Chapter I: Preface

The purpose of this book is to give music-lovers and young musical students a more intimate acquaintance with the Symphony Orchestra and its instruments than they, perhaps, possess.

The instruments are described one by one; and, finally, the Orchestra, which is, itself, treated as an instrument on which the Conductor may be said to play.

Attention should be called to the description of Lully’s famous Orchestra and to the interesting group of artists who played in it, such as Descoteaux, the tulip-fancier, described by La Bruyère in his _Caractères_, and Marin Marais, one of the greatest _virtuosi_ of the Seventeenth Century.

It is often said that the virtuoso-conductor did not appear until the Nineteenth Century. I think the facts given here will prove that Lully was the first of the “star-conductors”; and that our Symphony Orchestras may be said to have their origin in the “Twenty-Four Violins of the King,” one of whom is represented in the illustration facing page 160.

It should also be noted that the illustrations have all been photographed especially for this work,—many of them from rare volumes and old prints.

I wish to offer my grateful thanks to Mr. Walter Damrosch for having so kindly read the page-proofs and to Mr. Harry Harkness Flagler for the interest he has taken in the preparation of this book.

E. S.

NEW YORK, _October 4, 1917_

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

PRELUDE 3

I. THE VIOLIN 9

II. THE VIOLA 47

III. THE VIOLONCELLO 55

IV. THE DOUBLE-BASS 67

V. THE WOODWIND FAMILY 72

VI. THE BRASSWIND FAMILY 103

VII. PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS 119

VIII. THE ORCHESTRA 132

IX. THE CONDUCTOR 274

X. THE HARP 279

XI. THE PIANOFORTE 290

INDEX 303

ILLUSTRATIONS

King René of Anjou with his Court Musicians _Frontispiece_

From the Breviary of King René, written and illuminated in the
Fifteenth Century by some of those appearing in the picture.
Preserved in the Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal, Paris.

First Violin, Symphony Society of New York, Alexander
Saslavsky _Facing page_ 10

A Little Savoyard in Paris with _vielle_, or hurdy-gurdy (old print) 14

St. Cecilia 18

From the Adoration of the Lamb by Jan and Hubert van Eyck,
in the Cathedral of St. Bavon, Ghent. St. Cecilia is playing
the organ, one of the Angels a harp (of the “Irish” type) and
another a violin without “bouts” and with crescent-shaped
sound-holes. Note the peculiar and archaic shape of the bow.
This picture was painted in the Fifteenth Century.

Violin by Gasparo di Salò 22

Violin by Maggini 24

Cremona in 1830 26

From an engraving by Caporali.

Violin by Antonius and Hieronymus Amati 30

The Hellier Stradivari 34

Bought by Sir Samuel Hellier of Womborne, Staffordshire,
England, from Stradivari about 1734. It was made in 1679,
but its history between these dates is unknown. The Hellier
Stradivari is one of the most famous examples of Stradivari’s
work and is one of his very rare _inlaid_ violins. The bows are
of an old model, as their points plainly show, made before the
days of Tourte.

Violin by Guarneri del Gesù 38

Used by Paganini in most of his concerts. Now in Genoa.

Instrument-maker’s Workshop (Eighteenth Century) 40

From the Encyclopaedia of Diderot and d’Alembert.

François Tourte, “the Stradivari of the bow” 44

First Viola, Symphony Society of New York, Samuel Lifschey 48

_Viola d’amore_ 50

Owned by the University of Edinburgh. Note the beautiful inlay
of the tail-piece and neck, the carved female head instead of
scroll with the eyes strangely veiled. The sound-holes of the
“flaming-sword” type are beautifully and gracefully cut. This
instrument lacks the “sympathetic strings,” with which it was
originally strung.

Gaspard Duiffoprugcar 52

_Viola da Gamba_ 54

Made by Gaspard Duiffoprugcar, with picture inlaid in the back.

First violoncellist, Symphony Society of New York, Engelbert
Roentgen 56

_Viola da Gamba_ 60

Owned by the Museum of the Brussels Conservatory of Music. The
back is of rosewood. The inlay, neck, scroll and tail-piece
(carved in the shape of Mercury’s caduceus) are of ivory. The
instrument is an exquisite work of art. It is of later date
than the _viola d’amore_ facing page 50, as the crescent-shaped
sound-holes show.

Gentleman of the Seventeenth Century playing the _viola da gamba_,
or _basse de viole_ 64

First Double Bass, Symphony Society of New York, Morris Tivin 68

Lutemaker’s shop and Two Men playing the Double Bass. Date 1568 70

First Flute, Symphony Society of New York, George Barrère 74

Frederick the Great playing a flute concerto with his orchestra at
_Sans Souci_ 78

By Chodowieki.

First Oboe, Symphony Society of New York, Henri de Busscher 84

_Cor Anglais_, Symphony Society of New York, A. Bianco 90

Bassoon, Symphony Society of New York, Ugo Savolini 94

Clarinet, Symphony Society of New York, Gustav Langenus 98

Contrabass Clarinet, Symphony Society of New York, Richard Kohl 102

Horn, Symphony Society of New York, Josef Franzl 106

Trumpet, Symphony Society of New York, Carl Heinrich 110

Trombone, Symphony Society of New York, R. Van der Elst 114

Tuba, Symphony Society of New York, Luca Del Negro 118

Tympani, Symphony Society of New York, Karl Glassmann 122

Percussion, Symphony Society of New York, Hans Goettich 126

Drum, Xylophone and Triangle, Symphony Society of New York, Samuel
Borodkin 130

Theorbo 136

Made by Giovanni Krebar of Padua in 1629. The body is of ivory
and the neck and peg-box of ivory engraved with a view of
Venice, incised figures dancing and fencing and a garden scene.
The pegs show that there were eight bass notes, or diapasons;
a single string to each note, five double strings on the
fingerboard and one, the highest of all and single, called the
_chanterelle_, or melody string.

Three _Chitaroni_ 140

The first is a theorbo, or bass lute, with a long upper neck
to give length for the bass strings. It is five feet long.
Notice the three sound-holes joined together (rosaces) and
the mother-of-pearl ornamentation. This lute is strung with
six pairs of strings on the fingerboard: each pair is tuned
in unison. Seven single, or diapason strings (or open basses)
are stretched from the upper peg-box. The _Chitarone_ in the
centre, also richly inlaid with mother-of-pearl, has also
three connected sound-holes, six pairs of unisons upon the
fingerboard and eight diapason, or open bass, strings on the
neck. It is six feet long! The third _chitarone_ has six pairs
of unisons and seven diapason (or bass) strings. The neck is
ornamented with checker work.

Claudio Monteverde 144

Car of musicians. _Triumph of Maximilian_ 148

By Albrecht Dürer, about 1518.

Car of musicians. _Triumph of Maximilian_ 150

By Albrecht Dürer, about 1518.

Car of musicians. _Triumph of Maximilian_ 152

By Albrecht Dürer, about 1518.

Chamber music in France, in 1635 156

By Abraham Bosse.

One of the Twenty-Four Violins of the King, 1688 160

Jean Baptiste Lully 164

Engraved by Gérard Edelinck.

Marin Marais 170

The most famous player of the _viola da gamba_ of the
Seventeenth Century and Lully’s assistant conductor.

Arcangelo Corelli 178

Concert 182

Domenico Scarlatti at the _gravicembalo_ (harpsichord);
Tartini, violin; Martini, flute; Locatelli and Lanzetti.

Rameau 184

Portrait by Restout, engraved by Benoist. Bibliothèque
Nationale, Paris.

Johann Sebastian Bach 186

Portrait by C. F. R. Lissewsky (1772) in the Joachimstalschen
Gymnasiums, Berlin.

Handel 188

Portrait by Thomson.

Handel conducting the Orchestra 190

Handel at the _cembalo_ (old print).

Gluck 194

Portrait by Duplessis.

Haydn 200

Portrait by Gutenbrunn painted in London in 1770. Engraved by
Luigi Schiavonetti.

Mozart 208

Portrait by Cignaroli in 1770.

Beethoven 218

Portrait by Lebronne. Engraved by Höfer.

C. M. von Weber 232

Portrait by Schimon.

Schubert 238

Water color sketch by W. A. Rieder.

Mendelssohn 242

From a pencil-drawing by Bendemann in 1835. Autographed by
Mendelssohn.

Berlioz 246

Lithograph by Fischer in 1863. Autographed by Berlioz.

Liszt 252

From a photograph taken in Budapest in 1875.

Wagner 258

Photograph taken in Munich.

Tschaikowsky 266

Photograph taken in Petrograd.

Saint-Saëns’s Festival Concert, Salle Pleyel, Paris, in 1896 268

Saint-Saëns at the piano; Sarasate, violin; and Taffanel
conducting the Orchestra of the Société des Concerts du
Conservatoire. Drawn by J. Grigny.

Debussy 270

Photograph taken in Paris.

Orchestra of the Symphony Society of New York 272

Walter Damrosch conducting.

Orchestra of the Eleventh Century 274

Development of the capital of a column in St. George’s,
Boscherville, Normandy.

Page from Conductor’s score 276

Beginning of Second Movement of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony.

Richard Strauss conducting 278

Minstrels playing harp, flute, and pipe and tabor 280

From an illuminated _Ms._ of the _Romaunt of the Rose_, owned
by the British Museum. Fifteenth Century.

Harp of the Fourteenth Century (King David) 286

From a _Ms._ of the Fourteenth Century.

Violinist, singer, and lady at the virginal 292

From Playford’s _Banquet of Music_. Printed in the Savoy for
Henry Playford at his shop near the Temple Church (London,
1688).

Concert with harpsichord 296

From Peter Preller’s _Modern Music Master_ (London, Eighteenth
Century).

THE ORCHESTRA AND ITS INSTRUMENTS

THE ORCHESTRA AND ITS INSTRUMENTS

PRELUDE

We have just arrived in the Concert Hall, have taken off our wraps and are comfortably seated in our chairs waiting eagerly for the concert to begin.

The Orchestra is entering from the doors at the sides of the stage.

Here come the Violins. They all sit in a group together. These in front of us and on the left of the Conductor’s stand are the First Violins; these on the right of the Conductor’s stand are the Second Violins. These ten men who seem to carry very large violins are the Violas and they are taking their seats by the side of the Second Violins. Opposite them ten Violoncellos are taking their seats by the side of the First Violins. Behind the Violoncellos stand the Double-Basses.

In the meanwhile, the players of the Woodwind have entered and have seated themselves in a row facing the Conductor,—the Clarinets by the Violas; then the Oboe and Cor Anglais (English Horn); and then the Flutes. Behind the Flutes are the Bassoons; and behind the Oboes and Clarinets are the French Horns. In the back row are Trombones, Trumpets, Drums, Triangle, Cymbals and other Percussion instruments. On the right, behind the First Violins, is the Harp.

They are all here now, each instrument in its own group, or family.

We cannot understand what any great city is like if we do not know something about the people who compose that city. Take New York, for instance; or London, or Paris, or Boston, or Washington, or Chicago, or San Francisco. Each city has a personality of its own; and so we speak of New York, or London, or Paris, or Boston, or Washington, just as if we were talking of an individual.

It is exactly the same with an Orchestra. Though composed of a collection of individual instruments, the Orchestra has an individual character of its own. It is a _personality_ that speaks to us in the beautiful and inspiring language of music; and, therefore, after we learn about the instruments and what part each instrument has to play in forming this little orchestral city, as it were, we shall then turn our thoughts to the Orchestra itself.

The Orchestra is composed of three groups, or families, and one accessory group. Each of these three groups forms a choir of its own, of four parts,—soprano, alto, tenor and bass.

The most important group is that of the stringed instruments, or “Strings,” as this family is called. The Violins sing the soprano; the Violas, the alto, or tenor; the Violoncellos, the bass; and the Double-Basses, the deeper bass. All of the “Strings” are played with the bow.

The family next in importance is the “Woodwind,”—instruments consisting of a long tube made of wood through which the performer blows. Some of these are held horizontally, others longitudinally. These also play in four-part harmony, as it is called,—soprano, alto, tenor and bass.

The Brasswind family comprises the Horns, the Trumpets and Trombones. It forms another set of four voices—soprano, alto, tenor and bass. The performers blow through the tubes of these instruments. These instruments are usually spoken of as the “Brass.”

Last of all come the instruments of Percussion,—that is to say instruments that are beaten, or knocked, or struck, or thumped, or shaken, such as the Drums, Triangle, Cymbals and Tambourine. This group is also called the “Battery.”

With these three separate choirs grouped into three separate families, each with its special characteristics and accomplishments, the composer is able to do many wonderful things. For example, he can let any choir, or any instrument in that choir, sing a melody while the other choirs accompany it with lovely harmonies, or dispute with it, or start up another melody in opposition to it, or even make comments, pleasant or ill-natured, on it, as it were. Then, in addition, the composer has the “Battery” of beaten instruments to accent the rhythms, or to add sharp, bright, penetrating notes; dull, soft, deep thuds; mutterings and crashes.

The Harp does not belong to any family, or group.

The other instruments are very indifferent about him. Perhaps they regard him as an interloper. The Harp is not a regular member of the Orchestra: he is only an occasional guest. Although a stringed instrument, the Harp does not belong to the “Strings.” He comes from another line, another race,—from the minstrels and bards. The Harp has a poetic and a passionate utterance all his own, which is of an entirely different kind of poetry and passion from that of the Violin tribe.

Applause! Here comes the Conductor! He bows, walks to the stand, bows again and steps upon the platform. Now he turns and looks at the audience. His quick glance sweeps the whole house—from top gallery to parquet—and takes in everything, everywhere. He has now commanded the attention he desires. Everybody is getting quiet. We did not notice—perhaps because we were contributing to it ourselves—that there was a general rustle and chatter and movement. Now that there is a hush over everything we notice the contrast. But the Conductor is not quite satisfied. Some persons are still talking in the box above us. He looks at them and waits for them to finish. He does not have to wait long. They notice the reproof and their chatter ceases suddenly. Now all is quiet.

The Conductor turns and faces his men. He lifts the little, white stick that was lying beside the score on his desk, raps on the desk to command attention from his men and raises his right hand.

What is the first number? Let me see the programme. Thank you. Mendelssohn’s _Overture to Midsummer Night’s Dream_. Such lovely opening chords! How silvery, delicate, faint and far-away are those soft, gentle harmonies that melt into one another like the tender hues of sunset clouds! They are, indeed, “the horns of Elfland faintly blowing.”

As we hear them we are transported into another world,—a world of fancy and delight. We enter Fairyland ourselves!

Listen to the Violins! Can we not see the tiny flower-fairies, myriads and myriads of them? Here they come,—tripping, dancing, twirling, winding, flying, floating, laughing, singing and running lightly in rhythmic steps to the gay melody on the Strings. The horns call again; and again the fairies come, myriads and myriads more of them,—tripping, dancing, twirling, winding, flying, floating, laughing, singing and running lightly in rhythmic steps to the gay melody as did the first merry troupe.

Again the Elfin horns! Could anything be more enchanting than those lovely, melting harmonies of the fairy sentinels and little body-guard of Queen Titania?

We seem to have left the Concert Hall now. We are in a beautiful English forest glade where the grass is very green and where the beech trees throw out upon the sward great, long, gnarled and snaky roots covered with emerald moss. And here, on a bank canopied o’er with luscious honeysuckle and sweet musk roses and eglantines, and where the nodding violets and sweet-smelling thyme make us drowsy with their delightful perfume, we see Titania and her tiny Elfin train gather. They charm away the spotted snakes with double tongue, thorny hedgehogs, weaving spiders and beetles black, so that their Queen may sleep in peace. Off they go on various errands, leaving near the softly-breathing Titania a little fairy sentinel standing on an eglantine and holding a sharp spear of grass. Again we hear the delicate, silvery horns of Elfland; and, with the last lingering chord, the Enchanted Forest vanishes.

These subtle harmonies touched our imaginations and evoked that lovely picture!

The Conductor lays down his _bâton_. All is over!

* * * * *

We have often read in Fairy Tales how only those who had tasted dragon’s blood could understand the language of birds and animals.

It is precisely the same with regard to Orchestral music. Only those whose ears are educated can appreciate all its meaning and its beauty. When we taste dragon’s blood, so to speak, we understand the language of music and enter into a new world of delight that is closed to the uninitiated.

The Orchestra throws open for us magic casements that look upon a realm beyond that of everyday reality; and the more we know of the Orchestra, the greater will be our power to enter that sphere of enchantment. Therefore, our first step will be to inquire into the history and capacities of the instruments that give the Orchestra its very existence.