The Melody of Life; A Presentation of Spiritual Truth Through Musical Symbolism (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1902. Excerpt: ... III. When the musical composer from the travail of his teeming soul, gives birth to the grand oratorio, or symphony, he breaks up, or separates his glowing bouquet of toneflowers into scattered bits of harmony, placing a full rich blossom here, a bud or graceful tendril of tone there, all and each to be re-combined with charming grace and sweetness into that majestic creation which haunted and entranced his soul. A multitude of musical staffs are necessary to produce the united grand effect. To one performer in his orchestra, airy semi-quavers and grace notes are given, to pick out on vibrant string, another musician receives only an occasional full sustained note, to swell, and rise and fall, as his own breath shall will. Still another's part is to remain silent (as those mortals do whose service is to stand and wait) through long periods of rest, while the lighter melodies reveal their sweeter delicacy, and thus lend the charm of contrast and cumulative effect to the triumphant crescendo of the full-toned wave of Harmony's flood-tide. The separate bits of this combined score would be quite uninteresting, even unmusical, if given alone. In union there is melody, as well as strength. This is typical of the solidarity of life, the absolute necessity of a universal love and brotherhood, to rightly comprehend and interpret the divine melodies in our song of life. Our symphony cannot be rendered alone, as a solitary tone. Human types of character should not be too rigidly individual. Sharp corners should be lopped off, here and there, to lend an easier modulation to the general harmony. The Infinite Conductor who wields His baton of beneficent Law, to the key-note of Love, over His human orchestra, entrusts only a small bit of His majestic score of life to ea...