Book Description

THE writer of this book presents a view of music, which is as novel as it is interesting, and which throws a strong light on the fundamental principles underlying the art. She takes the rhythmic element in music as the formative principle of unity, and works out her conception both from the historical and psychological point of view. Rhythm is defined as "the periodic quality, undulating, circling or putative, of all movement"; and as, according to Herbert Spencer, rhythm is a necessary characteristic of all motion, it is obvious that here we can obtain a unifying principle. A study of history shows us that rhythmic feeling was the common origin of poetry, dancing and music; and that the basis of all folk-music, as far back as we can trace it, was rhythm pure and simple. The general law of musical evolution is laid down, and proved to exist in the actual development of art; and so modern music is shown to have had its origin in folk-song, and not in the Church art of the middle ages. The progress of all art is shown to be from the Strict to the Free (which is equivalent to passage from the homogeneous to the heterogeneous), and thus from the somewhat strict outline of ancient music we pass to the endless variety of modern music. A strict standard is necessary. But when once this standard is grasped, monotony must be avoided by the free utterance. Coming to the psychological part of the work, the authoress shows that what she terms the Rhythmitonal Idea is the result of the synthetic intuitive action of the imagination, and not the analytic reasoned processes of the intellect; it must be intelligible not to the intellect, but to the emotions, of the hearer. In her opinion the emotional element in music has actually assisted to develop a considerable part of musical technique, by creating the movement of absolute free form. She discusses the association of the poetic idea with music, coming to the conclusion that the evolution of music is not advanced by the influence of another art, but proceeds in its own natural and inevitable path of development. The book is one that merits deep and careful consideration. From all points of view it is a notable addition to works on musical aesthetics, and, whatever views may be taken of the questions at issue, it conveys a theory that cannot be overlooked or ignored. -Zeitschrift, Volume 9