Inspiration of genius classic music

A NOTE OR TWO ON MUSIC. 951
rustic is at his side, listening, also; but the latters heart opens tono emotion, save that to which his mouth openssurprise. Whenwe listen to the overture of an opera, the vast body of strings, thepure quality of tone, the perfect execution of the wind band, andthe marvellous drilling of the entire bodyeverything is so likemachinery that we almost imagine the conductor has the letters-patent in his pocket. Now, it is in vain to deny that simple music is good, or that intri-cate music is good. Tell the tender-henrted school-girl, who iswiping her eyes at the singing of Come Home, Father, that thesong is only lit for a lullaby to an infant, and you may expect asecond briny outburst at your barbarity. Next accost the finicallover of musical mazes, whose soul is steeled against all ballads andpart-songs, and who never expresses pleasure except by grimaces atthe worse grimaces of an opera singer. Tell him that his taste isartificial, and that ingenious sounds, wrought out by manual dex-terity or a gymnastic training of the voice, are not necessarily expressive of emotion he will ask you if you execrate all that isstrange and far-fetched in music; if you do, he adds, you despise Mozart and Beethoven.
How shall we escape from this dilemma? Easily. Only believe that music has room for both simplicity and ingenuity; that neitheris necessarily contemptible; that simplicity is the more eloquent,ingenuity the more fascinating; that the former will touch the hearts of all, the latter delight the taste of a few. There are many hidden sources of harmony for mans genius to develop, but the basis of all music is found in Nature herself. The songs of birds have probably furnished more subjects for composers than all other sources beside. Handel, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven,and many eminent musicians, have introduced bird songs into theircompositions with the most charming effect. Among the feathered warbiers may be found all the requisite voices for a modern choir.The canary sings on the key of A; the lowest notes are those ofthe cormorant, who may be considered the basso of the bird race, his notes resembling those of a trombone, being an exceedinglymonotonous, continual strain upon B fiat. The mocking bird gives a variety of sounds, and learns wholly by imitation. The nightin-gale continues his song for twenty seconds, in the most beautifuland solemn melody, on the key of D. The cuckoo announces thearrival of Spring with two notes on F sharp and D naturaL Theowl hoots but one single note on B fiat. The crowing of the cockconsists of five notes: F sharp, then two upon B natural, one on Asharp, and the fifth upon B natural. Cooing doves have two notes,twice sounded in succession, E and C. The cries of animals, the buzzing of insects, the melodies of the winds, the roaring of storms,