THE FORERUNNERS OF SCARLATTI, BACH, AND HANDEL

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21413, 4 March 1935, Page 9

THE FORERUNNERS OF SCARLATTI, BACH, AND HANDEL

TO rilK EDITOR Of THE PR-ESS Sir,—Dr. Bradshaw's very interesting panegyric of Henry Purcell would appeal to me more if it had anything to do with the subject about which 1 was writing. Confined within the limits of a newspaper article, I took just one theme out of many, viz.. the change over from the choral technique of the sixteenth century to the instrumental technique which developed durin» the seventeenth century, and a comparison with the development of multi-tonal and atonal music to-day. I did not include Henry Purcell or tne Restoration composers for the reason that they did not happen to come into the particular picture which I was drawing. 1 was writing of the pioneers of the movement and the initiators of the new style. The fact that there was a considerable amount of overlapping of periods is of course a commonplace to students of history; but details and exceptions to the rule are more appropriately placed in a musical history than in a newspaper article. Too great a wealth of detail tends to obscure thu high lights of the picture. I had it on the tip of mv typewriter to insert a cautionary sentence, but decided to rely on the common-sense of my readers. . . Dr Bradshaw has very obligingly contributed a column and a quarter in extension of my original article, and t'lvn blandly remarks that he coulo sav a lot more did space permit. Quite so'' The difficulty is that the editor wields a blue pencil, and space does not permit. I am afraid it would take more than a letter to explain the logical development of multi-tonal and atonal music from the present tonal svs'nn I hold no brief for its artistic beauty or otherwise. To me it is simply an interesting development in the course of history that calls for explanation, and I hope to be able to treat it as such in another article—it space permits'—Yours, etc., L. CLIFFE STANFORD. March 3, 1935.

TO THE EDITOR OK THE PRESS. Sir —I enjoyed reading Dr. Brad;hau'.s letter, and with him I deplore anvonc ignoring Purccll, I cannot underhand anv true beauty lover's for-"•c-tlinsPiircell'sfiifls to the world. In reading both musical articles it seems to me that the most important part in dealing with music and its creation was left out; and that is to credit tWe channels of beauty—Purcell, Bach Beethoven, Mozart, Wagner, Haydn and others, in parts—with being channels of inspiration, and being !„p]v the mediums of true beauty being ] oi'vi-n to humanity. All the form study i'n tlie world will not give it ! there is not a sense of beauty, which in music is harmony; and as we know thai to recognise harmony and beauty is a gift, never mind being able to produce it on paper. No matter how con-eel the form or design of eithci muMC literature, sculplure, painting, if inspiration is not there, or in my words, spirit is not there, it is dead and never can live.—Yours, |t^ gE March :*. 1035.