He chose
England; nor can there be a doubt that he chose it because he
believed it to be the country in which his music had the best chance
of being appreciated. And what does this involve, if not that
England, take it all round, is the most musically minded country in
the world? That this is so, that it has produced the finest music
the world has known, and is therefore the finest school of music in
the world, cannot be reasonably disputed.
To the born musician, it is hardly necessary to say, neither the
foregoing remarks nor any others about music, except those that may
be found in every text book, can be of the smallest use. Handel knew
this and no man ever said less about his art--or did more in it.
There are some semi-apocryphal {128} rules for tuning the harpsichord
that pretend, with what truth I know not, to hail from him, but here
his theoretical contributions to music begin and end. The rules
begin "In this chord" (the tonic major triad) "tune the fifth pretty
flat, and the third considerably too sharp." There is an absence of
fuss about these words which suggests Handel himself.
The written and spoken words of great painters or musicians who can
talk or write is seldom lasting--artists are a dumb inarticulate
folk, whose speech is in their hands not in their tongues. They look
at us like seals, but cannot talk to us. To the musician, therefore,
what has been said above is useless, if not worse; its object will
have been attained if it aids the uncreative reader to criticise what
he hears with more intelligence.
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