150 THE NATURE OF MUSIC 



now — here. Now denotes time (rhythm), here denotes 

 space (harmony) : now — here connotes composite form 

 and relation in time and space, the united harmonies 

 of rhythm and tone, the musical moment. This 

 complete obliteration from consciousness of all other 

 ideas and mental processes, this enthralling concen- 

 tration of the attending inner consciousness upon 

 the musical moment, the ever present, is the secret 

 of music's great, perhaps greatest, power. Whatever 

 else this power may be, at bottom it is elemental, it 

 inheres in the elements and principles of music, a 

 field of investigation far from being exhausted, the 

 only field free from speculation and open to scientific 

 accuracy of observation. The true and the beautiful 

 are rooted in, spring from and are shaped by these 

 elements and principles, their power is primarily due 

 to this elemental power, they are vague and myste- 

 rious in themselves yet nothing could be more real 

 and potent. At least we know that our knowledge 

 of the aesthetic power of music must ever remain 

 limited to what we can learn from its elemental 

 power. Alike spell-bound, liberated and uplifted by 

 this great power of the musical moment are the 

 producing composer, the reproducing artist and the 

 contemplating listener. The psychology of the pro- 

 ducing composer is eloquently set forth by Wagner 

 in his essay on Beethoven. The musical moment 

 of the artist and listener will be considered pres- 

 ently. 



In the universe of one rhythm struggling for and 

 maintaining one equilibrium or harmony each motion 

 and moment are parts of a correlated and equili- 



