Music and Its Masters

Music and Its Masters

Taking up the representative symphonies of the great composers, and illustrating his remarks with excerpts from the score, the author shows the individuality, the special intention of the master, and, where possible, the underlying purpose of his art. A glance backward over the course of music's evolution suffices to show that, until in very recent times, it furnishes no pregnant data for the historian. The first era of music's evolution began before the advent of historic man, for the earliest races of whom we know anything had a well-defined appreciation of its significance, but no noteworthy landmarks appear until after music came in touch with modern culture; indeed, no great advancement is traceable until after the invention of notation. The first record of melodies produced is supposed [14] to have been made in the fourth century (A.D.),viz., that of three Greek hymns,to Apollo, Nemesis, and Calliope,which, however, possess meagre means of proving their authenticity. From this shadowy period until harmonies enter the field, nearly a thousand years later, the historian finds no fruitful material, no verified accomplishments. The march of material events was amply recorded, but melodies were passed from mouth to mouth and ear to ear, necessarily changing their outlines in the process, for the line that connects memory and expression seems, in most of humankind, to run so near that which leads from imagination to expression, as to engender inaccuracy in transmission. (This crossed-line influence is recognizable in the productions of most composers. Memories become entangled in their fancies.) Although our modern melody has doubtless come [15] down to us through long lines of heritage, yielding to the prevailing influences of each successive stage in transmission, there is no statistical light on its line of development. ......Buy Now (To Read More)

Product details

Ebook Number: 54999
Author: Boise, O. B. (Otis Bardwell)
Release Date: Jun 28, 2017
Format: eBook
Language: English