Excerpt from How to Understand Music: A Concise Course in Musical Intelligence and Taste
The Illustrations, or pieces to be played, cover a wide range, especially in the higher departments, and the objection has been made that they are too difficult. To this it can only be answered that the very essence and pith of music is here in consideration, and that the points in discussion could be adequately understood only by the help of these great works, wherein they are fully illustrated. It will be found possible, generally, to omit the most difficult works in cases where there is no one to play the parts of them here wanted. In other cases, where an entire lesson turns on difficult works, it is safe to conclude that if there is no one to play any part of them, there will be no one to understand them, and the lesson may be postponed.
In Part Fourth we have, in effect, an outline of ?sthetics, The Author believes that the time has come when Art-appreciation, and especially Music, has much to gain by such an orientation of itself with reference to cardinal principles. These four chapters, naturally, address themselves truth mature and serious. They are not written for children, nor even for youth. A work like this addresses many adults, experienced teachers, and friends of music, on whom a discussion of this kind will not be lost. Doubtless the execution is crude, and in a subsequent edition will be improved; it is hoped that the expectation of this may serve to draw a veil of charity over any present imperfection.
The Historical sketches are merely sketches, and are in part reprinted by permission of Messrs. Biglow and Main, from the New York Musical Gazette. They may be made the basis of lectures or schoolroom talks, in connection with their Illustrations.
The Dictionary, at the close, affords a mass of readily accessible information, such as is in constant demand among students and teachers, but is not elsewhere to be found except in large Encyclopedias of many volumes. The preparation of it has involved much more labor and expense than was anticipated but its value for ready reference is unmistakable.
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