the unseen world and other essays-第43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！
at they may well have left their mark upon the works of both composers。 But especially it would seem that there is some real； though very general resemblance between this colloquial chorus； 〃Behold；〃 etc。； and some choruses in 〃St。 Paul；〃 as； for example Nos。 29 and 36…38。 In the same way the scene in the high…priest's hall might distantly suggest either of these passages； or others in 〃Elijah；〃 These resemblances； however； are very superficial； pertaining not to the musical but to the dramatic treatment of situations which are generically similar in so far； and only in so far； as they represent conversational passages between an apostle or prophet and an ignorant multitude； whether amazed or hostile； under the sway of violent excitement。 As regards the musical elaboration of these terse and striking alternations of chorus and recitative； its originality can be questioned only after we have decided to refer all originality on such matters to Bach； or； indeed； even behind him； into the Middle Ages。
After the preaching of Peter； and the sweet contralto aria； 〃As for man； his days are as grass；〃 the culmination of this scene comes in the D…major chorus； 〃This is the witness of God。〃 What follows； beginning with the choral； 〃Praise to the Father；〃 is to be regarded as an epilogue or peroration to the whole work。 It is in accordance with a sound tradition that the grand sacred drama of an oratorio should conclude with a lyric outburst of thanksgiving； a psalm of praise to the Giver of every good and perfect gift。 Thus； after Peter's labours are ended in the aria； 〃Now as ye were redeemed；〃 in which the twelve disciples and the full chorus join； a duet for tenor and soprano； 〃Sing unto God；〃 brings us to the grand final chorus in C major； 〃Great and marvellous are thy works； Lord God Almighty。〃
The cadence of this concluding chorus reminds us that one of the noteworthy points in the oratorio is the character of its cadences。 The cadence prepared by the 6/4 chord； now become so hackneyed from its perpetual and wearisome 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 music amounts to this； What does music express？ This is a great psychological question； and we have not now the space or the leisure requisite for discussing it； even in the most summary way。 We will say； however； that we do not see how music can in any way express ideas； or anything but moods or emotional states to which the ideas given in language may add determination and precision。 The pure symphony gives utterance to moods； and will be a satisfactory work of art or not； according as the composer has been actuated by a legitimate sequence of emotional states； like Beethoven； or by a desire to produce novel and startling effects； like Liszt。 But the danger in purely instrumental music is that it may run riot in the extravagant utterance of emotional states which are not properly concatenated by any normal sequence of ideas associated with them。 This is sometimes exemplified in the most modern instrumental music。
Now； as in real life our sequent clusters of emotional states are in general determined by their
