Page:The Spirit of French Music.djvu/72

 ideas on his art have a strong and sovereign quality just because he derives them from the experience of his own creative power. Suppose that his musical works had been lost, and that only his writings remained to us, we should say on reading them, "That man must have been a great creative genius."

Learned men and skilful writers on music such as Messrs. Lionel de la Laurencie and Laloz have given us very sound analyses drawn up in technical language of Rameau's musical work. In a book such as this, addressed to a public that is interested in music but not versed in the secrets of musical composition, it is rather by their expressive and poetic qualities that we must delineate the master's invention and manner of writing. An analysis which fastens on this aspect may be no less instructive and exact, especially if it does not refuse to make occasional reference to technique. However, I do not intend to give such an analysis of the whole of Rameau's works, far from it. His theatrical works were numerous. It is impossible and would be useless to go through them all. It will be better to choose one as a type, and follow it throughout its development, and then pick out in others the features necessary to complete the picture which this first study will have given us of the genius and inspirations of the artist.

Castor and Pollux is considered by most connoisseurs to be his masterpiece. It is a safe verdict if we take it to mean, not that there is more life, grandeur and grace in the musical invention of Castor than in that of Hippolyte or Dardanus but that of all Rameau's