the unseen world and other essays-第42章

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sk　of　being　too　VERBALISTIC。　It　has　recently　been　applied　to　the　translation　of　Dante　by　Mr。　Rossetti；　and　it　has　sometimes　led　him　to　write　curious　verses。　For　instance；　he　makes　Francesca　say　to　Dante；

　　　　　〃O　gracious　and　benignant　ANIMAL！〃

for

　　　　　〃O　animal　grazioso　e　benigno！〃

Mr。　Longfellow's　good　taste　has　prevented　his　doing　anything　like　this；　yet　Mr。　Rossetti's　extravagance　is　due　to　an　unswerving　adherence　to　the　very　rules　by　which　Mr。　Longfellow　has　been　guided。

Good　taste　and　poetic　genius　are；　however；　better　than　the　best　of　rules；　and　so；　after　all　said　and　done；　we　can　only　conclude　that　Mr。　Longfellow　has　given　us　a　great　and　noble　work　not　likely　soon　to　be　equalled。　Leopardi　somewhere；　in　speaking　of　the　early　Italian　translators　of　the　classics　and　their　well…earned　popularity；　says；　who　knows　but　Caro　will　live　in　men's　remembrance　as　long　as　Virgil？　〃La　belie　destinee；〃　adds　Sainte…Beuve；　〃de　ne　pouvoir　plus　mourir；　sinon　avec　un　immortel！〃　Apart　from　Mr。　Longfellow's　other　titles　to　undying　fame；　such　a　destiny　is　surely　marked　out　for　him；　and　throughout　the　English　portions　of　the　world　his　name　will　always　be　associated　with　that　of　the　great　Florentine。

　　　　　June；　1867。



XII。　PAINE'S　〃ST。　PETER。〃

For　music…lovers　in　America　the　great　event　of　the　season　has　been　the　performance　of　Mr。　Paine's　oratorio；　〃St。　Peter；〃　at　Portland；　June　3。　This　event　is　important；　not　only　as　the　first　appearance　of　an　American　oratorio；　but　also　as　the　first　direct　proof　we　have　had　of　the　existence　of　creative　musical　genius　in　this　country。　For　Mr。　Paine's　Mass　in　Da　work　which　was　brought　out　with　great　success　several　years　ago　in　Berlinhas；　for　some　reason　or　other；　never　been　performed　here。　And；　with　the　exception　of　Mr。　Paine；　we　know　of　no　American　hitherto　who　has　shown　either　the　genius　or　the　culture　requisite　for　writing　music　in　the　grand　style；　although　there　is　some　of　the　Kapellmeister　music；　written　by　our　leading　organists　and　choristers；　which　deserves　honourable　mention。　Concerning　the　rank　likely　to　be　assigned　by　posterity　to　〃St。　Peter；〃　it　would　be　foolish　now　to　speculate；　and　it　would　be　equally　unwise　to　bring　it　into　direct　comparison　with　masterpieces　like　the　〃Messiah；〃　〃Elijah；〃　and　〃St。　Paul；〃　the　greatness　of　which　has　been　so　long　acknowledged。　Longer　familiarity　with　the　work　is　needed　before　such　comparisons；　always　of　somewhat　doubtful　value；　can　be　profitably　undertaken。　But　it　must　at　least　be　said；　as　the　net　result　of　our　impressions　derived　both　from　previous　study　of　the　score　and　from　hearing；　the　performance　at　Portland；　that　Mr。　Paine's　oratorio　has　fairly　earned　for　itself　the　right　to　be　judged　by　the　same　high　standard　which　we　apply　to　these　noble　works　of　Mendelssohn　and　Handel。

In　our　limited　space　we　can　give　only　the　briefest　description　of　the　general　structure　of　the　work。　The　founding　of　Christianity；　as　illustrated　in　four　principal　scenes　of　the　life　of　St。　Peter；　supplies　the　material　for　the　dramatic　development　of　the　subject。　The　overture；　beginning　with　an　adagio　movement　in　B…flat　minor；　gives　expression　to　the　vague　yearnings　of　that　time　of　doubt　and　hesitancy　when　the　〃oracles　were　dumb；〃　and　the　dawning　of　a　new　era　of　stronger　and　diviner　faith　was　matter　of　presentiment　rather　than　of　definite　hope　or　expectation。　Though　the　tonality　is　at　first　firmly　established；　yet　as　the　movement　becomes　more　agitated；　the　final　tendency　of　the　modulations　also　becomes　uncertain；　and　for　a　few　bars　it　would　seem　as　if　the　key　of　F…sharp　minor　might　be　the　point　of　destination。　But　after　a　short　melody　by　the　wind　instruments；　accompanied　by　a　rapid　upward　movement　of　strings；　the　dominant　chord　of　C　major　asserts　itself；　being　repeated；　with　sundry　inversions；　through　a　dozen　bars；　and　leading　directly　into　the　triumphant　and　majestic　chorus；　〃　The　time　is　fulfilled；　and　the　kingdom　of　heaven　is　at　hand。〃　The　second　subject；　introduced　by　the　word　〃repent〃　descending　through　the　interval　of　a　diminished　seventh　and　contrasted　with　the　florid　counterpoint　of　the　phrase；　〃and　believe　the　glad　tidings　of　God；〃　is　a　masterpiece　of　contrapuntal　writing；　and；　if　performed　by　a　choir　of　three　or　four　hundred　voices；　would　produce　an　overpowering　effect。　The　divine　call　of　Simon　Peter　and　his　brethren　is　next　described　in　a　tenor　recitative；　and　the　acceptance　of　the　glad　tidings　is　expressed　in　an　aria；　〃The　spirit　of　the　Lord　is　upon　me；〃　which；　by　an　original　but　appropriate　conception；　is　given　to　the　soprano　voice。　In　the　next　number；　the　disciples　are　dramatically　represented　by　twelve　basses　and　tenors；　singing　in　four…part　harmony；　and　alternating　or　combining　with　the　full　chorus　in　description　of　the　aims　of　the　new　religion。　The　poem　ends　with　the　choral；　〃How　lovely　shines　the　Morning　Star！〃　Then　follows　the　sublime　scene　from　Matthew　xvi。　14…18；　where　Peter　declares　his　master　to　be　〃the　Christ；　the　Son　of　the　living　God；〃one　of　the　most　impressive　scenes；　we　have　always　thought；　in　the　gospel　history；　and　here　not　inadequately　treated。　The　feeling　of　mysterious　and　awful　grandeur　awakened　by　Peter's　bold　exclamation；　〃Thou　art　the　Christ；〃　is　powerfully　rendered　by　the　entrance　of　the　trombones　upon　the　inverted　subdominant　triad　of　C…sharp　minor；　and　their　pause　upon　the　dominant　of　the　same　key。　Throughout　this　scene　the　characteristic　contrast　between　the　ardent　vigour　of　Peter　and　the　sweet　serenity　of　Jesus　is　well　delineated　in　the　music。　After　Peter's　stirring　aria；　〃My　heart　is　glad；〃　the　dramatic　climax　is　reached　in　the　C…major　chorus；　〃The　Church　is　built　upon　the　foundation　of　the　apostles　and　prophets。〃

The　second　scene　is　carried　out　to　somewhat　greater　length；　corresponding　nearly　to　the　last　half　of　the　first　part　of　〃Elijah；〃　from　the　point　where　the　challenge　is　given　to　the　prophets　of　Baal。　In　the　opening　passages　of　mingled　recitative　and　arioso；　Peter　is　forewarned　that　he　shall　deny　his　Master；　and　his　half…indignant　remonstrance　is　sustained；　with　added　emphasis；　by　the　voices　of　the　twelve　disciples；　pitched　a　fourth　higher。　Then　Judas　comes；　with　a　great　multitude；　and　Jesus　is　carried　before　the　high…priest。　The　beautiful　F…minor　chorus；　〃We　hid　our　faces　from　him；〃　furnishes　the　musical　comment　upon　the　statement　that　〃the　disciples　all　forsook　him　and　fled。〃　We　hardly　dare　to　give　full　expression　to　our　feelings　about　this　chorus　（which　during　the　past　month　has　been　continually　singing　itself　over　and　over　again　in　our　recollection）；　lest　it　should　be　supposed　that　our　enthusiasm　has　got　the　better　of　our　sober　judgment。　The　second　theme；　〃He　was　brought　as　a　lamb　to　the　slaughter；　yet　he　opened　not　his　mouth；〃　is　quite　Handel…like　in　the　simplicity　and　massiveness　of　its　magnificent　harmonic　progressions。　With　the　scene　of　the　denial；　for　which　we　are　thus　prepared；　the　dramatic　movement　becomes　exceedingly　rapid；　and　the　rendering　of　the　events　in　the　high…priest's　hallPeter's　bass　recitative　alternating　its　craven　protestations　with　the　clamorous　agitato　chorus　of　the　servantsis　stirring　in　the　extreme。　The　contralto　aria　describing　the　Lord's　turning　and　looking　upon　Peter　is　followed　by　the　orchestra　with　a　lament　in　B…flat　minor；　introducing　the　bass　aria　of　the　repentant　and　remorse…stricken　disciple；　〃O　God；　my　God；　forsake　me　not。〃　As　the　last　strains　of　the　lamentation　die　away；　a　choir　of　angels　is　heard；　of　sopranos　and　contraltos　divided；　singing；　〃Remember　from　whence　thou　art　fallen；〃　to　an　accompaniment　of　harps。　The　second　theme；　〃He　that　overcometh　shall　receive　a　crown　of　life；〃　is　introduced　in　full　chorus；　in　a　cheering　allegro　movement；　preparing　the　way　for　a　climax　higher　than　any　yet　reached　in　the　course　of　the　work。　This　climaxdelayed　for　a　few　moments　by　an　andante　aria　for　a　contralto　voice；　〃The　Lord　is　faithful　and　righteous〃at　last　bursts　upon　us　with　a　superb　crescendo　of　strings；　and　the　words；　〃Awake；　thou　that　sleepest；　arise　from　the　dead；　and　Christ　shall　give　thee　light。〃　This　chorus；　which　for　reasons　presently　to　be　given　was　heard　at　considerable　disadvantage　at　Portland；　contains　some　of　the　best　fugue…writing　in　the　work；　and　is　especially　rich　and　powerful　in　its　instrumentation。

The　second　part　of　the　oratorio　begins　with　the　crucifixion　and　ascension　of　Jesus。　Here　we　must　note　especially　the　deeply　pathetic　opening　chorus；　〃The　Son　of　Man　was　delivered　into　the　hands　of　sinful　men；〃　the　joyous　allegro；　〃And　on　the　third　day　he　rose　again；〃　the　choral；　〃Jesus；　my　Redeemer；　lives；〃　and　the　quartet；　〃Feed　the　flock　of　God；〃　commenting　upon　the　command　of　Jesus；　〃Feed　my　lambs。〃　This　quartet　has　all　the　heavenly　sweetness　of　Handel's　〃He　shall　feed　his　flock；〃　which　it　suggests　by　similarity　of　subject；　though　not　by　similarity　of　treatment；　but　in　a　certain　quality　of　inwardness；　or　religious　meditativeness；　it　reminds　one　more　of　Mr。　Paine's　favourite　master；　Bach。　The　choral；　like　the　one　in　the　first　part　and　the　one　which　follows　the　scene　of　Pentecost；　is　taken　from　the　Lutheran　Choral　Book；　and　arranged　with　original　harmony　and　instrumentation；　in　accordance　with　the　custom　of　Bach；　Mendelssohn；　and　other　composers；　〃of　introducing　into　their　sacred　compositions　the　old　popular　choral　melodies　which　are　the　peculiar　offspring　of　a　religious　age。〃　Thus　the　noblest　choral　ever　written；　the　〃Sleepers；　wake；〃　in　〃St。　Paul；〃　was　composed　in　1604　by　Praetorius；　the　harmonization　and　accompaniment　only　being　the　work　of　Mendelssohn。

In　〃St。　Peter；〃　as　in　〃Elijah；〃　the　second　part；　while　forming　the　true　musical　climax　of　the　oratorio；　admits　of　a　briefer　description　than　the　first　part。　The　wave　of　emotion　answering　to　the　sensuously　dramatic　element　having　partly　spent　itself；　the　wave　of　lyric　emotion　gathers　fresh　strength；　and　one　feels　that　one　has　reached　the　height　of　spiritual　exaltation；　while；　nevertheless；　there　is　not　so　much　which　one　can　describe　to　others　who　may　not　happen　to　have　gone　through　with　the　same　experience。　Something　of　the　same　feeling　one　gets　in　studying　Dante's　〃Paradiso；〃　after　finishing　the　preceding　divisions　of　his　poem：　there　is　less　which　can　be　pictured　to　the　eye　of　sense；　or　left　to　be　supplied　by　the　concrete　imagination。　Nevertheless；　in　the　scene　of　Pentecost；　which　follows　that　of　the　Ascension；　there　is　no　lack　of　dramatic　vividness。　Indeed；　there　is　nothing　in　the　work　more　striking　than　the　orchestration　of　the　introductory　tenor　recitative；　the　mysterious　chorus；　〃The　voice　of　the　Lord　divideth　the　flames　of　fire；〃　or　the　amazed　query　which　follows；　〃Behold；　are　not　all　these　who　speak　Galileans？　and　how　is　it　that　we　every　one　hear　them　in　our　own　tongue　wherein　we　were　born？〃　We　have　heard　the　opinion　expressed　that　Mr。　Paine's　oratorio　must　be　lacking　in　originality；　since　it　suggests　such　strong　reminiscences　of　〃St。　Paul。〃　Now；　this　suggestion；　it　seems　to　us；　is　due　partly　to　the　similarity　of　the　subjects；　independently　of　any　likeness　in　the　modes　of　treatment；　and　partly；　perhaps；　to　the　fact　that　Mr。　Paine；　as　well　as　Mendelssohn；　has　been　a　devoted　student　of　Bach；　whose　characteristics　are　so　strong　that　they　may　well　have　left　their　mark　upon　the　works　of　both　composers。　But　especially　it　would　seem