Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from The University Course of Music Study, Piano Series: A Standardized Text-Work on Music for Conservatories, Colleges, Private Teachers and Schools; A Scientific Basis for the Granting of School Credit for Music Study
1. The distinguishing of co 1. The distinguishing of color is of course an attribute of the sense of sight, and yet in the analysis of sound, particularly of musical tones, there appears a quality so nearly analogous to that of the shades of the spectrum, that-after the general policy of artists as opposed to scientists-musicians have borrowed and readapted a termbelonging to another realm rattier than to invent one of their own, Color in music is then something which at least the musician will understand, since he has discovered the quality even before there is felt the need of a void with which to describe it. This color may be of two kinds: tone color in the abstract, a timbre - again borrowing from the French - which belongs particularly to single tones or tones of a single pitch; and harmonic color, which is a quality which results from different chord combinations, both as isolated chords and as progressions of chords. The different degrees of tone color arc the result of the blending of foundation tone, overtones or harmonics, with false and impure tones, such as must result from the various devices by which tones arc produced. Much of the character or individuality of a tone - as of a personality - results from its imperfections rather than from its perfections. If all tones - and all persons -were perfect, they would all be alike; and without variety and without an imaginary vision of perfection beyond our present attainment, what a dreary and monotonous world this would be! Harmonic color, on the other hand, is perhaps the result of the varying degrees of consonance and dissonance between the individual tones which enter into the chord combinations.
It is evident that a melody, whatever the voice in which it appears, must stand out from the accompanying texture with which it is surrounded, and by which it in a measure is supported. Mere loudness will attain this result, and yet the poetry of music can not be revealed by so obvious a means, when there
are at hand so many subtle and expressive devices by which to maintain this separation of values. Touch contrasts, while a little less obvious, perhaps, also have been treated in many phases in earlier grades. A contrast of tone COLOR is then the final test of the master pianist. Here is the outlet through which is expressed his own personality; this the inflection of his voice, the refinement - or otherwise - of diction which is his distinguishing trait, and his alone.
How this is to be secured is not capable of imparting; the nearest that one can come to it is perhaps to point out that it docs exist, that it must exist, and that it must be sought after until it is found. The mechanical engineer will perhaps figure out and demonstrate that the arrangement of levers by which the piano hammers arc actuated is not capable of such shades of force as will secure these contrasts of color, but the pianist knows better. The greater the musicianship possessed by a performer the more perhaps the accompaniment will appear to be subdued in proportion to the melody, and yet it is in the imparting of this contrasting tone color to the various pans that their comparative musical values arc so interestingly evidenced.
2. The expression of sentiment is absolutely indispensable in interpretation, but there is a kind of gushing tenderness which has no place in serious music. There is a decided difference between sentiment and sentimentality, though at times it is but a short step between these two shades of expressiveness, and one's enthusiasm very often influences him to overstep the mark, even unconsciously. On the other hand, many musicians, fearful of too close an approach to the danger line, avoid all..."
