How to Listen to Music 



A FEIV HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS 

 By J. S. Van Cleve 



EYEEY one knows that to make music 

 is an art. But few realize that to 

 hear it is an art also. Of the two 

 arts, that of causing music to exist by 

 vibrations in the air, and that of causing 

 it to exist in the mind, by setting up the 

 delightful agitations which it contains, 

 which is the more difficult to master? 

 There is a wide-spread notion that anyone 

 with a pair of auditory machines, denom- 

 inated ears, can take in without exertion 

 the messages of music, and pass judgment 

 upon its evangel, quite dispensing with 

 any special preparation for the receipt of 

 that message. How much mischief this 

 vanity works it would be difficult to say. 



Let me try to say something that will 

 help toward a better understanding of 

 music and its wonderful message. 



The first bit of advice I should give 

 to anyone who desired to grow in the grace 

 of hearing would be this: Dismiss from 

 your mind at once and forever the hurtful 

 idea that listening to music is mere passiv- 

 ity. Music makes its appeal to all sides 

 of our nature, and in many degrees of in- 

 tensity. Sometimes it is quite proper to 

 listen in a half reverie, and allow the music 

 to flow over us, like a tropic sea, with a 

 gentle caress that may bring soothing and 

 not tax our emotions or our attention. But 

 this, though at times legitimate, is not a 

 frequent function of the art, and it is the 

 very function which is abused. 



Whenever you wish to listen to music, 

 make some kind of preparation. This 

 preparation may vary through an entire 

 octave of degrees, and take in all the small 

 intervals between. Let me illustrate by 

 saying that the most languid and passive 

 preparation may be represented by that 

 state of utter lapse and reverie in which 

 you barken to a friend singing or playing 

 a dear and well-known favorite composi- 



tion. "The Last Eose of Summer", or 

 the adagio of Beethoven's "Moonlight 

 Sonata", are often thus heard. The high- 

 est semi-tone of the octave of mental prep- 

 aration is exemplified in the work of a 

 professional musical critic, or a musical 

 scholar, v/hen creating within himself the 

 state necessary for hearing and passing 

 judgment upon some new and elaborate 

 work, such as the "Manru" of Paderewski,. 

 or a symphonic poem by Eichard Strauss. 



Having quite rid yourself of conceit and 

 vanity, the second thing is to make some 

 positive preparation for the noble and 

 fruitful hearing of music. This may be 

 done by reading judiciously the varied 

 and abundant literature upon this subject. 

 For example, when you attend a symphony 

 concert, the program is sure to have com- 

 ments and criticisms which are designed 

 to enlighten the listener as to the purpose 

 and significance of the music rendered. 

 Never fail to read these notes and instruc- 

 tions with close attention. 



Thirdly, prepare your heart. From the 

 earliest ages this metaphor of the heart 

 has been used to indicate the emotional 

 nature. You must try to feel like the 

 music. This may seem to be a strange 

 and impractical precept. Let us see. You 

 are going to Divine worship. It is a 

 solemn and dignified public function. You 

 know that fact just as perfectly and com- 

 pletely before you enter the sanctuary as 

 you do at any time. Now, do you not see 

 that, if you go into the house of God, in a 

 frivolous, a gay, a dull state of soul, the 

 music will have a hard task to reach you. 

 Music is a powerful agent; and, as the 

 glorious golden energy of the sun, when 

 he assaults winter's armorplate of ice, soon 

 demolishes that stony resistance, so the 

 sweet, low, pleading, or noble, aspiring, 

 joyous strains of the organ will, unless 



