Books › The violin and its music, 1881 › scan 55
Scan 55
The violin and its music, 1881
6 lines. Read by computer on 10 September 2026. Printed page 35. See the scan on archive.org.
1Section II.—The Viol in the Netherlands.
3CHAPTER II.
5UPON comparing the condition of Instrumental Music at the commencement of the sixteenth century with that of Vocal, it will be seen that they had not progressed in the same ratio. The genius of the early contrapuntists was wholly spent upon Vocal Music, and it was not until considerable strides had been taken towards perfecting this branch of the art, that instruments received attention from composers. That it should have been so, is not difficult to understand when we reflect that the voice is Dame Nature's instrument, and in rendering it subject to rules and regulations then laid down, the old masters found therein sufficient occupation without burdening themselves with the Music of instruments, which in their then imperfect state was but an indifferent copy of the original. Much remained to be accomplished in the manufacture of musical instruments to permit of their being brought under the civilising influence of the old contrapuntists; it was therefore necessary for Instrumental Music to follow in the wake of its vocal companion
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