90 



The Review of Reviews. 



MUSIC AND ART IN THE 

 MAGAZINES. 



The Place or Music in Education. 



Writing in the June number of the Parents' Review 

 on the " Place of Music in Education," Mr. C. H. 

 Gore makes a plea for music on account of its indirect 

 effects. The essential value of a proper training in 

 , music, he says, does not lie in giving the pupil a power 

 to amuse others by his performances, but does consist 

 in its tremendous influence on the general character 

 and mode of life and thought of those who have had it. 

 The purpose of music is to regulate and control and 

 harmonise what is crude and unbalanced, to inspire 

 with enthusiasm what is half-hearted and flat, and to 

 ennoble what is vulgar and commonplace. Nothing of 

 this is done directly, but obscurely and mysteriously 

 beneath the surface of things does the leavening 

 influence of music accomplish most its perfect work. 

 It is in these subjective effects that the real value of 

 musical training lies. There is scarcely any moral 

 quality which cannot be inspired and strengthened by 

 good music — courage, simplicity, honour, patriotism. 

 Dancing and singing, not learning to play, are the first 

 obvious means for early training in music. Since only 

 a small minority of children will become expert per- 

 formers of the first rank, the majority should be taught 

 the piano simply to enable them to read easy music, 

 and to play simple hymn tunes or accompaniments. 

 But there is no reason why everybody should play upon 

 instruments of music. A large number are born not to 

 plav, but to listen. It is not an impossible thing to 

 train good listeners. Children should learn Morris 

 dances and folk-songs, for they combine charming 

 rhythm with graceful movement. 



A Gricat English Musician. 



Over three centuries ago, writes Mr. II. Orsmond 

 Anderton in the Musical Times for June, England led 

 Europe in choral music. To-day, when there is an 

 uprising among the artisan classes and innumerable 

 choirs are being called into existence, the early madrigal- 

 ists are again coming into their own. Among the 

 more notable composers of madrigals of the past were 

 Gibbons and Hyrd. Orlando Gibbons (born 1583) was 

 forty years junior to ]5yrd, and Tallis belonged to a 

 still earlier generation. In 161 2, exactly three centuries 

 ago, Gibbons published his first set of madrigals and 

 mottets, all in five parts. They arc described as being 

 somewhat of a meditative cast, pondering gravely on 

 life. The words were written by .Sir Christopher Hatton. 

 As a writer of church music Gibbons owed nothing 

 directly to Roman influences, but stands before us as 

 virtually " the father of pure Anglican music." He set 

 nothing but his own native language. Besides the 

 celebrated Service in F, he composed anthems and 

 hymns. His instrumental music consists of part music 

 for viols. 



Dr. Camille Saint-Sae;ns. 



M. Camille Saint-Saens is the subject of the bio- 

 graphical article in the June number of the Musical 

 Times. His favourite motto, as expressed in his book 

 " Harmonic et Melodic," is, " Avoid all exaggeration 

 and strive to maintain the entirety of intellectual 

 health," and to this motto, says' M. D. Calvocoressi, 

 M. Saint-.Saens has remained unswervingly true. 

 Nature has endowed him, not only with intellect and 

 talents, but also with energy, buoyancy, and an inex- 

 haustible capacity for work. Notwithstanding a certain 

 amount of hostility from the critics, one of whom 

 branded him as a dangerous musical anarchist, he has 

 earned plenty of recognition, especially as a writer of 

 instrumental music. His symphonic poems have all 

 been received with success, and the Paris theatres 

 have produced his operas — " Henri VIII." at the 

 Opera in 1883 ; " Proserpine " at the Opera-Comique 

 in 1887; " Ascanio " at the Opera in 1890; "Dejanire" 

 at the Opera in 191 1, etc. In addition, the catalogue 

 of his works comprises music for the pianoforte, the 

 organ, and the harp, chamber and symphonic music, 

 songs, cantatas, church music, etc. He is also fond of 

 dabbling in science and literature. He has written 

 poems, farces, and essays on natural history, musical, 

 theatrical, and other subjects. 



Primitives at Nice. 



At Nice, in the sacristy of a chapel, there is a picture 

 of a gracious and venerable Virgin smiling in her golden 

 heaven ; and at Cimiez, Antibes, and other places 

 religious paintings are to be found in the churches. 

 These have been collected and arranged in an exhibition 

 at Nice, which M. Louis Gillet describes in the first 

 June number of the Revue des Deux Mondes. Most of 

 the paintings belong to the end of the fifteenth and 

 the beginning of the sixteenth centuries, and represent 

 the Virgin, saints, etc. The most gifted of the native 

 artists is Louis Brea, the painter of a Pieta and of a 

 Calvary at Cimiez, yet his best works would cut but 

 a poor figure in a museum. They are inseparable from 

 the atmosphere in which they were born, the altars 

 where they have so long fed the faith. At Taggia, not 

 far from San Remo, the Dominican church is the 

 favourite sanctuary of Brea's art. Ten of his pictures 

 are preserved there. A contrast to him is the singular 

 genius, Giovanni Canavesi, the painter of forty frescoes, 

 " frightful masterpieces " in some cases, illustrating 

 the life of Jesus from the Birth of the Virgin to the 

 Last Judgment. They serve to decorate an isolated 

 chapel at Briga. 



Daily's for July contains as frontispiece a portrait 

 of Colonel Lockwood, M.P., with an account of his 

 sporting activities. In the same number Sir Walter 

 Gilbey describes the gradual development of fox 

 hounds. Mr. Frank Bonnett estimates what pheasant 

 rearing should cost. 



