Musical composition; a short treatise for students

📗 This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1911 Excerpt: ...in a moment the score of a composer who has founded his methods exclusively upon Berlioz. He taught most modern composers what they did not know before, or only knew intuitively and without method; but the composer ought to choose his own lines of taste, while never neglecting to use any information he can get from him. Wagner undoubtedly sucked his brains, but it would be absurd to say that his orchestration was in any way a reflection of the Frenchman's. As a text-book it has the small defects of its great qualities. It is almost too picturesque; and the sparks of descriptive genius which light up almost every page are apt to blind the young reader to the essentially solid facts which constitute the main strength of the book. The analytical mastery of Gevaert's and Widor's treatises, and the concentrated essence of Prout's, may be a little less attractive, but they are safer ground upon which to begin delving. Books, however, only give the same idea of orchestration that a Baedeker or a Murray. guide does of scenery. The maps and plans are useful, but give no clue to the contours and colours of a landscape, or to the architectural aspects of a city. Orchestration treatises, after they have explained the compasses of the various instruments, their mechanism, general character, capabilities and incapabilities, have said all they can say. All the discussions upon the quality of their sound, individually and collectively, are of no possible use to any one who has not heard them with his own ears. They may help the student's judgment and explain his difficulties after he is acquainted with the sounds they are discussing, but not before. It is safe to say that no musician who had never heard an orchestra could write a page of passable scoring with the help of b...