Music, a recognized but still undirected agent for rhythm maintenance, is sought and produced in accordance with the disturbance of a body politic or of a body individual. The musical products of a nation mirror that nation’s history far better than pen and ink can laboriously spell it out. Music reaches down into physiological and psychological needs, and tends to reestablish rhythmic equilibrium, whether applied to physical organs, or to members of a national body. And as the aggregates of matter and motion in human bodies combine all of their unequal, complex, and yet distinct rhythms under one mean rhythm, which becomes the characteristic rhythm of the whole, so do the musical products of a nation, during a given time or age, combine their unequal motions under a mean motion or characteristic, which includes all rhythmic products and which we see as a characteristic “color,” or “temperament” in the national Music of that period. And as the mean governing rhythm or pulse of one being, individual or national, cannot be mistaken for the mean of any other combination than its own, so the “color” or “temperament” of the musical products of one country, is clearly distinguishable from that of the Musical products of other countries.
In like manner, humanity, that larger aggregate of human molecules, shows a mean color in the united products or motions of its parts, the nations. The “tone” of the Music of the Nineteenth century, is more complex than that of the Eighteenth century, although Spain still re-establishes her Eighteenth century disturbances with Eighteenth century Music. England, with few deeply disturbed emotions is satisfied with doses of early Nineteenth century Music. France applies her own vivid intellectual sound pictures to her psychological and political disturbances. Germany finds the panacea for her disturbances in colors of soul tragedy and strong sentimentality. Italy, until her recent steps toward modern methods in stimuli productions, sipped her delightful comedy and her flowery tragedy, from graceful old-fashioned musical cups. Nineteenth century musical productions in England, France, Germany and Italy are, we may say, pictures of their several national “disturbances,” and exact quantitative measurements of the depth to which the mean national rhythm was disturbed. All of these musical productions again react upon humanity’s aggregate, and are combined under what is known as the Nineteenth century mean rhythm, or age characteristic.
As has been noted above, there are too few data indicative of the habits of primitive man, for us to learn aught of his Music, but it is safe to assume that its comparative simplicity or complexity corresponded with the comparative simplicity or complexity of his mental and physical life. Undoubtedly, the earliest group complexity arose with roving habits, the entrance into new environments, and the subjection of man’s psycho-physical system to new “strains” of disturbing stimuli.
According to this theory we must define “disturbances” as, such responses to varying stimuli as unduly accelerate or retard bodily pulse motion, changing the normal rhythm of the pulse. Examples are to be found in sudden migrations, outbursts of enthusiasm, wars, revolts, and even in certain eager intellectual pursuits.
Music is a phase of the evolutionary process. Musical evolution has also its order: (a) in appreciation,[17] when the primitive human mind becomes conscious of existing rhythm, of sound combinations; (b) in utilization, when its seemingly magical effect suggested its association with the festivities and rites of worship; (c) in characterization, when it stands on a pedestal of its own, recognized as a human necessity perfectly adapted to its environment; and (d) in socialization, when its end as an agent in self-realization shall be entirely comprehended. Characterization is the mode which Music has reached today. Socialization is just beginning, and is yet more fully to be developed with greater understanding.
Again in Musical Evolution there has been an ideo-motor stage of development.[18] This forceful, aggressive, persistent motor stage was shown in the rude drums and other rough-hewn instruments of early man. In its convivial imaginative aspect it has answered to the need of the ideo-emotional type. The dogmatic emotional need has drawn forth from that type’s resources the austere musical products of master genius. Do we not find today in France, Germany and in modern Italy a national rhythm disturbed by critically intellectual[19] stimuli, which in turn call forth critically intellectual Music of the most distinct complexity? Music is both a social and a socializing force, which, although created by society, reacts upon its creator.
Reviewing the stages of Musical Evolution do we not discern concerted volition? Does not the mean tone of national musical types show concerted acceptance of that which answers to national tastes and needs? The very applause which establishes the modern type, is the outward sign of an inward intent to embrace that product. Cool and restrained judgment precedes that acceptance. Any audience manifests resembling sensations of resembling individuals in that oneness of criticism so generally exhibited. Clearly indeed in this latter case do we perceive that reflective sympathy which shows us how like to our neighbor we are. Then there is the evidence of organic sympathy which establishes that liking or disliking for certain Music, according as the mean motion or the rhythm of the Musical sound vibrations, correspond to a similar combination of motions and rhythms in our own systems. And is not the affection for a rhythm similar to our own, stronger than is our liking for one dissimilar? Can a dogmatic emotional[20] type experience a true affection for, or feel a sincere need of, ragtime ditties? Could Italy in the early part of the Nineteenth century feel affection for the Music of a von Weber? Could Germany in the fever of Franco-Prussian emotionalism feel affection for the works of Verdi? Paris disliked Wagner’s operas until very recently.
Lest this should seem like an attempt to stretch sociological terminology to cover territory other than its own, let us continue our examination. Even in the progress from the homogeneous to the heterogeneous, Music, in its national parts, though highly heterogeneous like the integrated parts of the body, is yielding to the social passion for homogeneity. This is indicated by the increasing similarity of its ideals. Even Italy in her new awakening is reaching out toward musical equality with the most complex modern ideals, illustrating the tendency of all inequality toward final equality.
The Music which answered to the needs of an Ethnic Society could not possibly re-establish the disturbed rhythm of political groups. The “gentile family” system for a long time successfully counteracted the effects of heterogeneous motion attacks upon the calm nervous structure, by a Music suited to its needs. Only with the decay of the patriarchal system did groups come to demand complexity in the re-establishing agency, Music.
Internal disturbances must have been rare in all clan life, surrounding stimuli being relatively homogeneous, simple and diffused. Paleolithic man, with his unchanging external environment, had little reason for internal disturbance. What slight disturbances he suffered were probably remedied by simple rhythmic composition of some kind: even babies create a pronounced sound rhythm with any instrument at hand, and indicate real pleasure derived from what to us seems mere noise.