Page:Pratt - The history of music (1907).djvu/500

 CHAPTER XXIX

GROWTH OF MUSICAL LITERATURE

187. Musical Publications.—Along with all other lines of intellectual development in the first decades of the century, the scientific, philosophical and historical discussion of music grew steadily in dimensions and importance. On the side of science, acoustical problems were still further investigated, many interesting questions about rhythmic and metric structure brought into view, the modern doctrines of chord-building and harmonic progression reduced to more satisfactory form, and the systematic presentation of all the technical divisions of composition, now including to some extent instrumentation, made more logical and complete. The leading theorists were almost all teachers at the Paris Conservatoire. On the side of aesthetics, continued interest was shown, though without any notable contribution except from the psychological point of view represented by Herbart. The practical spirit of the period was illustrated by the many energetic efforts to diffuse musical knowledge and enlarge popular education in it by various pedagogical plans, like those of Logier and Galin, aiming sometimes at the improvement of teaching in music-schools, sometimes at a promotion of song as a part of general education. The number of pedagogical books for the voice and for various instruments becomes bewildering, implying not only a widespread conviction of the value of discipline and system, but a progressing popular demand for instruction. Though no striking general work on musical history was put forth, a goodly number of special studies in various directions, particularly biography, attest the advance of the historical spirit. Criticism for the time being was but slightly represented. In Germany an awakening of interest in the management of church services evoked many articles and small brochures upon the treatment of sacred music. The founding of musical periodicals and of publishing houses went on more or less everywhere.