Critical Historical Essays | Page 2

and technically,
with a view to training musicians who shall be competent to teach and
compose. Second, to treat music historically and aesthetically as an
element of liberal culture." In carrying out his plans he conducted a
course, which, while "outlining the purely technical side of music," was
intended to give a "general idea of music from its historical and
aesthetic side." Supplementing this, as an advanced course, he also
gave one which took up the development of musical forms, piano
music, modern orchestration and symphonic forms, impressionism, the

relationship of music to the other arts, with much other material
necessary to form an adequate basis for music criticism.
It is a matter for sincere regret that Mr. MacDowell put in permanent
form only a portion of the lectures prepared for the two courses just
mentioned. While some were read from manuscript, others were given
from notes and illustrated with musical quotations. This was the case,
very largely, with the lectures prepared for the advanced course, which
included extremely valuable and individual treatment of the subject of
the piano, its literature and composers, modern music, etc.
A point of view which the lecturer brought to bear upon his subject was
that of a composer to whom there were no secrets as to the processes by
which music is made. It was possible for him to enter into the spirit in
which the composers both of the earlier and later periods conceived
their works, and to value the completed compositions according to the
way in which he found that they had followed the canons of the best
and purest art. It is this unique attitude which makes the lectures so
valuable to the musician as well as to the student.
The Editor would also call attention to the intellectual qualities of Mr.
MacDowell, which determined his attitude toward any subject. He was
a poet who chose to express himself through the medium of music
rather than in some other way. For example, he had great natural
facility in the use of the pencil and the brush, and was strongly advised
to take up painting as a career. The volume of his poetical writings,
issued several years ago, is proof of his power of expression in verse
and lyric forms. Above these and animating them were what Mr.
Lawrence Gilman terms "his uncommon faculties of vision and
imagination." What he thought, what he said, what he wrote, was
determined by the poet's point of view, and this is evident on nearly
every page of these lectures.
He was a wide reader, one who, from natural bent, dipped into the
curious and out-of-the-way corners of literature, as will be noticed in
his references to other works in the course of the lectures, particularly
to Rowbotham's picturesque and fascinating story of the formative
period of music. Withal he was always in touch with contemporary

affairs. With the true outlook of the poet he was fearless, individual,
and even radical in his views. This spirit, as indicated before, he carried
into his lectures, for he demanded of his pupils that above all they
should be prepared to do their own thinking and reach their own
conclusions. He was accustomed to say that we need in the United
States, a public that shall be independent in its judgment on art and art
products, that shall not be tied down to verdicts based on tradition and
convention, but shall be prepared to reach conclusions through
knowledge and sincerity.
That these lectures may aid in this splendid educational purpose is the
wish of those who are responsible for placing them before the public.
W.J. BALTZELL.

CONTENTS
CHAP. PAGE
I. THE ORIGIN OF MUSIC 1 II. ORIGIN OF SONG VS. ORIGIN OF
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC 16 III. THE MUSIC OF THE HEBREWS
AND THE HINDUS 32 IV. THE MUSIC OF THE EGYPTIANS,
ASSYRIANS AND CHINESE 42 V. THE MUSIC OF THE CHINESE
(continued) 54 VI. THE MUSIC OF GREECE 69 VII. THE MUSIC
OF THE ROMANS--THE EARLY CHURCH 90 VIII. FORMATION
OF THE SCALE--NOTATION 106 IX. THE SYSTEMS OF
HUCBALD AND GUIDO D'AREZZO--THE BEGINNING OF
COUNTERPOINT 122 X. MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS--THEIR
HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT 132 XI. FOLK-SONG AND ITS
RELATION TO NATIONALISM IN MUSIC 141 XII. THE
TROUBADOURS, MINNESINGERS AND MASTERSINGERS 158
XIII. EARLY INSTRUMENTAL FORMS 175 XIV. THE MERGING
OF THE SUITE INTO THE SONATA 188 XV. THE
DEVELOPMENT OF PIANOFORTE MUSIC 199 XVI. THE
MYSTERY AND MIRACLE PLAY 205 XVII. OPERA 210 XVIII.
OPERA (continued) 224 XIX. ON THE LIVES AND ART

PRINCIPLES OF SOME SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH
CENTURY COMPOSERS 236 XX. DECLAMATION IN MUSIC 254
XXI. SUGGESTION IN MUSIC 261

CRITICAL AND HISTORICAL ESSAYS
I
THE ORIGIN OF MUSIC
Darwin's theory that music had its origin "in the sounds made by the
half-human progenitors of man during the season