Page:Pratt - The history of music (1907).djvu/36

 CHAPTER II

SEMI-CIVILIZED MUSIC

10. In General.—Music enters the semi-civilized stage along with the other activities of developing society. When a people emerges from the heedless and irregular habits of savagery, its music usually attracts enough reasoning and skill to make it in some sense artistic. The advance appears in heightened dexterity with song and instruments, in more exactly defined styles of composition, and in some attempt at literature about music, including often the use of a notation. Why some peoples cross this line and others do not is an enigma. However this may be, brief reference must be made to certain past or present systems of this grade, even though our knowledge of them is imperfect and though they seem wholly unconnected with our own music.

Among existing systems, those of China, India and the Mohammedans will be emphasized, and among ancient systems, those of Mesopotamia, the Hebrews and Egypt—the latter being probably rather more than 'semi-civilized,' though decisive data are lacking.

11. China.—From Chinese literature it appears that music has had a long and honorable history in connection with Confucianism and under the patronage of the imperial court. Some of the temple music to-day is impressive, and the tone-system and many instruments are notable. Yet the status of popular music, as heard in the streets and the theatres, is notoriously low. Possibly the present is a time of degeneracy from ancient standards, or perhaps in past times suggestions of progress were so partially assimilated as not to affect general use. It seems as if music, having reached a certain point, became fixed, without the power of further advance.

Tradition ascribes the origin of music to divine inspiration, and names the Emperors Fo-Hi (c. 3000 ) and Hoang-Ti (c. 2600 ) as pioneers in organization. Confucius (d. 478 ) and his more studious disciples seem to have favored a serious use of music and acute speculation about it. It is said that actually hundreds of treatises are extant