Scan 18
Musical Courier 1891-12-16: Vol 23 Iss 617, 1891
122 lines. Read by computer on 19 September 2026. Printed page 715. See the scan on archive.org.
1education, and one which has never hitherto, that I know of, been applied to the science of music.
3Its study lends an architectural beauty to the outlines of our thoughts, assisting us to see with our mental eyes all that is grand, noble and true in the realms of music.
5Words, when constructed into sentences, express ideas; so also do sounds. As in speech, the full force and significance of our thoughts do not reside in the mere words themselves, nor in the cold, dull notes before you, but in their proper collation, and in a knowledge of the inherent qualities that dwells within every tone and chord, as well as in the grammatical form in which they are presented.
7The rule by which we determine the classification of the musical tones into ten parts of speech, so that we may unerringly point out that this note is a noun, that a verb, and another an adverb, is fixed and unalterable. Their selection has not been determined arbitrarily, nor through any fanciful ideas of a chimerical brain.
9They have been determined by careful comparison, study and a patient searching out for the inherent qualities that each tone possesses, tested and brought under a microscopic observation as to the effects produced, when submitted to parallel lines of comparison with the laws governing their grammatical construction.
11This process, when passed through the crucible of a keen analysis, can only lead us but to one infallible conclusion, whose logic can admit of no other interpretation or conclusion.
13For example: a certain note is a noun, not because I say so, nor that it is "the name of anything that can be known or mentioned," as our grammars put it, and which, as applied to music, would be manifestly absurd, but there must exist a deeper and innermost significance which points out unerringly and determines that note to be a noun, because it possesses the properties belonging exclusively to nouns; thus the electric light of a searching analysis brings out and discovers the occult qualities that distinguish nouns from verbs and other parts of speech.
15What those differences are it is the province of a grammar of music to point out with clearness and precision.
17The construction of musical tones, proceeding either from melody or harmony, into tone groups (analogous to words in speech), and these tone groups added the one to another in a methodical order, forming sentences, go to form and constitute the language of music.
19The art therefore of writing (composing), reading or playing music correctly is most certainly aided by a clear perception of all its parts and the relationship they bear to each other when subjected to the fixed, established and well-known rules governing the principles of grammar, and the reduction of all its constituent elements to a formula of instruction such as this we may denominate as the grammar of music.
21All theories are more or less speculative, as the name "theory" implies; they deal largely with the hypothetical; they proceed from such facts as are known to be established truths into assumptions.
23Theory never advances ahead, but follows after.
25When we proceed to reduce the science down to the same laws that govern all the languages of the refined nations of the earth, we have left the realms of theory and entered the broad domain of facts.
27May I ask the kind consideration of all who are interested in true educational reform, and indulge the hope that the principles it inculcates may be fostered and developed in all our institutions of learning, for let us remember it is not so much the results of the brazen armaments of war that has made us the foremost nation of the earth, but the silent, potent energies of a pen that has written the name of Washington to our Declaration of Independence; nor will the majesty of an exalted and enlightened humanity ever be conquered as long as the will of the people stands by the true bulwark of our fortress—education!
29The etymology of music treats of the proper classification of music words, showing the relationship they bear to each other in the formation and structure of musical sentences.
31They are divided into ten parts of tonality (equivalent to the ten parts of speech in language).
33Each performs some particular function or office which limits its powers over each other, and they are classified as follows: The article, noun, adjective, pronoun, verb, participle, adverb, preposition, conjunction and interjection.
35Before going into a full and detailed analysis of each we will first very briefly consider their primary significance:
371. An article is any note written at the commencement of a musical sentence.
382. A noun is derived from any of the intervals (or chords) growing out of the tonic harmony.
393. An adjective is a note, chord or tone, group, expressing some degree of intensity (as of loudness or softness).
404. Pronouns occupy the place of nouns, and are expressed by any note in the tonic harmony different from the one first used.
415. A verb is expressed by any note (chord or tone group) growing out of the dominant harmony.
426. A participle relates to the different terminations of any group of notes.
437. An adverb is expressed by any note (chord or group) growing out of the sub-dominant harmony.
448. A conjunction is any note or series of notes used for the purpose of linking or connecting one musical sentence to another.
459. A preposition is any note (or group of notes), leading to or from the principal notes or phrase of a musical sentence.
4610. Interjections are short detached staccato notes or chords, expressive of joy, sorrow, or agitation.
48Practical Questions.
50NOUNS.
5111. On what degree of the staff is the tonic found? The first.
5212. What do the notes composing the tonic harmony produce? Nouns.
5313. What is a noun? A noun is any note or chord found on the first degree of the scale.
55Example of Nouns.
57Let the pupil write some common nouns in other keys, say of G, D and A.
59VERBS.
6014. On what degree of the scale is the dominant found? On the fifth.
6115. What do the notes composing the dominant harmony produce? Verbs.
6216. What is a verb? A verb (primarily) is any note or chord found on the fifth degree of the scale.
63These definitions are all elementary ones, designed for a beginner; fuller and more complete definitions are reserved and will appear in their appropriate places.
65Example of Verbs.
6717. What are the two principal parts of tonality in musical grammar? The noun and the verb.
6818. What do we mean by "parts of tonality?" Parts of tonality are equivalent to parts of speech in English grammar.
6919. Enumerate the parts of tonality.
70They are ten, namely:
71The article, noun, verb, adjective, participle, adverb, pronoun, conjunction, preposition and interjection.
7220. The noun and the verb being considered as the two prime factors in musical composition, what do we denominate the rest?
73We call them adjuncts.
7421. What are the functions of an adjunct?
75Adjuncts are notes added to nouns or verbs to limit or extend their power or increase their expression; their office is to explain, strengthen, connect or bind in closer unity other chords or notes.
7622. On what degree of the scale is an adverb?
77On the fourth.
78What term do we apply to the note or harmony founded on the fourth degree of the scale?
79It is named the sub-dominant.
8023. Of what use is an adverb?
81It modifies the power of the verb (also participle, adjective or other adverb), and is placed near to or next to the verb.
8224. Explain this under the technical terms, as applied to harmony.
83The adverb is the sub-dominant harmony, which harmony is next to the dominant or fifth; it controls and modifies the movements of the dominant or verb.
8425. Why do we prefer to call the tone arising out of the sub-dominant as an adverb, and the fifth or dominant as a verb?
85Because by that means we submit those chords or intervals to the laws of grammatical construction in preference to a theoretical one; because we can bring out into a clearer perception the movements of the various chords; showing their relationship and dependencies the one to another, according to certain laws of established usage that are the same as modify, govern and refine the language of speech.
87Example of Adverbs.
89(To be continued.)
91The latest good story of Scottish prejudice against organs in churches comes to us through an English contemporary: "A very decent old man was one of the opponents of instrumental music in the church he attended. One day lately someone asked him what he thought of the organ that had been introduced. 'Man,' was the reply, 'I'm feared I'm gaun to like it!'"
93ABBOT AND GRAU.
95THE exceptionally fine photographs of Messrs. Abbey and Grau, whose counterfeit presentations are seldom seen, are from photographs from that prince of photographers, Sarony.
97FOREIGN NOTES.
99The Vienna Musico-Dramatic Exhibition.—The Viennese correspondent of the Paris "Figaro" gives some interesting details relative to the forthcoming exhibition at Vienna. The construction of the theatre is proceeding apace and arrangements have already been made for the Théâtre Français to give a series of ten performances there in the month of June. The Viennese companies will play in May and September, and the three troupes from Berlin will appear in July. Negotiations are pending with the Scala and with Hungarian Czech and Polish companies. It is proposed to give twenty grand concerts in the Tonhalle, directed by the most eminent composers and conductors. Doctors Richter and Von Bülow have already promised to assist, and according to the "Figaro" Verdi himself has actually engaged to quit his rural retreat and patronize the great show. The indispensable Mascagni will of course put in an appearance. The loan collection promises to be unusually interesting, Prince Lichnowski contributing the piano on which Beethoven was wont to play and Count Esterhazy his souvenirs of Haydn. All the great families of the empire have placed their treasures at the disposal of the committee. A special feature of the exhibition will be a set of rooms fitted up to represent as closely as possible the external conditions under which Goethe, Wagner, Beethoven, Schubert and other great dramatists and composers set about their creative labors. This sounds very interesting, and the comparison of these various workshops should afford some striking contrasts. Wagner, as we know, loved to compose in exquisitely tinted silks and satins, whereas Beethoven and Schubert had neither the means nor possibly the desire to employ the services of the man-milliner. Altogether everything seems to point to a unique and unprecedented exhibition.
101Performances of Raff and Liszt.—Among the more important concert undertakings at Berlin this season is that under the direction of Capellmeister Meyerd, who proposes to perform, in the course of the winter, the entire series of Joachim Raff's symphonies, as well as the symphonic poems of Franz Liszt.
103"Asrael" in Budapest.—Franchetti's opera "Asrael," recently produced with good success both at Dresden and at Magdeburg, is now also in course of being mounted at the National Theatre of Budapest.
105Genée's Latest Operetta.—Richard Genée has completed the libretto of a new operetta with the curious title of "The Triple Alliance," which is to be shortly brought out at the Theater an der Wien, Vienna.
107A Revised Cherubini Opera.—Ernst Pasqué, the veteran German tenor and able littérateur, has just published a new German version of Cherubini's charming opera, "Les Deux Journées," with an introductory act, intended to render the plot more intelligible, and which he has adapted to the music of an older work by Cherubini, entitled "Elisa, ou le Voyage au Mont Bernard," produced in Paris in 1794, but entirely neglected since.
109Recent Italian Musical Literature.—The first volume has just been published in Italy of what promises to become a standard work, entitled "Il padre Martini, musicista-latterato del secolo XVIII," the author being Leonida Busi.
111An interesting and important work, entitled "Della musica sacra in Italia," from the pen of Giovanni Masutto, the author of several works on the subject of Italian musical history, has just been published (Venice : Visentini).
113A New "Don Juan."—A new operetta by the Maestro Francesco Palmieri, entitled "Il nuovo Don Giovanni," was produced last month at the Teatro Mercadante, of Naples, and well received.
115Peter's "Pacification."—A new operatic work by Peter Benoît, the gifted director of the Antwerp Conservatoire, entitled "Pacification," has just been brought out with great success at the Flemish Theatre of that town.
117Sinsheimer's Stradivarius.—A Stradivarius violin, dated 1715, has lately been acquired at Munich, by Sinsheimer, for the moderate sum of some $1,940. The instrument has been restored by Feravezy, the well-known violin manufacturer of Berlin.
119Missa's "Cymbeline."—Edmond Missa has completed the score of an opera in three acts, founded upon Shakespeare's "Cymbeline." Missa, it may be added, is also endeavoring to bring out at one of the leading French operatic stages the posthumous opera, "Le Roi Lear," by the late Henry Litloff, left in a complete state by that gifted if somewhat erratic composer.
121"The Barber of Bagdad."—Peter Cornelius' opera, "The Barber of Bagdad," has been performed for the first time in England at the Savoy Theatre, by the students of
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