the unseen world and other essays-第59章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
risome repetition in popular church music； seems to be especially disliked by Mr。 Paine； as it occurs but once or twice in the course of the work。 In the great choruses the cadence is usually reached either by a pedal on the tonic； as in the chorus； 〃Awake； thou that sleepest；〃 or by a pedal on the dominant culminating in a chord of the major ninth； as in the final chorus； or there is a plagal cadence； as in the first chorus of the second part； or； if the 6/4 chord is introduced； as it is in the chorus； 〃He that overcometh；〃 its ordinary effect is covered and obscured by the movement of the divided sopranos。 We do not remember noticing anywhere such a decided use of the 6/4 chord as is made； for example； by Mendelssohn； in 〃Thanks be to God；〃 or in the final chorus of 〃St。 Paul。〃 Perhaps if we were to confess our lingering fondness for the cadence prepared by the 6/4 chord； when not too frequently introduced； it might only show that we retain a liking for New England 〃psalm…tunes〃； but it does seem to us that a sense of final repose； of entire cessation of movement； is more effectually secured by this cadence than by any other。 Yet while the 6/4 cadence most completely expresses finality and rest； it would seem that the plagal and other cadences above enumerated as preferred by Mr。 Paine have a certain sort of superiority by reason of the very incompleteness with which they express finality。 There is no sense of finality whatever about the Phrygian cadence； it leaves the mind occupied with the feeling of a boundless region beyond； into which one would fain penetrate； and for this reason it has； in sacred music； a great value。 Something of the same feeling； too； attaches to those cadences in which an unexpected major third usurps the place of the minor which the ear was expecting； as in the 〃Incarnatus〃 of Mozart's 〃Twelfth Mass；〃 or in Bach's sublime 〃Prelude；〃 Part I。； No。 22 of the 〃Well…tempered Clavichord。〃 In a less degree； an analogous effect was produced upon us by the cadence with a pedal on the tonic in the choruses； 〃The Church is built；〃 and 〃Awake； thou that sleepest。〃 On these considerations it may become intelligible that to some hearers Mr。 Paine's cadences have seemed unsatisfactory； their ears having missed the positive categorical assertion of finality which the 6/4 cadence alone can give。 To go further into this subject would take us far beyond our limits。
The pleasant little town of Portland has reason to congratulate itself； first； on being the birthplace of such a composer as Mr。 Paine； secondly； on having been the place where the first great work of America in the domain of music was brought out； and thirdly； on possessing what is probably the most thoroughly disciplined choral society in this country。 Our New York friends； after their recent experiences； will perhaps be slow to believe us when we say that the Portland choir sang this new work even better； in many respects； than the Handel and Haydn Society sing the old and familiar 〃Elijah〃； but it is true。 In their command of the pianissimo and the gradual crescendo； and in the precision of their attack； the Portland singers can easily teach the Handel and Haydn a quarter's lessons。 And； besides all this； they know how to preserve their equanimity under the gravest persecutions of the orchestra； keeping the even tenour of their way where a less disciplined choir； incited by the excessive blare of the trombones and the undue scraping of the second violins； would be likely to lose its presence of mind and break out into an untimely fortissimo。
No doubt it is easier to achieve perfect chorus…singing with a choir of one hundred and twenty…five voices than with a choir of six hundred。 But this diminutive size； which was an advantage so far as concerned the technical excellence of the Portland choir； was decidedly a disadvantage so far as concerned the proper rendering of the more massive choruses in 〃St。 Peter。〃 All the greatest chorusessuch as Nos。 1； 8； 19； 20； 28； 35； and 39were seriously impaired in the rendering by the lack of massiveness in the voices。 For example； the grand chorus； 〃Awake； thou that sleepest；〃 begins with a rapid crescendo of strings； introducing the full chorus on the word 〃Awake；〃 upon the dominant triad of D major； and after a couple of beats the voices are reinforced by the trombones； producing the most tremendous effect possible in such a crescendo。 Unfortunately； however； the brass asserted itself at this point so much more emphatically than the voices that the effect was almost to disjoin the latter portion of the chord from its beginning； and thus to dwarf the utterance of the word 〃Awake。〃 To us this effect was very disagreeable； and it was obviously contrary to the effect intended by the composer。 But with a weight of four or five hundred voices； the effect would be entirely different。 Instead of entering upon the scene as intruders； the mighty trombones would only serve to swell and enrich the ponderous chord which opens this noble chorus。 Given greater weight only； and the performance of the admirable Portland choir would have left nothing to be desired。
We cannot speak with so much satisfaction of the performance of the orchestra。 The instrumentation of 〃St。 Peter〃 is remarkably fine。 But this instrumentation was rather clumsily rendered by the orchestra； whose doings constituted the least enjoyable part of the performance。 There was too much blare of brass； whine of hautboy； and scraping of strings。 But in condonation of this serious defect； one must admit that the requisite amount of rehearsal is out of the question when one's choir is in Portland and one's orchestra in Boston； besides which the parts had been inaccurately copied。 For a moment； at the beginning of the orchestral lament； there was risk of disaster； the wind instruments failing to come in at the right time； when Mr。 Paine； with fortunate presence of mind； stopped the players； and the movement was begun over again；the whole occurring so quickly and quietly as hardly to attract attention。
In conclusion we would say a few words suggested by a recent critical notice of Mr。 Paine's work in the 〃Nation。〃 While acknowledging the importance of the publication of this oratorio； as an event in the art…history of America； the writer betrays manifest disappointment that this work should not rather have been a symphony；＇63＇ and thus have belonged to what he calls the 〃domain of absolute music。〃 Now with regard to the assumption that the oratorio is not so high a form of music as the symphony； or； in other words； that vocal music in general is artistically inferior to instrumental music； we may observe； first； that Ambros and Dommertwo of the most profound musical critics now livingdo not sustain it。 It is Beanquier； we think； who suggests that instrumental music should rank above vocal； because it is 〃pure music；〃 bereft of the fictitious aids of language and of the emotional associations which are grouped about the peculiar timbre of the human voice。＇64＇ At first the suggestion seems plausible； but on analogous grounds we might set the piano above the orchestra； because the piano gives us pure harmony and counterpoint； without the adventitious aid of variety in timbre。 And it is indeed true that； for some such reason as this； musicians delight in piano…sonatas； which are above all things tedious and unintelligible to the mind untrained in music。 Nevertheless； in spite of its great and peculiar prerogatives； it would be absurd to prefer the piano to the orchestra； and there is a kindred absurdity involved in setting the orchestra above that mighty union of orchestra； organ； and voices which we get in the oratorio。 When the reason alleged for ranking the symphony above the oratorio leads us likewise to rank the sonata above the symphony； we seem to have reached a reductio ad absurdum。
＇63＇ Now within two years； Mr。 Paine's C…minor symphony has followed the completion of his oratorio。
＇64＇ These peculiar associations are no doubt what is chiefly enjoyed in music； antecedent to a properly musical culture。 Persons of slight acquaintance with music invariably prefer the voice to the piano。
Rightly considered； the question between vocal and instrumental musi
