Music: An Art and a Language

393 Pages·2014·0.97 MB·English

by  Walter Raymond Spalding

Music: An Art and a Language
Walter Raymond Spalding
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Raymond Spalding
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Title: Music: An Art and a Language
Author: Walter Raymond Spalding
Release Date: November 28, 2009 [EBook #30560]
Language: English
***STARTOFTHISPROJECTGUTENBERGEBOOKMU-
SIC: AN ART AND A LANGUAGE ***
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MUSIC: AN ART AND A LANGUAGE
BY
WALTER RAYMOND SPALDING
Price $2.50 net
THE ARTHUR P. SCHMIDT CO.
BOSTON
120 BOYLSTON STREET
NEW YORK
8 WEST 40th STREET
Copyright, 1920, by THE ARTHUR P. SCHMIDT CO.
International Copyright Secured
A.P.S. 11788
TO MY COLLEAGUES
IN THE DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC
AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY
WILLIAMCLIFFORDHEILMAN,EDWARDBURLINGAME
HILL,
ARCHIBALD THOMPSON DAVISON, EDWARD BALLAN-
TINE
SUPPLEMENTARY
ILLUSTRATIONS
for
MUSIC:
an ART and a LANGUAGE
Vols. I & II now ready
(Schmidt’s Educational Series No. 257-a, b)
Price $1.00 each volume
Preface
Although “of the making of books there is no end,” this book,
on so
human a subject as music, we believe should justify itself. A
twenty-years’ experience in teaching the Appreciation of Music
at
Harvard University and Radcliffe College has convinced the au-
thor that
a knowledge of musical grammar and structure does enable us,
as the
saying is, to get more out of music. This conviction is further
strengthenedbythestatementofnumerousstudentswhotestify
that
after analyzing certain standard compositions their attitude to-
wards
music has changed and their love for it greatly increased.
In the illustrations (published in a Supplementary Volume) no
concessions have been made to so-called “popular taste”; people
have
an instinctive liking for the best when it is fairly put before
them.
We are not providing a musical digest, since music requires ac-
tive
coöperation by the hearer, nor are we trying to interpret music
in
terms of the other arts. Music is itself. For those who may be
interested in speculating as to the connection between music
and art,
numerous books are available—some of them excellent from
their point
of view.
This book concerns itself with music as music. It is assumed
that,
ifanyonereallylovesthisart,heiswillingandgladtodoserious
worktoquickenhissenseofhearing,tobroadenhisimagination,
and
to strengthen his memory so that he may become intelligent in
appreciation rather than merely absorbed in honeyed sounds.
Music is
of such power and glory that we should be ready to devote to
its study
as much time as to a foreign language. In the creed of the
music-lover
the first and last article is familiarity. When we thoroughly
know a
composition so that its themes sing in our memory and we feel
at home
in the structure, the music will speak to us directly, and all
books
and analytical comments will be of secondary importance—
those of the
present writer not excepted. Special effort has been made to
select
illustrationsofmusicalworth,anduponthesetherealemphasis
in
study should be laid.
The material of the book is based on lectures, often of an infor-
mal
nature, in the Appreciation Course at Harvard University and
lays no
claim to original research. The difficulty in establishing points
of
approach makes it far more baffling to speak or write about
music than
about the other arts. Music is sufficient unto itself. Endowed
with
theinsightofaRuskinoraPater,onemaysaysomethingworth
while
about painting. But in music the line between mere statistical
analysis and sentimental rhapsody must be drawn with exceed-
ing care.
If the subject matter be clearly presented and the analyses
true—allowance being made for honest difference of opinion—
every
hope will be realized.
The author’s gratitude is herewith expressed to Mr. Percy Lee
Atherton
for his critical revision of the text and to Professor William C.
Heilman for valuable assistance in selecting and preparing the
musical
illustrations.
W.R.S.
Cambridge, Massachusetts
June, 1919
Contents
I. PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS 1
II. THE FOLK-SONG 18
III.POLYPHONICMUSIC;SEBASTIANBACH,THEFUGUE
33
IV. THE MUSICAL SENTENCE 50
V. THE TWO-PART AND THREE-PART FORMS 69
VI. THE CLASSICAL AND THE MODERN SUITE 73
VII. THE RONDO FORM 81
VIII. THE VARIATION FORM 85
IX.THESONATA-FORMANDITSFOUNDERS—EMMANUEL
BACH AND HAYDN 91
X.MOZART.THEPERFECTIONOFCLASSICSTRUCTURE
AND STYLE 108
XI. BEETHOVEN, THE TONE-POET 122
XII. THE ROMANTIC COMPOSERS. SCHUBERT, WEBER
160
XIII. SCHUMANN AND MENDELSSOHN 172
XIV. CHOPIN AND PIANOFORTE STYLE 188
XV. BERLIOZ AND LISZT. PROGRAM MUSIC 202
XVI. BRAHMS 228
XVII. CÉSAR FRANCK 255
XVIII. THE MODERN FRENCH SCHOOL—D’INDY AND
DEBUSSY 280
XIX. NATIONAL SCHOOLS—RUSSIAN, BOHEMIAN AND
SCANDINAVIAN 300
This text was converted to LaTeX by means of GutenMark
software (version Jul 12 2014).
The text has been further processed by software in the iTeX
project, by Bill Cheswick.
Contents
1 XX. THE VARIED TENDENCIES OF MOD-
ERN MUSIC 326 1
2 CHAPTER I 3
3 CHAPTER II 19
4 CHAPTER III 29
5 FUGUE IN E-FLAT MAJOR, NO. VII, IN THE
FIRST BOOK. 38
6 CHAPTER IV 45
7 MINUETTOOFBEETHOVEN’SFIRSTSONATA.[58] 53
8 FIRSTSENTENCEOFTHEFIRSTMOVEMENT
OF THE TWELFTH SONATA. 55
9 CHAPTER V 60
10 CHAPTER VI 64
11 LIST OF DANCES 66
12 CHAPTER VII 72
13 CHAPTER VIII 76
14 CHAPTER IX 83
15 THESONATA-FORMORFIRST-MOVEMENT
FORM 93
16 CHAPTER X 103
17 CHAPTER XI 116
18 SYMPHONY NO. 5[150] 137
19 THE CORIOLANUS OVERTURE 143
20 CHAPTER XII 151
21 CHAPTER XIII 164
22 DES ABENDS. 167
23 WARUM? 169
24 SYMPHONY IN D MINOR. 173
25 CHAPTER XIV 182
26 PRELUDE IN C MAJOR, OP. 28, NO. 1. 191
27 ÉTUDE IN A-FLAT MAJOR, OP. 25, NO. 1. 192
28 MAZURKA IN F-SHARP MINOR, OP. 6, NO.
1. 193
29 POLONAISE IN E-FLAT MINOR, OP. 26, NO.
11. 195
30 BARCAROLLE IN F-SHARP MAJOR, OP. 60.197
31 SCHERZO IN C-SHARP MINOR, OP. 39. 198
32 CHAPTER XV 200
33 THE CARNAVAL ROMAIN OVERTURE 208
34 SYMPHONIC POEM, ORPHEUS 217
35 THE FAUST SYMPHONY 219
36 CHAPTER XVI 224
37 SONATA FOR VIOLIN AND PIANOFORTE 242
38 BALLADE IN G MINOR FOR PIANOFORTE 245
39 CHAPTER XVII 249
40 SONATAFORVIOLINANDPIANOFORTEIN
A MAJOR 260
41 SYMPHONICVARIATIONSFORPIANOFORTE
AND ORCHESTRA 264
42 CHAPTER XVIII 268
43 CHAPTER XIX 284
44 CHAPTER XX 307
45 Index 313
46 B 314
47 C 319
48 D 322
49 E 325
50 F 326
51 G 329
52 H 331
53 I 334
54 J 335
55 K 336
56 L 337
57 M 339
58 N 342