Lessons in Music Form | Page 4

to recognize

and reproduce it, depends far more upon its undulations, its rising,
falling, or resting level, than upon its rhythmic features (the varying
lengths of its tones). These movements trace a resonant line before our
mind's eye as surely, though perhaps not as distinctly, as the pencil of
the artist traces the lines of an image upon the paper; and this process is
going on constantly, from beginning to end, in every piece of music. In
a portrait it describes the contours of face and figure,--in a word, the
Form; in the musical composition it fulfils, to a great extent, the
self-same mission, that of defining the Form. One clear, predominating
tone-line traces the "air" or tune of the piece; and this is often the only
line that arrests the hearer's attention; but there are other tone-lines, less
prominent and less extended and coherent, gliding along harmoniously
beside the Melody proper, which (something like the shading in a
picture) contribute to the richness of the design, and perform their share
in proving and illuminating the Form of the whole.
This is most salient in music for orchestra, where each player describes
an individual tone-line, rendered all the more distinct and recognizable
by the specific "color" of his instrument; and that is the chief, perhaps
the sole, reason why the orchestra is esteemed the most complete and
perfect medium of musical expression.
UNITY AND VARIETY.--As much as opinions and beliefs may differ,
among music critics, as to the necessity of Form in music, and the
conditions of its existence, no reasonable objection can be taken to the
hypothesis that Clearness and Attractiveness are the two vital requisites
upon which the enjoyment of any art depends. The artist's utterances or
creations must be intelligible, and they must be interesting. The lack,
partial or total, of either of these qualities neutralizes the force of the
intended impression, in precise proportion to the default.
In musical composition these two requisites are embodied in the
principles of Unity and Variety.
Unity--in its various technical phases of Uniformity, Regularity,
Similarity, Equality, Agreement, or whatever other synonym we may
find it convenient to use--is the condition out of which the composer
must secure intelligibility, clearness, definiteness of expression. Glance

at Ex. 2, and note the evidences of unity (similarity) in the rhythmic
and melodic formation of the first four measures.
Variety--in its most comprehensive application--is the medium he must
employ to arouse and sustain the hearer's interest. Glance again at Ex. 2,
and note the contrast between the two halves of the first four measures,
and between these and the following two measures.
These conditions are, of course, squarely opposed to each other, though
their interaction is reciprocal rather than antagonistic; and, from what
has been said, it is obvious that they are of equal importance. Hence, as
was declared on the second page, the great problem of the art-creator
consists in so balancing their operations that neither may encroach
upon the domain of the other. For too constant and palpable Unity will
inevitably paralyze interest; while too much Variety will as surely tend
to obscure the distinctness of the design.
* * * * * *
The workings of the principle of Unity (to which attention must first be
given, because it appears to come first in the order of creation) are
shown in the following elementary details of composition:--
(1) Music is not an art that deals with space, but with Time; therefore
the units of its metrical structure are not inches and the like, but
divisions of time, the basis of which is the beat. The principle of Unity
dictates that the beats which are associated in one and the same musical
sentence shall be of equal duration. Every musician admits the
necessity of keeping "strict time"--that is, marking the beats in regular,
equal pulses. The sub-divisions of the beats (for example, the eighth or
sixteenth notes within a beat) must also be symmetric. So imperative is
this law that it generally prevails through the entire piece, with only
such temporary elongations or contractions (marked ritardando or
accelerando) as may be introduced for oratorical effects.
(2) The beats are grouped in measures of uniform duration; that is,
containing equal numbers of beats.

(3) The natural accent falls upon the corresponding beat, namely, the
first, of each measure; therefore it recurs regularly, at uniform intervals
of time.
(4) The melodic contents of the first measure, or measures, are copied
(more or less literally) in the next measure, or measures; and are
encountered again and again in the later course of the piece, thus
insuring a fairly uniform melodic impression from which the character
and identity of the composition are derived. Turn to the 8th Song
Without Words of Mendelssohn, and observe how insistently the figure
[Illustration: first