering contempt of the past, but by reverent 
 study of its achievements ; and another, analo- 
 gous to it, that it has been, in most cases, in- 
 tuitive, not to say unconscious, rather than a 
 sought-out invention. Sometimes, indeed, it 
 has been the outcome of study, speculation, 
 experiment, rather for the satisfaction of the 
 inquiring mind of the composer than with any 
 idea of posing as an originator before the out- 
 side world, as in the case of J. S. Bach, notably 
 in his " Chromatic Fantasia," styled, by Sir G. A. 
 Macfarren "that extraordinary anticipation of 
 modern resources, that prophecy of all that is 
 accomplished in the music of the present, and 
 all that can be possible in the music of the 
 future ; " though I am aware that he also says 
 that "it would be groundless as arrogant to 
 
MUSICAL COMPOSITION 131 
 
 assume that he employed [the latest discoveries 
 of modern times] experimentally." Be all this 
 as it may, however ; it remains true that what- 
 ever a composer does in the way of advance- 
 ment, enlargement, novelty, it should still be 
 felt that, as Wordsworth says : 
 
 " The music stirs in him like wind in a tree." 
 
 But we have not answered the question. 
 Wherein does originality consist ? and Genius ? 
 Certainly not in ignoring the past, and be- 
 ginning de novo ; nor in such matters, merely, 
 as exceptional combinations or progressions ; 
 though there may, and probably will be, some 
 of these, with an original thinker. Nor, though 
 this is more the prevalent notion just now, does 
 it consist necessarily, or mainly, in the rejection 
 of old forms and structures, and devising new — 
 new movement-plans — though sonie develop- 
 ment, in one or other direction, of existing 
 structures, some diversion from beaten paths 
 and conventional methods, may very likely 
 result from that independence of mind which 
 is a factor or important element in true origin- 
 ality. But Beethoven's early sonatas, for ex- 
 ample, though on old models, were not mere 
 reproductions of Haydn and Mozart ; one re- 
 
132 MUSICAL COMPOSITION 
 
 cognizes that the composer is uttering his own 
 thoughts, giving vent to his own feelings, though 
 in familiar and accepted phraseology. And for 
 many a year did he use that same phraseology^ 
 though he may, to carry on the metaphor, if 
 metaphor it be, use longer words, more in- 
 volved sentences — though not much of these — 
 and more extended paragraphs, and even chap- 
 ters, as he advances, and feels his power. All 
 along, is it not with him, as with all geniuses, 
 that, as Ruskin says, there is " the evidence of 
 ease on the very front of all the greatest works 
 in existence? Do they not say plainly to us, 
 not 'there has been a great effort here,' but 
 'there has been a great power here' ? It is not 
 the weariness of mortality, but the strength of 
 divinity which we have to recognize in all 
 mighty things," etc. In short, there is a subtle 
 something which tells us that a composer is 
 expressing himself /rom within; and then we 
 call that a manifestation of genius, as distin- 
 guished from expressing himself well, which is 
 the result of study and discipline, and we call 
 that scholarship — very important and advant- 
 ageous, doubtless ; the lack of it may retard, if 
 not ruin, a genius. This is why, to make a 
 personal reference, I call Dussek a genius, for 
 
MUSICAL COMPOSITION 1 33 
 
 which I have more than once or twice been 
 taken to task by those who perhaps do not 
 know his best works (for he wrote a heap of 
 comparative rubbish) ; but when the real Dussek 
 expresses himself, as in the " Farewell " sonata, 
 notwithstanding a monotony about the last 
 movement, brimming over with sentiment as 
 it is; or in " L' Invocation " sonata, every sub- 
 ject in which is an effluence of emotion ; or in 
 the " Elegy on the Death of Prince Louis 
 Ferdinand," an outburst of grief from a loyal 
 friend at the loss of a sympathetic companion — 
 a genuine " In Memoriam "■ — and in the fantasia 
 and fugue dedicated to Cramer, though the 
 fugue is not to be held up as a model of scholar- 
 ship ; in these, and certain other works ; — then, 
 I contend if anyone denies genius to Dussek, 
 such denial leads one to ask wherein there can 
 be real, healthy, musical sympathy and sus- 
 ceptibility. It is more charitable, however, to 
 suppose that the unwillingness to concede the 
 genius to Dussek must arise from non-acquaint- 
 ance with these fine works, a judgment based 
 upon acquaintance with only his less individual 
 works, or a postulate that music written in the 
 then current forms and idioms could not be 
 reckoned as the product of genius or originality. 
 
134 MUSICAL COMPOSITION 
 
 And this last-mentioned presumption reminds 
 me to say that there can hardly be a greater 
 mistake than to think that writing in accepted 
 forms is a conventionalism that betokens a lack 
 of original genius ; or that the possession of 
 this faculty is at all evidenced by departure from 
 such conventionalism ; that such departure is a 
 symptom of independence of thought, rather 
 than of undisciplined thought. I am not for 
 one moment contending against any enlarge- 
 ment or variation of accepted plans, or any 
 excursions into new realms. But the whole 
 history of the art of composition bears out the 
 statement that genius has manifested itself, in 
 the first instance, in connection with current 
 methods ; and, generally, without indication of 
 impatient irritation at conventionality, whatever 
 development may have subsequently ensued. 
 I am not inclined, moreover, to assent to the 
 recently expressed pronouncement that the day 
 of sonatas and sonata-form is passed. There 
 is, indeed, a phase of thought, shall I call it ? or 
 feeling ? rather, of restlessness, which character- 
 izes the productions of our time, and which is 
 eminently symptomatic of that which I have 
 referred to as " the spirit of the age," not in 
 music alone, but in politics, religion and theology. 
 
MUSICAL COMPOSITION 1 35 
 
 philosophy, and other matters. It may be a 
 sign of vitality, and, as such, is to be regarded 
 as much preferable to stagnation, or mere move- 
 ment in a groove. Sometimes it manifests itself 
 in such wise as rather to indicate indecision, and 
 lack of continuous power or grasp. For instance, 
 as having to do with young aspirants in com- 
 position, I may mention the uncertainty as to 
 tonality which is so common in their efforts. I 
 have had placed before me compositions in 
 which, for many bars, not even the composer 
 could determine, not merely the prevailing key, 
 but definitely the key for any one bar. The 
 first half bar might be in E flat, but the second 
 might be in C minor, were it not for a certain 
 note which — so the young writer said — might 
 be considered as a sort of passing note, or a 
 chromatic alteration, leading to — ah ! no, though, 
 that would not hold good, because of that chord 
 at the beginning of the next bar, and so on, and 
 so on ; and I have had to be pacified by being 
 pointed on to a double bar, where, undeniably, 
 there was a cadence in some definitely assign- 
 able key. And another restless feature, observ- 
 able in these productions, is indecision and 
 changeableness of time and rhythm ; I do not 
 mean of pace, but of time-signature, and the 
 
136 MUSICAL COMPOSITION 
 
 rhythm thereby indicated. There seems often 
 the lack of power to think out an idea in its 
 own congruity, so to speak. This is by no 
 means so infrequent as those not having to 
 teach young composers might suppose. 
 
 What genius, however, what self-revelation 
 there may be, or what identification with the 
 sentiment to be expressed, there may be, in 
 some such examples even of indecision or rest- 
 lessness ! To mention one or two. How 
 fascinating — sadly fascinating — as almost a bit 
 of mental autobiography, is the first movement 
 of that exquisite incomplete work, Schubert's 
 unfinished symphony in B minor ! with its 
 broken off second subject, telling of unaccom- 
 plished possibilities, lack of resolute will-power, 
 and much that renders one regretful in the 
 career of that undisciplined genius ! 
 
 And then to pass to another emanation of 
 genius, though not in its highest flight, but still 
 charming, the first movement, short, and not in 
 full sonata form, of Sterndale Bennett's almost 
 last work, " The Maid of Orleans," with its 
 changeableness from ^ (four bars) to § (two 
 bars) back to ^ (four bars), ^ (one bar), ^^, f, 
 ^-g,%, and so on. I take this, certainly not as 
 indicating any lack of definiteness in the mind of 
 
MUSICAL COMPOSITION 1 37 
 
 the composer, whose unrevolutionary conserv- 
 atism some of us remember so well ; but as 
 an instance of that identification of which I spoke 
 just now — identification with his subject, or 
 (might I say) historical imagination ; that which 
 he is pourtraying being La Pucelle "In the 
 Fields," before she is summoned or constrained 
 to presence herself " In the Field." While she 
 is placidly pursuing her pastoral calling, of 
 which she afterwards sings : 
 
 " In innocence I led my sheep 
 Adown the mountain's silent steep," 
 
 there still are (as I interpret it) prophetic 
 
 movings within her as to the change which 
 
 shall come over her, when, for her country's 
 
 sake, she shall sing : 
 
 " The clanging trumpets sound, the chargers rear. 
 And the loud war cry thunders in mine ear." 
 
 The restless movings seem to me to be indi- 
 cated by the frequent rhythmical changes or 
 oscillations, though some might think that the 
 meanderings and wanderings of her flocks were 
 rather in the mind of the composer. But, in 
 any case, there was a purpose, very definite, 
 in the apparent indefiniteness ; it was no weak- 
 ness. 
 
 The " spirit of the age " — of this age — as I 
 
138 MUSICAL COMPOSITION 
 
 have said, seems restlessness, experiment, ad- 
 venture, exploration, inquiry, dissatisfaction with 
 old and accepted conventional methods and 
 conclusions. Often, however, the newer method 
 embodies no new, original idea ; is only a dis- 
 guise of paucity of fresh thought. But people 
 are easily taken in by the more novel manner 
 of presentation, which may be more attractive 
 and glittering than the old ; and they mistake 
 it for new, or at least improved thought. Some 
 newer manners of presentation result from ad- 
 vancement in executive skill, extension of its 
 scope in connection, moreover, with improve- 
 ments in instruments themselves. It is im- 
 portant to cultivate the habit of discerning the 
 essential as distinguished from the accidental; 
 the distinction between the strength, beauty, 
 purity of an idea, and the effectiveness of its 
 setting, the mode of its presentation. 
 
 This suggests a few remarks as to the subject 
 of mannerism in composition, as resulting from 
 the spirit of the age at the time, on the one 
 hand, or the individuality of the composer, on 
 the other. Mannerism has to do with mode of 
 presentation of thought, with construction, rather 
 than with thought or idea itself, although the 
 two are not wholly distinct ; the nature of the 
 
MUSICAL COMPOSITION 139 
 
 idea must suggest its method of outflow. Or, 
 to state it in another way, the means of ex- 
 pression that are within the reach of a composer 
 must shape, and either narrow or widen, his 
 habit of thought. Though it may be also that 
 ideas may struggle within him which will, when 
 expressed, tend to the extension of existing 
 methods, as in the case of Mendelssohn with 
 the orchestra, and other writers, subsequently. 
 But there is, as I have more than hinted, a 
 mannerism of an age as well as a mannerism of 
 an individual ; in music as in literature. In the 
 latter, we should, for instance, easily detect it in 
 the manner differences of, say, the Elizabethan, 
 the Georgian, and the Victorian periods respect- 
 ively. And this must be kept in mind in listen- 
 ing to music, that we may neither unduly 
 depreciate nor over-praise any music, because 
 of its antique guise or its modern freshness, to 
 whichever manner our own pireferences lean. 
 
 Some mannerisms are also, to coin a term, 
 narrowisms; as in the case, for instance, of 
 Spohr, with his chromatic and enharmonic pro- 
 gressions. Others are somewhat indicative of 
 idiosyncrasies, habits of thought, or preferences. 
 Two of such mannerisms may be pointed out, 
 in no spirit of depreciation, in Mendelssohn. 
 
I40 MUSICAL COMPOSITION 
 
 One of these is the method of termination, so 
 frequent, almost constant or invariable in his 
 pianoforte music, a sustained note in the melody, 
 with either repeated chords, or arpeggios, under- 
 lying it. 
 
 The other is in marked contrariety both to 
 the principles of acoustics, the old rules of 
 counterpoint, and the directions that we gener- 
 ally give to harmony students — the fondness for 
 doubling the major third. 
 
 When architecture was termed "frozen music" 
 — I know not by whom — I imagine that the 
 fixity and definiteness, rather than coldness, was 
 intended to be indicated ; otherwise a reflection 
 upon the architect's art would be implied, which 
 he would hardly be willing to accept. But 
 while music is so emotional and warm and 
 mobile, it must be remembered that it is also 
 an art into which that which Goethe termed 
 "Architectonics" largely enters; the principles 
 of structure, symmetry, proportion. And while 
 not the least antagonism is intended to that 
 which is termed the Romantic School, as dis- 
 tinguished ]?y its partisans from the Classical 
 School — that is, the emotional as contrasted 
 with the structural — it may be reasonably urged 
 that the latter, if there must be a separation, 
 
MUSICAL COMPOSITION 141 
 
 is that to which, having the elements of 
 permanence, students' attention should first 
 and mainly be directed. It is not meant, in 
 saying this, that emotion is not, in the main, 
 the same in all periods — human nature and 
 feeling, with its fluctuations, being sufficiently 
 uniform to "make the whole world kin" — yet 
 as in the youthful period of studentship emotion 
 is all alive and soon stirred, the corrective, 
 counterbalancing influence of structural music is 
 more profitable and desirable for, and adapted to 
 reward, study than that which is more romantic. 
 Music, moreover, if it have the form, need 
 not have the frigidity, which the definition 
 quoted of architecture might be taken to imply. 
 
 But let me bring my remarks to a close in a 
 more serene atmosphere than that of even the 
 mildest disputation. If architecture is called 
 "frozen music," what about music itself? Let 
 Carlyle answer the question. " Music is well 
 said to be the speech of angels ; in fact, nothing 
 among the utterances allowed to man is felt to 
 be so Divine. It brings us near to the Infinite ; 
 we look for moments, across the cloudy elements, 
 into the Eternal Sea of Light, when song leads 
 and inspires us." 
 
 Yes ! let us endeavour to maintain that high 
 
142 MUSICAL COMPOSITION 
 
 level of feeling, of aspiration and expectancy, 
 and of desire ; only remembering that the blessed 
 hope is not a mere sentiment, but is attached to 
 character, not to mere mental refinement : that 
 the true Hope is part of the great triad of graces ; 
 Faith its foundation. Love its fruit; "these three." 
 And then we may rationally and justifiably be 
 led and inspired to sing for joy of heart, and 
 congratulate ourselves that we are devotees of 
 the one beautiful art of whose abiding continu- 
 ance and perpetuity in the Eternal Light we are 
 assured. 
 
VI 
 
 COUNTERPOINT IN MODERN 
 FREE COMPOSITION 1 
 
 You have done me the honour to invite me to 
 spend an afternoon with you in musical inter- 
 course, not with the purpose that we should 
 while away a Saturday half-holiday, but that we 
 should consider some subject in connection with 
 our art, with that earnestness which will become 
 us, as a company of musicians, and become you 
 — not myself — as attached to the Royal College 
 of Organists ; and, again, become you as robust 
 sturdy northerners, who do everything to which 
 you put your hands or apply your minds with 
 thorough-going energy and determination ; and, 
 still further, will become you as musicians, meet- 
 ing in the county which gave birth to my many 
 years' friend, William Sterndale Bennett. I have, 
 with pleasure and pride, accepted your invi- 
 tation ; pleasure, because I am like-minded with 
 
 ' Deliveted before the Royal College of Organists, in 
 October, 1897. 
 
144 COUNTERPOINT IN FREE COMPOSITION 
 
 yourselves, in devotedness and earnestness with 
 regard to our beautiful art, and that inspires me 
 with a feeling of fraternal fellowship, in addition 
 to that of personal friendship with a few whom 
 I do not meet for the first time ; pride, not be- 
 cause I am puffed up with any notion of knowing 
 more than you do, and, therefore, of being en- 
 titled to speak with lofty superiority, or with 
 pedagogic dogmatism ; but that I should be 
 esteemed worthy and able to endeavour to 
 stimulate your thoughts, possibly in some direc- 
 tion in which they have not previously moved, 
 on the subject which I have chosen for my lec- 
 ture. " Iron sharpeneth iron ; so a man sharpen- 
 eth the countenance of his friend." That has 
 been happily termed " the intellectual value of 
 friendship." We are all friends because of 
 music ; the " heavenly maid " with whom we 
 may all be in love without any jealousy. But 
 it needs the sharpest iron that a Londoner can 
 bring with him, to sharpen the countenances of 
 Yorkshiremen, or of any northerners. At all 
 events, however, we may prove and experience 
 a little of " the intellectual value of friendship." 
 Now, please observe the title of this lecture : 
 " Counterpoint in Free and Modern Compo- 
 sition." You will notice that I have not said 
 
COUNTERPOINT IN FREE COMPOSITION I45 
 
 " Free Counterpoint," nor " Strict Counter- 
 point." Why I have not used either term or 
 prefix may appear as we proceed. But I have 
 prefixed the designation " free " to Composition ; 
 and have associated with it the word " modern." 
 An eminent writer and lecturer on music, 
 lately deceased, once made a pronouncement in 
 my hearing which I will immediately quote ; 
 but, as I shall have to animadvert on it, I will 
 first of all say that for his stores of laboriously 
 and patiently accumulated knowledge concerning 
 music in certain of its departments, notably all 
 that had to do with ancient modes, and the con- 
 trapuntal principles, rules, and restrictions there- 
 with associated and exemplified in early church 
 music, and for the thoroughness and clearness 
 with which he was accustomed to set them forth, 
 I entertain the most appreciative respect. We 
 were young associates ; he in a Byron collar, I 
 in a jacket ; were separated by his change of 
 residence for many years, and then met when 
 both were advanced in years, and had a little 
 intercourse, just for the remnant of his life ; but 
 we did not have opportunity for controversy. 
 Well, once, after exhaustively treating of such 
 subjects as those that I have specified, and en- 
 deavouring to establish the thesis that, on account 
 
 L 
 
146 COUNTERPOINT IN FREE COMPOSITION 
 
 of acoustical principles the contrapuntal regu- 
 lations and procedure which he had illustrated 
 constituted the basis of true musical art, he 
 wound up with this pronouncement : " Free 
 Part-writing you may have in these times ; but 
 Free Counterpoint, never ! " I think he went on 
 to contend that the very term, " Free Counter- 
 point," embodied an anachronism, a solecism. 
 
 Now I think that such a pronouncement 
 brings us face to face with a misapprehension 
 which involves the begging of the whole ques- 
 tion that has of late years been the subject of 
 much discussion ; and that this misapprehension 
 has obscured the real point which has been, 
 or has been thought to be at issue, namely, 
 what is counterpoint, and what is the object in 
 studying it ? The reply to this question which 
 would express the notions lurking in many 
 minds apparently — especially students' minds, 
 perhaps — would be that counterpoint is the term 
 for a set of rules as to what they ought not to 
 do in composition ; with a few as to what they 
 ought to do, these few, however, being usually 
 very awkward to manage. Of course no one 
 puts it thus in plain terms ; but I believe that 
 this is not only the notion in the minds of 
 students, fostered by teachers and books, the 
 
COUNTERPOINT IN FREE COMPOSITION 1 47 
 
 teachers, in not a few cases, having the same 
 distorted, crabbed view lurking in their minds. 
 
 Now while, of course, in the learning how to 
 do anything, there must be prohibitive and 
 restrictive, as well as positive and directive 
 rules, the first point, surely, should be, what, 
 after all, is it that is to be done ? and why ? 
 for what purpose ? And the simple answer 
 to this inquiry about counterpoint and contra- 
 puntal study, seems to me to clear the whole 
 atmosphere. 
 
 For what is counterpoint ? Of course there 
 is the answer ready that it is the adding one 
 or more parts to a given subject. But this 
 hardly differentiates it from harmonizing. There 
 is that which I have elsewhere given, that it is 
 part-writing in its largest, most extended sense. 
 Good again ; but by no means covering the 
 ground. There is, further, the favourite one 
 that it is " the art of combining melodies ; " it 
 would be nearer the mark to say, " the combining 
 of parts, each of which is melodious ; " but I 
 am not sure that this does not convey the idea 
 of some such uncontrapuntal ingenuities as 
 placing the National Anthem as a bass to 
 "Rule Britannia," somewhat as Moscheles has 
 done in " Recollections of Ireland," and such 
 
148 COUNTERPOINT IN FREE COMPOSITION 
 
 pieces, managing to fit them in somehow, with 
 a little mutual concession. I need not say that 
 such a process is not at all what we understand 
 by counterpoint. I think that a twofold state- 
 ment, if not exhaustive any more precisely or 
 fully than these others, carries more of what, as 
 a course of study, counterpoint is designed to 
 do. It is (i) the art of adding different kinds 
 of accompaniment to a given subject, as exem- 
 plified in the five species ; and (2) the art of 
 taking such given subject above, below, or in 
 the midst of such added parts, as exemplified in 
 its fullest, most elaborate way, in fugue. It 
 is thus the training process for combinational 
 structure in composition. Movement writing 
 takes in also successional structure; how sub- 
 jects may follow one another, and so on, in such 
 order as to develop and constitute a complete 
 and consistent whole. Now if that which I 
 have just given be not the just statement of the 
 philosophy of counterpoint, I know not what 
 is ; and I fail to understand the object of the 
 paraphernalia of a contrapuntal course. Quite 
 aware, as I am, that a definition, to be true to 
 its etymology, should state all the essentials 
 and none of the accidents of the thing defined ; 
 and quite acknowledging that, in that sense, I 
 
COUNTERPOINT IN FREE COMPOSITION 149 
 
 have not given a definition ; I yet do not detect 
 a flaw in my statement, for a practical purpose. 
 And if so, I ask confidently, is this a question 
 of strict or free ? Is there any sort of warrant for 
 such a dictum as that which I quoted; that, 
 while we may have free part-writing, we can 
 never have free counterpoint? with the most 
 modern harmonies conceivable, surely there may 
 be variety of forms in the parts, as in the five 
 species ; and different super-positions of subject 
 and accompaniments ? As I have said, the very 
 pronouncement involves a petitio principii; it 
 begs the question as to what counterpoint is, 
 assuming as a premise that the term carries with 
 it the prefix strict ; and then, of course, the con- 
 clusion follows. But were it true, it would follow 
 that Bach's Fugues are not counterpoint ; for 
 assuredly they are not what the books and the 
 rules enjoin, and call strict, as we may presently 
 see. 
 
 Now at this point I interrupt myself, even as, 
 and because, you are ready to interrupt me, and 
 to say to me : " Ah ! then ; after all, you are a 
 revolutionist, and are discarding all that yourself 
 and others have been teaching us about strict 
 counterpoint, with its rules, fetters, worries, and 
 all the rest of it ; and, orthodox as we have 
 
150 COUNTERPOINT IN FREE COMPOSITION 
 
 thought you, are now the advocate of free, as 
 against strict counterpoint." 
 
 Nay! I have said nothing to justify any 
 such surprised expostulation. At the outset, I 
 begged you to observe that my title was not 
 either " Free Counterpoint " or " Strict, ancient 
 Counterpoint;" but " Counterpoint in Free 
 and Modern Composition." For, all along, I 
 have had in my mind that counterpoint is counter- 
 point, when it corresponds with the general ex- 
 position of it which I have advanced, whatever 
 the range, narrow or wide, of the harmonic basis 
 upon which it is built; and I have sought to 
 lead you up to the same point. My title says 
 nothing about the rules of counterpoint, the 
 teaching of counterpoint, the learning of counter- 
 point; contrapuntal training, or working, or 
 exercises ; but counterpoint itself, in modern 
 music, free music. Those matters which I have 
 just spoken of, but which are not included in my 
 title, have to do with training, and are pedagogic ; 
 not a term of reproach, be it remembered. But 
 having said thus much, it seems now the time 
 for me to avow, without any hesitation or quali- 
 fication, that it is my strong opinion, after passings 
 as a student through the curriculum usual in 
 those days, that of strict counterpoint; and, 
 
COUNTERPOINT IN FREE COMPOSITION 151 
 
 during some forty-seven years through the ex- 
 perience of a teacher, a trainer of students, with 
 little deviation from the same method, though 
 with enlarged apprehension of the purport and 
 bearing of it all on music and musical compo- 
 sition as it now prevails among us ; it is still, I 
 say, my persuasion that the healthy solid course 
 to be pursued, to form strong, clear musician- 
 ship, is that curriculum of strict counterpoint ; 
 with, however, the understanding that it is pre- 
 paratory, disciplinary, and in view of the enlarge- 
 ment warranted, and inevitably to be attained, 
 with our modern harmony systems. In short, 
 it amounts pretty much to that distinction which 
 my clear-headed, orthodox, but not narrow- 
 minded friend, Dr. Pearce, has expressed be- 
 tween "student's counterpoint," and "com- 
 poser's counterpoint." I must not now pursue 
 this part of my discussion further ; but have felt 
 it incumbent on me, in justice to myself, and 
 that you may understand my standpoint, to say 
 thus much on this vexed and vexing question ; 
 which has been discussed recently so much, and 
 sometimes with an acerbity which has seemed 
 almost worthy of the old condemnatory denun- 
 ciation of "Mi contra Fa^ 
 
 To proceed, then, on the understanding that 
 
152 COUNTERPOINT IN FREE COMPOSITION 
 
 " Counterpoint " is to be interpreted as quite a 
 different thing from a course of contrapuntal 
 study and training; that counterpoint, in this 
 sense, and, as applied to " Modern, Free Com- 
 position," means much the same as that which 
 is now so often spoken of as polyphonic writing ; 
 I should say, in brief, that we mean, by " Con- 
 trapuntal writing," — as distinguished from har- 
 monizing — ind^endent part-writing, upon what- 
 ever harmonic basis ; by independent part- writing 
 being meant, however, strong individuality, but 
 still interdependence and co-operation for one 
 common purpose, the production of a harmonious 
 whole ; to use, with all reverence, a Scriptural 
 illustration, " compact together by that which 
 every joint supplieth ; " the idea of subordination 
 being only so far included as in ordinary life, in 
 conjunction with social courtesy : the independ- 
 ence of each being such as shall be subordinate 
 to the well-being of all. Or again, that all shall 
 be subordinate to the honouring of one ; that 
 honouring of one being most signal when each 
 and all recite his praises, deriving suggestions 
 from his virtues. In taking a subject, which in 
 counterpoint exercises is called a Canto Fermo, 
 the counterpoint is avowedly suggested by what- 
 ever is in that subject, and so far, must be sub- 
 
COUNTERPOINT IN FREE COMPOSITION 1 53 
 
 ordinate. The axiom has been enunciated : 
 " no one ever said nothing well." And some- 
 times a subject is so barren of suggestiveness, 
 or so awkward in the harmonic progressions 
 which it is alone capable of that, after trying to 
 "counterpoint it" — for we have got into the 
 way of making a verb of the term, and of so 
 describing the process — one has reluctantly to 
 confess, " I can make nothing of it : " and so to 
 illustrate the truth of the axiom. But it must 
 be owned that the emphasis of that half-petulant 
 confession should perhaps come on " I," rather 
 than on " it," or on " nothing." Some are more 
 susceptible of suggestion than others; just as 
 the poet's eye, the artist's eye, perceive so much 
 more in the objects of nature than others ; there 
 are those to whom the primrose is, truly, " a 
 yellow primrose," and exceedingly pretty as 
 such ; but a great deal more. 
 
 And as, when all of a company are joining, 
 and vieing with one another in the praises of 
 any object of admiration, one utters a happy 
 phrase which, striking on another's ears, is taken 
 up and reiterated, with possibly some happy 
 addition or embellishment, and again passed 
 on imitatively, — so, in music; that device of 
 interest which we term imitation is an outcome 
 
154 COUNTERPOINT IN FREE COMPOSITION 
 
 of counterpoint; in its crude, rigid, form, as 
 canon ; in its most highly developed structural 
 form, as fugue ; in its applied use, as one among 
 various methods of setting forth the resources 
 of a theme, in the more or less partial or strict 
 imitational devices that take their place in free 
 composition. Now all this is " Composer's 
 Counterpoint ; " the composer's application of 
 the principles — not subservience to the rules ; 
 use of the facility, putting forth of the strength, 
 assertion of the freedom and mastery — acquired 
 by the discipline of a patiently pursued course 
 of contrapuntal study and exercise, within fetters, 
 now exhibited in the enlarged domain of a wide 
 tonal and harmonic system. Does anyone who 
 understands and takes in the philosophy of 
 counterpoint as I have stated it think of asking 
 in the midst of it : "Is that allowed ? is that 
 according to rule ? " The contrapuntally trained 
 man, on emerging from his disciplinary course, 
 is as a strong man rejoicing to run a race. The 
 non-disciplined man is timid at every step, and 
 is ever asking : " May I do this ? will that be 
 wrong ? " He is not equipped as the other. He 
 either stumbles, or else uses or mis-uses his so- 
 called liberty, as a cloak of wayward license. 
 When a student asks concerning his own work : 
 
COUNTERPOINT IN FREE COMPOSITION 1 55 
 
 " May I do this ? Is that allowed ? " he is taking 
 the right position, as being "under tutors and 
 governors." He is a learner ; and if he says 
 " Is this against the rule ? " concerning such 
 and such a matter, he of course must be assumed 
 to refer to the rules given to him, as a learner, 
 by his teacher. Now, of course, the rules about 
 counterpoint, as about other things, were origin- 
 ally laid down, in the early days of the art, as a 
 formulating of the opinion or judgment of an 
 individual who gave special thought to the sub- 
 ject, or of the consensus of judgment of the best 
 musicians of the period. And, therefore, they 
 possessed just so much authority as might rea- 
 sonably be assigned to mature and thoughtful 
 judgment at the time, at the particular stage of 
 advancement and culture then attained. But 
 inasmuch as it was not as in a matter of research, 
 and of fact, in which one who had given more 
 thought to the subject had a right to speak 
 authoritatively ; but a matter largely of feeling ; 
 or in* which one formulated a principle for other 
 workers in one way, and another in another 
 way, and in which some openness of view might 
 well be permitted without any artistic excom- 
 munication ; so, as the point of view shifted or 
 varied somewhat, and the range of vision be- 
 
156 COUNTERPOINT IN FREE COMPOSITION 
 
 came gradually enlarged, rules, as expressions 
 of judgment, individual or collective, would vary, 
 would relax, and would less assume the attitude 
 of authority. So that when a student finds, in 
 an acknowledged composer's work, an infringe- 
 ment of a rule that has been given to him to 
 observe — though even in that, he may be mis- 
 taken as to the principle involved in the rule — 
 and then asks : " Is that wrong ? " or " Is that 
 allowed?" the first answer may well be, — "There 
 exists no supreme authority with any sort of right 
 to allow or disallow such a composer as the one 
 whose work you have in hand ; such a one has 
 earned and established his right to be a law unto 
 himself. It may not be allowed to you to do as 
 he has done, because you have not proved or 
 attained to the capacity which fulness of judg- 
 ment alone can impart, to judge when that which 
 to you is a rule may be departed from, perhaps 
 without infringing the principle involved in that 
 rule ; or, if not that, may be waived in favour of 
 another principle, and for the securing of a 
 higher end." This- statement of the case has, I 
 am well aware, been animadverted on as tan- 
 tamount to saying : " So and so is right for 
 Mozart or for Bach, but wrong for you." But 
 the truer way of putting it would be : " Bach or 
 
COUNTERPOINT IN FREE COMPOSITION 1 57 
 
 Mozart, in all probability, would not have done 
 it, had it not been right and good, artistically, 
 in the circumstances.' In about equal proba- 
 bility — if you did it — you a student, it would be 
 from mis-judgment, or from carelessness." At 
 all events, do let us get rid of any talk as to 
 whether that which Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, 
 have written is allowed: whether in individual 
 or collective opinion it be good or not. There 
 is no court of appeal against their judgment. 
 All this is said with full acknowledgment that 
 even as " Homer may nod," so there may be 
 found 'oversights, even in the otherwise perfect 
 work of the great men of our art. It is not 
 condoning of such lapses that is here con- 
 tended for ; only an understanding of how the 
 question stands of authority and allowance ; 
 of Cherubini, Albrechtsberger and Co., against 
 Mozart, Beethoven and Co. 
 
 At this point, however, you may with fair 
 reason ask me what I mean by speaking of 
 breaking a rule, and yet not infringing a prin- 
 ciple ; or, more useful still to consider, how far 
 the principles of strict counterpoint may be said 
 to be carried on into the wider domain of free 
 writing as practised and understood among us 
 nowadays. Because there is a great deal of 
 
158 COUNTERPOINT IN FREE COMPOSITION 
 
 loose, inexact talk, not only about counterpoint, 
 but about Other subjects of even more import- 
 ance, in which such expressions as "the letter 
 versus the spirit," or "the principle versus the 
 rule," are used. Now I venture to say that 
 one strong characteristic of counterpoint is its 
 antagonism to everything inexact, ill-defined, 
 and, to use a colloquialism, " slip-shod." In 
 counterpoint there is, as expressed in the rules 
 of strict counterpoint, a clear distinction, to be 
 always indicated and acted on, between essential 
 notes and unessential notes ; the distinction, in 
 strict writing, being always associated with that 
 between concords and discords ; obviously be- 
 cause the strict style recognizes no essential 
 discords, no fundamental dissonances ; none 
 but passing-notes, with slight modifications or 
 varieties of these, as in the case of changing- 
 notes and intermediate notes (this latter term 
 being one for which, I believe, I am wholly 
 responsible) and prepared discords in the form 
 of suspensions. Now this principle, with the 
 definiteness as to harmony which it involves, 
 may surely be carried out, though there may be 
 all the additional resources at command which 
 the evolution of modern harmony theories has 
 opened up. It means, in familiar language, no 
 
COUNTERPOINT IN FREE COMPOSITION 1 59 
 
 shuffling, no evasion, no equivocation as to 
 what position, and power, and requirement 
 attach to every note. And it means not merely 
 that every note shall be explainable, but that it 
 shall require no explanation, being self-explan- 
 atory in its mode of appearance, explanation 
 often amounting to a process, not ingenuous, of 
 explaining away the clear logical, or illogical 
 meaning of the note. Surely you will not ask 
 me to enlarge upon the way in which this prin- 
 ciple may be carried out in free composition. 
 No note must be inexplicable or unaccountable, 
 but honestly assignable to a definite harmony ; 
 and it must never be, so to speak, lost sight of 
 if it be of a nature which carries with it any 
 responsibility. Counterpoint is the ally of clear, 
 definite thinking, and unequivocal expression 
 thereof. And it is strong, just in proportion as 
 it not only can be assigned to definite harmony, 
 but is expressive of that harmony, expository 
 of it ; somewhat after the manner, or according 
 to the axiom of the robust writer of English 
 who counselled that one should express oneself 
 not only so that one can be understood, but so 
 that one cannot be misunderstood. " Free 
 counterpoint" does not mean "free-and-easy" 
 writing, " anything you please," it means simply 
 
l6o COUNTERPOINT IN FREE COMPOSITION 
 
 enlarged scope, extended range, admittedly 
 fuller understanding of combinations and pro- 
 gressions not recognized by our older musicians. 
 But let not the crudity of antiquity be ex- 
 changed for the crudity of immaturity. The 
 ancients, however limited or restricted we may 
 think their knowledge or understanding, at all 
 events did what they knew. Can it be said that 
 the younger, modern musicians always know 
 what they do ? Counterpoint of any kind should 
 expound, illustrate, and enhance the theme to 
 which it is added, showing how suggestive of 
 fine harmonies and progressions that theme is. 
 If the counterpoint itself needs expounding, it 
 has certainly missed its mark. 
 
 It has been inevitable, in what I have 
 advanced, that I have touched on the con- 
 troversy which has been waging of late years 
 about strict versus free counterpoint ; but this 
 has been unwillingly, on my own part, not with 
 any intention to fan the flame, nor to act pre- 
 sumptuously as arbitrator or umpire between 
 the contending disputants, nor to issue a 
 manifesto, as though, forsooth, I had any right 
 to pose as authoritative. I have rather had it 
 in my mind to show that the difference is one 
 about educational tactics, not about composition. 
 
COUNTERPOINT IN FREE COMPOSITION l6l 
 
 It is not a question of musical art in our present 
 stage with regard to that art, but of training 
 and study as to what course will best lead to the 
 desired result. I have had in view not candi- 
 dates at examinations, but aspirants after solidity 
 and strength, combined with beauty, in musical 
 composition. Therefore I have sought to recall 
 the true nature of counterpoint, of what sort 
 worthy the name ; and the bearing of that, and, 
 therefore, of contrapuntal training upon actual 
 composition, as we now understand it, and, 
 according to our ability, practise it. And I 
 have spoken of the suggestiveness of contra- 
 puntal study and writing as to the use to be 
 made, the account to which may be turned such 
 ideas as we may have ; and how it will purify as 
 well as solidify our writing. Even the lightest 
 and slightest kinds of composition will be im- 
 proved, not by the importation of contrapuntal 
 passages which would be incongruously out of 
 keeping with their style, but by the scrutinizing 
 care about small details which becomes a habit 
 of mind with those who undergo contrapuntal 
 discipline, which scrutiny they will, almost un- 
 consciously, exercise as they write. A trained 
 grammarian need not, and should not, worry 
 himself about grammatical rules as he talks, 
 
 M 
 
1 62 COUNTERPOINT IN FREE COMPOSITION 
 
 however he may use them in the construction 
 of long or involved sentences in literary work. 
 As he speaks one should not have to say, 
 "How well he knows the rules," but "How 
 nicely he expresses himself." Contrapuntal 
 training should affect even the lightest, most 
 uncontrapuntal compositions ; imparting finish 
 and strength to them. Quite apart from any 
 question of harmonic basis in a waltz or similar 
 light piece, with merely supporting as distin- 
 guished from decorative or expository accom- 
 paniment, one shall see, or hear evidence of the 
 writer having hold of the principle brought out 
 in second and third species of not having con- 
 secutive perfect concords between successive 
 accents, or beginnings of bars, especially in 
 extreme parts, such as are so flagrantly irritating 
 not only in " barrel-organ" and " German band " 
 accompaniments, but in many printed com- 
 positions — if they may be so termed — of that 
 class. And, similarly, in arpeggio accompani- 
 ments to songs and the like, though arpeggios 
 are essentially uncontrapuntal — mind, I say not 
 unmusicianly — one shall see that those two 
 species, which have, of course, occasional 
 arpeggio bars intermixed with the passing-note 
 bars which constitute their distinguishing feature 
 
COUNTERPOINT IN FREE COMPOSITION 1 63 
 
 and power, have permeated that form of 
 writing. 
 
 I have used the terms " modern " and "free " 
 composition in my title. The fashion, nowa- 
 days, is to characterize quite modern music as 
 "romantic," and to contrast it with the "classical." 
 But whether or not the romantic element is 
 discernible in the classical and contrapuntal 
 style, surely there is no reason why the most 
 roma!ntic writer should discard, instead of ac- 
 quiring, the solidity, virility, stamina, finish, and 
 law-abidingness which a thorough contrapuntal 
 training is adapted to impart ; or should disdain 
 the suggestiveness as to the use to be made of 
 subjects or themes by the varied modes of pre- 
 sentation which counterpoint work inculcates : 
 inversion, as in double counterpoint ; imitation, 
 as in canon and fugue, and so on. These things 
 need not hinder imagination ; only guide and 
 help it. 
 
 As to where strict writing may be said to 
 have ceased, or merged into free — in other 
 words, which is ancient music and which is 
 modern — I will only here say that it is by no 
 means a question of dates, periods, and sharp 
 line of demarcation. It is customary to speak 
 of Bach, and even of Haydn, as Old Masters ; 
 
164 COUNTERPOINT IN FREE COMPOSITION 
 
 but the harmonic system, whether or not formu- 
 lated, yet certainly involved, implied, and illus- 
 trated, in Bach, is as modern, extensive, and 
 free, as the most romantic could desire if he be 
 willing to be orderly in conjunction with his 
 romanticism. All this might be illustrated at 
 length, did time permit, and were means avail- 
 able. I have, however, sought to set before 
 you and to emphasize, the real philosophy of 
 counterpoint, of any reasonable kind ; which is 
 not a matter of strict or free, of rules or licences ; 
 but holds good as the composer's Thesaurus of 
 appliances. The application and working out of 
 that which I have advanced rests with your- 
 selves. I venture to hope that my treatment of 
 a vexed question will prove suggestive and not 
 vexatious. 
 
VII 
 
 THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN 
 ERA^ 
 
 " 'Tis sixty years since " that our gracious 
 Queen — God bless her! — began to reign over 
 us ; and we may truly say that she has " done 
 that which is good," and that her character and 
 example, her encouragements and her protests, 
 her culture and her tastes, have been such as to 
 stimulate and nurture the intellectual and moral, 
 as well as the material and political well-being 
 of the people — or, rather, the peoples — over 
 whom her beneficent and constitutional sway 
 has been extended. We look upon, and speak 
 of, the whole period as less of a time of go- 
 vernment and authority than of freedom and 
 consequent development ; and we speak of it, 
 therefore, less as a reign than as an era, The 
 Victorian Era, an era marked, undoubtedly, 
 as all such lengthened periods must be, by un- 
 dulations, not to say vicissitudes, but signally 
 
 ^ Delivered in the year 1897. 
 
1 66 THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 
 
 characterized by onwardness and upwardness in 
 the commonweahh. For it has been a common- 
 wealth under a mild but genuine sovereignty. 
 Just because of this, because the spirit of our 
 Queen has ever been one of consideration for 
 her people, reminding us of the shepherd-king 
 who spoke of the people as "these sheep," ^ to 
 be tended, rather than ruled, the people do — 
 notwithstanding some churls and malcontents 
 — this year say and sing, " with heart and voice, 
 ' God Save the Queen.' " And we musicians, 
 what have we to say concerning this era, this 
 " golden age " ? What about our Art ? has it 
 been stagnant, while all around has been living? 
 I trow not ; and am honoured by being asked to 
 review its progressive course during this happy 
 era. " 'Tis sixty years since." Yes, but I have 
 not the pen of the author of " Waverley." 
 Could I wave the magic wand of that great 
 " Wizard of the North," I would enchain and 
 entrance you. As it is, I have accepted the 
 task and pleasure with much diffidence, — that 
 of reviewing the progress of music in England 
 during these sixty years. I may at least claim 
 one qualification, which should impart some 
 reality and life to my discourse, as it does 
 ^ 2 Sam. xxiv. 17 ; i Chron. xxi. 17. 
 
THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 1 67 
 
 impart interest to my own mind, namely, that a 
 very considerable part of that which I have to 
 relate or to discuss has come more or less under 
 my own personal observation, has been within 
 my own ken, and is treasured in my own memory. 
 I remember Coronation Day in 1838 ; my father, 
 violoncellist, was in the orchestra at West- 
 minster Abbey on that day ; the only day on 
 which I ever saw him in a red coat and knee- 
 breeches, details which greatly impressed me at 
 the time. And, since my whole life has been 
 passed in a musical atmosphere, surrounded by 
 musical people, and devoted to musical pursuits, 
 the preparation of my address has not been a 
 matter of "reading up" an unfamiliar subject, 
 but of more or less exact verification of a host 
 of memories, an arrangement of the gatherings 
 of these many years, and the bringing to a focus 
 the observations and reflections of a not very 
 limited experience. During the whole of that 
 experience I have been watchfully and critically 
 observant, and, I hope, accurate. I have formed 
 opinions of the tendencies of musical develop- 
 ments, the directions in which the art has moved; 
 and, therefore, have not now, afresh, to formulate 
 a philosophy of musical history. Thus much 
 with regard to my own fitness for the task that 
 
1 68 THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 
 
 has been assigned to me ; any counterbalancing 
 unfitness you will discover. 
 
 And now, with respect to the subject that is 
 to engage our attention — music in England 
 during the past sixty years, and, in connection 
 therewith, certain idiomatic characteristics. To 
 talk about the progress of English musical 
 idioms during these sixty years would be narrow- 
 ness and nonsense ; a history, were it true, of 
 stunted growth, not of healthy life and enlarge- 
 ment. Music is cosmopolitan. Mankind were 
 dispersed, and are much separated, by confusion 
 and difference of tongues ; but music is one of 
 the bonds of union, by reason of its universality, 
 its oneness ; not a badge of national distinction, 
 or separation, or independence; and I am 
 certainly not about to occupy your time and 
 attention with any discussion of national pe- 
 culiarities of musical dialect ; to engage in any 
 profitless controversy as to whether we are or 
 are not a musical nation, though a few facts 
 bearing upon that question will come before us, 
 nay, rather, the whole record bears upon it. My 
 business is with the beautiful art of music, as it 
 is felt and understood by cultured and susceptible 
 minds of all climes: and, just now, among us, 
 music as a part of our modern civilization. This 
 
THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 1 69 
 
 is as well to say, because, some years ago, a 
 writer on music — an Englishman, be it observed, 
 not a German — wrote to the effect that there is 
 no such entity now, if indeed there ever was, 
 as English music ; that all the prominent young 
 composers in England are writing German music. 
 And, on the other hand, an American critic has 
 stated that, "to the older generation of English 
 musicians, music came to an end with Beethoven 
 and Mendelssohn ; " and has expressed lack of 
 faith in the reality of that which he terms the 
 "boasted" musical progress of the English. How 
 do we stand now, in comparison with sixty years 
 since? And what have been the workings of 
 the musical community during that period ? To 
 what extent, and in what ways, have we shared 
 in, kept pace with, the general current of musical 
 advancement ? In replying to such inquiries, it 
 must be remembered that we cannot now plead 
 insularity ; facilities of travel and communicatiop 
 have broken down any barriers which might 
 seem to insulate if not to isolate us. And we 
 have neither wrought as an independent com- 
 munity, nor remained uninfluenced by the general 
 course of musical events. 
 
 Let us glance at the condition of musical 
 England, sixty years ago. 
 
170 THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 
 
 It would be interesting, did time permit, to 
 trace the development of music in England from 
 very early times, when it flourished amongst us, 
 in the somewhat cruder forms of vocal part- 
 music : the Madrigal School, the splendid array 
 of church music by Orlando Gibbons, Henry 
 Purcell, and many others ; to note the irresistibly 
 overwhelming influence of the long residence 
 among us of Handel, the almost paralyzing 
 effect of his stupendous genius upon the pro- 
 ductiveness of English musicians, though it 
 must ever be an honour to us that the mighty 
 master found our soil so congenial to the work- 
 ings of his amazing productive powers. But, 
 notwithstanding these glorious traditions, it 
 cannot be denied that there had been decline. 
 The madrigal had declined, and given place 
 to a much inferior order of composition, the 
 glee. Ecclesiastical music also declined, though 
 congregational singing of a certain kind, not 
 artistic, however fervent, became more general, 
 especially in connection with the Evangelical 
 revival brought about by the Wesleys and 
 Whitefield. The decline, especially, perhaps, 
 as regards vigorous productiveness, may be 
 variously accounted for. It has been attributed 
 to Puritan influence, also to that of the house of 
 
THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 171 
 
 Hanover, although we are now commemorating 
 the excellent influence upon art and culture of 
 the most worthy representative of that house. 
 But if, with the increased facilities of travel, 
 there had come about also a great increase of 
 continental intercourse, and our insular self- 
 containedness had been somewhat disturbed, 
 and if, moreover, the commanding genius of 
 Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven had somewhat 
 overawed some of our own musicians, and 
 arrested them in their own self-dependence, 
 while showing the way to higher attainments, 
 in new departments, so as to lull them into 
 some temporary inactivity, there were not 
 lacking signs of reviving life and aspiration. 
 
 The societies then existent among us were, 
 first and foremost, the now time-honoured Phil- 
 harmonic Society, then in its twenty-fourth year 
 of noble enterprise ; several of its founders and 
 original members being still living in the year 
 1837, the commencement of the era we are con- 
 sidering, notably J. B. Cramer, Henry R. Bishop 
 (afterwards knighted by our Queen), Charles 
 Neate, the friend of Beethoven, Sir George T. 
 Smart, who, as a boy, had beaten the drums 
 under Haydn's conductorship, Frangois Cramer, 
 Moralt, the viola player, who married Dussek's 
 
172 THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 
 
 widow, Vincent Novello, William Horsley, G. E. 
 Griffin, of " Bluebell " notoriety — all of whom I 
 well remember — and Thomas Attwood, concern- 
 ing whom it is here to be mentioned that, born in 
 London in 1767, having sung as a boy in the 
 Chapel Royal until his voice broke, travelled in 
 Italy and Germany, studying under Mozart. 
 In 1796 he became organist of St. Paul's 
 Cathedral and composer to the Chapel Royal ; 
 subsequently, he received the additional appoint- 
 ments of organist to the Chapels Royal at 
 Brighton and St. James's. He devoted himself 
 to his duties with earnestness, and wrote a 
 number of fine anthems, as well as other works. 
 Two of these were anthems for the coronations 
 of George IV. and William IV. respectively. 
 He undertook a third such work for the corona- 
 tion of our present most gracious Queen Victoria, 
 but died, March, 1838, without completing it; 
 although I read that the one composed for the 
 coronation of George IV. was sung as the young 
 Queen entered the abbey, entitled, " I was 
 glad." 
 
 Another important institution at that time 
 was that termed The Concerts of Antient Music, 
 or Ancient Concerts as they were; generally 
 called, also the Kings Concerts, established 1776 ; 
 
THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA. 1 73 
 
 one of the rules being that no music composed 
 within the previous twenty years should be per- 
 formed. At the commencement of the period 
 that we are considering the conductor was Mr. 
 WiUiam Knyvett, he having held that post since 
 1831. Subsequent conductors were Sir George 
 Smart, Mr. (afterwards Sir Henry R.) Bishop, Mr. 
 Lucas, the violoncellist and excellent musician, 
 aad Mr. Turle, it not being the custom then, as 
 now in most societies of the kind, to have a 
 permanent conductor for the season. Sir Henry 
 Bishop was ultimately appointed conductor. The 
 programmes were largely Handelian, varied, 
 however, by excerpts from Bach, Purcell, Corelli, 
 Gluck, Hasse, and others; subsequently Mozart's 
 name was admitted, and Haydn's, and later on, 
 even that of Beethoven. In 1847, at a concert 
 under the direction of Prince Albert, the solo 
 organist was Mendelssohn, who played Bach's 
 fugue on his own name. In November of that 
 same year, Mendelssohn died ; I need not say, 
 to the inexpressible grief of the whole musical 
 world. Such concerts may have served a certain 
 purpose of conservative protest against empirical 
 radicalism, but could hardly survive the spirit of 
 advancement then manifesting itself, and the 
 concerts came to an end in 1848. Until 1841 
 
174 THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 
 
 the conductor presided at the organ ; but, in 
 that year, the two functions of conductor and 
 organist were separated and Mr. Lucas was 
 appointed organist. 
 
 Other societies in existence sixty years since 
 were the Choral Harmonists' Society, an asso- 
 ciation of amateurs for the performance of choro- 
 orchestral works, which gave concerts at the 
 London Tavern, from 1833 to 185 1, at not a 
 few of which I was present, and in my boyhood 
 sang songs at one of them. The conductors 
 and the soloists were professional ; the succes- 
 sive conductors were Vincent Novello, Charles 
 Neate, Charles Lucas, and Henry Westrop. 
 Another similar society was the City of London 
 Classical Harmonists. There was also the 
 Societa Armonica, founded ten years before the 
 accession, which gave concerts of symphonies, 
 overtures, etc., at the Crown and Anchor, Free- 
 mason's Tavern, and Opera Concert Room. 
 There was also the Ccscilian Society, established 
 in 1785 for the performance of sacred music, 
 and subsequently undertaking oratorio per- 
 formances. 
 
 The concerts were held successively in Friday 
 Street, at Plasterers' Hall, at Painters' Hall, 
 Coachmen's Hall, Paul's Head, and finally in 
 
THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 1 75 
 
 Albion Hall, London Wall, as I remember them. 
 The society was dissolved in 1861. With the 
 exception of the Lenten performances at the 
 Covent Garden and Drury Lane theatres, the 
 only regular performances of the oratorios of 
 Handel and Haydn were those of this society, 
 unless, indeed, mention be made of the 
 " Messiah," performed at the Foundling. Of 
 similar origin was the Sacred Harmonic Society, 
 established in 1832, in the vestry of Gate Street 
 Chapel, Lincoln's Inn Fields; subsequently a 
 most important society, its performances in 
 Exeter Hall being, doubtless, remembered well 
 by some of my hearers. Mendelssohn conducted 
 his " Elijah " for the society — its first production 
 in London — in 1 847 ; Spohr, also, conducted his 
 " Fall of Babylon," " Christian's Prayer," and 
 " Last Judgment," and his 84th Psalm, the last 
 written expressly for the society. There had also 
 been founded, in 1834, the very useful Society of 
 British Musicians, at which many works of the 
 principal living English composers were intro- 
 duced during its chequered career, which was 
 terminated in 1865. It had a good library, 
 commenced, I believe, at the suggestion of my 
 father. I was a member from 1846 till its disso- 
 lution. Its place has since been occupied by the 
 
1/6 THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 
 
 Musical Artists Society, of which I was one of 
 the founders, in 1874; playing the very first 
 piece at its first performance, my Fantasia 
 dedicated to Sir G. A. Macfarren. It is still pur- 
 suing its course, endeavouring, notwithstanding 
 much difficulty, to help rising artists to obtain a 
 hearing. 
 
 Besides these societies for the performance 
 of works of magnitude, there were also societies 
 for the practice, in social fashion, of the vocal 
 part-music for which the English have been so 
 famous ; — the Madrigal Society, founded in 
 1 74 1, and still existing; the Catch Club, estab- 
 lished in 1 76 1, and still existing; the Con- 
 centores Sodales, founded by Dr. Callcott in 
 1 798, or, rather, the revival by William Horsley 
 of a society founded by Dr. Callcott in 1790; 
 every member of the Concentores Sodales who 
 composed contributing a new canon on the 
 day of his presidency: dissolved in 181 2, but 
 resuscitated in 18 17, with Attwood, Horsley, 
 Linley, Spofforth, Evans, W. Hawes, J. F. 
 Walmisley, Smart, Goss, Bishop, J. W. Elliott, 
 in company with whom I once attended one 
 of the society's meetings : it was dissolved in 
 1847; the Glee Club, founded in 1783, for 
 which was composed Webbe's glee, " Glorious 
 
THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 1 77 
 
 Apollo," and which was dissolved in 1857. At 
 the meetings of this club old Samuel Wesley 
 attended as visitor, and played Bach's fugues 
 upon the pianoforte, he having been mainly in- 
 strumental in introducing them into this country. 
 Moscheles, also, and Mendelssohn were among 
 its distinguished performing visitors. When 
 the dissolution of these societies is recorded, it 
 must be remembered that " the old order 
 changeth," other influences were at work, and 
 other developments of the art. 
 
 One of these was the cultivation of chamber 
 music for instruments. You will, of course, 
 bear in mind that there were no Monday 
 Popular Concerts in those days ; in fact, little 
 in the way of popular performances of good 
 music of any sort, little that appealed to a large 
 public, at what are now known as popular 
 prices. The founder of quartet concerts has 
 only recently been taken from us (1894), all 
 honour to his memory, Joseph Haydon Bourne 
 Dando. He gave a concert in September, 1835, 
 entirely composed of such music, which, proving 
 successful, was followed by two more in the 
 October of the same year with increasing suc- 
 cess. Mr. Dando, a con amore violinist of 
 excellent taste, then formed a quartet party 
 
 N 
 
178 THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 
 
 consisting, besides himself, of Henry Gamble 
 Blagrove, one of the most fascinating of English 
 violinists, who died in 1872 ; Henry Gattie, 
 another violinist of great excellence and in- 
 telligence, with regard both to music and other 
 matters, who, as a boy, supped with the author 
 of "Waverley," and was told stories by him, 
 thereby enabling him afterwards to discover 
 the authorship of the novels ; and Charles 
 Lucas, the excellent violoncellist and all-round 
 musician, who died in 1869. With them, to 
 the best of my recollection, was also associated 
 the excellent performer on the viola, Henry 
 Hill. All of these, well known to myself per- 
 sonally, have now passed away. The perform- 
 ances were commenced in 1836, and continued 
 annually at Hanover Square Rooms until 1842, 
 when Blagrove seceding from the enterprise, 
 Dando assumed the first violin, and the party 
 migrated to Crosby Hall, where the concerts 
 were continued in the Throne Room — in which 
 it was stated Sir Thomas More wrote his 
 "Utopia" — until 1853. My father not unfre- 
 quently assisted as violoncellist ; and, later on, 
 I myself as accompanist. They were charming, 
 home-like concerts, being much in favour with 
 a coterie of City amateurs, who greatly relished 
 
"THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 1 79 
 
 the quartets of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, 
 who would hardly have sneered, as some 
 modern City men, at the idea of rearing a 
 generation of fiddlers. 
 
 As there were not cqpcerts at popular prices 
 in those days — the early years of the epoch 
 which we are reviewing — so neither was printed 
 music to be obtained without considerable out- 
 lay. A vocal score of an oratorio then cost at 
 least a guinea, folio size, handy octavo editions 
 not then being thought of, or, at least, only 
 thought of. A single pianoforte sonata cost 
 then as much as the complete set of Beethoven's 
 thirty-two sonatas can now be obtained for. It 
 is obvious that this was a formidable hindrance 
 to the pursuits and progress of musical students 
 who enjoy nowadays such unprecedented ad- 
 vantages in this and other respects. 
 
 There has been a large increase in the practice 
 of choral singing, which, in the nature of the 
 case, has been by bodies of amateurs. The 
 impetus in this direction has been largely due 
 to the establishment of singing-classes by Joseph 
 Mainzer, who came to this country in 1839, and 
 soon commenced the movement known as 
 "singing for the million" (I remember being 
 once present at one of his class-meetings) ; by 
 
l8o THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 
 
 John Pyke HuUah, who commenced his classes 
 on the adapted method of Wilhem at Exeter 
 Hall in 1841 ; by Miss Sarah A. Glover, who 
 first initiated the method known as the Tonic 
 Sol-fa, her book on tlje subject having been 
 published in 1845, and the system being after- 
 wards adopted, with modifications, by the late 
 Rev. John Curwen, Congregational minister, and 
 further developed by his son, Mr. John Spencer 
 Curwen, who has been fitted for that work by 
 a professional training in the art of music. Into 
 the much-vexed question of the merits of this 
 system, as compared with that adopted in con- 
 nection with the staff notation, I do not purpose 
 entering. Suffice it to express satisfaction that, 
 by any means, the love and practice of music 
 among the people is extended. In connection 
 with this widely-extended practice of choral 
 singing, the number of compositions for that 
 purpQse has marvellously multiplied. Not only 
 have a large number of cantatas and oratorios 
 been produced, but likewise one form of com- 
 position for popular use may be said to have 
 originated during this period, that, namely, 
 termed the part-song. Not of so high a 
 character structurally as the madrigal, and not 
 requiring so high a training either for its per- 
 
THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA l8l 
 
 formance or for its comprehension or apprecia- 
 tion, the form has had a very wide popularity, 
 and has been produced in prodigious numbers 
 by a host of composers, good, bad, and in- 
 different, with amazingly fatal ease and rapidity. 
 The distinction between the part-song and its 
 much higher predecessor, the madrigal, now 
 well-nigh obsolete, is not difficult to describe. 
 Whereas a madrigal proper is essentially con- 
 trapuntal and imitational in structure and char- 
 acter, founded upon a few short phrases of 
 perhaps a very few notes each, responsively 
 treated between the parts, which move, not 
 simultaneously or consentaneously in notes of 
 about equal length, but with more or less of 
 intricacy and involvement, with little in the way 
 of rhythmical termination and division, few 
 closes, one part commencing as another finishes ; 
 a part-song, on the other hand, has few such 
 characteristics, the parts moving and finishing 
 together with simultaneous rhythm and phras- 
 ing, little " working," but largely consisting of 
 harmonized melody. To write a good part- 
 song, a fair melodic capacity, original or other- 
 wise, with tolerable knowledge of harmony, are 
 requisite ; but not much of power of continuity 
 or development, or that higher kind of part- 
 
1 82 THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 
 
 writing known as counterpoint. These find 
 their scope in the madrigal, now not much 
 affected, any more than pure contrapuntal 
 writing of any kind. A certain kind of pretti- 
 ness and lusciousness in harmony is easier to 
 attain and to throw off; and, moreover, wins 
 instant acceptance. Not so with the more solid, 
 serious manner of thinking, proceeding from, 
 and appealing to a higher mental condition. 
 Of course I am not in any way reflecting upon 
 the many beautiful part-songs which enrich our 
 anthology — in any such course I should re- 
 pudiate some of my own productions, having 
 written many part-songs — nor am I forgetting 
 the examples by German composers, Mendels- 
 sohn among the number, these having been by 
 some judged to result from an endeavour to 
 acclimatize our English glee, a very different 
 sort of composition, however. But, returning 
 from our digression, I repeat that \}ae. part-song 
 is the product of our epoch. With its rise not 
 only has the madrigal well-nigh disappeared — 
 this, indeed, it had done long previously — but 
 also its own immediate precursor, the glee, a 
 composition in at least two connected move- 
 ments, to be sung not chorally, but by a single 
 voice to each part. 
 
THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 1 83 
 
 The various orchestral societies which I have 
 mentioned appealed mainly to the few ; the 
 prices of admission were, for the most part, 
 prohibitive to the many. But in 1838, the year 
 of the coronation, an experiment was made of a 
 more popularity-seeking kind, by a series of 
 Promenade Concerts, given at the English Opera 
 House, on the site of that now known as the 
 Lyceum Theatre. J. T. Willy was leader, 
 and Negri, the singing-master, was conductor. 
 These appealed to the public by the performance 
 of light music ; the then public had not been 
 educated into listening to high-class works. In 
 1 84 1, JuUien and Eliason commenced a similar 
 enterprise. Later on, Balfe, Mellon, and others 
 have successively conducted such concerts ; but 
 with the gradually extending transformation of 
 character by the introduction of classical music, 
 to the displacement of the dance-music element. 
 To his honour be it recorded that Jullien, with 
 all his charlatanry, did thus make an innovation 
 so far as pecuniary prospects permitted, until, 
 at the present time, a promenade concert could 
 hardly be ventured upon without the classical 
 element being included in the scheme ; and, 
 moreover, a wholly classical concert of that 
 kind is familiar enough among us : witness 
 
184 THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 
 
 recent enterprises at Queen's Hall and else- 
 where. 
 
 Certain factors in the musical development of 
 our country during the period under considera- 
 tion must be specially dealt with, and dwelt 
 upon ; and one of the most important is the 
 influence of the visits of certain distinguished 
 foreign musicians. [This formed the subject of 
 one of Sir Sterndale Bennett's lectures while he 
 occupied the Chair of Music in the University 
 of Cambridge ; though I am not sure whether 
 that particular lecture was not delivered at the 
 London Institution ; perhaps only there. I did 
 not hear it, nor have I any knowledge of how 
 he treated the subject; so that the remarks I 
 make are quite independent.] It is impossible 
 to evade this consideration. We are tolerably 
 accustomed to the outcry against the undue in- 
 fluence of foreign encroachment, in music as in 
 other matters, and probably there has been, and 
 still is, more or less of justice in the complaint 
 of the preference shown to the foreigner above 
 the native. But even as our country is distin- 
 guished as the hospitable land of freedom, and 
 the refuge for all comers, so, with all our in- 
 sularity, we have, I think it will not be denied, 
 always shown an eagerness to learn and profit 
 
THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 1 85 
 
 by whatever any visitors from foreign lands 
 have been able to teach or bestow upon us. 
 And I am not about to speak of the influence, 
 beneficial or otherwise, of the horde of foreign 
 teachers, competent or incompetent, who have 
 taken up their residence among us, and vexed 
 the indignant souls of natives who have felt 
 aggrieved at being jostled and displaced by those 
 whose superior claims to their own they have 
 thought to have been too readily assumed. I 
 have much higher ground than that to tra- 
 verse. Even as it is our glory that, in the past 
 century, our country was the adopted home of 
 George Frederic Handel, and, by its demands 
 and appreciation, gave that direction to his 
 genius which resulted in the mighty series of 
 works which have made his name such a house- 
 hold word among us ; so it is surely no con- 
 fession of weakness, but our pride, that a mar- 
 vellous, stimulating influence has been felt among 
 us by the more or less frequent visits to our 
 shores of such great artists as Spohr, Weber, 
 Mendelssohn, and other composers of lesser, 
 but still of no mean power, as well as by a host 
 of distinguished performers, vocal and instru- 
 mental, some of whose names I shall have to 
 specify. 
 
1 86 THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 
 
 It does not fall within my province to offer 
 even the slightest sketch of the life and works 
 of the first (chronologically) of the great artists 
 I have mentioned, Louis Spohr, born at Bruns- 
 wick in 1784, who did not, however, pay his 
 first visit to this country until 1820. Although 
 that year considerably precedes even the com- 
 mencement of our epoch, yet as his visit was 
 the first of a series, most interesting and in- 
 fluential, extending through a large portion of 
 this epoch, up to the year 1853, I must thus 
 begin at the beginning. "Dear old Spohr!" 
 he has been called by more than one writer. 
 At the first visit, in 1820, made at the invitation 
 of our famous Philharmonic Society, he, one of 
 the greatest of violinists, played on March 6th, 
 his own concerto, "nello stilo drammatico," 
 generally known as the Dramatic Concerto. 
 Those who know it will not forget the long- 
 sustained note with which the first solo com- 
 mences. I have been told that the effect of 
 that long-drawn-out note, with Spohr's fine tone, 
 on its first performance was simply electrical 
 upon the whole audience. This effect, moreover, 
 would not be unaided by his striking personality, 
 his stature being, I should think, several inches 
 above six feet. I give simply my own rough 
 
THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 1 87 
 
 estimate from tolerably vivid recollection, not 
 of course of that occasion, but of subsequent 
 visits. At the succeeding concert of the same 
 season he played first violin in one of his own 
 quartets, and at the third concert produced one 
 of the finest of all his wOrks, composed in 
 London, his Symphony in D minor, a work 
 which it is well-nigh impossible to hear without 
 being stirred to enthusiasm. But, at that same 
 concert, Spohr introduced something besides 
 this splendid symphony ; he introduced or re- 
 vived a custom which was then an innovation 
 in this country, but since universally adopted. 
 To those of my audience who years ago listened 
 to orchestral and choral performances under 
 what has seemed to them the almost magic 
 wand of Costa, making the host of performers 
 play as with the precision of one instrument, or, 
 later, of the demonstrative Manns, of Richter, 
 the self-possessed, and many others, it may 
 seem almost incredible that such conductor- 
 ship was not always the method of directing 
 performances of that kind in this country. It 
 was the fashion for the principal first violin 
 player to lead the orchestra, while another 
 musician sat at the pianoforte to conduct, by 
 more or less continuous playing, alternating, I 
 
1 88 THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 
 
 suppose, with some beating and gesture with 
 the hand. It need hardly be said that this 
 dual control, if control it might be called, did 
 not result in unity of performance or precision 
 of ensemble. Spohr, on the occasion in ques- 
 tion, notwithstanding some opposition, induced 
 the directors to allow him, instead of leading 
 the band with his violin, to conduct with the 
 bdton, and thus he introduced his beautiful 
 symphony simultaneously with his common- 
 sense method of controlling a body of per- 
 formers, a prominent feature in this our epoch. 
 Spohr, however, was exceedingly pleased with 
 the Philharmonic orchestra, and said justly that 
 he gave the stringed instruments special work 
 in his symphony because of their special excel- 
 lence. I may be allowed to drop the hint that 
 in listening to large performances it is well to 
 remember that it is not the conductor who per- 
 forms the work but the players. Recognition 
 of the importance of the functions of a con- 
 ductor is one of the noticeable matters in con- 
 nection with music or musical performance in 
 our epoch. Costa was eminent for his general- 
 ship, his discipline of the forces under his 
 direction, not for the refinement of his musical 
 perception prompting his directions. He dealt 
 
THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 1 89 
 
 in broad outlines, and what it is the fashion to 
 call his readings were open to frequent challenge. 
 Alfred Mellon, violinist and composer, was also 
 an excellent conductor ; intelligent in intention, 
 and efficient, though not demonstrative, in his 
 method of expressing that intention. Sterndale 
 Bennett, with the refinement of perception 
 which always characterized him with regard to 
 music that he loved, lacked command, daring, 
 verve, just the qualities that distinguished Costa, 
 who had none of the exquisite genius of Bennett. 
 Besides Costa, who, though a Neapolitan, was 
 resident among us, we have had foreign con- 
 ductors on a visit to us, and conducting has been 
 developing into a fine art during our era. 
 
 To return from this digression, Spohr's second 
 visit to England was paid in 1839, within our 
 epoch, to conduct his oratorio " Calvary " at the 
 Norwich Festival, his popularity here having 
 greatly increased, and the success of the oratorio 
 was a genuine triumph. In 1842 another ora- 
 torio of his was produced at Norwich, " The 
 Fall of Babylon," the libretto by Professor 
 Edward Taylor, whom I remember, but Spohr 
 was unable to be present at its production. 
 Shortly afterwards, however, he for the third 
 time visited us, and I then saw- him conduct 
 
igO THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 
 
 a performance of the "Fall of Babylon" in 
 the Hanover Square Rooms, intended as a 
 complimentary benefit to him, I believe, but 
 certainly not succeeding in that intention, as 
 the attendance was, from some cause, scanty, 
 notwithstanding the high esteem in which he 
 was held among us. The oratorio was re- 
 peated, on a large scale, by the Sacred Har- 
 monic Society, at Exeter Hall; and the last con- 
 cert of that season by the Philharmonic Society 
 was largely devoted to his music and perform- 
 ance. Besides this, at the request of our Queen 
 and Prince Albert, an extra concert, also devoted 
 to him, was given that year on July loth. In 
 1847 he visited London again, and at Exeter 
 Hall "The Fall of Babylon," "The Last 
 Judgment," " The Lord's Prayer," and Milton's 
 84th Psalm were produced. In 1852 he 
 adapted his opera " Faust" to the Italian stage 
 for performance at Covent Garden, where it was 
 produced on July 15th, with small success how- 
 ever. His last visit to England was in 1853, 
 in which year, at one of the Philharmonic 
 Concerts, he was among the audience during 
 the performance of, I think, his overture to 
 " Jessonda," and I sat close to him. The whole 
 room-full of listeners rose after the performance 
 
THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA I9I 
 
 and turned towards the great man to render 
 him obeisance. When, with some German 
 phlegmatic reluctance, he rose to acknowledge 
 their demonstrations of respect, his remarkable 
 altitude was most noticeable ; he was clearly 
 seen by, though on the same standing ground as, 
 the whole of the audience. I shall never forget 
 the scene. The last time that I saw him was at 
 a concert given by Molique, a violinist of the 
 same school, when he was accompanied by 
 Hesse, the well-known writer of organ music. 
 I sat by them. 
 
 The influence of Spohr upon musical develop- 
 ment at the early part of our epoch was very 
 marked. He represented a splendid school of 
 violin-playing ; and, by the charm of his writing 
 for his own instrument, exercised a fascinating 
 spell upon violinists. His concertos and quar- 
 tets were great favourites with them. Moreover 
 the mannerism of his compositions of all kinds, 
 pretty generally acknowledged by all competent 
 judges, a mannerism of harmonic progression 
 and of modulating method which may be briefly 
 characterized by the two words chromatic and 
 enharmonic, was alluring, and not difficult to 
 imitate; and most of the then rising genera- 
 tion of composers came under the spell, caught 
 
192 THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 
 
 the trick, yielded to the most individualistic 
 influence of the time, and were very Spohr-isk 
 in their writing, until a yet more powerfully 
 seductive influence began to be felt. But the 
 influence of Spohr, though it ceased to be direct, 
 was by no means unpermeating, and must be 
 reckoned with in any survey of the music of 
 the epoch. 
 
 The " yet more powerful " influence which 
 superseded that of Spohr was that of Mendels- 
 sohn. That of Weber, indeed, had by no means 
 been slight, although he had been so little in this 
 country, in which however he died (in Great 
 Portland Street), in 1826, more than ten years 
 before the commencement of the epoch. That 
 influence was strong upon operatic writing ; and 
 his Invitation pour la Valse may be said to 
 have originated the whole series of Valses de 
 Salon, whose name is legion. Therefore his 
 influence cannot be left out of account in con- 
 sidering the music of the epoch ; it continues to 
 this day. But that of Mendelssohn has been 
 much more universally felt among us, not only 
 from musical causes, but because of his frequent 
 visits to us, his engaging personality, and the 
 close intimacies he formed among us. 
 
 His first visit to London was in 1829, April 
 
THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 1 93 
 
 2 1 St, when he was just turned twenty years of 
 age ; and he lodged in Great Portland Street. 
 He made his dibut before a London audience on 
 the 25th of the following month, at a Philhar- 
 monic concert, when he conducted his Symphony 
 in C minor, with a specially made new white 
 baton. The success was enormous ; the slow 
 movement receiving an encore which Mendels- 
 sohn declined; the Scherzo, one that could not 
 be resisted. A few days later he played at 
 another concert ; and in June conducted his 
 wonderful overture to "A Midsummer Night's 
 Dream," for the first time in this country ; and, 
 subsequently, played with Moscheles in his 
 (Mendelssohn's) Double Concerto in E, for two 
 pianofortes. His position amongst us was as- 
 sured ; he was always a welcome guest. The 
 nobility, diplomats, and society at large, at once 
 honoured him. In that year he visited Scot- 
 land, where he planned the overture known as 
 the " Hebrides," or " Isles of Fingal ;" and was 
 first inspired for the " Scotch Symphony ; " also 
 stayed in Wales, where he wrote three charming 
 and well-known pianoforte pieces. 
 
 In April, 1832, he paid his second visit to 
 England. During the season his " Hebrides" 
 overture was performed, and he played his 
 
 o 
 
194 THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 
 
 G minor Concerto, both these at Philharmonic 
 concerts. For a concert given by Mori, the 
 violinist, he wrote and played his Capriccio in 
 B minor for pianoforte and orchestra. He 
 created quite a sensation, and, according to some, 
 inaugurated a revolution in organ-playing by 
 his performance on the instrument in St. Paul's 
 Cathedral. And, in that same year, he here 
 published, at Novello's in Dean Street, his first 
 book of " Songs without Words." In the follow- 
 ing year, 1833, he sent three works, according 
 to commission, to our Philharmonic Society ; 
 viz., the " Italian Symphony," the " Trumpet 
 Overture," and " The Calm Sea and Prosperous 
 Voyage " overture. He came to London to 
 superintend the first performance of the sym- 
 phony, which took place on May 13th. He 
 subsequently paid a fourth visit to London, in 
 company with his father, lodging all four times 
 in Great Portland Street. 
 
 All this precedes our epoch, but is inevitably 
 introduced. In 1837, however, when our epoch 
 begins, Mendelssohn visited us for the fifth time, 
 to conduct his new oratorio, " St. Paul," at the 
 Birmingham Festival. The performance took 
 place on September 28th, not the first pro- 
 duction of the work in this country, but that at 
 
THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 1 95 
 
 which it first definitely took hold of our people ; 
 and no wonder that such a hold should then be 
 taken, under the striking personal direction of the 
 composer of the finest oratorio since Handel up 
 to that time ; and some think it the finest, even 
 now, placing it higher than " Elijah," which 
 stupendous work was first talked over, and 
 initiated and planned, here in London in that 
 same year, in consultation at Hobart Place, 
 Pimlico, with Mendelssohn's friend, Charles 
 Klingemann. At this same Birmingham Fest- 
 ival, 1837, Mendelssohn also played, for the first 
 time, his second Pianoforte Concerto in D minor, 
 and, on the organ, Bach's " St. Ann's Fugue." 
 He also during that same visit to England 
 played again at St. Paul's Cathedral, as also on 
 the new organ then just erected by Messrs. 
 Hill and Son in Christ Church, Newgate 
 Street, under the direction of Dr. Gauntlett; 
 thus adding his powerful influence to that of 
 the Doctor in the direction of organ reform, 
 especially in the matter of the C organ in the 
 place of the G organ ; a technical distinction 
 of great moment, well understood by organists, 
 the prevalence now of the change being one of 
 the important features in the musical develop- 
 ment of our epoch. 
 
196 THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 
 
 The sixth visit of Mendelssohn to England 
 was made in September, 1840, to conduct, at 
 the Birmingham Festival, his recently-composed 
 Sinfonia-Cantante (in other words, Choral Sym- 
 phony), the "Lobgesang," or " Hymn of Praise," 
 which had just been produced at Leipzig, and 
 which has always been accepted as one of his 
 greatest works. The success at Birmingham 
 was enormous. At the same festival he played 
 an organ fugue, and after the performance of 
 the " Hymn of Praise," besides a private per- 
 formance on the organ, he in the evening 
 played his Pianoforte Concerto in G minor. At 
 a subsequent concert of the Festival he ex- 
 temporized on the organ, on themes from 
 Handel's "Jephtha." Afterwards, in London, 
 he played on Messrs. Hill and Son's new organ 
 at St. Peter's, Cornhill, designed by Dr. Gaunt- 
 lett, and then returned to Leipzig. 
 
 It is melancholy, in the midst of this record, 
 to remember that all this constant production, 
 work, and excitement were killing him ! 
 
 In 1842 his seventh visit to England was 
 made in company with his wife, to produce his 
 long-in-hand " Scotch Symphony," which had 
 been only recently brought out in Berlin, though, 
 as I previously mentioned, inspired by his early 
 
THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 1 97 
 
 visit to the Highlands. This was played for the 
 first time in this country at the Philharmonic, on 
 June 1 3thj I need hardly say, winning immediate 
 acceptance. On the 27th of the same month, at 
 another Philharmonic concert, he played his 
 Concerto in D minor, now well known and liked 
 by us, but which, Cipriani Potter told me — for 
 I was not present — did not then make any great 
 impression, possibly through Mendelssohn's 
 fatigue after conducting, at the same concert, 
 his " Isles of Fingal" overture. Subsequently, 
 during the same season, he played on the organs 
 at St. Peter's, Cornhill, and Christ Church, 
 Newgate Street ; and this was the year in 
 which, by invitation, he paid two visits to our 
 Queen and the Prince Consort, at Buckingham 
 Palace, accompanying her Majesty in singing 
 one of his sister, Fanny Hensel's, songs, pub- 
 lished with his name, however; proffering the 
 dedication to the Queen of the "Scotch Sym- 
 phony," which was accepted, and so stands in 
 the published copies, and received from her 
 Majesty a beautiful ring, engraved " V, R. 1842." 
 All this is charmingly described in one of his 
 letters to his mother, together with his readily- 
 accorded request to see the Royal children in 
 their nursery. 
 
1 98 THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 
 
 The eighth visit which he paid to us was in 
 1844, when he accepted the invitation of our 
 Philharmonic Society to conduct the last six 
 concerts of the season. It was the same year 
 which witnessed, moreover, the advent among 
 us of Ernst, the violinist, Joachim, now so well- 
 known and esteemed among us, then a lad of 
 thirteen, and Piatti, now domiciled among us. 
 I think it was in that year that Mendelssohn 
 first produced among us the final version of his 
 wonderful work, the " Walpurgisnacht ; " though 
 it must have been prior to that that a private 
 performance of it took place, in which I, with 
 my boy's voice, took part, the great com- 
 poser himself accompanying us upon the piano- 
 forte. 
 
 I think that it was in that year that, among 
 the many concerts at which Mendelssohn ap- 
 peared, was one by our own Sterndale Bennett, 
 who was greatly esteemed by him, though not 
 his pupil, as has been so mistakenly asserted ; 
 and at that concert he conducted his " Scotch 
 Symphony," I sitting just by him, and he also 
 playing, for the first time, with Bennett, his 
 beautiful pianoforte duet, " Andante with Varia- 
 tions," in B flat, not published, however, till 
 after his death, when two versions of it appeared 
 
THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 1 99 
 
 — one solo, the other duet, with some different 
 matter peculiar to each form. 
 
 Moreover, in this year, 1844, took place one 
 very notable appearance of Mendelssohn, that 
 in which he, at one of Moscheles' concerts, 
 played, with the concert-giver and Thalberg, 
 Bach's Triple Concerto in D minor, for three 
 pianofortes, on which occasion he made an ex- 
 traordinary sensation by an extempore cadenza, 
 introducing a wonderful octave passage, and 
 creating a scene never to be forgotten. I was 
 sitting behind him as he played, and narrowly 
 escaped having to turn over for him, as he came 
 near to where I was and said, " Who will turn 
 for me ? " While I hesitated some one else 
 volunteered to do it. 
 
 He visited us for the ninth time in 1846, to 
 superintend the production of " Elijah " at the 
 Birmingham Festival. Though I was not pre- 
 sent at that first performance, I well remember 
 the stir of enthusiasm which was aroused by that 
 most popular of oratorios next to the " Messiah " 
 and perhaps the " Creation." 
 
 Before his tenth visit — and, alas ! the last — 
 he revised and re-wrote much of " Elijah," for he 
 was very self-critical. In April, 1847, he came 
 over, in company with Joachim ; and on the 
 
200 THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 
 
 1 6th, 23rd, 28th, and 30th of April, he conducted 
 performances of it at Exeter Hall, the Queen 
 and Prince Consort being present on the 23rd. 
 He subsequently conducted it again at Man- 
 chester and Birmingham; conducted the " Scotch 
 Symphony" and " Midsummer Night's Dream" 
 overture at the Philharmonic, besides playing 
 Beethoven's Concerto in G major, a perform- 
 ance which I had the felicity of hearing. He 
 also played his C minor Trio, and some of his 
 " Songs without Words," on May 4th at the 
 Beethoven Quartet Society ; on the next day, 
 an organ fugue at the Antient Concert ; on the 
 6th at the Prussian Embassy, and, after bidding 
 farewell to the Queen and Prince Consort, left 
 our shores on the 8th to go home, worn out, and 
 die in the following November. 
 
 If it has seemed to you that I have taken a 
 somewhat disproportionate time in speaking of 
 Mendelssohn, considering that he was not an 
 Englishman, and that I have had as my task, 
 not to sketch Mendelssohn's life, but music 
 among us during the epoch, I must remind 
 you that I have only dealt, and that most in- 
 adequately, with his visits and appearances 
 among us, his work among us as composer, 
 pianist, organist, and conductor ; and that it is 
 
THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 20I 
 
 well-nigh impossible to exaggerate the potency 
 of the spell which he exercised over the musical 
 world here, and over musical students of that 
 time, who are the rnusical professors, and even 
 veterans, now. Other influences, again, have 
 arisen, and have more or less swayed the course 
 of thought and feeling, so that there is less of 
 the Mendelssohn vein, by a great deal, now, 
 than when his charming and irresistible per- 
 sonality were so magically felt among us ; and 
 even his " Songs without Words " are less played 
 than at one time. There will be reactions and 
 tides of influence in matters such as this. But 
 my brief glance at just what Mendelssohn did 
 among us — only that — could not be omitted, or 
 very well curtailed, consistently with any adequate 
 estimate of the music of the epoch. Briefly to 
 state these bare facts, that, at the commence- 
 ment of our epoch, only one book of the " Songs 
 without Words " existed, just published, the rest 
 were noi ; now we have eight sets : the " Spinning 
 Song," or " Bees' Wedding," as it is called, 
 and the " Spring Song," as it is regarded, 
 did not exist; nor the "Scotch Symphony," 
 nor " Elijah," nor the " Hymn of Praise," nor 
 " Lauda Sion," nor the " Walpurgisnacht," nor 
 some of the Psalms, nor the Organ Sonatas, 
 
202 THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 
 
 nor many other of the vocal and instrumental 
 works so familiar to us ; and it seems to us 
 almost wonderful to think how people got on 
 without them. And then think how rich our 
 possessions now are in these works, and that 
 so many have first of all originated or made 
 their home among us, and of what he did for 
 the organ and organ music, and of his mar- 
 vellously beautiful pianoforte playing, which 
 was such a delight and model to that genera- 
 tion, as I so well remember, though the healthy 
 tradition of it has well-nigh died out. I repeat 
 that it is impossible to over-estimate the Men- 
 delssohn cult, as it may be called, as a factor 
 in the music of our epoch, any more than to 
 exaggerate the influence of Handel among us 
 in the last century. 
 
 I will here mention two curious facts : one 
 being that his first book of " Songs without 
 Words," termed simply " Original Melodies," 
 was published by Novello, in this country, at 
 the composer's own expense ; the other, that 
 years afterwards, his now well-known Organ 
 Sonatas were published by subscription, to in- 
 sure the publisher against loss ; and that one of 
 the most eminent organists of the time not only 
 declined to subscribe, but wrote an abusive letter 
 
THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 2O3 
 
 to the effect that there were many composers 
 equal to Mendelssohn, and so on, and so on. 
 
 I must now turn from these powerful in- 
 fluences from abroad, which, by their strong 
 individuality and by our own assimilative and 
 appreciative susceptibility, so greatly tended to 
 the maintenance and elevation of our musical 
 culture in the direction of all that is pure and 
 noble in art ; and consider what may be termed 
 a domestic influence, of wide-reaching character 
 which had sprung up among us, fifteen years 
 before the commencement of our epoch, and 
 was already beginning to bear fruit. This was 
 the Royal Academy of Music, founded in 1822 
 by Lord Burghersh (afterwards Earl of West- 
 moreland), made a.t once the object of most 
 virulent attacks by the professors who were 
 not engaged in it, as designed, or at all events 
 likely to ruin the profession ; although its main 
 object was to train musical students of talent to 
 become competent professors, and as though 
 the ultimate advancement of the Divine Art 
 had not a prior claim to consideration to the 
 immediate personal interests of some of those, 
 perhaps not the best qualified, who were then 
 engaged in teaching. Perhaps at that time the 
 Academy could hardly have been established 
 
204 THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 
 
 without some adventitious and aristocratic in- 
 fluence. But the aristocratic and autocratic 
 amateur government under which it was placed 
 was a constant disadvantage, though possibly 
 of some advantage, to its welfare and success. 
 Under the successive principalships of Dr. Crotch 
 and Cipriani Potter it did excellent work in 
 training and sending out through the country 
 professors who had received something like a 
 broad, general musical education, according to 
 the then understood extent and nature of such 
 a training. And such musicians were educated 
 within its walls as these, who held honourable 
 position for years in the profession, viz., Charles 
 Lucas, Henry Blagrove (who afterwards also 
 studied under Spohr, to extend and develop 
 his style and attainments, and with excellent 
 results), Charlotte Ann Birch, Charlotte Helen 
 Dolby, Henry Brinley Richards, William Henry 
 Holmes, James Howell, Kate Loder (now 
 Lady Thompson), Agnes Zimmermann, William 
 George Cusins, George Alexander Macfarren, 
 Walter Macfarren, Charles and Thomas Harper, 
 and a host of others. I myself was elected 
 King's Scholar in 1846, and at the expiration 
 of my scholarship in 1848 received the signal 
 honour of a re-election to that distinction and 
 
THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 205 
 
 privilege. On the expiration of the second 
 period I was appointed Assistant- Professor, and 
 shortly afterwards Professor, in the institution 
 which I was proud to recognize as my alma 
 mater, and have continued teaching therein 
 ever since, a period of upwards of forty-six 
 years. At the retirement of Cipriani Potter in 
 1859, Charles Lucas was appointed Principal ; at 
 his retirement in 1866, Sterndale Bennett was 
 appointed his successor, with Otto Goldschmidt 
 as Assistant- Principal ; and on Bennett's death, 
 in 1875, George Alexander Macfarren succeeded 
 him, and worked with indefatigable vigour for 
 the institution until his death in October, 1887, 
 literally so, for, only an hour and a half before 
 his death, he, blind and weak, dictated a com- 
 plicated letter concerning its affairs.^ The Royal 
 Academy, notwithstanding that it has at various 
 times been much handicapped, has struggled on 
 to its present high position and prosperous con- 
 dition, and has accomplished great things for 
 music in this country. Much of the improve- 
 ment in musical education is owing to its per- 
 sistence in directing its labours to what is highest 
 in the art. 
 
 ^ The present Principal, Sir Alexander C. Mackenzie, 
 took office early in 1888. 
 
206 THE MUSIC OF THE yiCTORIAN ERA 
 
 The Guildhall School of Music, established 
 under the auspices of the Corporation of London 
 seventeen years ago, is now the largest musical 
 school in the world. Its purpose, however, has 
 been less to train artists and professors than to 
 elevate the notions of music and musical educa- 
 tion of those among whom such artists work, 
 and to be the centre of sound instruction for the 
 people generally. It may accomplish enormous 
 good in that direction, especially now that it 
 has as its principal a musician and a man of 
 business. 
 
 Trinity College, London, is also working in 
 the cause ; and the more recently instituted 
 Royal College of Music, succeeding the National 
 Training School, is justifying itself in claiming 
 public respect. Amongst them all, musical 
 education ought not to be, and is not, at a 
 standstill. All along the line, however, during 
 our epoch, the veteran institution, -the Royal 
 Academy of Music, has been pursuing its way, 
 with varying fortunes, from circumstances which 
 cannot now be dealt with, but with unvaryingly 
 healthy influence. 
 
 The Royal College of Organists, moreover, 
 though not a training institution, must on no 
 account be overlooked ; especially as, in addition 
 
THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 207 
 
 to its examination work, it has recently entered 
 upon operations of a more educational kind. 
 
 And I must by no means fail to mention, in 
 connection with this enumeration of our educa- 
 tional institutions, one which has a benevolent 
 as well as a musical claim on our regard, the 
 Royal Normal College and Academy of Music 
 for the Blind, at which the pupils receive first- 
 rate general as well as musical education. 
 
 And the various competitive schemes, such 
 as the brass band contests instituted, I believe, 
 by Mr. Enderby Jackson ; and the stimulating 
 work in the Stratford Musical Festival, in- 
 stituted by Mr. Curwen, all have a quickening 
 effect upon the circles to which they appeal, 
 and are among the agencies at work for good. 
 
 Just prior to the commencement of our epoch, 
 there had emerged from the Royal Academy 
 one who had been studying there for ten years, 
 and had achieved much distinction ; who was 
 one day to be Principal of the institution which 
 had trained him ; was to be one of the glories 
 of English music, and whose career and in- 
 fluence were to form an important factor in the 
 course of the art among us. This was William 
 Sterndale Bennett, son of a Sheffield professor, 
 chorister of King's College Chapel, Cambridge, 
 
2o8 THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 
 
 and afterwards so distinguished as a professor, 
 pianist, composer. While yet a student at the 
 Royal Academy he was specially noticed by 
 Mendelssohn — a few years his senior — on the 
 occasion of a visit that he paid to the institution ; 
 and his prophecy that he would make his mark 
 was abundantly verified. The two geniuses 
 became afterwards great friends, especially when 
 Bennett visited Germany, where his beautiful 
 pianoforte playing and his exquisite music were 
 cordially received and appreciated. As I 
 have previously remarked, Bennett was never 
 Mendelssohn's pupil ; and, still further, it is not 
 wholly unnecessary to remark that the ignorant 
 notion that Bennett was an imitator of Mendels- 
 sohn, and founded his style of composition upon 
 that of the great German, is not only a mistake 
 from a critical point of view, but also may be 
 proved to be, so to speak, an anachronism, inas- 
 much as some of Bennett's most individual and 
 characteristic works were produced, not only 
 prior to his visit to Germany, when he might be 
 supposed to be influenced by the great artist ; 
 but at a time when he had not had the 
 opportunity of coming under any such spell, as 
 over here the Mendelssohn mania, if I may 
 call it so, had by no means set in at the time 
 
THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 209 
 
 when Bennett was studying, and developing his 
 own style, individuality, and genius. With 
 Schumann also Bennett was very intimate during 
 his stay in Germany, and dedicated to him his 
 Pianoforte Fantasia in A major ; but he by no 
 means reciprocated the high estimate which 
 Schumann formed and generously expressed 
 concerning him ; " raved about him," is, I think, 
 the expression that Hans von Billow uses. 
 Indeed, he depreciated Schumann as a com- 
 poser ; he has done so in conversation with 
 myself. 
 
 To our repertoire of music for his own instru- 
 ment Bennett added largely ; and, by his com- 
 positions of this class, has illustrated, as no one 
 else has, certain capacities of the pianoforte. 
 But then those who merely look at them in 
 print, without having heard him play them, can 
 form but little idea of the exquisite charm of the 
 two combined. I count it among my greatest, 
 happiest privileges as a musician, that I enjoyed 
 such frequent opportunities from my earliest 
 days of hearing his playing, as well as that of 
 Mendelssohn, which I expect never to hear 
 equalled. The style of pianoforte playing, even 
 in mechanical matters, has undergone no small 
 change since those days ; not, as those of us who 
 
 p 
 
2IO THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 
 
 remember them think, in all respects a change 
 of real improvement. There is now less of 
 charm, more of what is designated techniqtie. 
 But I must not digress. 
 
 Bennett's other works consist of several 
 beautiful overtures, " The Naiads," " The 
 Wood Nymphs," " Parisina," " Paradise and the 
 Peri," etc., a symphony in G minor, his con- 
 certos for pianoforte and orchestra, as well as a 
 sestet for pianoforte and stringed and wind in- 
 struments ; a trio for pianoforte and strings, a 
 sonata for pianoforte and violoncello, composed 
 for Piatti ; the cantata, " The May Queen," the 
 short oratorio, " The Woman of Samaria," full 
 of beauties, and other works. 
 
 I think, perhaps, the " Woman of Samaria " 
 has failed to win the estimation to which its 
 beauties entitle it, partly from a lack of dramatic 
 interest, and this partly accounting for a similar 
 lack in the musical structure ; though it must, I 
 think, be admitted that this was a defect in 
 Bennett's own organization. 
 
 As Principal of the Royal Academy of Music, 
 he wrought excellent work, making much-needed 
 reforms, and rousing much sympathetic musical 
 interest in pupils and professors alike. 
 
 As professor in the University of Cambridge, 
 
THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 211 
 
 I am not aware that he effected much, though 
 during his holding of that chair he wrote 
 his Installation Ode, and a fine anthem for 
 St. John's College Chapel. 
 
 Contemporary with Bennett, as student and 
 professor, was another musician who has been a 
 notable figure with great influence for all these 
 years, George Alexander Macfarren, previously 
 mentioned. This truly remarkable man, who 
 by his theoretical teachings has largely directed 
 the musical thought of students for so long, was 
 born in 1813, three years earlier than Bennett, 
 and survived him twelve years. I need not 
 now detain you by a lengthened record of his 
 services to music. But these two men have, 
 among our own musicians, been the most 
 prominent in the conservation and advancement 
 of the art among us. 
 
 I can hardly pass from this brief reference to 
 Macfarren without adverting to a feature in the 
 course of our art during these years, one sug- 
 gested by his career. Were I addressing a 
 general audience I should hardly think it ex- 
 pedient to touch upon any technical point ; 
 but addressing the members of so distinguished 
 a society of musicians, I have neither right nor 
 occasion to evade even an esoteric matter. We 
 
212 THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 
 
 all know how involved Macfarren became in 
 controversy through his strenuous advocacy of 
 a certain theory of harmony ; and it has been a 
 characteristic of our era to engage in discussion 
 about various questions connected with our art, 
 theoretical, practical, acoustical, sesthetical, with 
 a view, apparently, to some finality of settle- 
 ment ; but I need hardly say, without arriving at 
 that result : desirable result, shall I say ? hardly, 
 perhaps ; unless, indeed, we are disposed to 
 ask, with Mendelssohn : " Why do people talk 
 so much about music ? why do they not, in- 
 stead, write good music ? " The latter half of 
 the inquiry is not difficult to answer ; and per- 
 haps that answer may suggest some reply to 
 the former half. But we have had not merely 
 abundance of books for the use of students, but 
 abundance of more or less polemical treatises, 
 lectures, meetings, discussions about systems of 
 harmony, with or without acoustics ; methods of 
 teaching counterpoint ; bad ways of teaching 
 harmony ; pitch ; temperament ; absolute music 
 versus music-drama ; romantic versus classical ; 
 Tonic sol-fa ; movable Do ; Staff notation ; 
 above all, singing, and voice production ; in 
 connection with which I might give a list of 
 names such as Parkinson, Hewitt, Pole, Ellis, 
 
THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 213 
 
 Hiles, Day, with Macfarren, Stainer, Lunn, and , 
 a host of others, all anxious to contribute their 
 quota, in most cases thinking that theirs would 
 be the final touch settling the point once for all. 
 When I once spoke of a particular theory of 
 harmony as being still sub judice, a musician 
 whose memory we many of us cherish very 
 pleasantly, said to me : " Oh dear, no ! not sub 
 judice; you cannot say that after the articles 
 that I wrote in such a paper." Well, well ! I 
 suppose it is all a sign of life, so long as we can 
 carry on our discussions without asperity, or 
 implication of incompetence on the part of those 
 who differ from us. We aim at truth. 
 
 But, in addition to all this, there has been a 
 vast contribution and addition to our musical 
 literature, apart from controversy; valuable 
 works, theoretical, philosophical, historical, bio- 
 graphical, aesthetic ; in the truest sense, edu- 
 cational ; in fact, as I have termed it, literature 
 in connection with our art. It is a false use, an 
 unfortunate mis-appropriation of a term, to call 
 music written for the pianoforte, for instance, 
 the " literature " of the instrument. Literature 
 has to do with books, though there are many 
 books which do not come under the denomina- 
 tion. But I allude to such books as Parry's 
 
214 THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 
 
 "Art of' Music"; his "Studies of the Great 
 Composers"; Macfarren's "History of Music 
 critically discussed " ; Morton Latham's " Ren- 
 naissance of Music " ; the many biographies of 
 musicians, etc. And it is a testimony to the 
 advance of interest in the subject that it should 
 have been deemed hopefully practicable to pre- 
 pare and issue so ample, though still far from 
 complete a work as Grove's Dictionary, 
 
 And, in close connection with the discussion 
 characteristic of our time, the establishment and 
 continued vigour of the Musical Association 
 must also be recorded with gratulation. All 
 •these things are indicative of the growing general 
 culture of musical men, without which, indeed, 
 all talk about the refining and elevating influ- 
 ence of the art itself is vain. Some recognition 
 of the fact of this elevation is evinced by the 
 larger number of our fraternity who have been 
 the recipients of knightly honours at the hands 
 of our gracious sovereign. 
 
 And of specially educational works it would 
 not be difficult to make a tolerably long list, 
 even of such as have been issued within a 
 comparatively short period ; such as those of 
 Macfarren, of the late Rev. Sir Frederick Gore 
 Ouseley, of our own honoured member, Pro- 
 
THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 215 
 
 fessor Prout, and many others. On spetial sub- 
 jects again, there are those on the Organ and on 
 the Pianoforte, by, respectively, Dr, Hopkins 
 and Mr. Hipkins. Truly it has not been an 
 unfruitful era in diligent research and literary 
 activity. 
 
 I must not omit, however, a further tribute of 
 respect to one to whom both Bennett and Mac- 
 farren, myself, and so many more of us musicians 
 owed so much for sound instruction, wise counsel, 
 high stimulus, generous friendship ; the father of 
 us all, Cipriani Potter ; the pupil of Attwood, of 
 Crotch, of Woelfl, and others ; in addition to all, 
 informally, of Beethoven. By his admirable 
 teaching both of the Pianoforte and of Composi- 
 tion, he. formed the style of many a young artist ; 
 always inculcating excellent methods of touch, 
 opposed to all mere mechanical show and charla- 
 tanry ; always expounding the true principles of 
 structure and design in musical writing. He in- 
 troduced several of Beethoven's works in this 
 country, and was always their advocate in the 
 days when some of the old-fashioned musicians 
 did not so unequivocally welcome them. Beet- 
 hoven himself said of him, in one of his letters, 
 March i8th, 1818: "Potter has visited me 
 several times ; he seems to be a good man, 
 
2l6 THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 
 
 and has talent for composition." His position as 
 Principal of the Royal Academy of Music for so 
 many years, enabled him to exercise a salutary, 
 elevating influence, both on musical training 
 generally, and on a large number of students 
 individually ; all yielding, willingly and irre- 
 sistibly, to an influence that was as genial as it 
 was classical, pure, and wide. His own music 
 has fallen into undeserved neglect, except his 
 excellent Pianoforte Studies, which are still 
 justly valued. I need hardly say with what 
 pride and pleasure I look back upon my intimate 
 relations with a man so distinguished, personally 
 and relatively. 
 
 There is one cult, or revival, of a noteworthy 
 kind, which has characterized the last thirty-five 
 or forty years, namely, the attention given in this 
 country to the music of the great Leipsic cantor, 
 Johann Sebastian Bach. Up to about forty- 
 five or fifty years ago, even musicians were very 
 little acquainted with any of his marvellous works 
 except the forty-eight preludes and fugues for 
 the pianoforte, and a few of the organ fugues; and 
 even musicians, to a considerable extent (perhaps 
 from their having, after all, only a slight acquaint- 
 ance even with these) largely considered them 
 rather as unmelodious, structural curiosities, 
 
THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 217 
 
 than as real musical inspirations. In Germany, 
 however, through the zeal of Mendelssohn, and 
 in England through that of Sterndale Bennett, 
 interest was awakened not only in some other 
 printed works by the matchless master, but in 
 many lying in manuscript in Germany, and 
 there brought to light. In Germany a scheme 
 for the publication of these unknown treasures 
 has been actively carried on for a number of 
 years, and in England, about forty-seven years 
 ago, Sterndale Bennett was instrumental in 
 establishing in London a Bach society, of which 
 I was one of the earliest members ; not for the 
 publication so much as for the performance of, 
 and for stimulating interest in, the wonderful 
 music which had been so long neglected or mis- 
 judged. In connection with this society, some 
 of Bach's Motets and the St. Matthew's Passion- 
 Music were published, and performances, under 
 Bennett's direction, also took place. The 
 society, after some years, was dissolved, but not 
 without having done much of what it purposed 
 doing. This is evidenced by such facts as that 
 whereas, forty years ago, it was a rare thing 
 indeed to see Bach's name in a programme 
 except, indeed, at the Antient Concerts, or at 
 Moscheles' historical performances on the piano- 
 
2l8 THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 
 
 forte and its precursors, and never, one may 
 say, was any work of his to be seen on an un- 
 professional person's desk. Now it is the rule 
 rather than the exception, to have some Bach 
 music included in any season's list of musical 
 societies, and in almost all popular collections 
 of even teaching music, some of his pianoforte 
 pieces are included. Moreover, since the dis- 
 solution of that society, another society has 
 arisen, the Bach Choir, who have given some 
 excellent performances of the Grand Mass in 
 B minor, and other works of Bach, though, 
 latterly, they have departed considerably from 
 their original policy and practice, and have per- 
 formed a number of more or less unfamiliar 
 works, new and old. The germ of all this real 
 or professed interest in such stupendous works 
 as these of Bach was the original Bach Society, 
 and although, like a number of things in modern 
 so-called culture — the eesthetic craze and so 
 forth — there is much affectation, and fashion, 
 and dilettantism about it, the influence is so 
 thoroughly good, without alloy, of the in- 
 creased acquaintance with such classics, that 
 albeit it grows up side by side with so much 
 that is extravagant and sensational, one can- 
 not but rejoice, feeling that things can hardly 
 
THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAlfl ERA 219 
 
 go very far wrong while Bach is known and 
 honoured. 
 
 One curious effect of the acquaintance with 
 some of the lighter works of the grand old 
 master has been that whereas, according to the 
 custom of his time, his suites consisted mainly 
 of the then prevalent dance measures, modern 
 composers have begun to write in those 
 measures — gavottes, bourrdes, and the like — 
 although the dances are obsolete, and there is 
 no appropriateness or inspiring motive in the 
 perpetuation. 
 
 I think I have placed before you some of 
 the leading influences upon musical art among 
 us that have given it much of its direction and 
 character during the past sixty years. There 
 has been our readiness to welcome, and to 
 adopt, any good thing, from whatever source, 
 responded to by the visits and work among us 
 of Spohr, Mendelssohn, and, in a smaller way, 
 Weber. And there has been the establishment 
 of a Royal and National Academy of Music, 
 with such excellent direction as that of Cipriani 
 Potter, nurturing among us men like George 
 Alexander Macfarren and Sterndale Bennett, 
 upholding, perpetuating, and advancing the true 
 and the pure. 
 
220 THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 
 
 But there have been subordinate influences 
 at work. A host of lesser, though unquestion- 
 ably eminent, musicians, have more or less fre- 
 quently visited us, and exhibited some speciality 
 of executive skill, or some idiosyncrasy or 
 eccentricity, or really solid qualities, in per- 
 formance or in composition, which have, for 
 good or for evil, made their mark, and in some 
 instances left that mark upon our style of per- 
 formance, or our tastes in musical composition. 
 And some of these have taken up their residence 
 among us for a more or less lengthened period, 
 and have exerted, so to speak, a leavening 
 influence. Such a one, notably, was Ignace 
 Moscheles, who resided in London from 1826 
 till 1846, and by his fine pianoforte playing, his 
 conducting at the Philharmonic, his excellent 
 teaching, his concertos, his admirable studies 
 for the pianoforte, and his constant upholding 
 of the highest in the art, won universal respect 
 and was a power for good among us. I re- 
 member him well ; and how, after years of 
 absence, in 1861, he re- visited us in his old 
 age, and though very nervous, as he, or his 
 wife rather, details in his biography, re-appeared 
 at a Philharmonic concert, in Hanover Square 
 rooms, the scene of his early triumphs, and. 
 
THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 22 1 
 
 amid indescribable enthusiasm, played, even 
 then with marvellous fluency and power, his 
 concerto in G minor. 
 
 Less healthy, but still, upon the whole, per- 
 haps, of some influence for good, were the 
 frequent visits of Sigismund Thalberg, a mar- 
 vellous pianist, who, so to speak, founded a 
 school of pianoforte playing and writing, ex- 
 hibiting some resources of the instrument, and 
 methods of performance, tending to develop 
 those branches of the art, but needing care lest 
 the fictitious element should degenerate into 
 charlatanry. But not to have heard Thalberg 
 would have been a great loss. He had an 
 exceptional hand and altogether exceptional 
 powers, but shone not in the intellectual qualities 
 that are requisite in a musician. 
 
 His contemporary, Liszt, also a marvellous 
 player, wrought, by his extraordinary powers, 
 such havoc among all the good, classical tra- 
 ditions of pianoforte playing and pure music, 
 although he began as a classical pianist, when 
 a boy, that, undeceived by the glamour that 
 has seemed to surround his remarkable per- 
 sonality, one who loves the true, and the good, 
 and the beautiful, can only deplore a career 
 • which has corrupted the taste of so many young 
 
222 THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 
 
 artists. His influence seems to have been wholly 
 pernicious. 
 
 Many players of what has been termed the 
 "fire-eating" or "fireworks" school have ap- 
 peared during the last fifty years, exciting some 
 wonderment, which those who felt it mistook for 
 musical appreciation, even as they mistook the 
 performers for musicians, and the pieces for 
 their display for music. A more healthy tone 
 prevails nowadays : although there will always, 
 in every department, be those who aim at, and 
 those who are caught by, sensationalism. And, 
 moreover, under the head of " higher develop- 
 ment of pianoforte playing," there has, as I have 
 hinted, been an amount of attention bestowed 
 upon what is termed " technique," of late years, 
 — I will not say excessive, but which has some- 
 what tended to render the fingers automatic, to 
 the forgetfulness of that exquisite sensitiveness 
 to the promptings of an informed mind, and a 
 refined perception, which is one of the charms 
 of true musical performance of all kinds. But 
 we must all acknowledge the debt that we owe 
 to players like Madame Schumann, Rubinstein 
 at his best — for sometimes he was at his worst 
 — and some others for the almost revelations of 
 certain works which they have signalized, so to 
 
THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 223 
 
 speak, by their playing. And while we have 
 among us so intelligent and true a pianist as our 
 own fair young countrywoman, Miss Fanny 
 Davies, we may wellnigh dismiss from our 
 minds the apprehensions which might arise as 
 to the effacement of what we have been accus- 
 tomed to admire as genuine playing. 
 
 iDuring these sixty years, moreover, many 
 English composers have lived and produced : 
 John Burnett, whose opera, "The Mountain 
 Sylph," libretto by Thackeray, was successful, in 
 1834, the trio, " The Magic- Wove Scarf," being 
 still included in concert programmes; W. M. 
 Rooke, who wrote the opera " Amalie," 1837; 
 more eminent still, Michael William Balfe, 
 composer of " The Siege of Rochelle," " The 
 Bohemian Girl," " Satanella," and many others. 
 Vincent Wallace, composer of " Maritana," 
 " Lurline," and other works ; Henry Smart, 
 nephew of Sir George Smart, who, besides an 
 opera, " The Gnome of Hartzburg," a cantata, 
 " The Bride of Dunkerron," and other cantatas, 
 is as much esteemed for his excellent organ music 
 as he was for his organ playing ; Edward James 
 Loder, composer of "The Night Dancers," "The 
 Island of Calypso," and very many other works, 
 among them being the well-known song, " The 
 
224 THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 
 
 Brave Old Oak"; Charles Edward Horsley, 
 son of the glee-writer, and many other com- 
 posers, now passed away, except, indeed, the 
 veteran John Barnett, still residing at Chel- 
 tenham. And, in the department of organ 
 music, organ playing and teaching, and church 
 music, I must also mention a name which 
 is here held in deserved honour, that of t)r. 
 Edward J. Hopkins, organist of the Temple 
 Church, still, happily, living and working 
 among us. 
 
 But it must be owned that, with themselves, 
 has to some considerable extent passed away 
 the interest in their works. Why that which 
 has once awakened interest should have ceased 
 to do so, as though " a thing of beauty" were 
 not " a joy for ever," is a question much too 
 perplexing for me to enter into. Those who 
 are disposed to pursue the subject will find it 
 discussed with no little acumen in Browning's 
 " Parleying " with Charles Avison. But there 
 is no doubt of the fact that, except in the case 
 of the very highest classics, there is such a 
 decadence, and that " the old order changeth." 
 We have now active among us a number of 
 composers, young men, or at least not past 
 middle life, who are producing works of quite a 
 
THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 2 2$ 
 
 different kind, animated by quite a different 
 spirit, untraditipnal, unconventional, aspiring, I 
 must not say speculative or daring, but, at least 
 to some extent, experimental ; informed less 
 by the spirit of Mozart, or of Beethoven, or of 
 Mendelssohn, than by that of Schumann, that 
 of Chopin, that of Wagner, that of Brahms, in 
 varying degrees. For these are the names to 
 which the younger generation are turning. 
 Thirty-five or forty years ago, little was known 
 in this country of the works of Schumann, and 
 that little was regarded with scant favour by the 
 majority of staid, orthodox musicians. Now we 
 gladly see his name in the season list of every 
 series of concerts. 
 
 Another name has to be mentioned, of one 
 whose acceptance has been slower, indeed, but 
 very sure, because of the solidity, earnestness, 
 profundity of his writings — the name which, 
 during the preparation of this paper, repre- 
 sented a living composer, but now has to be 
 uttered, not, indeed, with any of the tolerant 
 reserve with which we sometimes speak of the 
 dead, but with the hushed reverence due to one 
 who indeed still speaks, and of whom, without 
 any reserve, we may predict a growing appre- 
 ciation, wherever single-mindedness, high think- 
 
 Q 
 
226 THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 
 
 ing, profoundness, solidity, earnestness, resolute 
 disregard of all that approached the ad cap- 
 tandum, are reverenced. In grateful respect to 
 him, for he has left us the " German Requiem," 
 among many enduring works, let us name 
 Johannes Brahms. 
 
 Of Wagner and the Wagner cult I am not 
 desirous of speaking at any length, because the 
 question is one not by any means wholly musical, 
 but having to do with the alliance of music with 
 other arts or accessories, so as to form one 
 composite art ; at least, this is how I understand 
 the matter. Moreover, if the question is of the 
 stupendous magnitude which Wagnerians con- 
 tend, it cannot be dealt with adequately in a few 
 crisp sentences. If it be not so, then it is hardly 
 worth while to occupy time in discussing a 
 delusion ; and finally, since, avowedly, it has to 
 do with the " music of the future," and my work 
 to-night is with the past, or at most with the 
 present, I am quite content to leave to the 
 verdict of the future the validity of Wagnerian 
 theories and claims, and can only hope that 
 when, sixty years hence, the music of this epoch 
 is reviewed, this question, if it then survive, 
 will be dealt with with more ability and elo- 
 quence than I can now command. I will only 
 
THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 227 
 
 say that there are two distinct issues : jone being 
 the question of music being able to stand alone, 
 or whether she is, so to speak, used up, having 
 said all that she can by herself and by existing 
 methods ; the other question being the genius 
 or otherwise of Wagner himself as a musician : 
 I refer to him in no other aspect. But there is 
 one effect which the rise and development of 
 Wagner's dramatic or operatic theories have 
 had which is not a matter of regret, viz., the 
 calling attention to the vapidity of much of that 
 which is known as Italian opera, as represented 
 by Rossini — although his genius must be freely 
 acknowledged — and his followers, Bellini, Doni- 
 zetti, Verdi, and others. My time has not per- 
 mitted me to enlarge upon the various phases 
 of operatic music, which, moreover, are not a 
 matter of music pure and simple, but involve 
 considerations much too extensive for the 
 present occasion. 
 
 Of one thing there is no question, that 
 Wagner and his theories and manner have 
 greatly affected or infected the younger race of 
 musicians. 
 
 Frangois Frederic Chopin, Polish musician, 
 composer and pianist, of unquestionable, though 
 limited genius, although he visited this country. 
 
228 THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 
 
 and in enfeebled health played at the Guildhall, 
 at a concert for the benefit of Polish refugees 
 shortly before his death in 1849, influenced 
 young English musicians, not by his presence 
 and performance, but by the individuality and 
 charm of his music. In developing power, the 
 production of large works, all that goes to make 
 up greatness, he was deficient; but he had a 
 vein of thought, or sentiment rather, of his own, 
 which appeals to certain susceptibilities ; and, 
 like everyone who has really something of his 
 own originating to say, has secured his own 
 niche among original composers, and his in- 
 fluence in imparting a certain colouring, or tone, 
 or sentiment, to contemporary composition is 
 undeniable. 
 
 Schumann, in like manner, though to some 
 extent influenced by Beethoven and by Men- 
 delssohn — who has not been since their time ? 
 — had also a phase of thought and feeling of his 
 own ; his composition was not reproduction : 
 so that, notwithstanding defects upon which I 
 cannot now enlarge, it has certain vitality. 
 
 And the English composers of this genera- 
 tion, no longer marked or fettered by the 
 insularity and self-containedness of the time 
 anterior to that which we have been consider- 
 
THE MUSIC OF THE VICTORIAN ERA 229 
 
 ing, but keenly alive to all external influences, 
 quick to assimilate, eclectically, whatever finds 
 affinity in their own minds, but withal having 
 English characteristics of their own, are writing 
 — not, as was said by some critic a few years 
 ago, German music, nay, nor English music, 
 but music. They are expressing " the spirit of 
 the age," very hard to define or characterize, in 
 artistic matters. They are, somewhat defiantly, 
 almost petulantly, throwing off what they esteem 
 pedantic fetters, ridding themselves of what 
 they think antiquated formularies or formalities, 
 even forms, and are, so to speak, exploring, 
 launching out, experimentalizing — shall I say 
 annexing and colonizing ? — and thus exhibiting 
 English characteristics. While we have among 
 us writers with the enthusiasm and ability of 
 Arthur Seymour Sullivan, Alexander Campbell 
 Mackenzie, Frederic Hymen Cowen, Charles 
 Villiers Stanford, Charles Hubert Hastings 
 Parry, and others who show their English 
 nationality, not by insular narrowness, but by 
 their all-embracingness, we may well believe 
 and hope that upon English music, as upon the 
 British empire, the sun will never set, until the 
 cataclysm occurs that shall bring the New 
 Zealander to the ruins of London Bridge. 
 
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 TOOKS COURT, CHANCERY LANK, LONDON.