Already much has been done in the theater, especially in Russia and Germany. The value of light effects is being recognized. Soft music is often played to enhance the effect of a tender or pathetic scene, and it is quite common for the lights to change in harmony.
By the use of light alone as an accompaniment to a love scene the same effect on the audience can be secured as by the use of soft music.
So far all this has been done crudely and for the most part unscientifically. Producer and electrician have worked together in a haphazard way, often with great success, sometimes with most disagreeable results.
The very term “stage lighting” is not inspiring, but the art of light music will be developed and be taught in theory and practice. Masters of the art will come and men will realize that it is just as great an art to satisfy the eye with light melodies as it is to please the ear with sound melodies.
There yet may be entertainments where only light music is played as there are concerts where only sound music is played.
And why not? Just ask yourself the question—Why not?
Of all the organs of sense the eye is the most delicate and the most wonderful. The ear responds to air waves that travel at the rate of 1,100 feet per second and vary in frequency from 16 to 32,000 per second. The musical notes vary from 32 to 5,000 beats per second.
The eye responds to ether waves that travel at the rate of 182,000 miles per second and vary in frequency from 400 millions millions—the lowest red of the spectrum—to 750 millions millions (red 400,000,000,000,000; violet 750,000,000,000,000) the highest violet.