Wfl 



MTSIC 



expressing in -mini the moKt fleeting emot ions to 

 lie found even in the ever-varying turn- uf thought 

 in an operatic recitative. 



of -till more im|H>rtancc was tlie progress nia<lc 

 during the century in instrumental inn-ir. A 

 great impetus to solo-playing in particular, and 

 execution in general, wan given by the improvement 

 in the manufacture of violin-. The centre of this 

 industry was Cremona, where the three famon* 

 l.iinilies of Stradtinriug, Guarnerius, and Amati 

 worked for three generations. Some of their instru- 

 ments are to-day literally worth more than their 

 weight in gold. 



ll,i n</fl ,! Jinrl,.ln 1685, on the 23.1 of 

 February and 18th of March respectively, were 

 born Handel in Halle and Bach in Eisenach. From 

 1710 till 1722 Iliindel devoted all his energies and 

 genius to writing operas after the Italian school, 

 and most of his works have shared the fate of their 

 contemporaries and rivals. He was then led into 

 the path of oratorio, and a brilliant succession of 

 well-known compositions sheds an undying radiance 

 cm the last twenty years of his active life (see 

 ORATORIO). Kadi's influence has been wider and 

 more far-reaching even than that of his great con- 

 temporary. Indeed, no less a critical authority 

 than Schumann has declared that music owes as 

 much to Bach as Christianity does to its founder. 

 By virtue of his complete and easy command of 

 all the resources of harmony and counterpoint, his 

 IM mud less originality and fertility, the invariably 

 high level of his compositions even when judged 

 by his own high standard he takes a place above 

 nil ancient and modern composers. I'nder bis in- 

 llnence also the Ciennan school of composition chose 

 the path of instrumental music, in which the voice 

 is only one of a large orchestra of instruments, 

 entitled to no more consideration than its limits 

 demand. The attempt in Gluek's o|>eras to recon- 

 cile the requirements of expressive instrumentation 

 and the dem.uids of the vocal school wa- more 

 successful in theory than in reality (see GUTK i, 

 and the true central column of progress has moved 

 up till now in Germany along instrumental lines in 

 the hands of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, 

 Wagner, ami their contemporaries. 



Sonata. The most Important form of instru- 

 mental music had hitherto lieen the Fugue (q.v.), 

 and in its strait nnd heavy harness these giants 

 of old moved with ease, grace, and dignity. But 

 tin- ace of monothetnatic work was already past, 

 and tiic old dance forms (allcmandc, courante, 

 sarabande, gavotte, gigue) did not readily lend 

 themselves to the requirements of thematic develop- 

 ment, so nee,- ai v to instrumental music as a con 

 ception distinct from music, t<> which words at once 

 give inspiration ami impose limitation. Corelli, 

 A. and I). Scarlatti, Bach, ami others each strove 

 to solve the problem in his own way, and the sum 

 of their influences was handed from Kinmanuel 

 Bach to tin- ' foriniilator of the modern sonata,' 

 .Joseph Haydn I IT.'CJ IHOJ)). 



The name 'sonata' was first used in Italy for 

 music which was only to be played or 'sounded.' 

 contrasted with ' cantata,' which was i,> ! snug. 

 The particular form, however, gradually separated 

 itself from all other instrumental music-, and when 

 generations of earnest musicians hurl lavished care, 

 thought, ami experience on its development it was 

 accepted, and is accepted, asf/ir form /</ 

 In its mould are COM sonatas, symphonies, quartet is, 

 concertos, &r.. and even the most romantic and 

 daring of fantasia- find it necessary to rceogni-e 

 ite hi nod and accommodating principles. Haydn's 

 sonatas are still very formal ; so also are Mo/art's, 

 though he had more in common with the Itomantic 

 school of the next century than the elder composer. 

 ThU is shown by a comparison of their symphonn--. 



Haydn's are beautiful and giaccfnl, but the themes 

 ami subjects he chooses aie never very deep, nor 

 can they move the depths of the heart. He is most 

 successful in his airy and humorous quick move 

 meiit-s. In Mozart's symphonies a ( iiol.ler and more 

 romantic spirit breathes sometimes with ino-t 

 intense passion, sometimes with a dignified mclaii- 

 choly. And so the way was prepared for the 

 nio-t powerful and the most widely honoured of all 

 rulers in the realms oi sound. In the works which 

 are classed as his ' lirst period' Beethoven showed 

 how he had studied and mastered the work of his 

 great predece--oi-. In his second |>eriod he pro- 

 ceeded to build on the solid foundation that 

 wonderful structure to which the vast conceptions 

 of his third period form a lilting anil glorious 

 crown. Nothing important has been added to sonata 

 form since Beethoven wrote the works between 

 the Eruirn nnd the Choral Symphonic- i |MI:( _>:; ; 

 anil although much hits since lieen written, 

 much that is new, much that i- original although 

 a ready appreciation is granted to the passion of 

 Schumann, the. romantic power of Schubert, the 

 poetry of Chopin, the relined elegance of Mendels- 

 sohn, the successful use of new colour shown in 

 later works by Brahms, Dvorak, I.is/t. >\i- 

 Beethoven's sonata- and symphonies still stand 

 unrivalled, unchallenged. 



Finitosia. A desire for some more direct, more 

 unfettered expression of feeling not unnaturally 

 succeeded this long striving after adequate form. 

 But, while all great composers devoted most of 

 their genius to its development of perfect form, 

 the growth of the fantasia was much neglected. 

 (Inly when the greatest minds turned their atten- 

 tion for a moment from the more important 

 aim was anything of lasting importance produced; 

 nnd that because it i- only the mind trained in 

 the strict school of form to use all available 

 resources which can wisely enjoy a lilierty so easily 

 converted into license. The earliest attempt- in 

 fantasia form were called 'toccata-' during the 

 17th century ; and, notwithstanding excellent 

 modern toccatas by Schumann. Bheinherger, nnd 

 others, we may say that the history of the toccata 

 was brought to a close by the magnificent specimens 

 written early in the 18th century by .1. S. Bnch. 

 The same composer left a freer model than the 

 somewhat formal toccata in one of the most famous 

 and .successful fantasias in exi-tence, and instru- 

 mental music has never attained nearer to the 

 deliniteiie-- of articulate speech than in the great 



I '/ii-oniittir l-iilitiisiil. 



The strong romantic movement which naturally 

 ensued after the jierfeetiiig of the classical school 

 ill Beethoven's hands eagerly followed out the path 

 he so often and with such ell'ect indicated in his 

 wmks; and, although the name fantasia has lately 

 fallen into much disrepute by reason of many 

 unworthy and worthless compo-itions, it may 

 recover its fair fame when Schumann's and 

 Schuliert's fantasias have survived their contcni 

 poraries. In any case the endless varieties of 

 fantasia (i.e. unfettered) form, nnd their adoption 

 in rhapsodies, symphonic poems, and the like, 

 have proved as valuable and as potent a factor in 

 modern romantic music as the \arious mixlitica 

 lions they have ell'ect cd in the classical sonata 

 form (e.g. I, is/t's concertos and sonata- i. Schumann 

 adopted some very curious whimsical or poetical 

 names for his smaller compositions -novelette, 

 hiinioie-kc, carneval, &c. and the idea has found 

 great favour with many modern writers. The 

 nocturne invented by the Irish pianist l-'ield is 

 more identilied with Chopin's dreamy genius. Tin- 

 latter composer also transfused the wait/ and the 

 |Milonaise and nm/.uika of his own unhappy country 

 with such an intensity of passion, such a. chivalrous 



