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MUSICAL REVIEW AND GAZETTE.
me by the symphony in 0 minor, and the latter perhaps affords a purer pleasure
than the former.”
Now, can there be anjr thing more characteristic that this confession of Men-
delssohn ? ^ Can any thing throw a fuller light upon the man and his music ?
Certainly not. But with regard to all this, as well as to the refutation of
Marx, we refer our readers to our next number.
{To "be continued.)
ARTISTIC MUSIC AND THE PEOPLE’S SONG.
By artistic music we mean such as requires a comparatively high degree of
musical development, both in the power of appreciation and in the skill of
performance; and by the people’s song we mean a style so simple and easy
(yet pure and chaste) as is ever within the reach of all, including the unculti-
vated and unlearned. The latter is, in general, the style required for church
purposes in almost all Protestant communities. With Protestants, and also to
a certain extent with Romanists, church-music is designed to be, not artistic,
but popular, not requiring for its performance the skillfully-trained baud, but
only the voices of the people at large. We know that artistic music is culti-
vated in the Romish Church; hence the Masses of Haydn, Mozart, and indeed
of almost all the great composers. So, too, an effort is sometimes made for an
artistic style in some Protestant churches; it is so by choirs in this country;
and so far as it relates to the composition of a higher style of music, the object
is attained, especially in the former case; but neither in the Romish nor in
the Protestant Church does the performance of artistic music, when compared
with operatic and concert performances, often rise much above a burlesque.
The few exceptions to this state of things in both the great Christian divisions
but prove the reality of our statement.
To restore the service of song to the people, or _to renew universal song in
the Church, was regarded as an object of importance by all the reformers; and
in theory, we believe, the whole Protestant Church now regards it as the duty
of the people, one and all, to engage in the singing exercises; yet the practice
is not so, more especially in this country; for congregations here have to a very
great extent delegated this duty and privilege of song to a select choir. The
people’s song is rejected, and a more artistic style, or one which is supposed to
be so, is attempted. We are friendly to art; we are friendly to musical culti-
vation; but we are not friendly to checking the flow of universal song. We
regard it, therefore, as a matter of no small importance to all parties that the
distinction should be made between artistic music and the people’s music, or
choir or quartet music and congregational music; for while this subject is so
misunderstood, and in essays, and addresses, and newspaper articles, and ser-
mons, and also in meetings, conventions, etc., for musical practice and im-
provement, the two are indiscriminately mingled, both are liable to be mis-
understood, and the progress of both retarded.
In the order of nature, both in secular and in sacred music, the common
song of the people is first; and in church-music, (since the Church is designed
not only for the rich, but also for the poor—not only for the learned and taste-
ful, but also for the ignorant and uncultivated,) a simple, easy style, falling in
with the capacities of the most humble in attainments, should, to a great ex-
tent, prevail. So far as congregational singing is concerned, therefore, that
which is coriimonly understood by the term art, is not needed, nor are even
the elements of a tasteful or artistic performance to be expected; and since the
poor are always with us, we must always have a music adapted to their wants;
for who would be willing to shut out the poor from that “kingdom of heaven”
which a union in the performance of the psalmody opens to all ? Some per-
sons seem to regard these two things as antagonistic, or as incompatible with
each other, but to us it seems far otherwise; if we can encourage all the people
to sing, (and the Church is the place of all others where this can best be done,)
this universal song will soon become a rich, deep soil, in which the artistic
plant may be cultivated with a much higher degree of success than has been
yet known. They, therefore, who labor in the people’s department, humble
though it may be, provided they are competent to their task, are doing an ex-
cellent and most important work. TVho will say, for example, that the position
which was occupied by Nageli was not as useful to mankind as that of Beet-
hoven ? Or that Erk or Greef in their efforts for the common people in Berlin,
or Kocher in his devotion to common church-music in Stuttgart, are not doing
as valuable a work as is Liszt at Weimar or Wagner in London ? The intel-
ligent teachers of juvenile or common singing-schools, in our country towns
are doing a work not less important, even to the cause of music, in our land,
than is that of singing Handel or playing Beethoven, to the more musically
favored inhabitants of our large cities. Yet there are those who seem not to
appreciate any musical efforts unless they belong to what is sometimes called
“High-Art,” and, in comparison as well as in performance, a good psalm-tune
(1 ankee-made) will be likely to be condemned, while a so-called symphony,
sonata, overture, or quartet, quite destitute of all real musical merit, will re-
ceive no small degree cf approbation. But these musical productions should
not be brought into comparison, since the one belongs properly to the popular,
and the other to the artistic class. They are so different, indeed, that it is
impossible for one whose musical training has been mostly in one department
to appreciate the music belonging to the other; so that one who has been
accustomed only to the tunes, anthems, etc., which are found in our common
books of psalmody, can not enter into the merits of a symphony, or even an
overture of one of the great composers; and, on the other hand, one who has
been only trained to orchestral or operatic music can neither understand nor
derive benefit from common psalmody, unless, indeed, it be performed by many
voices. These two departments should ever be regarded as quite distinct.
We believe it to be as difficult, and requires as much preparatory training, to
produce a real good psalm-tune as to compose an overture or quartet, (instru-
mental.) But it is of special importance to the cause of church-music that this
distinction should be practically understood. There is no more common cause
of failure in church-choirs, than that of attempting an artistic style of music
quite beyond their reach. Let choirs in their meetings for practice and im-
provement attempt music of a comparatively high order—as for example, the
choruses of Handel, which are before all others; but in their Sabbath-day
exercises in church let them confine themselves to such simple (though pure
and chaste) tunes as come within the appreciation of the people and their own
powers of performance. We have not time now to pursue this subject farther,
and can only add, that while choirs may with great propriety introduce and
sing in public worship artistic music, provided that it shall always be within
their own power of performance, and the appreciation of the people, and is
also adapted to promote the true design of church-music, congregational sing-
ing must be of the plainest kind—plain in melody, plain in harmony; solemn,
majestic, and grand. Artistic music is one thing, the people’s song is quite
another thing. “A place for every thing, and every thing in its place.”
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PESTALOZZIAN MUSIC-TEACHING-.
BY LOWELL MASON.
Note—He who is about to read this article, with a desire to ascertain what I’estalozzi-
anism is—that is, so far as it may here be brought out—is requested to remember that it is
now the object of the teacher to cause his pupils to invent for themselves clefs. In order to
enable them to do this, he so proceeds as to create a necessity for them. As soon as the pu-
pils see this, they will not long hesitate to say what they shall be. lie will also And it of fur-
ther advantage if, before reading this article, he should try to work, out the problem himself.
CHAPTER XXIY.
MELODICS-CLEFS.
425. Tlie teacher writes the scale in two positions, as at §395, saying: ‘We
will suppose the tone one to bo represented on the upper staff by the added
line below, and on the lower staff by the second space.’ He points, and the
pupils sing.
426. Pointing to the first note on the upper staff, he asks : ‘What tone is
here represented?’ Or, ‘What tone is represented by this note?’ ‘One.’
‘ What is its pitch ?’ ‘ C.’ Pointing to the second note: ‘ What tone is hero
represented ?’ ‘ Two.’ ‘ What is its pitch ?’ ‘ D.’
42L ‘Name the tones, and also the pitch of each, as I point.’ He points
(for example) to the first line, and says interrogatively: 1 Name ?’ Pupils re-
ply : 1 One.’ He says also interrogatively: ‘Pitch?’ Pupils reply: ‘ C.’ He
points to the note on the first space, and says: ‘Name?’ They reply: ‘Pour.’
Teacher; ‘Pitch?’ Pupils: ‘F.’ He proceeds also in a similar way with re-
spect to the notes upon the lower staff.
Note.—In giving the above answers simultaneously, the pupils should “ keep time,” or
speak the words exactly together.
428. Pointing to the note (for example) on the second space, upper staff,
the teacher asks : ‘ What tone is here represented ?’ ‘ Six.’
429. ‘ How do you know ?’ ‘ By the position of the note on the staff.’
Note.—If this answer is not obtained, there has been some defect in the previous work.
In which ease there is but one remedy—do it over again.
430. ‘ What is the position of the note on the staff?’ ‘ Second space.’
Note.—It may be well here for the teacher to recapitulate, thus: ‘We know that this note
(pointing) represents ?—he waits, and the pupils add: ‘ Six.’ Teacher continues: ‘ By its posi-
tion on the staff; and its position_on the staff is'the'?’—Pupils add: ‘becond space.’
