Criticism of Mendelssohn Author(s): A. Ford Source: The Musical Times, Vol. 52, No. 817 (Mar. 1, 1911), pp. 176+182 Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/906393 Accessed: 19-03-2016 04:55 UTC Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/ info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Musical Times Publications Ltd. is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Musical Times. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 194.27.18.18 on Sat, 19 Mar 2016 04:55:22 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 176 THE MUSICAL TIMES.-MARCH I, 1911. THE NATIONALITY OF FOLK-SONGS. Steinhiusen and Breithiupt, were particularly inter- esting. It is true that Breith1iupt pleads for a tech- TO THE EDITOR OF ' THE MUSICAL TIMES.' nique more in accordance with natural physiological conditions, and as a pupil of his I would like to bear SIR,-Mr. James A. Browne's letter under the above testimony to his success in obtaining this object. title must not be allowed to pass unnoticed. Forsooth, As Professor Niecks pointed out, finger and wrist the argument as to the nationality of an air, whether gymnastics were formerly the beginning and end of English, Irish, or Scotch, is 'very stupid'! Dr. the technique of pianoforte-playing. In Breithdiupt's Ernest Walker rightly says that ' the popular tunes of technique the upper arms and shoulders are the sup- England and Wales, Scotland and Ireland have their pliers of energy, the forearms and hands merely the own broadly racial characteristics,' and he adds that conductors of it. It is not strictly the case that ' the finest melodies of each race, bear upon them un- Breithiupt sets aside finger work. What he urges mistakable signs of their origin. Were I to say that is that 'all active isolated fingering-i.e., all finger Irish folk-music ' is, on the whole, the finest that exists,' spreading, over-stretching, clutching, pawing without it might be put down to my patriotic leanings, but this participation of the weight of hand or arm, with stiff statement is due to Dr. Walker, who also tells us that wrist or forearm-must be abandoned.' As the 'for sheer beauty of melody the works of Mozart, foundation of pianoforte-technique, Breithiupt pleads Schubert, and the Irish folk-composers form a triad for the free, elastic, natural rhythmic movement of the that is unchallenged in the whole range of the art.' combined playing-organs (shoulders, arms, hands, Again, Mr. Browne states that the songs of Ophelia fingers). 'were entirely traditional until about the end of the By this change in technique important advantages 18th century, when Mr. Linley took them down as they are gained. It not only places greater possibilities, in were sung by Miss Field, and Dr. Arnold noted them a strictly musical sense, within the reach of the musi from the singing of Miss Jordan.' This statement is cian, but it also is a complete prevention of the muscular at variance with facts. One of Ophelia's folk-songs fatigue and pain that give so much trouble to pianists was set by two distinguished Elizabethan composers, who pursue the prevailing method of 'finger and wrist' namely, by Giles Farnaby, Mus. Bac., about the year technique. The fatigue and pain arise mainly from 1590, and by John Mundy, Mus. Doc., about the year the tightening and cramping of the muscles of the 1595-both of which are to be found in the Fitzwilliam hand and forearm involved in the old system. For Virginal Book. this system of rigid muscle substitute the technique May I remind Mr. Browne that the fact of the airs urged by Breithaiupt, and all risk of the players' being taken down in England or Wales or Scotland trouble disappears. or Ireland does not altogether obscure their original An instance of this has come within my own ex- provenance, and the diligent student of folk-music will perience. A young lady friend of mine, who had for soon recognize the racial characteristics of the air even years pursued pianoforte playing on the old system in a varied guise. Fortunately, a number of old Irish with considerable success, was, two and a half years ago MS. songs and ballads in the Irish language have the seized by severe fatigue and pain in the muscles of the names of the tunes added, and thus we have a clue, left forearm. Amongst others she consulted a leading in addition to tradition.-Yours faithfully, Edinburgh physician, but nothing could be done, and W. H. GRATTAN FLOOD. ultimately she had entirely to abandon playing. Getting to learn of the Breithiupt technique, she took THE STUDY OF RHYTHM. a three-months' course of instruction in that method, TO THE EDITOR OF 'THE MUSICAL TIMES.' and is now able to play with the greatest ease and SIR,-It is evident that Dr. Yorke Trotter fails to without the slightest pain or fatigue, even though grasp the 'inwardness' of Greek rhythmical theory practising three or four hours a day. Imagine my as much as I fail to understand his reference to 'the friend's delight at thus being able to resume her fallacy of the division of motion.' I have nowhere favourite pastime !-I am, &c., found any attempt to divide abstract 'motion' in BREITHXiUPT PUPIL. Greek theory; on the contrary, Aristoxenus is very Edinburgh. explicit in stating that rhythm cannot exist without some material, whether sound (as in music), bodily A CHANT BY GOSS. movements (as in the dance), or speech (as in poetry), through which it can act. And rhythm consists of TO THE EDITOR OF ' THE MUSICAL TIMES.' the division of the time occupied by one of these materials, by means of arsis and thesis. The combination of DEAR SIR,-In the Musical Times for July, 19o5, arsis and thesis forms a foot, or measure, and the page 457, in your article on 'Great Composers and combination of several feet form a rhythm. All Chants,' there is the following statement: 'Goss music must have a rhythmical basis, though the arranged a double chant in F sharp minor from a sub- composer may obscure the arsis and thesis occasionally, ject by Jeremiah Clark, the origin of which is not at for a definite object. present traceable.' Not having seen this point I do not understand Dr. Yorke Trotter's allusion cleared up in the Musical Times since the article in to 'pauses.' A pause (fermate) serves to break the question appeared, I venture now to do so for you. rhythmical flow. Does Dr. Trotter propose to break The chant in question, which, I take it, is No. 194 up Beethoven's beautiful rhythm by placing a pause in the Westminster Abbey Chant Book, is evidently at the end of every measure ? If this is to be the adapted from Clarke's hymn tune 'King's Norton,' result of Greek theory, then, like him, I would have No. 226, in Dr. Wesley's ' European Psalmist.'-Believe none of it !-Yours faithfully, me, yours faithfully, C. F. ABDY WILLIAMS. (REV.) T. P. LEVETT. PIANOFORTE TECHNIQUE. CRITICISM OF MENDELSSOHN. TO THE EDITOR OF ' THE MUSICAL TIMES.' TO THE EDITOR OF ' THE MUSICAL TIMES.' SIR,-Will you kindly give me a little space to make SIR,-Lovers of the gracious and delicious strains reference to the interesting paper on ' New ideas and of Mendelssohn at his best have been bearing in much ideals of music-teaching' read by Professor Niecks at patience, for years now, a constantly growing load. the recent Edinburgh Conference of the Incorporated But the silence of one at least of these breaks down Society of Musicians and reported in your February beneath the proverbial last straw, as embodied in several issue? Professor Niecks's observations on the tech- nique of pianoforte-playing, as promulgated by (Continueca o z Aage 182.) This content downloaded from 194.27.18.18 on Sat, 19 Mar 2016 04:55:22 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 182 THE MUSICAL TIMES.-MARCH I, 1911. (Continuedfrom page 176.) RIGOLETTO .. .. .. Verdi of the most recent of the sneering allusions made by SONNAMBULA .. .. Bellini more than one critic, in more than one paper or maga- TESS Erlanger zine, to that master. With such writers, the name TOSCA Puccini that stands for something like the nadir of achieve- TRAVIATA .. .. .. Verdi ment (I speak of quality) in musical composition-the GLI UGONOTTI .. .. .. Meyerbeer name to be pitched on as a foil to that of either of the GERMANIA .. .. .. Franchetti acknowledged giants-seems to be that of the com- poser of the music to the 'Midsummer night's Dream ' The season will open on April 22, and continue -of the Pianoforte trio in D minor-of 'Hear ye, until July 29. Israel' and the Sanctus in 'Elijah,' of at least two truly noble Organ sonatas, and so much else of equal beauty. 'PELLEAS AND MELISANDE.' What, exactly, is the idea-one would like to learn- BY ARNOLD SCHONBERG. of some critics, in making a point, not only of never giving necessary mention to Mendelssohn without a (FROM OUR BERLIN CORRESPONDENT.) sneer, but of going out of their way to drag in his name for the purpose of bestowing that sneer ? Is it that This time in writing of 'Pelle'as' there will be no their distaste for him, alone among the greater com- question of Debussy.