Modern music and musicians : [Encyclopedic] . se of Bach. This is by way of illustrating my origi-nal proposition that Handel is first of all a vocalist, Bach an instrumen-talist. I am not advising any one to apply a foot-rule to either, or todetermine their relative stature, but to examine the two widely differingcharacters, and to see how they contrast with and complete each other. I have sometimes thought that the love of the public may have costHandel the sympathy of many a musician. It is so hard for musicians tobe enthusiastic over things which the plain public really enjoys. Those who b
Modern music and musicians : [Encyclopedic] . se of Bach. This is by way of illustrating my origi-nal proposition that Handel is first of all a vocalist, Bach an instrumen-talist. I am not advising any one to apply a foot-rule to either, or todetermine their relative stature, but to examine the two widely differingcharacters, and to see how they contrast with and complete each other. I have sometimes thought that the love of the public may have costHandel the sympathy of many a musician. It is so hard for musicians tobe enthusiastic over things which the plain public really enjoys. Those who by much delving have acquired the power to look fromwithin upon archaic music — and much of Handel is archaic — are apt toturn up their noses at Handel. (The public never will, nor can real musi- GEORGE FREDERICK HANDEL 65 cians.) It is the fashion of some to call the largo from Xerxes, forinstance, a vulgar tune. It is not that. It is old, much worn, a little shabby,and perhaps not very refined, but not vulgar, for vulgarity in music was. THE HANDEL COMMEMORATION IN WESTMINSTER held in 1784; repeated in 1785. not then invented. Music then might be dry, commonplace, or stupid, butinherent, essential vulgarity in melody and harmony, in the music itself,is one of the achievements of the nineteenth century. Not all of Handel or of Bach is still living, vital music. Their recita-tives, useful as they are and much as enthusiasts may admire them, are,with few exceptions, as dead to the average young musician of to-day asthe Latin language or the recitativo secco. They seem to us much asthe barless music of Dufay may have seemed to Handel — admirable andinteresting, but both rather to the antiquarian than to the contemporarymusical intellect. The same may be said of many arias and choruseswhich seem to us wooden and lacking in juiciness; but I believe that 66 GEORGE FREDERICK HANDEL though all the music which was mere mannerism or mechanically madehas lost its p
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