mehr, ist solch ein Wein nicht mehr! ist solch ein Wein nicht

mehr, ist solch ein Wein nicht mehr!

The increased vigour infused into the above song by the unpremeditated introduction of one bar in some other alterations less conspicuous, is require further comment.

time, besides too evident to

In the German National Song, Prince Eugenius,' we have a curious instance of an almost total rhythmical transformation having occurred in the course of about a century and a half. The song in question, which is very popular even at the present time, contains a relation of the military exploits of Prince Eugene against the Turks before Belgrade, (Anno 1717,) and is said to have been made-the music as well as the words-by a common soldier, who served under that prince. Whoever may have been its original composer, we know at least with certainty that the song was in existence about two years after the event which it records; but it was sung in time as shown in the upper staff of the following notation, while at the present day it is universally sung as given in the under staff.

PRINCE EUGENIUS.

As sung in the beginning of the eighteenth century.

Prinz Eu-ge-ni-us der edle Ritter wollt dem Kai-ser wie-drum
As sung at the present day.

liefern Stadt und Festung Bel-ge- rad.

Er liess schlagen

ei-nen

Brucken dass man kunnt hin- über rucken mit dr Armee wol für die Stadt.

It will be seen that by this change words and music have become more closely allied, and that the melody has gained in fluency and expressive power. I take this opportunity to express my regret that I cannot afford space for the insertion of all the verses belonging to a song. They are generally very characteristic, and an acquaintance with them undoubtedly also facilitates the proper appreciation of the music, to which they are wedded. Nevertheless, as there are often many verses to a tune, and as they are of secondary importance in inquiries like the present, I feel compelled to omit them.

Mixed times occur not unfrequently in national music, indeed, even in dance tunes, as I shall soon have an opportunity to show. We should meet with them oftener than we do in the published collections of national melodies, if now and then a tune had not been slightly altered for the purpose of rectifying supposed inaccuracies in the performance from which it was first committed to paper. In fact, such combinations of different times appear usually so strange and unaccountable to musicians unacquainted with the peculiar rhythmical effects originating from them, that it is not very surprising they should be induced to obliterate them. Our great composers, however, understood how to make admirable use of similar rhythmical combinations, of which we have instances in the Scherzo of Beethoven's Sinfonia eroica, in that of his ninth Symphony, &c.

Another fact bearing upon the present inquiry must not be left unnoticed. We frequently find the same melody in different districts of a country slightly modified. Such modifications have hitherto been almost entirely disregarded by collectors, or have been treated as corruptions which ought to be rejected. This is, however, scarcely the proper light in which they should be viewed. They may rather be likened to the dialects and idioms of a language prevalent in some districts of a country.*

In our next example will be seen what may be called three different readings of the very popular German song, 'Feinsliebchen;' the first of them, obtained in the kingdom of Hanover, is the one most universally adopted in Germany, the second is from the province of Silesia in Prussia, and the third from Bavaria.

Ich

FEINSLIEBCHEN.

As sung in Hanover.

habe mein Feins lieb - chen, ich habe mein Feins

lieb-chen so

lange nicht ge sehn, so lange nicht ge- sehn.

* Bunting, in the preface to his Ancient Music of Ireland (Dublin, 1840) asserts that the Irish tunes have remained unchanged during centuries. He says: "The words of the popular songs of every country vary according to the several provinces and districts in which they are sung, as, for example, to the popular air of Aileen-a-Roon, we here find as many different sets of words as there are counties in one of our provinces. But the case is totally different with music. A strain of music once impressed on the popular ear never varies." The inaccuracy of this statement is so evident as scarcely to require refutation. Moreover, it has already been exposed by Dr. Petrie, who, in the preface to his Ancient Music of Ireland (Dublin, 1855) observes: "I shall only state here, as the result of my own experience as a collector of our melodies, that I rarely, if ever, obtained two settings of an unpublished air that were strictly the same; though in some instances I have gotten as many as fifty notations of the one melody."

3

4

Ich

As sung in Silesia.

habe mein Feins - lieb - chen, ich habe mein Feins

f

Ich habe mein Feins - lie - bi-chen, ich habe mein Feins

lie - bi-chen schon lange nicht ge- sehn, schon lange nicht ge- sehn.

Such modifications are not arbitrary, but are the natural result of the peculiar temperament of the people, which, especially in large countries, is sometimes remarkably diverse in different provinces. It is from the latter cause that there exists sometimes in one province or other of a country a predilection for certain successions of intervals, rhythmical effects, embellishments, &c., which are more or less instilled into the adopted melody; hence those modifications.

In the following song, 'Müllers Töchterlein,' we have an instance of a melody varied in an unusual degree in two different districts of Germany; but here also the diverse readings are each remarkably expressive of the peculiar character of the people to whom they appertain.

I have compared the National Music with the language of a country. National songs might, however, in many respects, be more aptly likened to the wild flowers indigenous to a country, which thrive unaided by art, and naturally undergo slight modifications from the soil and situation in which by chance they may be placed :

"Flowers

which not nice art

In beds and curious knots, but nature boon

Pour'd forth profuse on hill, and dale, and plain."

MILTON.

The points to which, in studying national music, we have especially to direct our attention, are: the musical scales; the construction of the tunes; the psychological character of the music; the various musical performances and musical instruments; the combination of music with its sister arts, poetry and dancing; the occasions of its employment; the antiquity of the popular tunes; the degree of affinity between the music of different nations or tribes. I purpose now to consider each of these points briefly, and I may mention here that it is for the sake of brevity only, and not for want of examples, that I offer but one or two with each argument, except where more are absolutely necessary.