The history of the Debussyst revolution is then only a natural episode of the onward march of our musical art. The origin of this progress dates from more than 20 years, and this lapse of time permits us to measure the fulness of its effects. We now perceive much better, that a refined harmonious ele gance does not exclude, either a sound musical condition or even force an intense expression (quite the reverse), or the simplicity the whole which includes many more mysterious reasons. And this irresistible thrust was the last assault against the fortress of °false dog mas." We can thus make the enumeration.
1. Rules of harmony prohibiting certain linking of accords; certain arrangements of suc cessive seconds, fifths, sevenths or ninths; false connections, appogiaturas or retarda tions heard with the true note, irregular resolutions, etc. Contemporaneous scoring has definitely acquired liberty; but it is easy to find many a derivation from these rules in Pales trina, Monteverdi, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Cmsar Franck, Gounod, Bizet, Saint Saens, Bruneau, Chabrin, Moussorgski, Boro dine and more recently Faure, Debussy, Ravel, Schmitt, etc. The right to these liberties is then ancient, classical and just. They have formed the subject (with some examples taken from the French school) of a remarkable book by Rene Lenormand 'Study of Modern Harmony.' But this is only a small portion of the license, so necessary, taken by our music which, from all sides, breaks through the too narrow restric tions. Let us note also: 2. New views on the tonality and on the modulation. The ancient Greek modes serving as the natural expression of the phrase; the modulations written with great independence: some pieces exist which have no longer the unity of tone of times, but keep a con tinuation, a cohesion, an incontestable musical logic (moreover, we must call attention to the importance accorded to the unity of sentiment of our day).
...iberty of rhythm and of melodies. Dis ance of the prejudice of the mes even of the bar of measure. ms varied and animated as in those of verse.
tberty of the symphonic style which may itself to anything else than to the 6stic development, called °First pieces of inally, the very accurate idea, that the tude of work is not measured by its sal duration, or its sonorousness, neither to ore or less forcible hold of the rhythm, :o the beauty, the elevation of the and to the harmony of its develop the whole being only a matter of pro ns.
e history of the French symphony has us temporarily abandon that of the e. But at the present day our best sans make no absolute distinction between two acts. The theatre adapts itself very to a symphonic as a proof, that ozart. In every instance, good music is •ary and no exigency of scenic action I excuse bad music.
what might he called the °theatre of the the first example was given to us in the im,) by Alfred Bruneau, the music of SO sincere and faithful, interprets the ons of the heart in a language which is
of date. Under the influence of Zola, eau has since reverted toward a broader of art, of great force in