the story of mankind-第79节

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William　Shakespeare　was　regarded　as　a　sort　of　circus…fellow

who　amused　his　neighbours　with　his　tragedies　and　comedies。

But　when　he　died　in　the　year　1616　he　had　begun　to　enjoy　the

respect　of　his　neighbours　and　actors　were　no　longer　subjects

of　police　supervision。



William's　contemporary；　Lope　de　Vega；　the　incredible

Spaniard　who　wrote　no　less　than　1800　worldly　and　400　religious

plays；　was　a　person　of　rank　who　received　the　papal　approval

upon　his　work。　A　century　later；　Moliere；　the　Frenchman；

was　deemed　worthy　of　the　companionship　of　none　less

than　King　Louis　XIV。



Since　then；　the　theatre　has　enjoyed　an　ever　increasing

affection　on　the　part　of　the　people。　To…day　a　‘‘theatre''　is　part

of　every　well…regulated　city；　and　the　‘‘silent　drama''　of　the

movies　has　penetrated　to　the　tiniest　of　our　prairie　hamlets。



Another　art；　however；　was　to　become　the　most　popular　of

all。　That　was　music。　Most　of　the　old　art…forms　demanded　a

great　deal　of　technical　skill。　It　takes　years　and　years　of　practice

before　our　clumsy　hand　is　able　to　follow　the　commands　of

the　brain　and　reproduce　our　vision　upon　canvas　or　in　marble。

It　takes　a　life…time　to　learn　how　to　act　or　how　to　write　a　good

novel。　And　it　takes　a　great　deal　of　training　on　the　part　of　the

public　to　appreciate　the　best　in　painting　and　writing　and

sculpture。　But　almost　any　one；　not　entirely　tone…deaf；　can

follow　a　tune　and　almost　everybody　can　get　enjoyment　out　of

some　sort　of　music。　The　Middle　Ages　had　heard　a　little　music

but　it　had　been　entirely　the　music　of　the　church。　The　holy

chants　were　subject　to　very　severe　laws　of　rhythm　and　harmony

and　soon　these　became　monotonous。　Besides；　they　could　not

well　be　sung　in　the　street　or　in　the　market…place。



The　Renaissance　changed　this。　Music　once　more　came

into　its　own　as　the　best　friend　of　man；　both　in　his　happiness　and

in　his　sorrows。



The　Egyptians　and　the　Babylonians　and　the　ancient　Jews

had　all　been　great　lovers　of　music。　They　had　even　combined

different　instruments　into　regular　orchestras。　But　the　Greeks

had　frowned　upon　this　barbaric　foreign　noise。　They　liked　to

hear　a　man　recite　the　stately　poetry　of　Homer　and　Pindar。

They　allowed　him　to　accompany　himself　upon　the　lyre　（the

poorest　of　all　stringed　instruments）。　That　was　as　far　as　any

one　could　go　without　incurring　the　risk　of　popular　disapproval。

The　Romans　on　the　other　hand　had　loved　orchestral　music　at

their　dinners　and　parties　and　they　had　invented　most　of　the

instruments　which　（in　VERY　modified　form）　we　use　to…day。

The　early　church　had　despised　this　music　which　smacked　too

much　of　the　wicked　pagan　world　which　had　just　been　destroyed。

A　few　songs　rendered　by　the　entire　congregation　were

all　the　bishops　of　the　third　and　fourth　centuries　would　tolerate。

As　the　congregation　was　apt　to　sing　dreadfully　out　of　key　without

the　guidance　of　an　instrument；　the　church　had　afterwards　allowed

the　use　of　an　organ；　an　invention　of　the　second　century　of　our　era

which　consisted　of　a　combination　of　the　old　pipes　of　Pan　and

a　pair　of　bellows。



Then　came　the　great　migrations。　The　last　of　the　Roman

musicians　were　either　killed　or　became　tramp…fiddlers　going

from　city　to　city　and　playing　in　the　street；　and　begging　for

pennies　like　the　harpist　on　a　modern　ferry…boat。



But　the　revival　of　a　more　worldly　civilisation　in　the　cities

of　the　late　Middle　Ages　had　created　a　new　demand　for　musicians。

Instruments　like　the　horn；　which　had　been　used　only

as　signal…instruments　for　hunting　and　fighting；　were　remodelled

until　they　could　reproduce　sounds　which　were　agreeable　in　the

dance…hall　and　in　the　banqueting　room。　A　bow　strung　with

horse…hair　was　used　to　play　the　old…fashioned　guitar　and　before

the　end　of　the　Middle　Ages　this　six…stringed　instrument

（the　most　ancient　of　all　string…instruments　which　dates　back

to　Egypt　and　Assyria）　had　grown　into　our　modern　four…

stringed　fiddle　which　Stradivarius　and　the　other　Italian　violin…

makers　of　the　eighteenth　century　brought　to　the　height　of　perfection。



And　finally　the　modern　piano　was　invented；　the　most　wide…

spread　of　all　musical　instruments；　which　has　followed　man　into

the　wilderness　of　the　jungle　and　the　ice…fields　of　Greenland。

The　organ　had　been　the　first　of　all　keyed　instruments　but　the

performer　always　depended　upon　the　co…operation　of　some　one

who　worked　the　bellows；　a　job　which　nowadays　is　done　by　electricity。

The　musicians　therefore　looked　for　a　handier　and　less

circumstantial　instrument　to　assist　them　in　training　the　pupils

of　the　many　church　choirs。　During　the　great　eleventh　century；

Guido；　a　Benedictine　monk　of　the　town　of　Arezzo　（the

birthplace　of　the　poet　Petrarch）　gave　us　our　modern　system

of　musical　annotation。　Some　time　during　that　century；　when

there　was　a　great　deal　of　popular　interest　in　music；　the　first

instrument　with　both　keys　and　strings　was　built。　It　must

have　sounded　as　tinkly　as　one　of　those　tiny　children's　pianos

which　you　can　buy　at　every　toy…shop。　In　the　city　of　Vienna；

the　town　where　the　strolling　musicians　of　the　Middle　Ages

（who　had　been　classed　with　jugglers　and　card　sharps）　had

formed　the　first　separate　Guild　of　Musicians　in　the　year　1288；

the　little　monochord　was　developed　into　something　which　we

can　recognise　as　the　direct　ancestor　of　our　modern　Steinway。

From　Austria　the　‘‘clavichord''　as　it　was　usually　called　in　those

days　（because　it　had　‘‘craves''　or　keys）　went　to　Italy。　There

it　was　perfected　into　the　‘‘spinet''　which　was　so　called　after

the　inventor；　Giovanni　Spinetti　of　Venice。　At　last　during

the　eighteenth　century；　some　time　between　1709　and　1720；

Bartolomeo　Cristofori　made　a　‘‘clavier''　which　allowed　the

performer　to　play　both　loudly　and　softly　or　as　it　was　said　in

Italian；　‘‘piano''　and　‘‘forte。''　This　instrument　with　certain

changes　became　our　‘‘pianoforte''　or　piano。



Then　for　the　first　time　the　world　possessed　an　easy　and　convenient

instrument　which　could　be　mastered　in　a　couple　of　years

and　did　not　need　the　eternal　tuning　of　harps　and　fiddles　and

was　much　pleasanter　to　the　ears　than　the　mediaeval　tubas；　clarinets；

trombones　and　oboes。　Just　as　the　phonograph　has　given

millions　of　modern　people　their　first　love　of　music　so　did　the

early　‘‘pianoforte''　carry　the　knowledge　of　music　into　much

wider　circles。　Music　became　part　of　the　education　of　every　well…

bred　man　and　woman。　Princes　and　rich　merchants　maintained

private　orchestras。　The　musician　ceased　to　be　a　wandering

‘‘jongleur''　and　became　a　highly　valued　member　of　the　community。

Music　was　added　to　the　dramatic　performances　of

the　theatre　and　out　of　this　practice；　grew　our　modern　Opera。

Originally　only　a　few　very　rich　princes　could　afford　the　expenses

of　an　‘‘opera　troupe。''　But　as　the　taste　for　this　sort　of

entertainment　grew；　many　cities　built　their　own　theatres　where

Italian　and　afterwards　German　operas　were　given　to　the　unlimited

joy　of　the　whole　community　with　the　exception　of　a　few

sects　of　very　strict　Christians　who　still　regarded　music　with

deep　suspicion　as　something　which　was　too　lovely　to　be　entirely

good　for　the　soul。



By　the　middle　of　the　eighteenth　century　the　musical　life

of　Europe　was　in　full　swing。　Then　there　came　forward　a

man　who　was　greater　than　all　others；　a　simple　organist　of　the

Thomas　Church　of　Leipzig；　by　the　name　of　Johann　Sebastian

Bach。　In　his　compositions　for　every　known　instrument；　from

comic　songs　and　popular　dances　to　the　most　stately　of　sacred

hymns　and　oratorios；　he　laid　the　foundation　for　all　our　modern

music。　When　he　died　in　the　year　1750　he　was　succeeded　by

Mozart；　who　created　musical　fabrics　of　sheer　loveliness　which

remind　us　of　lace　that　has　been　woven　out　of　harmony　and

rhythm。　Then　came　Ludwig　van　Beethoven；　the　most　tragic

of　men；　who　gave　us　our　modern　orchestra；　yet　heard　none　of

his　greatest　compositions　because　he　was　deaf；　as　the　result　of　a

cold　contracted　during　his　years　of　poverty。



Beethoven　lived　through　the　period　of　the　great　French

Revolution。　Full　of　hope　for　a　new　and　glorious　day；　he　had

dedicated　one　of　his　symphonies　to　Napoleon。　But　he　lived

to　regret　the　hour。　When　he　died　in　the　year　1827；　Napoleon

was　gone　and　the　French　Revolution　was　gone；　but　the　steam

engine　had　come　and　was　filling　the　world　with　a　sound　that

had　nothing　in　common　with　the　dreams　of　the　Third　Symphony。



Indeed；　the　new　order　of　steam　and　iron　and　coal　and　large

factories　had　little　use　for　art；　for　painting　and　sculpture　and

poetry　and　music。　The　old　protectors　of　the　arts；　the　Church

and　the　princes　and　the　merchants　of　the　Middle　Ages　and　the

seventeenth　and　eighteenth　centuries　no　longer　existed。　The

leaders　of　the　new　industrial　world　were　too　busy　and　had　too

little　education　to　bother　about　etchings　and　sonatas　and　bits

of　carved　ivory；　not　to　speak　of　the　men　who　created　those

things；　and　who　were　of　no　practical　use　to　the　community　in

which　they　lived。　And　the　workmen