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[18]
THE MUSIC MASTER OF FRANCE
(Continued from page 7)
frequent use of the whole tone scale:
Ravel avoids it. Debussy’s melodies are
often vague in form and derived from
his harmony: Ravel’s melodies are gen
erally clearly defined in form, the har
monies added to them like a “condiment”
or “spice” (if one may be pardoned a
culinary figure of speech). Debussy sel
dom employs the relatively rigid “Sonata
Form:” Ravel makes frequent and suc
cessful use of it. With Debussy the
rhythm is often subsidiary to the other
musical elements, such as melody, har
mony, and tone color; with Ravel the
rhythm is a vital and important part of
musical structure. Both, learning greatly
from the Russians, became masters of
orchestration, yet Ravel has developed a
style of orchestral writing undeniably his
own in which every note tells. Debussy’s
music is often characterized by a warm
ly sensuous, human quality. Ravel’s more
often by humor, wit, or irony. Debussy
views the World through the sensitive
eyes of an impressionist. Ravel sees with
the colder vision of a realist.
Impressive above all else in his music
is Ravel’s uncanny ability to evoke im
ages in the minds of his hearers. Almost
without precedent in music is the grim
realism of Le Gibet (“The Gallows”) in
Gaspard de la Nuit. Equally striking is
the suggestion of the sparkling water in
Ondine (“Water Sprite”) in the same
suite, and of the scintillating play of a
fountain in an earlier piano piece, Juez
d’eau. The realm of fairyland and child
ish fantasy are summoned in the most
sympathetic manner in Ma Mere I.’Oye
(“Mother Goose”) originally for piano
four hands, later arranged as a ballet
and orchestrated), and in the fantastic
opera, L’Enfante et les Sortileges (“The
Dream of a Naughty Boy”). More re
markable still is his evocation in Daphnis
et Chloe, of the grey tremulous light of
dawn, and the murmur of trees and foun
tains. Then in "The Waltz” his music
arouses the image of phantoms whirling
in a hallucination of a Viennese Waltz.
This fondness for suggestions of the ex
ternal world, typically French, and never
descending to cheap imitation is even in
dicated by the titles of many of Ravel’s
compositions* such as the piano suite,
“Miroirs.” Among the numbers of that
suite, the brilliant Alborada del gracioso
(later orchestrated by the composer), is
noteworthy for its warmth of Spanish
color, vital rhythm and melody, blending
a sentiment of gracious humor with a
touch of irony, even as the title would
imply, "The Morning Serenade of a
Merry Wit.”
Ravel has always been keenly aware of
the age in which he has lived. Begin
ning during the Impressionistic move
ment, he has advanced with the times,
while remaining true to his own char
acter. After Impressionism, the “cyclical
principle” practiced by Franck and
d’Indy, polytonality, Jazz—all have in
fluenced his work. The “cyclical prin
ciple”—the device of repeating the same
melodic idea during the course of several
movements—appears in the Quartet in
F, as will be noted later, and in the
“Spanish Rhapsody,” where the haunt
ing fragment of melody (F, E, D, C
sharp), that opens the Prelude, returns
with ravishing effect in later movements.
Polytonality—the style of writing in more
than one key at the same time, polyton
ality, that made some of the music of
Richard Strauss (Salome), and Straw-
insky (Sacre du Printemps), seem at first
revolutionary and cacophonous, also is
employed by Ravel, though refined in
his own characteristic manner. Jazz, the
contribution of modern America that has
swept over the whole world of music,
has also left its imprint on his later
work. 'Hie Violin Sonata has for one
movement a “Blues,” and in the “Dream
of a Naughty Boy” occurs the fox-trot,
“Five o’clock.” As the naughty boy
dreams, the teapot and the china cup
dance a fox trot, singing meanwhile. The
melody, although adhering to the rhythm
of the dance, has a suavity, grace and
mildly ironic quality typical of Ravel;
the fantastic mood is enhanced by the
contrast of rhythm and clash of keys in
melody and accompaniment. In this man
ner does he make use of polytonality and
a modem dance to produce an exceeding
ly witty bit of musical fantasy. Thus we
find in Ravel a composer who, like every
great creator in the arts, exemplifies the
best of his time and his country; one
wht»se work is imposing in quality, and
what is more important, enduring in
merit; and one who, therefore, in the
musical histories written in some later
age, will doubtless be considered one of
the great and representative artists of
our day.
C«>p>'ri(thtcd 1932 for Tin Southern Israelite
New York.—Karl Marx has supplied
the Bible for the changed conditions of
our day and has supplanted the his
toric Scriptures, Lewis Browne, former
rabbi, biographer and author of the
newly-published “Blessed Spinoza,” de
clared on the tercentenary of the birth of
Spinoza. Christianity as the dominant
world religion is rapidly losing ground,
Mr. Browne said, declaring “If economic
conditions improve, religion will be al
lowed to go its own way. But if con
ditions do not improve then you will
find the people groping around until
they find something that fits their need
and gives them the courage necessary
to stand up to life. I have a strong
suspicion that if conditions keep on as
they are today communism will become
the world religion, as firmly believed
in, as completely accepted, as Christianity
was. Karl Marx, a Jew, has supplied
the Bible.”
Saloniki—The Jews of Greece are as
sured of complete protection from anti-
Semitic disturbances in a statement made
by Premier Tsaldaris, new head of the
Greek government, who asserted that he
regarded it as a point of honor to safe
guard the Jews against fanaticism.
SOUTHERN NOTES
(Continued from page 17)
Knoxville, Term.
A milestone on the Sixth Annual Tour
of the Union of American Hebrew Con
gregations, Knoxville, had the pleasure
of hearing addresses by Rabbi Moses
P. Jacobson, of Asheville, N. C., and Mr.
Nathan Cohn, of Nashville, Tenn. Both
speakers were very favorably received
and thoroughly enjoyed by a large at
tendance.
A MAN OF DESTINY
(Continued from page 9)
to time. Politics demands an all-round
knowledge, high motives, enthusiasm,
stamina and courage to meet its conflicts
and problems.”
The description fits Governor Herbert
H. Lehman better than any individual we
can think of. These were his material
and mental equipments when he deter
mined to enter the political arena. His
elections to the Governorship of the
State of New York marks the beginning
of the path that might, we hope, lead
him to the most exalted position this
country can offer one of its favorite sons.
Copyrighted 1932 for The Southern Israelite
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